Capybaras in Curitiba: Where to See the City’s Most Famous Residents

Our first time seeing wild capybaras was in Curitiba, South Brazil. We left Curitiba with some amazing pictures and actually really loved the city itself too. It’s a very liveable city, so not super touristy, but there is still plenty to do. But let’s give you all the info you need to plan your trip to see these majestic creatures!

Why Are There Capybaras in Curitiba?

Capybaras are native to Brazil and thrive in areas with water, grass and minimal predators. Curitiba has some of the most extensive green space we have seen, and their park system provides the perfect habitat, allowing them to coexist peacefully within the city.

Best Places to See Capybaras in Curitiba

If you only have time to go to one place to see them, Parque Barigui is 100% it. We saw so many wild capybaras here – it was amazing!! The other options on this list do have capybaras living there, but it might not be a given. 

Parque Barigui – AKA the best

Parque Barigui is a stop on the Hop On Hop Off Bus route in Curitiba, however because the pass only lasts 24, and the park is so big, we’d recommend visiting this on a separate day. This way you can spend as long as you want here, without missing out on being able to visit other attractions within your time. We were there for about 3 hours!

The park has lovely divided lanes into lanes for walkers, runners & cyclists meaning its very easy, no matter how you get around to keep a look out for capybaras without risking danger around other people travelling at different speeds!

All you need to do is walk, and you will see them! If you’ve never seen them before, they are a lot bigger than you think – so if you think you see a group of dogs ahead – nope they’re capybaras! They like to hang out near the water/mud too so keep your eye out around the lake.

📍Location: Parque Barigui

Other parks for capybaras 

Parque Barigui is pretty much a given (obviously they are wild so never guaranteed), we only saw a few in these parks, or none at all but all have reviews of sightings.

Tingui Park– We saw quite a few here at the waters edge and even some babies!

São Lourenço Park– We didn’t go here but it’s a quieter park with scenic trails and occasional capybara sightings

Tips for finding parks with capybaras

We found that google reviews are amazing for help with which parks have sightings. Search for a park, click on the reviews section, and if there are enough reviews with the word ‘capybara’ in, it will come up with an option to show only reviews that mention capybaras. Make sure you sort the searches into ‘newest first’ too for the most accurate updates.

Best Time of Day to See Capybaras

Early morning and late afternoon are best, but we saw them all through the day really. They do tend to chill in the mud or rest during the hottest parts of the day and become more a little more active when it’s cooler.

Capybara Safety & Etiquette

Capybaras may look cuddly, but remember they’re wild animals & rodents:

• Don’t touch or feed them
  
• Keep a respectful distance
  
• Never approach babies

Capybaras & Curitiba Culture

The people of Curitiba LOVE CAPYBARAS! You will see capybaras on murals, in all their souvenirs and you can even try capybara shaped food (don’t worry they don’t eat them!) at the Sunday Market in Largo da Ordem.

Capybaras are loved here and protected under environmental law, so they are not eaten in this part of the country. Other parts of Brazil like in the North or in South American countries like Venezuela and Argentina might eat them.

What else to do in Curitiba

There is loads to do in Curitiba, from museums to parks and everything in between, you won’t be lost for things to do, especially with the hop on hop off bus!

Check out our full article of the best things to do in Curitiba here!

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Let us know if you manage to spot any capybaras, we’d love to hear about it!