Victor Hugo2025
Born in Temuco in 1984, Victor Hugo has guided for more than two decades, getting his start as a mountain and backcountry skiing guide in the Andes. In 2015, he shifted his focus to the Magallanes region of southern Chile, leading treks in Torres del Paine and on Navarino Island, and serving as a naturalist on small-ship expeditions through the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Now, his passion for nature and ecology drives his approach to sustainable tourism, and he loves to immerse travelers among wildlife and beautiful places. He’s also a photography expert who excels at teaching the craft and helping nature photographers hone their skills. Victor is a skilled tracker who can easily spot elusive big cats and a myriad of bird species. He’s traveled extensively across South America—Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru—documenting species and expanding his field knowledge. He has also worked on research and monitoring efforts, including black bear studies in Connecticut, jaguar and bird surveys in Brazil’s Pantanal, and long-term puma observations in Patagonia.
As a naturalist guide, he brings deep regional knowledge, strong field skills and a scientific approach to wildlife interpretation. His work is grounded in curiosity, patience and respect for the natural world. Whether tracking pumas or scanning for birds, he aims to help travelers experience the landscape with sharper awareness and a deeper sense of connection.
What Our Guests Say
In September, I spent 20 days with Victor between Torres del Paine National Park and Patagonia National Park, tracking and learning about pumas. From the moment I met Victor the year before, I knew he was the only guide and mentor for me. His passion for pumas and Patagonia was immediately apparent. Victor has an admirable philosophy of what constitutes responsible ecotourism. His approach to observing pumas in their wild lives allowed us to be relatively close to many of them but as part of the landscape and not an influencing disturbance to their natural behaviors. This conscious and respectful approach was the key to the secretive and fascinating lives of pumas in Patagonia, where we witnessed dozens of different behaviors. Victor is also a teacher at heart and has a wealth of knowledge to share not only about pumas but all other native wildlife, especially birds, local history, Chilean culture, photography, and how to navigate the Carretera Austral in all kinds of weather. He is very professional, punctual, well-prepared, and personable. I already cannot wait for our next adventure!
