Day 1: Arrival in Mérida

The tour begins this evening in Mérida. No birding is planned for today, but transportation from the airport to the hotel will be available. Mérida is often called the cultural capital of the Yucatán and a very safe city. Some people may wish to arrive a day or two early to explore its museums, plazas, or take a day trip to Uxmal.

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Day 2: Mérida to Rio Lagartos

We'll begin our birding north of  the city, targeting the scarce and local Yucatan Gnatcatcher, found only in the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula. We'll have the chance to see plenty of other species too, such as Black-throated Bobwhite, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Yucatan Woodpecker, White-fronted Parrot, Olive-throated Parakeet, Orange Oriole, and Cinnamon-bellied Saltator. In the afternoon, we head to Río Lagartos, where we spend two nights.

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Day 3: Río Lagartos

Situated on the north coast of the Yucatán, Río Lagartos is most famous as a location to see hundreds of American Flamingos. Habitats are varied, from salt flats and mangroves to thorn forest and desert-like scrub. The thorn forest supports two more endemic species, Yucatán Wren and the gorgeous little Mexican Sheartail (which visits feedes in town). We’ll also keep an eye out for Lesser Roadrunner and have more chances to see Black-throated Bobwhite. A boat ride through the mangroves may yield Boat-billed Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Mangrove Cuckoo, Mangrove Vireo, or even a sprightly American Pygmy Kingfisher.

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Day 4: Río Lagartos, Ek Balam, and Chichén Itzá

We have another morning to target anything we haven't seen yet. Often we are have seen all the thornscrub species, so we have time to visit the Ek Balam archaeological site. While not as famous as Chichén Itzá, it is much less crowded with better birding, and we'll have our first chances to see Lesson's Motmot, Gartered Trogon, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Black-headed Saltator, Spot-breasted Wren, and others. In the afternoon, we visit the breathtaking ruins of Chichén Itzá. This is mainly a cultural site and birding is rather limited due to the crowds, but we may see a few species typical of the Yucatán, such as Turquoise-browed Motmot, Yucatan Jay, and Orange Oriole. We spend one night in nearby Valladolid.

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Day 5: Cobá and Cozumel

After an early morning rise, we’ll head south towards lush coastal forest. The first stop is Cobá, a ruins site situated in very nice forest. Among the ruins we’ll have our first chance to see one of the Yucatán's most iconic species, the spectacular Ocellated Turkey. We'll also search for Thicket Tinamou, Black-headed Trogon, Yucatan Woodpecker, Northern Bentbill, Gray-collared Becard, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Yellow-winged Tanager, White-bellied Emerald, Eye-ringed Flatbill, and Pale-billed Woodpecker, among many others. Wintering North American warblers are often here in an abundance and it is not unusual to see five or more species in a morning. In the afternoon, we'll head to the coast at Playa del Carmen and take the fast passenger ferry to the island of Cozumel, where we spend two nights.

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Day 6: Cozumel

Cozumel is a small island off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula that is popular vacation spot and cruise ship destination. However, birders are attracted to it as well for its endemic species. Of the four island endemics, Cozumel Wren, Cozumel Vireo, and Cozumel Emerald should show themselves without too much effort; Cozumel Thrasher is sadly likely extinct. There are many endemic subspecies on Cozumel as well: Western Spindalis, Bananaquit, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Roadside Hawk, and Rufous-browed Peppershike all have distinctive populations that should pique our interest. Cozumel offers a unique mix of these mainland species plus Caribbean birds like Caribbean Elaenia and White-crowned Pigeon. An added bonus is a load of migrants, such as Yellow-throated, Black-and-white, and sometimes even a Cape May or a Prairie.

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Day 7: Cozumel to Cancún, fly to Flores

After another few hours of birding on Cozumel, we'll take the passenger ferry back to the mainland and transfer to Cancún Airport. At time of writing, the flight was scheduled to depart Cancún at 2:10pm and arrive in Flores at 6:45pm, with a layover in Guatemala City. We spend one night in Flores.

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Days 8-9: Tikal

Tikal is world famous as one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the Maya civilization. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is also surrounded by tall semi-evergreen forest, making it a wonderful place to go birding. Spectacular ground-dwelling birds like Ocellated Turkey and Great Curassow are usually easy to see here, and with luck we could find several species of tinamou. Some of the other mouth-watering possibilities here include Tody Motmot, Rose-throated Tanager, Keel-billed Toucan, White-necked Puffbird, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, Pheasant Cuckoo, Red-capped and White-collared Manakins, Gray-throated Chat, Orange-breasted Falcon, Mayan Antthrush, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Gray-headed Kite, White Hawk, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, and several species of colorful parrots and trogons. We'll spend two nights at a lodge nestled inside the forest and within walking distance of the archaeological site.

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Day 10: Tikal to Flores and departure

After another morning to take in the splendors of Tikal, we will transfer to the airport in Flores, where the tour ends. There are evening flights out of Flores to Guatamala City that connect well with late evening international flights. If you would prefer to spend the night in Flores and take a morning flight instead, we can assist with making the bookings. This is not a bad idea if you have the time, since flying out of Flores the same day can be very tiring, often with a very long layover in Guatemala City and a 1:00am red-eye international flight.​

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Trip Considerations

PACE: Moderate. Start times will typically be 5:30-6:30am. Many days will involve at least a couple of hours of driving (in the middle of the day whenever possible). There will be a few chances for a mid-day break, but these will be the exception rather than the norm. Since hotels rarely offer early breakfasts, we will have most of the breakfasts in the field.

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PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. Almost all of our walking along flat or slightly inclined roads or easy trails, however expect to put in a lot of miles, especially at Tikal. On most days you can expect to walk at least 3 miles (4.8 km), and up to 6 miles or more (10km+) at Tikal. Some of the temples at the archaeological sites can be climbed, though this is optional; if you would rather not do it, you can wait at the bottom for a little while and admire the scenery while the rest of the group goes up.

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CLIMATE: Generally warm to hot in the day and a bit cool at night, from 65°F-95°F (18°C-35°C). However, cold fronts occasionally bring cooler weather. Some rain is possible, especially in Tikal, but it is usually quite dry this time of year.

 

ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. All of the hotels have typical amenities, including Wi-Fi, though the Wi-Fi sometimes only works in the common areas.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but there are some good photography opportunities for casual photographers. These tend to be best in the drier forest and scrub near the coast. In the taller and more humid forests elsewhere, the photography can be difficult. There are almost no feeders on this trip. Note that tripods and high-end camera gear are not allowed in Mexican archaeological sites without special permits that are difficult and expensive to obtain - Tikal in Guatemala does not have these restrictions.

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Other Information

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; it must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of the US, Canada, EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, do not currently require a tourist visas for Mexico and Guatemala. For other nationalities, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff if you are unsure. Travel requirements are subject to change; it is a good idea to double check six weeks before the trip.

 

WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips for drivers (if used) and restaurants; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 9; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to lunch on day 10; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks during meals; safe drinking water only between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio playback gear from the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 10; arrival airport transfer on day 1 (transfers will be via a hotel shuttle bus if one is available and may be shared with other tour participants if they arrive/depart at the same time); ground transport in suitable vehicle(s) from the morning of day 2 to the morning of day 7; group transfer from Playa del Carmen to Cancun on day 7; group airport transfer in Flores on day 7; group transfer from Flores to Tikal on day 8; group transfer from Tikal to Flores on day 10; roundtrip ferry ticket from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel; entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance).

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WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Flights (Tropical Birding can book the Cancun-Flores flight for you and add it to your invoice - it typically costs around $270, subject to change); optional tips to the tour leader; tips to baggage carriers if you require their services; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included.