Sooner or later, every birder who enjoys birding Mexico must take a long look at the southern-most Mexican state of Chiapas. A host of great birds can be found in this wonderland of Mayan ruins, jungle-clad volcanos, mountian lakes, cloud forests, stunning canyons and inviting coastlines. It’s here that you can find the last Resplendant Quetzals in Mexico, and many fabulous endemics, such as Rose-bellied Bunting and the Giant Wren. We’ll have a chance to see them all as we tour this unique state from the southern coastline and the Guatemalan border to the famous ruins of Pelenque. For the hardy adventurer, we have an extension that will have us seeing one of the most pristine parts of Mexico, as we hike into el Triunfo in search of quetzals, Horned Guan and many other rare birds.

March 30 We arrive at Tuxtla Gutierrez this evening, check into our hotel, and enjoy a brief welcome social. Overnight Tuxtla Gutierrez. 

March 31 – April 1 Early this morning we check out of our hotel and head to the thorn forest clad hills overlooking the stunning canyon of el Sumidero. Our attention will be divided between the host of small birds in this forest, and the views of this amazing canyon. In the afternoon, we make the short drive that takes us high into the mountains to the picturesque city of San Cristobal de las Casas. We’ll spend the next day in and around the city, enjoying the local culture, and exploring the hills for such avian prizes as Bearded Screech-Owl, Black-throated Jay, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch and more. Overnights San Cristobal.

April 2-4 We leave early this morning and bird our way through the mountains to the north, stopping at the spectacular waterfalls at Cascadas Agua Azul, and arriving this evening at the town of Palenque, famous for the nearby Mayan ruins. We’ll spend the next two days exploring the ruins and trying to keep up with all the birds we find in the rain forest around them. We’ll also take a short trip to the nearby marshes along the Usumacinta River at the border of Chiapas and Tabasco. Here we may find the rare Jabiru, along with many other waders such as Pinnated Bittern, and raptors such as Aplomado Falcon and White-tailed Hawk. Overnights Palenque.

April 5-6 This morning we leave the hills of Palenque and journey back across the mountains into central Chiapas, swinging east along a highway through dry pine-oak forest where we may, with luck, see Ocellated Quail, to the town of Comitan, our base for the next two days. From here we’ll visit the Lagos de Montebello, a region of pine-forest, and cloud-forest clad hills set with numerous clear blue lakes along the border with Guatemala. Here we may find some of the last remaining Resplendent Quetzals in Mexico. The Mayan ruin site of Chinkultic also beckons, especially because of the birds found in the woods and marshes there, including Ruddy Crake and Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow. Overnights Comitan.

April 7 Today we start our journey to the southeastern corner of Chiapas, making an overnight stop for some birding in  the hills and mountains around Motozintla, where along a road high into the remote mountains above the town we can find many birds, including Blue-throated Motmot, Black-capped Swallow, Rufous-collared Robin and Pink-headed Warbler. Overnight Motozintla.

April 8-9  We depart early this morning and cross over the last crest of mountains to the Pacific slope of Chiapas, birding as we go. We swing to the east along the wide coastal plain before heading back into the hills along the Guatemalan border, and onto the slopes of Volcan Tocana, where we stop at the small village of Union Juarez. Here we find easy access to both the forested upper slopes of the volcano and the shade-coffee plantations of the lower slopes.  Among the many birds here are Highland Guan, Pacific Parakeet, Blue-tailed Hummingbird, Green-throated Mountain-Gem, Rufous-and-white Wren, and Blue-and-white Mockingbird. Overnights Union Juarez.

April 10-11  After some early morning birding amongst the coffee, we head west along the coastal plain. We’ll stop mid-morning for a boat ride into the mangroves along the coast where we may see American Pygmy Kingfisher and Rufous-browed Peppershrike. The afternoon and evening finds us in the foothills above the plain watching the roosting flights of Yellow-naped Parrots. We arrive after dark in the coastal village of Puerto Arista, where we’ll enjoy some time on a fine beach, and looking for such local gems as the endemic Giant Wren. Overnights Puerto Arista.

April 12 We’ll take all morning today to journey back through the hills to Tuxtla Gutierrez, as there are still numerous birds to see in the thorn forest, including Rose-bellied Bunting, White-lored Gnatcatcher and Long-tailed Manakin. We’ll arrive in Tuxtla Gutierrez early enough to check into our hotel and then return to the canyon of El Sumidero, where we’ll take a boat ride to see the canyon from the water level. Roosting flights of Green Parakeets and foraging Great Curassows are some of the birds we’ll look for as we enjoy the spectacular scenery. We’ll return to town for a fine dinner in a traditional Chiapaneco restaurant, complete with music and folk dancers. Overnight Tuxtla Gutierrez.

April 13 The regular tour ends this morning in Tuxtla Gutierrez; start of the el Triunfo extension.

Arrival and Departure information:

The tour begins in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas in the evening of March 27, and ends in Tuxtla Gutierrez on April 10. Flights should be scheduled to arrive anytime on the 27th, and depart no earlier than 8 am on the 10th. Westwings staff will meet you at the airport, or at your hotel, if you plan to arrive before the 27th - please call for exact coordinating information. We can make your flight reservations for you, if you wish. The tour price includes all transportation, meals, lodging and non-personal expenses during the tour. See the reservation form for further details on what’s included, and for additional Westwings, Inc. policies.

If you have further questions regarding this trip, please call (866) 552-0221, or e-mail us at cbirds@westwings.com