From Patagonia's windswept steppe to the Amazon basin's teeming interior, South America holds an astonishing range of ecosystems — and Cheesemans' expeditions are designed to explore them all. Track pumas in Torres del Paine, search for jaguars and giant river otters in Brazil's Pantanal, encounter Galápagos endemics found nowhere else on Earth, and experience Colombia's legendary birdlife — over 1,900 species, including Andean Cock-of-the-rock and dazzling tanagers. Expert naturalist leadership and extended field time are the constants across every destination.
Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
South America
About the Region
Patagonia
Patagonia is one of the last truly wild landscapes on Earth — a vast, windswept expanse of steppe, granite peaks, glacial lakes, and southern beech forest at the bottom of the Americas. Cheesemans' expeditions explore Torres del Paine and the surrounding region in search of pumas, the apex predator of the southern Andes, alongside guanacos, Andean condors, and a rich community of Patagonian birds and mammals. The scale of the scenery is humbling, the wildlife encounters are genuine, and the remoteness of the destination makes every sighting feel hard-earned and deeply rewarding.
Brazil
Brazil's wild interior holds two of the world's most extraordinary wildlife habitats — and Cheesemans' expeditions are built to explore both. In the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, jaguars hunt along river banks, giant river otters fish in clear waterways, and the birdlife is almost overwhelming in its density and variety. The surrounding cerrado and gallery forest add tapirs, giant anteaters, and maned wolves to an already remarkable list. Brazil rewards those who go deep, and our expert naturalist guides ensure every hour in the field counts.
Colombia
Colombia has quietly become one of the world's premier birding and wildlife destinations — and for good reason. With more bird species than any other country on Earth, its landscapes range from Andean cloud forest to Pacific lowland rainforest to Caribbean coastline, each harboring distinct and often endemic wildlife. Cheesemans' expeditions focus on the country's most spectacular avian highlights — Andean Cock-of-the-rock, dazzling tanager arrays, and rare cloud forest specialists — while the broader biodiversity of mammals, reptiles, and insects makes every walk genuinely unpredictable. Colombia is a destination that consistently exceeds expectations.
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are unlike anywhere else on Earth — a volcanic archipelago where wildlife evolved in isolation for millions of years and where animals still show almost no fear of humans. Cheesemans' expeditions explore this living laboratory by small ship, landing on islands where giant tortoises roam freely, marine iguanas bask on black lava, blue-footed boobies perform their courtship dances, and Galápagos sea lions play in the surf at your feet. The ecological and evolutionary insights that unfold across each island visit make this as intellectually compelling as it is visually spectacular.
