Day 1: Arrival day
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 to try some crepuscular and nocturnal birds. We will have dinner together and will review the itinerary of the trip and answer any questions you may have.
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Day 2: Puerto Morelos - Valladolid
We will start birding in Puerto Morelos Reserve, a well preserved medium forest area where our targets will be the Yucatan Flycatcher, Green-backed Sparrow, Orange Oriole, Rose-throated Tanager among other ~70 species that we will see in the morning. An early lunch will be provided by a local family. Our next stop is Valladolid area where we will be birding the late afternoon and evening in a nature reserve managed by young mayan birders who will help us to spot the endemic Yucatan Poorwill and try other night birds.
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Day 3: Valladolid - Rio Lagartos
We will start early morning birding near Valladolid for several forest birds like the White-fronted parrot, Lesson's Motmot, Gray-headed Tanager, Gray-throated Chat. Then we will drive to Río Lagartos, making a stop in Kikil town to search for the Yellow-winged-Tanager, Blue-gray Tanager and others. In Lagartos we will take a boat tour in the mangrove ría to search for the American Flamingo, Mangrove Warbler, Clapper Rail, several species of herons, egrets, terns, shorebirds and more. Once the sun goes down and still in the boat we will look for the Yucatan Nightjar, a bird difficult to see in other places.
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Day 4: Rio Lagartos - Merida
This morning we will be birding in the coastal sand dune and mangrove vegetation at Rio Lagartos Reserve, a site with a very particular habitat, home of restricted range birds. The Mexican Sheartail, Yucatan Wren, Black-throated Bobwhite, Zenaida Dove, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Lesser Roadrunner will be some of the birds we will search. After lunch we will drive to the west by the coast of Yucatan to search for the Yucatan Gnatcatcher, an endemic restricted to that area.
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Day 5: Merida - Campeche
This day we will drive to Campeche state, making several stops on the way. First we will visit a small reserve south of Merida city, then we will stop near Campeche city in a beautiful reserve with water springs and a lagoon. The main birding activity will be in the Mamantel area in a boat trip searching for the Sungrebe, but with chances for several other interesting birds.
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Day 6: Calakmul
Full day birding at Calakmul Reserve, with an incredibly vast biodiversity, there's lots to discover in one the largest tropical forest in the Mayan region. We will go to the Archaeological Zone of Calakmul, and on the way we will stop at several spots to see interesting species such as Ocellated Turkey, Yellow-lored Parrot, Ornate Hawk-eagle, Mayan Antthrush, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Red-capped Manakin and Blue Bunting are just some of the amazing species we can find in this magic reserve in the south of the Peninsula.
In the evening we will arrive at the Volcan de los Murciélagos, where we will appreciate an incredible
In the evening we will arrive at the Volcan de los Murciélagos, where we will appreciate an incredible
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Day 7: Hormiguero - Konhulich - Bacalar
Early morning birding in the Hormiguero area and archaeological site, we will visit some small lagoons with chances for the Russet-naped Wood Rail, Northern Jacanas, Keel-billed Toucan, also we can find interesting forest birds like Northern-barred Woodcreeper, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Plain Xenops and many other birds that like the fruits and seeds of the trees in the area.
Afterwards we are going to the archaeological site of Kohunlich with amazing ceremonial and residential Mayan buildings, we will have chances to find the Gray-headed Dove, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Red-capped Manakin, White-necked Puffbird among others. We will have lunch in the beautiful lagoon of Bacalar, then we will drive to Playa del Carmen where we will spend the night.
Afterwards we are going to the archaeological site of Kohunlich with amazing ceremonial and residential Mayan buildings, we will have chances to find the Gray-headed Dove, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Red-capped Manakin, White-necked Puffbird among others. We will have lunch in the beautiful lagoon of Bacalar, then we will drive to Playa del Carmen where we will spend the night.
Day 8: Cozumel island
On our last day of birding we will travel by ferry to the amazing island of Cozumel, where we will explore all day in the forest, mangroves and coastal dunes. The Cozumel Emerald and the Cozumel Vireo will be our main objectives, but the island is home of many more species, as well as endemic subspecies and interesting caribbean specialties. We will have our meals in the Island, and after we will return to Playa del Carmen where we will spend the night.
Day 9: Airport drop off
Depending on the time of your flight ticket, we may be able to go birding at some places near the airport before drop you off in the airport.