Easy capybaras at tourist sites? (Southern South America)
Hi all!
I’m on a backpacking trip around South America, currently in Buenos Aires and thinking to head east or north from here. I understand that capybaras are very common at some of the nature destinations that others have described in trip reports, but I’d like to show my partner some capybaras even if she isn’t up for joining me on some of the more adventurous legs of the journey (which generally involve a lot of hitchhiking and potentially camping, since we have neither a vehicle nor money for tours or many proper hotels).
I’m wondering if there’s anywhere we might go to anyway where it will be easy to see capybaras. Iguazu Falls? Somewhere within the city of Buenos Aires? Of if not that, then at least sites easy to get to without a car from somewhere where accommodation is very cheap (like, under US$30 per night for two people).
Cheers!
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13 Comments
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Lennartv
In my experience Cabipara is very common anywhere along river banks in the Amazon. One boat ride of a few hours should be enough. You could go up to a lodge or camping ground on one day and go back the other day. I’m not familiar with Argentina, but usually all it takes is going to a town that allows easy acces to the Amazon. In Peru such a town would be Puerto Maldonado.
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Paul Carter
For your BA query – check iNat for clusters of sightings near BA e.g. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/75575836
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Nathan Myhrvold
El Palmar is full of capybara (I was there about a year ago). It also has a colony of vizcacha in and around the campground in the center of the park – they come out at dusk, and are great fun to watch. Also, pampas fox and crabeater fox in abundance. There are places to stay nearby. But, El Palmar is 4 hours or so by road from Buenos Aires, so that may be too far. I heard stories that there are capybara in suburbs of Buenos Aires. I have not seen them myself but there are a bunch of articles online about them. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/spanish/en/article/capybaras-have-invaded-an-exclusive-neighbourhood-in-argentina-but-who-was-there-first/w43aqhj33 , https://time.com/6173837/capybaras-argentina-climate-change/
I suspect you could find recent article and advice on places closer than El Palmar that have capybara.
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JanEbr
Iguazu is in rainforest, that’s not really capybara habitat, I don’t even think I ever saw them there. We saw plenty of capybaras by public transportation in Esteros del Ibera (Colonia Peregrini), but we camped – because that’s what we like the most, so I have no idea about accomodation (but the camping there is really beautiful). They are also numerous in El Palmar – I was there by car, but the bus stop on the main road is just outside the entry to the park, so that would be easy – but again, I camped there (and again it’s a really nice place to do so). Never saw any in BA proper, or anywhere very close to it for that matter.