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 experiences and boat trips. Check out the itinerary to get a day-by-day understanding of this amazing adventure! 

The lodges on this tour are chosen for their setting and their opportunities for great on-site birding. We will spend the first night at Black Orchid Resort... a great place to get started birding and conveniently located near the airport. We will then visit the Bocawina Rainforest Resort for three nights. This lodge is the only one located within the Mayflower-Bocawina National Park, one of Belize's true birding hotspots. Our final four nights will be spent at Tanager Rainforest Lodge, located in the heart of Mayan country in southern Belize. At each place we will eat well, see plenty of birds, and relax in beautiful surroundings with comfortable accommodations.  

Get ready for 200+ species of birds during the trip! I won't list them all here, but be prepared for toucans, parrots, many hummingbirds, trogons, motmots, and more. Because we are visiting during our winter, we will also see many of our migrant North American nesting species like American Redstart and Wood Thrush. Here are links to the eBird pages for two of the lodges where we are staying: 

Bocawina Rainforest Resort

Tanager Rainforest Resort

TOUR PAYMENTS: All payments, including initial deposit of $1000, can be made through WeTravel. We do accept credit cards for an additional 2.9% fee, but you may also pay by bank transfer or check. Full payment is due 90 days prior to departure for the tour. 

CANCELLATIONS: 

IF WE CANCEL a tour due to low attendance, severe weather, or other unforeseen event, participants may either move their payments to another trip of their choice or receive a full refund. 

IF YOU CANCEL your place on this tour more than 90 days from departure, a full refund will be available. If cancelling within 90 days of departure, no refund will be given UNLESS we are able to fill your spot(s) with another participant. In that situation, $250 will still be withheld for administrative purposes, but the rest of your payments will be refunded. We highly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation (including medical emergency) insurance to cover your investment in case of injury or illness to you or a family member prior to or during a trip. 

Moderate pace. While we will move slowly (for birding), there are days where we will walk 2 to 3 miles. Ability to climb steps and maintain balance is required. Trails can be muddy and uneven. 

We will provide guidance about booking your flight to 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 pick you up and take you to the resort, located on the banks of the Belize River. We will get an introduction to the birds and wildlife of Belize while we relax by the pool. We might even have our first encounter with a howler monkey! Dinner will be our first official event as we get prepared for the big days ahead of us. 

We will start the day with breakfast and birding at Black Orchid, a great place to see the Montezuma Oropendola (pictured here). Our guide for the first several days, Philip Balderamos, will pick us up at Black Orchid. Philip is a legendary Belizean birding guide that you will find to be fun, friendly, and knowledgeable. We will stop by the Belize Zoo to get acquainted with some more of the native fauna. The zoo is more of a educational and rehab facility that plays an important role in Belize conservation. After a tasty lunch, we will drive south to get to Marie Sharp's, the headquarters of the best hot sauces in Belize. We will get a tour of their small factory and then get to taste (and buy??) many of their varieties. Our lodging destination is Bocawina Rainforest Resort, located in the middle of Mayflower-Bocawina National Park, where we will see truly amazing tropical birds! 

After birding and breakfast at Bocawina, we head into the town of Hopkins for a Garifuna cultural experience at Palmento Grove. The Garifuna, people of Afro-Caribbean descent that live along the Caribbean coast of Central American, have a unique culture of music, dance, food, and spirituality. We will learn about the medicinal uses of many herbs, prepare the traditional Hudut meal for lunch, and work on our drumming skills. Afterwards we will bird the Hopkins wetlands before heading back to Bocawina for dinner and a night hike. 

Rise and shine early today! We are heading to the Sittee River for an early morning birding-by-boat tour. It's a great way to see birds and other wildlife. We'll spend the mid-day back at Bocawina, relaxing and exploring the national park. However, there will be one more thing to look forward to.... dinner at Chef Rob's Gourmet Cafe! Many of the ingredients are sourced from local farmers for the meals at this amazing restaurant. 

The day begins with birding and hiking at Bocawina. Then we pack up and head to the village of Maya Centre, where we will have a traditional Mayan lunch at Nuuk Cheil. After lunch we transfer our luggage and leadership to Steve Choco, the lead guide at Tanager Rainforest Lodge, where we will spend our last four nights. On our way to Tanager, we will stop at the Belize Spice Farm for an exceptional tour where we learn where many of our spices originate. 

Today is a day to enjoy the lodge and the surrounding village of Big Falls. Big Falls is located in Toledo, the southernmost district in Belize and the one where the majority of Mayans live today. We will spend the morning birding the area around the lodge before heading to Pearleens restaurant in town for a typical Belizean lunch. After lunch we will visit the Maya Arts Women's Group for craft making, basket weaving, and learning about the day-to-day lives of Mayan women in today's society. A fascinating and unique day in Belize!  

We will get up early to head to the Tunich Ha birding hotspot near the coast for some awesome birding and breakfast. Our mid-day activity is a chocolate-making tour at Ixcacao which includes lunch. After returning to the lodge for some well-deserved R&R, we will bird another hotspot in the evening: a local rice field that hosts all kinds of grassland and wetland species. A great day of birding and chocolate! 

Our early morning birding today is at Nim Li Punit, one of the Mayan archaeological sites where we could find Plumbeous Kite, Black-headed Trogon, Masked Tityra, or a Barred Antshrike. We will also learn about the history of the site. Mid-day outing will be to the Mayan village of Blue Creek, where we will have a cooking class and cultural activities. We finish the day with some birding around the Blue Creek cave. 

We have saved a bit of adventure for our departure day! After one last Belizean breakfast at Tanager Rainforest Lodge, Steve will take us to the Punta Gorda airport, where we will board our Tropic Air flight back to the international airport. This short flight is included in the cost of the tour and will provide amazing views of the coastline and areas that we have visited on the tour. Please schedule your flight back home for the afternoon. Details and guidance for booking flights will be given after registration.