El Triunfo is a place that is legendary among birders - and for good reason. Not only does this highland preserve in south-central Chiapas have Mexico’s most extensive and best-preserved cloud forest, it is also home to about 30 species of birds that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere in Mexico. It’s the last Mexico stronghold for the Resplendent Quetzal, and the home of one of the strangest of the cracids - the Horned Guan. We’ll seek these and many other avian treasures during five days on the preserve. But el Triunfo does not surrender its riches easily - to get there we need to hike about 8.5 kilometers, and climb about 1000 meters. While there, all of our outings will be on foot, including some moderately difficult trails and at least one day-long hike. Although mules will help us pack our gear in, you need to be in good physical shape for this trip. Our accommodations are primitive. There are bathroom and shower facilities, but we’ll be sleeping in tents on the ground.

April 13 We leave Tuxtla Gutierrez early today for the trailhead to el Triunfo at Finca Prusia, arriving at late morning. It will take us the rest of the day to make the hike to the base camp at el Tiunfo, even with few stops for birding.

April 14-17 Every day while we’re at the preserve will be filled with short hikes as we explore the network of trails through the area looking for birds. On one day, we’ll take a longer hike, lasting all day, down the Pacific slope to the camp at Canada Honda, which will allow us to pass through several different forest types.

April 18  After some last, early morning birding, we pack up and begin our hike out of paradise and back to the “civilized” world. We drive back to Tuxtla Gutierrez for the night.

April 19 We transfer to the airport for our morning flights home, filled with memories of one of the last truly wild places in Mexico.

Arrival and Departure information: The tour begins in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas on the morning of April 10, and ends in Tuxtla Gutierrez on April 16. Persons on the Chiapas Tour will embark upon this extension immediately from the end of the tour. Persons not on the Chiapas tour who wish to join the tour at this point need to be in Tuxtla Gutierrez on the night of the 9th (no accommodations provided for that night). The extension ends on the morning of April 16th.  Departing flights should be scheduled no earlier than 8 am on the 16th. For persons joining the tour at this point, Westwings staff will meet you at your hotel - please call for exact coordinating information. 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.