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Partner expedition · Chilean Patagonia

On the trail of the puma.

51°16′S 72°21′W
Ask about this tripApr 6–16, 2027 · 11 days · 5 guests · from $13,750
Five guests, three photographers per vehicle·A dedicated puma tracker on the radio·Led by wildlife photographer, Yuri Choufour

Seven full days in the densest puma country on Earth.

Eleven days from Punta Arenas, based at Estancia El Ovejero on private land beside Torres del Paine. A dedicated tracker reads sign from first light and keeps radio contact with your guides, so the group is often positioned at cats before sunrise. April is the prize: cooler days keep the cats moving past dawn, summer cubs are at their most playful, and the lenga forests turn red and gold beneath the towers.

The shape of the eleven days

Day 1Punta Arenas. The included group flight from Santiago, then a welcome briefing with Yuri at Hotel Jose Nogueira.
Day 2North across the steppe to Estancia El Ovejero at Cerro Castillo. Meet the tracker; an evening scouting session to read the ground.
3–9Seven full field days. Pre-dawn starts on the cats, midday for guanacos, condors, lunch and rest, evenings tracking as the light goes golden. One day gives the towers and autumn forests their due.
Day 10A last early session if the cats allow, then south to Punta Arenas and an evening in town.
Day 11Included return flight to Santiago and home.

The rhythm is honest: this is a vehicle-based expedition, not a trek. Most tracking is from 4x4s with short walks on open ground, though a puma on the move can mean a brisk few kilometres with your kit. Guests with limited mobility can work from the vehicles; ask us and we will talk it through.

A partner expedition

This trip is run by Yuri Choufour Photography, and you book directly with Yuri under his terms: 35% deposit, arrive in Santiago by April 5. He is a friend of the house who has sailed with us, and we make the introduction and stay involved as much as you like.

Traveling solo?

Pricing is on a shared-room basis. A room to yourself is a $1,500 supplement, with limited availability, so say so early.

The pumas

Every photograph on this page is from these field seasons.

No stock, no baiting, no fences. This is what the group actually sees: females Yuri and the trackers know as individuals, cubs at play, and hunts when patience pays. Sightings are never guaranteed; seven full field days is what tilts the odds in your favour.

All photographs © Yuri Choufour, taken on these expeditions.

Why five?

Five guests, moving at the speed of the cat.

Five guests, never more, with three photographers to a vehicle: everyone works a window seat, and the group moves at the speed of the sighting. Between the cats there are guanaco herds on the ridgelines, condors on three-metre wings riding the same thermals every day, foxes, owls and flamingos on the salt lagoons.

We don't rush. We explore.

3

photographers per 4x4, so every seat is a working seat.

5

guests on the whole expedition, with one tracker working for them alone.

Your photographer

Yuri Choufour

A Canadian wildlife and expedition photographer based in British Columbia, with a portfolio that runs from Antarctica and South Georgia to Svalbard, Greenland and the Great Bear Rainforest. Repeated Patagonian field seasons mean he knows these cats, and their trackers, personally. Instruction runs from enthusiast to professional: technical settings, field craft, and reading behaviour before it happens. A second set of guiding eyes, and the reason the group is where the light is.

Bring comfort with shutter speed, aperture and ISO; a 400–600mm lens for the cats and a second body with a shorter zoom for puma-in-landscape work.

The wider cast

Dates & booking

DepartureRoomsPer personGroup
Apr 6–16, 2027Shared double$13,7505 guests max
Apr 6–16, 2027Room to yourself+ $1,500Limited
Included: ten nights on a shared basis, all meals at the estancia, return flights Santiago to Punta Arenas, all tracking and guiding with the dedicated tracker, park fees and private estancia access, 4x4 travel with three photographers per vehicle, and Yuri's instruction throughout. International flights to Santiago, Santiago accommodation, insurance (mandatory, with evacuation cover), and gratuities are not. Booking is directly with Yuri Choufour Photography under his terms: 35% deposit, arrive in Santiago by April 5, 2027.

Start the conversation

Tell us you're interested and we will introduce you to Yuri, answer the Patagonia questions we can, and stay in the loop as much as you like.

FAQ

Will we actually see pumas?
This region holds the densest puma population on Earth, the tracker starts reading sign before first light, and seven full field days typically produce multiple individuals. But cats are cats and no sighting is guaranteed. What we can promise is a dedicated tracker, seven full field days, and every dawn and dusk spent trying.
How fit do I need to be?
This is a photographic expedition, not a trek. Most work is from the 4x4s with short walks on open, uneven ground; a moving cat can mean a brisk few kilometres carrying your kit. If that sounds manageable, you're fine, and guests with limited mobility can photograph from or near the vehicles.
What camera gear do I need?
Comfort with shutter speed, aperture and ISO, a 400–600mm lens for the cats, and ideally a second body with a shorter zoom for landscape and puma-in-habitat frames. Yuri works with everyone from enthusiasts to professionals.
Who am I actually booking with?
Yuri Choufour Photography. This is a partner expedition: you book directly with Yuri under his booking terms, with a 35% deposit to confirm. We make the introduction and remain available throughout, before, during and after the trip.
Visas and health?
US, UK, Canadian and EU passports need no visa for Chile; 90-day stays are standard. No mandatory vaccinations, no malaria or yellow fever risk; keep routine vaccinations current and carry insurance with medical and evacuation cover, which is mandatory. Arrive in Santiago by April 5.
Why April?
It is the best puma month of the year here: autumn cold keeps the cats active well past dawn, the summer's cubs are at their most playful, the lenga forests are red and gold under the towers, and the sun stays low and soft all day.
✦

Ready? Dive in.

Terns feed by plunge-diving, total commitment, perfect timing. It's how we travel, too.

Ask about this trip
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