Expeditions colombia birding tour

Arrive at any time. We will pick you up at the airport and drive you to your hotel in Bogota. Depending on the traffic, the drive from the airport takes around 30-45 minutes.

Bogotá, the largest city in Colombia, is located in the Andes at 2,640 meters above sea level, and due to this high altitude, its weather is like spring year-round, with chilly mornings and warm afternoons. 

This cosmopolitan city uniquely blends colonial architecture and modern skyscrapers, offering an interesting variety of cultural activities like museums,  art galleries, and theatres. Bogotá is also home to various natural areas that provide great opportunities for birding, hiking, and outdoor adventures, making it a perfect destination for the adventurous traveller.

Overnight: Bogota
Meal Plan: None

To start a birding adventure in Bogota, what better place than the Botanical Garden Jose Celestino Mutis! Founded in 1955, this garden is a green haven inside the city. It features a variety of ecosystems, reflecting Colombia’s rich biodiversity, from the Andes to the Amazon jungle. It will be a perfect introduction to the different ecosystems found in Colombia and a great opportunity to see resident and migrant birds in Bogota.

Bogota’s Botanical Garden is home to 49 bird species including the Rufous-browed Conebill, White tailed Kite, Yellow-backed Oriole, Rusty Flowerpiercer, and Short-eared Owl.

After visiting the botanical garden, we will go to La Candelaria to see some of the most iconic places in Bogota's historic centre. We will visit the world's largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold at the Gold Museum and check out the artistic work of Fernando Botero, Colombia's most famous painter and sculptor, at the Museo Botero. We will glimpse the diversity of architectural styles on display in the historic neighbourhood of La Candelaria and capture spectacular panoramic views of the city from the top of Cerro de Monserrate.

Overnight: Bogota
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

We will pick you up early in the morning from your hotel and head towards Chingaza Natural Park, an Important Bird Area about 2 hours outside Bogota. This stunning natural park is known for its diverse ecosystems like páramo, cloud forests, and high-altitude lakes, providing a habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. The iconic frailejón plant, unique to the páramo, thrives here, along with spectacled bears, white-tailed deer, Andean condors, and over 200 bird species. We will spend about 4 hours in the park's surrounding areas to see endemic species, such as the Silvery-throated Spinetail.  You may also have the chance to see the Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Glowing Puffleg, Longuemare´s Sunangel, Bronze-tailed Thornbill, Mountain Velvetbreast, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Sword-billed hummingbird, Tyrian Metaltail, and Great sapphirewing amongst many more.

Then, we will visit a hummingbird observatory in La Calera that attracts over 20 species, including the stunning Long-tailed Sylph, Sword-billed Hummingbird, and Andean Emerald. We will watch these colourful creatures flit around the garden and the feeders, which offers good photography opportunities. We will take you back to the hotel at the end of this tour.

Overnight: Bogota
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we will visit Chicaque Natural Park, which is located half an hour south of Bogota. The park is next to a huge rock canyon that protects the cloud forest of Chicaque. The park is renowned for its rich biodiversity and spectacular landscapes. It houses over 258 species of birds, including the Brown Tinamou, Andean Guan, black inca, Golden-bellied Startfrontlet, and rare migrant Cerulean Wabler.

The park’s extensive trail system at great to spend the day birding there. At the end of the tour, we will go back to the hotel.

Overnight: Bogota
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Very early in the morning, we will go to Laguna El Tabacal, located about two hours from Bogota. This peaceful lagoon provides a rich habitat for a variety of bird species. We will spend the morning there to see the striking Black Inca hummingbird, amongst many other species.

Later in the day, we will head to Honda, an important river port. The sunny town was critical to Colombia’s development thanks to its proximity to the Magdalena River. We will eat lunch and then tour the charming historic centre, where you will see colonial buildings and tranquil town squares.

Overnight: Honda
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Early in the morning, we will head to Bellavista Nature Reserve, located in the small town of Victoria and about 1 hour from Honda. Bellavista is between 2,624 and 3,280 feet or 800 and 1000 meters above sea  and consists of a well-preserved remnant of tropical lowland rainforest. This nature reserve provides habitat for a variety of bird species, including hummingbirds, tanagers, and the striking Velvet-fronted Euphonia, making it a fantastic birding destination. During our stay, we will have the chance to see the White-mantled Barbet, Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant, and Sooty Ant-Tanager, among many others. Around noon, we will eat lunch and take a short break.

After the break, we will head to Laguna de Guarinocito, about 30 minutes from Victoria. This serene lagoon is part of the Magdalena River basin and serves as a crucial habitat for a variety of aquatic bird species. We will take a boat to navigate around the lagoon and have the opportunity to see the Ringed Kingfisher, White-faced and Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Large-billed Tern, Striated Heron, Bare-faced Ibis, Boat-billed Heron, and Green Kingfisher. We may also have the chance to see the most-wanted northern screamer. 

Overnight: Honda
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, we will begin our trip to El Paujil Nature Reserve, about 3 hours from the hotel. This nature reserve is located on the western base of the Serrania de la Quinchas mountain range, between 623 and 2,460 feet or 189 to 750 meters above sea level. This nature reserve is dedicated to preserving the endangered Blue-billed Curassow, from which the reserve takes its name. It is also one of the last forested remaining areas of the mid-Magdalena. 

After arriving at this nature reserve, we will eat lunch and take a break to relax. You will start enjoying the humid tropical forest of the Magdalena River, home to an array of wildlife, including monkeys, tapirs, and hundreds of bird species. In the middle of the afternoon, we will take a short hike through the nature reserve to begin spotting some of the 360 registered bird species. Among these species are the Saffron-headed Parrot and White-mantled Barbet, the Northern Screamer, the Chestnut-fronted Macaw, and the Black-billed Flycatcher

Overnight: El Paujil Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early in the morning, we will continue birding in the reserve. We will have some time for lunch, then continue birding in the afternoon.

Overnight: El Paujil Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will take our final birding tour through El Paujil Reserve and then travel for about 4 hours to Rio Claro Nature Reserve.

Río Claro Nature Reserve, located in the Antioquia department of Colombia, is a stunning private reserve along the crystalline Río Claro, creating a scenic landscape of lush greenery, striking cliffs, and turquoise waters. It protects remnants of lowland tropical forests from 1,148 to 1,968 feet or 350 to 600 meters sea level. The reserve is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including endemic bird species like the Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant and the Magdalena Antbird.

After arriving in Rio Claro, we will have time to rest before starting our first experience birding at this nature reserve

Overnight: Puerto Triunfo
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early in the morning, we will continue birding across the nature reserve to see more bird species, including Oilbird, Saffron-headed Parrot, the Colombian Chachalaca, White-mantled Barbet, Beautiful Woodpecker and Sooty Ant-Tanagers. We will have some time for lunch, then continue birding in the afternoon.

Overnight: Puerto Triunfo
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, we will take our final birding tour through the Rio Claro Reserve. After lunch, we will head to Medellin, which is about three hours from Rio Claro. Upon arrival in Medellin, we will go to the hotel. 

Overnight: Medellin
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

After a great adventure birding, we will spend the day visiting the city's most iconic areas, including Plaza de Botero, El Pueblito Paisa and Parque Lleras. The Plaza de Botero is a medium-sized plaza full of sculptures created by the famous Colombian sculptor, Fernando Botero (originally from Medellin). He is famous for his painting style, which makes everything look "chubby." The Parque Lleras and El Pueblito Paisa are two of Medellin's must-see quarters. The Pueblito Paisa, a small replica of a typical Antioquia township, located on top of the 80m hill "Cerro Nutibara" is the perfect place to get a great panoramic view of the city. The Parque Lleras is one of Medellin's most popular areas for entertainment and nightlife. 

We will also visit Comuna 13, previously one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Medellin. The area is safe to explore now, thanks to the government’s promise to improve the neighbourhood and the community’s commitment to sharing this unique part of Medellin with visitors. 

In Comuna 13, you will ride multiple elevators installed on the side of a mountain to help people move through the community easier. The walls of Comuna 13 are adorned with bright graffiti representing their difficult past and their hope for a better future. You will witness how one community, once home to so much struggle and conflict, has blossomed into a colourful spot in Medellin.

Overnight: Medellin
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, we will fly to Santa Marta, the oldest surviving city in South America. In Santa Marta, we will spend some time learning about Colombia’s history during a visit to Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, where Simon Bolivar, the commander-in-chief of the patriot army who liberated Colombia from Spanish rule, died in 1830. Then, we will go to El Dorado, a bird reserve located in the foothills of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and known as the reserve with the highest concentration of endemic birds in South America.

Overnight: El Dorado Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will start the day birding at La Cuchilla de San Lorenzo, a small mountain ridge separated from the main Santa Marta mountain by a deep valley. Its highest point is 2,700 metres, which is high enough to find most of the endemic bird species in the area, such as the Santa Marta brush-finch, Santa Marta mountain-tanager, and Santa Marta parakeet, among others. We will spend the morning there and then come back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, we will keep birding along other trails in the reserve.

Overnight: El Dorado Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, we will carry on birding at El Dorado along other trails of the reserve.

Overnight: El Dorado Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early in the morning, we will have the last chance to birdwatch at El Dorado before embarking on our journey to Cartagena. En route to Cartagena, we’ll visit Isla Salamanca, a natural park renowned for its extensive wetlands, lagoons and mangroves. At Isla Salamanca, we’ll seek out local bird species such as the Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird, Chestnut Piculet, and Bicolored Conebill. After exploring the park, we will continue towards Cartagena.

Upon arrival in Cartagena, we will go to the hotel.

Overnight: Cartagena
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Early in morning, we will go to La Boquilla, a small fishing village located 7 km north of Cartagena. At La Boquilla, we will take a trip in a wooden canoe across the mangroves in La Cienga de Tesca. During this trip, we will be able to see native and migratory birds and learn about the flora and other fauna found in this ecosystem. 

Then, we will have a city tour that covers the Convento de la Popa, the Castillo de San Felipe, and the old city. The old city is surrounded by impressive walls built during Spanish rule to protect it against enemies and looters.

The Castle of San Felipe is the greatest and strongest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their colonies. It was built at the end of the XVI century to defend the city. Its construction began on September 8 of, 1614, after the attack of the legendary Sir Francis Drake by order of King Philip III. It is the most preserved and complete fortification in South America and one of the best-walled cities in the world. It is a World Cultural Heritage Site and an invaluable treasure that has resisted the attacks of invaders, time and nature.

The old city is Cartagena's historic heart and soul. We will walk its cobbled streets, visiting and passing by the main historical sites. 

Overnight: Cartagena
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Your adventure in Colombia ends today. At the time required, we will transfer to the airport.

Overnight:
Meal Plan: Breakfast