12-Day Birding Tour Yucatan | Birding in the Yucatan - BIRDING IN THE YUCATAN PENINSULA

Our most complete itinerary, built at a more relaxed pace than our other routes. Several stops include two nights in the same town, so there is less time spent packing and driving and more time in the field. The extra days also let us travel further south to Dos Naciones, close to the Guatemala border, where a different set of species awaits that is not found anywhere else on our routes.

12 days

10 full birding
days

+260 birds

3 states

Full Itinerary

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12

Day 1: Arrival day

Day 1

Relaxed arrival

Arrival Day

Cancun Airport → Puerto Morelos

We will pick you up at Cancun airport and transfer to the hotel in Puerto Morelos, a charming little Caribbean town and one of the oldest ports in Quintana Roo. Depending on your arrival time, we can plan to go birding in the evening and look for some crepuscular and nocturnal species. We will have dinner together, review the trip itinerary, and answer any questions you may have.

Day 2

Forest & flamingos

Puerto Morelos & Río Lagartos

Puerto Morelos → Río Lagartos

We will start birding in Puerto Morelos Reserve, a well-preserved area of medium-height forest where our targets are the Yucatan Flycatcher, Green-backed Sparrow, Orange Oriole and Rose-throated Tanager, along with around 70 other species we'll see that morning. After lunch we will drive to Río Lagartos, where we will take a boat trip through the mangrove-lined estuary to search for the American Flamingo, Mangrove Warbler, Clapper Rail, and several species of herons, egrets, terns, shorebirds and more. Once the sun goes down, still in the boat, we will look for the Yucatan Nightjar, a bird that is difficult to see anywhere else.

Yucatan Flycatcher Green-backed Sparrow Orange Oriole Rose-throated Tanager American Flamingo Yucatan Nightjar

Day 3

Coastal endemics

Río Lagartos Reserve

Río Lagartos → Las Coloradas → San Felipe

This morning we will be birding in the coastal sand dune and mangrove vegetation of Río Lagartos Reserve, a site with a unique combination of coastal habitats, home to several restricted-range species. The Mexican Sheartail, Yucatan Wren, Black-throated Bobwhite, Zenaida Dove, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture and Lesser Roadrunner will be some of the birds we search for.

Mexican Sheartail Yucatan Wren Black-throated Bobwhite Zenaida Dove Lesser Roadrunner

Day 4

Forest & night birds

Río Lagartos to Valladolid

Río Lagartos → Valladolid

In the morning we will continue birding around Río Lagartos, focusing on any remaining targets at sites like Las Coloradas and San Felipe. In the afternoon we will travel south to Valladolid, where a highly productive trail gives us chances to find forest species such as the Thicket Tinamou, Mayan Antthrush, Rose-throated Tanager and Gray-throated Chat, among several others. There's also a chance to see the Yucatan Poorwill and Middle American Screech-Owl that night.

Thicket Tinamou Mayan Antthrush Gray-throated Chat Yucatan Poorwill Middle American Screech-Owl

Day 5

Ruins & endemics

Chichén Itzá & Mérida

Chichén Itzá → Mérida

We will take advantage of the early morning hours birding near the Chichén Itzá archaeological site, focusing on any remaining species of the area. Afterward we will visit Chichén Itzá itself, guided by a specialist in Maya culture. After lunch we will drive to Mérida to search for the Yucatan Gnatcatcher, an endemic species found only in the northwest of the peninsula.

Yucatan Gnatcatcher

Day 6

Wetlands & cenotes

Mérida to Campeche

Mérida → Campeche → Escárcega

Today we will drive to Campeche state, making several stops along the way. First we will visit a small reserve south of Mérida city, then stop near Campeche city at a beautiful reserve with water springs and a lagoon. Finally we will visit the Miguel Colorado cenotes, which have good surrounding habitat for forest birds. We will spend the night near Escárcega, close to the next day's birding sites.

Day 7

River & bat spectacle

Mamantel River & Bat Cave

Mamantel River → Calakmul

The main birding activity of the day takes place on the Mamantel River, where we will take a boat in search of the Sungrebe, with chances to see several other species such as the Ringed Kingfisher, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Crane Hawk and Least Grebe. We will then move on to the Calakmul area, and in the evening visit the bat cave for the spectacular emergence of millions of bats, usually with raptors hunting them along the way.

Sungrebe Ringed Kingfisher American Pygmy Kingfisher Crane Hawk Least Grebe

Day 8

Rainforest biodiversity

Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

Full day at Calakmul

Full day birding at Calakmul Reserve, home to an extraordinary diversity of birdlife in one of the largest tropical forests of the Maya region. We will head to the Archaeological Zone of Calakmul, stopping at several spots along the way for species such as the Ocellated Turkey, Yellow-lored Parrot, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Mayan Antthrush, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Red-capped Manakin and Blue Bunting, just some of the species found in this remarkable reserve in the south of the Peninsula.

Ocellated Turkey Yellow-lored Parrot Ornate Hawk-Eagle Red-capped Manakin Blue Bunting

Day 9

Border specialties

Dos Naciones

Calakmul → Dos Naciones

Full day birding at Dos Naciones, a small town located 70 kilometers south of Xpujil, close to the Guatemala border. This birding hotspot offers many opportunities to find species with a limited distribution in the Yucatan Peninsula, mostly birds that are otherwise found in Chiapas or Guatemala. Target species include the White-collared Manakin, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet, Tody Motmot, King Vulture, Stripe-throated Hermit, Dusky Antbird, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager and others.

White-collared Manakin Rufous-tailed Jacamar Tody Motmot King Vulture Stripe-throated Hermit Dusky Antbird Black-throated Shrike-Tanager

Day 10

Ruins & Bacalar lagoon

Kohunlich & Bacalar

Kohunlich → Bacalar → Playa del Carmen

On the way we will make a stop for some light birding, then continue to the archaeological site of Kohunlich, with its impressive Maya ceremonial and residential structures, where we will have chances to find the Gray-headed Dove, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Red-capped Manakin and White-necked Puffbird among others. We will have lunch at the beautiful Bacalar lagoon, then drive to Playa del Carmen for the night.

Gray-headed Dove Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Red-capped Manakin White-necked Puffbird

Day 11

Island endemics

Cozumel Island

Playa del Carmen → Cozumel Island → Playa del Carmen

On this day we will travel by ferry to the island of Cozumel, spending the day exploring its forests, mangroves and coastal dunes. The Cozumel Emerald and the Cozumel Vireo will be our main objectives, but the island is home to many more species, as well as endemic subspecies and interesting Caribbean specialties. We will have our meals on the island, then return to Playa del Carmen for the night.

Cozumel Emerald Cozumel Vireo