The Central American country of Belize, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, is an emerging destination for North American birders because of its close proximity to the U.S., diverse cultures and food, and nearly 600 species of birds in an area the size of New Jersey. It also helps that Belize is an English-speaking country with the friendliest and most genuine people you will ever meet. Belize is such a magical place, and we want to share it with you. We’ve arranged the best local guides and tours, mixing birding trips to different habitats with cultural tours and boat trips. Check out the itinerary to get a day-by-day understanding of this amazing adventure!
One of the beautiful aspects of this trip is the variety of accommodations we use, particularly when it comes to each place's setting. We will spend the first night at Black Orchid Resort, located near the airport and a great place to rejuvenate after a day of travel. We will then spend 3 nights at Black Rock Lodge, an eco-lodge along the Macal River at the edge of the jungle. Our next stop is for one night at Bird's Eye View Lodge in the village of Crooked Tree, before visiting Lamanai Outpost Lodge for our final two nights. At each place we will eat well, see beautiful birds, and relax in beautiful surroundings with comfortable accommodations.
Because we are traveling as a group, we require that anyone participating in this tour is up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. We also encourage everyone to get their annual flu shots. All lodges that we stay at are Tourism Gold Standard for health and safety.
Boat trips, bird walks, Mayan Archaeological Sites, the Belize Zoo, Chocolate-making demo, plus the Green Hills Butterfly Ranch.
Some of the best birding guides in Belize! Plus David travels with the group serving as tour organizer and assistant guide.
Accommodations at eco-lodges and similar hotels.
Ride in comfortable buses and vans.
Let us do the tipping.
Tour begins in the Belize airport. You are responsible for booking your own flights, but we will give recommended arrival and departure times for the BZE airport.
You'll need to pay for alcoholic beverages and extra drinks at lodges.
Highly recommended. We can make some suggestions.
Available at a couple of the lodges.
Can be scheduled 24 hours in advance at Black Rock Lodge.
Our meeting spot is in the connections lobby of the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Ladyville, Belize, preferably before 2:00 p.m. A driver from Black Orchid Resort will be there to transport us to the resort, where we will check in to the Garden View Rooms. For those wanting to get out and explore, an optional guided boat trip on the Belize River will be available. If you would prefer relaxing and watching the Black-crowned Tityra (pictured above), orioles, and warblers on the resort grounds, that is also an option. We will enjoy dinner in the resort restaurant, then get to bed to rest up for the big days ahead.
After enjoying an outdoor breakfast at Black Orchid Resort, our guide from Black Rock Lodge will pick us up. Our morning destination is the Belize Zoo, famous for its education programs and personalized care for native wildlife that can't be released back into nature. We will stop for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to the town of San Ignacio for a chocolate-making demonstration at Ajaw Chocolate. Each person will get to taste cacao in its different forms and get the chance to grind the beans as well. We then travel to Black Rock Lodge (one of my favorite places in the world!) for dinner and three nights of enjoying the jungle.
Today is a day of relaxation and birding as we enjoy the grounds of Black Rock Lodge. Birding guide Isaias Morataya (check out his photos) will offer several bird walks for us throughout the day on this remote property. We should be able to find honeycreepers (Green Honeycreeper pictured above), aracaris, hawk-eagles, and other tropical birds. Nestled in a river valley between spectacular cliffs, Black Rock offers a variety of habitats and good raptor viewing, even from the dining area. Enjoy a freshwater pool, hike the trails, or get a massage during your free time. The best of Belize!
After a Belizean breakfast, Isaias will take us to the nearby Xunantunich Archaeological Site, an awe-inspiring Mayan site near the Guatemalan border, for a historical/birding tour. Bring your camera and your hiking shoes for a step back in time to when the Mayan civilization flourished. We might see warblers, woodpeckers, or a Lesson's Motmot in the jungle surrounding the ruins. Following the tour we will dine at Benny's Kitchen in the town of San Jose de Succotz next to site. The afternoon offers a chance to further explore the grounds of Black Rock Lodge.
On this day we depart Black Rock Lodge and head to Bird's Eye View in the village of Crooked Tree. Along the way we will stop at Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, an amazing conservation operation with native butterflies, hummingbirds, and an educational tour. We'll get to see six to eight hummingbird species at close range, including many White-necked Jacobin (picture here). After checking in at Bird's Eye View, we will take a bird walk in the village and the nearby village, likely observing nearly 50 species in a short time with Leonard, our guide at the lodge.
One of the highlights of any birding trip to Belize is the morning boat tour of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. This inland lagoon offers habitat to an amazing array of wetland birds and raptors, like the Black-collared Hawk or Snail Kite. This three-hour trip gives us up-close views of charismatic species like the Northern Jacana, Bare-throated Tiger-heron, and maybe a Fork-tailed Flycatcher. While there's never a guarantee, we will try to find the Jabiru (pictured here - the largest stork in the western hemisphere) and the beautiful Agami Heron. After packing up and getting transported to the river landing, we will take a boat ride down the New River to the Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Here we will take an afternoon nature walk followed by the memorable nighttime spotlight safari!
The Lamanai Archaeological Site is beautiful and birdy, with good chances of seeing Howler Monkeys (above) and trogons amid the diversity of wildlife. We'll spend the morning touring this Mayan site. Bring your appetite, because the Lamanai lodge cooks like to serve big platters of delicious food! We celebrate the last full day in Belize with a sunset cocktail cruise, where we'll exchange stories and look for a few more birds for our list.
Time to pack for home! After breakfast, we'll board the Lamanai boat that will start our 2+ hour journey back to the airport... the second half of the trip is by van. Be prepared for one last adventure as we speed by crocodiles, kingfishers, and egrets. Schedule your flight home for early to mid-afternoon. On your way home, you'll likely be thinking... "when can I come back?!?"
