9–10 days · The complete sweep, highlands to volcano
Full Endemics
Our most complete trip, and the one for a serious endemic list. A full sweep from the highland cloud forest around San Cristóbal, through the lowland forest of El Ocote and the Pacific dry forest and coast, and up into the high cloud forest of Tacaná on the Guatemalan border for the region's hardest and most coveted bird, the Horned Guan. High-elevation, occasionally strenuous, and exceptional.
On this trip
A selection of birds from this route. Tap to enlarge.
Day by day
- Day 1
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Birding the pine-oak and cloud forest around San Cristóbal for the highland specialities: Pink-headed Warbler, Garnet-throated Hummingbird, Rufous-browed Wren, Black-throated Jay, Black-capped Swallow, Blue-throated Motmot, Unicolored Jay. Evening drive to Comitán (2 hrs).
Overnight · Comitán
- Day 2
Lagunas de Montebello National Park
A 1 hr drive from Comitán into one of the region's finest cloud-forest sites, with chances for Highland Guan, Resplendent Quetzal, Azure-hooded Jay, Black-throated Jay, Yellow-throated Nightingale-Thrush, and a wide range of cloud-forest species.
Overnight · Comitán
- Day 3
Tenam Puente & Comitán surroundings
The archaeological site and nearby habitat (40 min drive) for Blue-and-white Mockingbird, Belted Flycatcher, White-eared Ground-Sparrow, Slender Sheartail and Lesser Roadrunner. Afternoon drive back to San Cristóbal (2 hrs).
Overnight · San Cristóbal
- Day 4
El Ocote
A 2 hr drive to the El Ocote region for a full day across multiple sites. At Armando Zebadúa: Nava's Wren (microendemic), Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Green Shrike-Vireo, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Black-faced Grosbeak, Crested Guan and other tropical lowland birds. Laguna Bélgica and the buffer zone add further lowland species.
Overnight · Ocozocoautla
- Day 5
La Sepultura → Pacific slope
A short ~1 hr drive to La Sepultura for Rose-bellied Bunting, Orange-breasted Bunting, Great Swallow-tailed Swift, Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow and Citreoline Trogon. Then ~3 hrs to Mapastepec, with a birding stop en route for Giant Wren, Rufous-backed Wren, Salvadoran Flycatcher and Spot-breasted Oriole.
Overnight · Mapastepec
- Day 6
El Castaño
A ~1 hr drive to the mangroves and wetlands of El Castaño, chiefly for Agami Heron, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Black-collared Hawk and other mangrove birds, with more lowland tropical species possible such as White-whiskered Puffbird and Gartered Trogon. Long transfer to Chiquihuite afterwards (~4 hrs).
Overnight · Chiquihuite
- Day 7
Chiquihuite town
Morning birding the surrounds of Chiquihuite, a high-elevation town at mid-level on Tacaná Volcano. Species include Black Thrush, Hooded Grosbeak, Green-throated Mountain-gem, Guatemalan Tyrannulet, Blue-crowned Chlorophonia, Blue-throated Motmot, Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge and Black-capped Swallow. Possible owling at night for Fulvous Owl and Unspotted Saw-whet Owl. This portion is high-elevation birding: temperatures are lower, the area is rural with patchy internet, conditions variable and lodgings basic, but the rewards can be exceptional.
Overnight · Chiquihuite
- Day 8
Tacaná Volcano hike
A challenging morning of hiking in search of the Horned Guan, Black-capped Siskin, Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge, Wine-throated Hummingbird and Pink-headed Warbler. This is a strenuous hike, around 3 hours of fairly steep uphill to the primary Horned Guan site, with an optional further hour's climb for Black-capped Siskin and Broad-tailed Hummingbird, followed by the descent. More owling if energy permits.
Overnight · Chiquihuite
- Day 9
Unión Juárez
An easier morning birding our way downslope for Azure-rumped Tanager, Blue-tailed Hummingbird, Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird, White-faced Quail-Dove, Middle American Leaftosser and Ruddy Foliage-gleaner, before driving to Tapachula airport where the trip ends, or on to Tuxtla for an optional final morning at Sumidero.
Overnight · Optional: Tuxtla
- Day 10
Sumidero Canyon (optional)
A final morning birding the dramatic Sumidero Canyon, with chances for Blue Seedeater, Slender Sheartail, Belted Flycatcher, Bar-winged Oriole and dry-deciduous specialists, before the trip ends.
Trip ends