Tour Details

Join Travelian’s bird guide leaders and the region’s most knowledgeable local bird guide for an in-depth birding tour of Estado de Yucatan, in comfort and safety, as part of a small group of appreciative and interested travelers.

Become fascinated with the State of Yucatan, which is home to nearly 80% of the bird species registered for the entire three-state península bearing its name. Because of the high degree of endemism in both its fauna and its flora, Yucatan is a great place for enthusiastic wildlife viewers.

The tour’s first day will focus on uniting at our hotel in Merida, meeting one another and getting together with our local bird guide for a presentation on the birds of the western peninsula. Our first day of birding will feature an Eco-Park in the morning and a small fishing port in the afternoon. Target birds will include Yucatan (Black-throated) Bobwhite, Lesser Roadrunner, Black Skimmer and Reddish Egret.

The following day will emphasize birding at cenotes, the famous limestone sinkholes, of the Yucatan. At the cenotes some of our targets will be Yucatan Jay, Masked Tityra and Rose-throated Tanager. While enjoying lunch at an old hacienda, we can hope to sight hummingbirds such as Canivet’s (Fork-tailed) Emerald and Buff-bellied Hummingbird.

We are next staying in the Uxmal area and birding around San Simon, where our target birds will include Barred Antshrike, Yucatan (Red-vented) Woodpecker, and Brown-crested Flycatcher. Afternoon birding near archeological sites and/or cornfields can produce a variety of Oriole species, including Altamira, Hooded and Orange Orioles.

The Mayan culture of this area is still as inseparable from the natural environment as it was many, many years ago, when the ancients gave a high iconographic status to both representative and imaginative birds, assigning to them a variety of cultural meanings. Two more Mayan archeological sites on Day 5 of the tour will provide opportunities to see Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Blue-crowned Motmot, Black-headed Trogon and Crane Hawk before we transfer to a hotel in Celestun and prepare for the next day’s coastal species.

This last day of birding will mainly occur on six-to-eight person covered skiffs in the Celestun Biosphere Reserve, a large coastal wetland where freshwater from the estuary mixes with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. Here the undisputed five-star bird attraction is the American (Greater) Flamingo, numbering in the thousands, and accessible only by boat. Depending on their exact location and the water levels, we may be able to come within 60 feet or less of some of these protected waterfowl. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, American Pygmy Kingfisher and Yucatan Wren will also be targets. After a beach lunch the tour returns to Merida in preparation for the next day’s travel to your next adventure, which we hope may be Travelian’s Yucatan Culture Tour, starting that day in Merida!!

Travel in comfort and safety and admire Yucatan’s rich history and exuberance of nature with Travelian’s expert, friendly guides on this tropical birding adventure!

Itinerary - 7 Days

DAY 1 - TRAVEL DAY TO MERIDA
Fly to Merida from BJX Airport - Aeromexico 153, departure at 11:30 AM, arrival 4:30 PM into Merida (scale in Mexico City, time between flights 2 hours). Travelers flying from US/CAN/Eurpe, can meet us at Merida Airport at 5:00 PM or at our hotel in Merida.

Check into hotel. Meet Travelian guides in hotel lobby 6:00 pm for orientation about the tour and then have drinks* and dinner* at the restaurant of our hotel.
(Travelers of the Yucatan's Splendor Tour will meet us for dinner).

DAY 2 – SIHUNCHEN & CHUBURNÁ FOR BIRD WATCHING

6:30 AM Breakfast at our hotel. Depart for bird watching at Parque Sihunchén. Enjoy lunch* at Progreso. We continue bird watching at Chuburná. Return to hotel. Meet in hotel lobby and walk to nearby restaurant for dinner*

DAY 3 - BIRD WATCHING NEAR CENOTES
6:30 AM Breakfast at our hotel and check out. Depart for bird watching at San Antonio Mulix. Visit Hacienda San Pedro Ochil and have lunch*. We continue birding at Uxmal Area. Check into hotel. Relax in hotel and walk to nearby restaurant for dinner*.

DAY 4 - UXMAL BIRDING WATCHING
6:30 A.M. Breakfast at our hotel. Depart for birding at San Simón. Enjoy lunch* at Uxmal Restaurant. We continue birding at Labná area and Santa Elena corn fields. Return to the hotel and have dinner*.

DAY 5 – DOXKINTOK & CHUNCUCMIL FOR BIRD WATCHING
6:30 A.M. Breakfast at our hotel and check out. Depart for birding at Oxkintok Archeological area. Enjoy lunch* at Maxcanú. We continue to Celestún. Stop for birding at Chunchucmil. Arrive to Celestun, check into the hotel and have dinner*.

DAY 6 - BIRDWATCHING IN CELESTÚN AND RETURN TO MERIDA
6:30 A.M. Breakfast at our hotel and check out. Depart for birding bird watching & flamingos
Enjoy lunch* in Celestún. Depart for Mérida. Check into hotel in Merida and relax. That evening meet in the lobby and walk to nearby restaurant for our Farewell Dinner*.

DAY 7 - TRAVEL DAY TO OTHER DESTINATIONS
Breakfast at hotel depending on each traveler’s plans for departure. Travelian guides will depart from hotel at 8:30 am and fly to BJX Airport on Aeromexico 528 flight, with a scale in Mexico City (time between flights 2 hrs. 15 min) arriving into BJX Airport at 4:50 PM. Travelers may choose to stay longer in Merida. We will do our best help you with your travel connections.

* Meals marked with an asterisk are not included in the tour's fee.

WHAT TO TAKE           Official ID your current Passport, Mexican residency ID (copies are fine)   Original INAPAM ID (if you have one)   Credit Cards, Debit card, Cash in Pesos for the first day (Cash machines are available)   Active Cell Phone with recharger   Bring sufficient funds for meals and beverages not included in trip cost   Money Belt   Water Bottle   Binoculars   Camera   Travel Flashlight   Hat   Sunglasses   Day Pack   Swim Suit and Flip Flops for the pool   Light-weight Covered Clothing for sun and insect protection   Light-weight Walking Shoes   A fleece garment or light jacket can be useful in case of chilly mornings or evenings   Simple comfortable clothing for day and evening wear   Pack your binoculars, toiletries and travel documents in your day pack, a supply of Ziplock plastic storage bags can be handy for storing food items from the breakfast, to be used as mid-morning snacks   First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder)   Be sure to bring your own Kleenex and small change for bathroom fees   Personal prescription drugs   Insect Repellent   Sunblock