13 Days Bogotá Caribbean and Coffee Region

  1. Day 1: Sumapaz (4.000 meters above sea level, very cold)

    Paramo of Sumapaz is listed as the world’s largest and is located just two hours from Bogotá. There could be seen the endemics Green Bearded Helmetcrest, Bogota Rail, Apolinar´s Wren, Silvery-throated Spinetail; the near endemics Pale-bellied Tapaculo and Rufous-browed Conebill and many others as Ruddy Duck, Noble Snipe, Paramo Pipit, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Bronze-tailed Thornbill, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Eastern Meadowlark, Paramo Seedeater, Bronze-tailed thornbill. In the afternoon, back to Bogota and overnight there.

  2. Day 2: Observatorio de Colibríes (3.000 m.a.s.l. cold)

    The Observatorio de Colibríes is a special place for those who like to enjoy the marvels that nature offers us. Without traveling great distances or too far regions of the country, you will see more than 14 species of hummingbirds in your visit, Great sapphire wing, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Glowing puffleg, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed trainbearer, White-bellied Woodstar, Long-tailed Sylph, Tyrian Metaltail, Purple-backed Thornbill, Gorgeted Woodstar, Speckled Hummingbird and many others. Overnight at Bogota.

  3. Day 3: Chicaque (1.900 and 2.500 m.a.s.l. cold) and flight to Pereira (1.500 m.a.s.l. fesh)

    This park has a great variety of birds and worth the visit to see the birds that live there. Chicaque is just 45 minutes from Bogotá and there is possible to find the Black Inca, Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Emerald Toucanet, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Green-and-Black Fruiteater, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Flame-faced Tanager, Moustached Brushfinch, Long-tailed Sylph and many more. In the afternoon flight to Pereira (45 minutes), then drive 1:30 hours to Otún Quimbaya Reserve and overnight there.

  4. Day 4: Otún Quimbaya (2.000 m.a.s.l. cold) and drive to Montezuma (1.350 m.a.s.l. cold and rainy)

    The Cerro Montezuma with a little over 400 species of birds, is ideal for the birding experience in the high Andean forest, where the Andes merge with the Choco being recognized among birders as one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Nine endemics of Colombia and 14 near endemics birds. So we are expecting to find the endemics Gold-ringed Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Munchique Wood-Wren; the near endemics Toucan Barbet, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Black Solitaire, Violet-tailed Sylph, Empress Brillant, Velvet-purple Coronet and some other birds as Red-headed Barbet, Lemmon-rumped Tanager, Flamme-rumped Tanager, White-tailed Hillstar. Accommodation in Montezuma Rainforest Lodge.

  5. Day 5: Montezuma (1.350 – 2.300 m.a.s.l.)

    On this day we insist for those birds that we could not see before.

  6. Day 6: Montezuma and drive to Manizales (2,150 m.a.s.l.)

    We will visit some places on the way to Manizales looking for some rare birds like Turquoise Dacnis, Solitary Eagle and others.

  7. Day 7: Río Blanco

    Río Blanco Reserve is a unique place in Colombia with Antpitta’s feeders, located just 30 minutes from Manizales in the Cloud forest in the central Andes, as well Hummingbird feeders and very special birds for a funny day, in the afternoon back to Manizales.

  8. Day 8: Nevados (4.000 m.a.s.l.) and Ruiz Hot Springs Hotel (3.500 m.a.s.l.)

    Another early start will find us with the first rays of the sun above the clouds on the way to Los Nevados National Park. At a higher elevation close to the National Park entrance we will be looking for the endemic Buffy Helmetcrest, which is hard to find anywhere else, as well as White-chinned Thistletail, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, Plain-colored Seedeater and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch. The marshy areas and ponds will also give us a chance for Andean Teal and Noble Snipe. We will also visit Termales del Ruiz to look for the rare and endemic Rufous-fronted Parakeet and a great chance for Shining Sunbeam, Black-thighed Puffleg, Golden-breasted Puffleg, Great Sapphirewing, Tyrian Metaltail, Viridian Metaltail, Sword-billed Hummingbird and Paramo Tapaculo among others. Overnight at Finca Romelia.

  9. Day 9: Finca Romelia (1.200 m.a.s.l. Hot weather) and drive to Pereira to take the flight to Riohacha.

    Finca Romelia is just 50 minutes from Manizales and has some special birds that can be recorded easily there, birds like Ultramarine Grosbeak or Speckle-breasted Wren, Large-billed Seed-Finch or Striped-throated Hermit. Romelia is also the place which the owner has the biggest private collection of orchids species between hummingbirds feeders.

  10. Day 10: Cameguadua and flight to Camarones and drive to Tayrona

    Our first day for the Caribbean birds we will spend at Camarones looking for Reddish Egret, Red billed Emerald, Chestnut Piculet, Black-backed Antshrike, Caribbean Hornero, White Whiskered Spinetail, Slender-billed Tyrannulet, Tocuyo Sparrow, Vermillon Cardinal, Scarlet Ibis, White Ibis, Buffy Hummingbird, American Flamingo and other Caribbean specialties. In the afternoon we will drive to Tayrona National Park.

  11. Day 11: Tayrona and Minca

    With the first rays of sun, we will look for the rare and enigmatic Blue-billed Curassow. Then we will drive to Minca, the beginning of the best birding experience at Santa Marta. We will concentrate on this day for birds in the lowlands of the Sierra Nevada with a strong chance to find Band-tailed Guan, White-lored Warbler, Santa Marta Tapaculo, Bang’s Wood-Wren, Whooping Motmot, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Scaled Piculet, Masked Tityra, Gray-headed Tanager, Golden-winged Sparrow and many others. Overnight at Minca.

  12. Day 12: El Dorado

    We will drive very early to El Dorado and their birds. We will be birding around the lodge looking for White-tipped Quetzal, Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Santa Marta Antbird, Santa Marta Screech-Owl, Blossomcrown, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Grey-throated Leaftosser, Santa Marta Woodstar, Crowned Woodnymph, Santa Marta Sabrewing, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Black-backed Thornbill and other very special birds. Overnight in Dorado Lodge.

  13. Day 13: El Dorado and drive to the airport, flight to Bogota

    On this day, we will search for the highlights of Santa Marta such as Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Antpitta, Streak-capped Spinetail, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant and Yellow-crowned Whitestart with the chance to see the snowy mountains at 18.946 ft. In the afternoon, transfer to Bogotá.