This tour is a mixture of the best destinations in Guatemala including the best locations to appreciate endemic bird species.
We will visit Guatemala’s center highlands (Mountain Forest), the pacific coast (Subtropical Humid Forest), the Biological Corridor of Resplendent Quetzal (cloud forest), las Verapaces and Peten (Tropical Rainforest) in the Guatemala’s lowlands.
Resume
5:00 am. Leave Flores for a trip of approximately 3 hrs. The whole road proposes great birding opportunity in open areas, secondary forest and ponds.
Arrival to the community of Paso Caballos, here we will board a boat that will carry us through the San Pedro River toward Las Guacamayas Biological Station (aprox.20 minutes). Birding on route.
Arrival, you will be received by the EBG staff and they will give an introduction on the activities of the station, solid waste management, research programs, conservation and social projection. (Approx. 1 hour).
3:00 PM. birding tour around the base station ending at Las Guacamayas lookout.
Dinner and lodging at Las Guacamayas lodge.
Some of the birds that you can spot at this destination are:
Gray-throated Chat, Ocellated Turkey, Vermiculated Screech-Owl, Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan Poorwill, Rose-throated Tanager, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, among others.
5:00 am. Time for a coffee (breakfast on route) We will board our boat for a birding tour through the archaeological site El Peru, where we will visit the most important nesting area of the scarlet macaw (Ara Macaw) in Guatemala from February to May.
Nighttime aquatic excursion: Explores the stream Sacluc, our experienced guide accompanies us for the nighttime aquatic tour. With the support of a flashlight, our guide illuminates the nighttime creatures that live here, including the crocodile petenero (Crocodylus moreletii), bats, birds and more.
Lodging at Las Guacamayas Lodge.
Some of the birds that you can spot at this destination are:
Ruddy Crake, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Montezuma Oropendola, Blue Bunting, Black-cowled Oriole, Russet-naped Wood-Rail, among others.
5:00 am. Time for a coffee and birding tour through the biological station
Breakfast
Lunch and transfer from EBG to Tikal National Park
Sunset Birding tour at Tikal National Park
2 nights of lodging inside Tikal National Park
Some of the birds that you can spot at this destination are:
Orange-breasted Falcon, Gray-throated Chat, Ocellated Turkey, Vermiculated Screech-Owl, Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan Poorwill, Rose-throated Tanager, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, Ruddy Crake, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Montezuma Oropendola, Blue Bunting, Black-cowled Oriole, Russet-naped Wood-Rail, among others.
Early birdwatching Tour within Tikal National Park, Tikal is part of the nucleus areas of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, with a high level of conservation activities and research.
The monuments, remnants of the ancient Maya culture located in the middle of luscious jungles, are ideal places for birdwatching where we will find interesting species such as Ocellated turkey, orange-breasted falcon, Yucatan Jay, Black Catbird, Rose-throated Tanager, Great Curassow, White-fronted Parrot; Mealy Parrot, Crested Eagle, ,Slaty-tailed Trogon, Keel-billed Toucan, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher; White-bellied Wren, Montezuma Oropendola and many hummingbirds among others.
During migratory season flocks of warblers, tanagers and others makes this destination a fantastic tropical paradise.
Dinner and lodging at Tikal Inn.
<h3Day 5: Flores
Morning Birdwatching around the park
Breakfast and lunch at Tikal and afternoon transfer to Flores
End of our services
Zoe L
Fantastic birdwatching
Martsam Tours organised the bird guides for our trip to Guatemala in March and we were extremely pleased with all of them. We birded around Lake Atitlan area with the brothers Aaron and Lester de Leon Lux who were exceptional and probably the best guides we have ever met. We spent a half day at Mirador de Rey Tepepul and had fantastic views of Resplendent Quetzal, our target species – Aaron and Lester even make a video of the birds with our camera while we watched! Other highlights of the day were Azure Rumped Tanager and Brown Breasted Solitaire. The next day we went up Paquisis for the Horned Guan, a difficult trail but great care was taken of us, and Aaron and Lester managed to get us great views of this elusive bird as well as another tricky species Guatemalan Pygmy Owl. Birding with Aaron and Lester was a great pleasure as they are so enthusiastic and it is clear that they are passionate about birding.
We also birded for 2 days with Melvin Rivera in the Tikal area who is a very experienced guide. Melvin enabled us to see a great many of the special birds such as Oscillated Turkey, Orange Breasted Falcon and Northern Royal Flycatcher and even found us a Northern Potoo roosting on the way back. We also went to Yaxha with Melvin and had an excellent day both birdwatching and seeing the site. Melvin is very knowledgeable about archaeology a well as birds. An amazing view of Ornate Hawk Eagle was definitely the highlight of the day.
I can therefore highly recommend Martsam Tours for providing us with such excellent guides who helped to make our trip so memorable.