TUFTED JAY PRESERVE | BIRDWATCHING (2 Days | 1 Night)

82630 El Palmito, Sin., México

OE
30 reviews
Duration: 2 days
Group size: 1 - 25
TUFTED JAY PRESERVE | BIRDWATCHING (2 Days | 1 Night)
82630 El Palmito, Sin., México

30 reviews

$NaN
Duration: 2 days
Group size: 1 - 25

About this trip

Join us on a getaway to the Sierra Madre Mountains for some of the best bird watching in northwest Mexico! On this adventure you will spend TWO full days exploring the Tufted Jay Preserve, among beautiful pine and oak forests in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains of Sinaloa. These forests are the year-round home for the Tufted Jay or “Chara Pinta” and over 100 other species of resident and migratory birds. 


Enjoy a fantastic scenery contemplating the sun setting in the Pacific Ocean at over 2,000 m, dinner at the campfire and amazing night sky observation. You will spend the night on cozy wooden lodges right in the heart of the reserve, a real million star hotel! Wake up early to the sound of your favorite birds and prepare to enjoy magnificent mountain views and the freshest air possible. 


A unique getaway for every season!

What’s included

  • Ground transportation
    SUV or Van
  • All fees and taxes
    Entrance to preserve and others
  • Snacks
    Granola bars, crackers, fruit etc
  • Beverages
    Coffee, Tea, Soft drinks and purified water
  • Meals
    2 traditional mountain meal with local family
  • Breakfast
    1 Full breakfast at the lodge
  • Dinner
    1 Dinner at campfire
  • Local Guide
    Don Santos is a real mountain man and expert birder
  • Naturalist guide
    Bilingual and knowledgeable
  • Lodging
    One night at wooden cabin, 2 bedrooms
  • Tips and gratuities
    Both for local and naturalist guide

Available Packages

Solo Traveler
$500
Couple´s special (2 persons only)
$700
Group of 4
$1,250
Deposit: $625
Extra person (5th and beyond)

This is the rate for extra person beyond group of 4 (5th person and beyond)

$300
Deposit: $100
Extra night (solo traveler or couple)

Extra night at a wooden cabin. 


*Additional meals are also included in the price. 

$250


Itinerary

Day 1
In search of the Tufted Jays!

As an iconic and endemic species of these forest many visitors expect to see them on their first day, and goes what? you probably will! As this is a very special tour designed mostly for birders, you can send us your "bird list" so we can get on it! Don Santos, our local guide, lives and roams these forests everyday so he knows his birds and whereabouts! 


Day 1

6:30 am..... Pickup up at your hotel lobby

8:30 am..... Coffee, pastries and bananas (and leg stretch) at a wonderful lookout by the road near the preserve 

9:30 am..... Arrive at the preserve to meet our local guide Don Santos Vazquez. Check in equipment and luggage at lodges. 

First hike through Las Liebres Canyon and down to La ventana lookout (2 hrs approx). 

*This trail covers different habitats, hence the possibility of seeing a diverse array of birds, Tufted Jays are commonly found on this trail, unless Don Santos knows where they have been in the past days before our trip, we will go on a quest. 

12:00 pm... Second hike (1 hour) on trails around the mesa area of the preserve and other amazing lookouts. (snacks included)

13:30 pm.... Back on the SUV and down to the town of El Palmito to have lunch at Don Santos place 

Menu: chicken mole, rice, frijoles 

3:00 pm...... Back to the lodges to relax and charge batteries for our afternoon hike. 

5:00 pm..... Afternoon hike: we will go down by the trails to a westward lookout where we will see the sun set over Mazatlan and the Pacific Ocean. A wonderful sight. 

6:30 pm..... Back to camp for dinner at the lodges. 

8:00 pm..... Sleep tight. 

Your Organizer


OE
Onca Explorations
30 reviews
Our ecotours and expeditions are specially designed to enhance your connection with nature and to inspire you to love and protect our living planet. Our one of a kind travel experiences combine elements of exploration, science, experiential learning and cultural exchange, with sustainable tourism activities, for you to witness and experience profound connections with wildlife. While we explore, we learn, we educate, and we document to promote awareness about the value and threats to biodiversity.

Reviews

We could not have been happier with our experience. We did not see a humpback whale, but we heard them singing with the underwater microphone and then had an unexpected experience when we got to see a Bryde's whale instead. Larger than the humpback! It is always a gamble you will not see anything especially late in the season, but on this day, we did! Crew was wonderful and made our trip one we won't forget.
By Alicia M for WHALE WATCHING ADVENTURE IN MAZATLAN | @ONCAEXPLORA on Mar 31, 2023
Our guide Oscar did a great job organizing this trip and accompanied us during the tour. The local guide Don Santos was able to find all of the birds (including the Tufted Jays) that we wanted to see and more. The cabin is rustic but comfortable and quiet. We were happy to meet Don Santos' family at their home in El Palmito where his wife prepared and served us our meals. Overall recommended for those who would like to make the trip to see the Tufted Jays while lettings others take care of the logistics, while also supporting the people and community that are working to protect this vital habitat. Thanks to everyone involved!
By Michael J for TUFTED JAY PRESERVE | BIRDWATCHING (2 Days | 1 Night) on Mar 30, 2023
Ciro was absolutely fantastic as our guide! We saw so many humpback whales including moms with calves and several breaches. They were very respectful of the whales while piloting the boat too. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience in Mazatlán at the end of whale watching season!
By Adam B for WHALE WATCHING ADVENTURE IN MAZATLAN | @ONCAEXPLORA on Mar 17, 2023
We enjoyed the excursion, the staff were wonderful and shared a lot of very interesting facts. We were disappointed we didn’t see any whales, however, we understand our date was pretty late in the season. We’ll try again with ONCA in the future.
By Celeste S for WHALE WATCHING ADVENTURE IN MAZATLAN | @ONCAEXPLORA on Mar 11, 2023
This was such a great experience and definitely a highlight of our week in Mazatlán. Communication was excellent throughout the booking process as I had to make a couple of changes to our original reservation. Oscar was our guide and it's evident how passionate he is about oceanography and marine research. He is extremely well educated in these topics and his passion was contagious. We saw a massive pod of about 50 dolphins! Then, after looking and looking for the whales for some time, we made a quick haul about 4 miles offshore and found a pod of 6. It was so spectacular to see them up so close! The rough boat ride (it was quite windy that day) was totally worth it. We stayed with them for quite some time and I never got the sense that Oscar and the other gentleman on the boat with him were just trying to check off a box and get back to the marina. Super, super cool. I loved that you go out on a smaller boat because that means fewer people. There were only 8-10 customers on the boat. Our family of 6 sat up front, another couple sat on the bench in front of the captain, and 2 people in the back. I loved being in the front, although the smaller boat experience may not be for those who get seasick easily, especially if the water is rough that day. So just know that going in. It didn't bother me one bit, but I know it does for some. Highly recommend this company! Go for it!
By Heather H for WHALE WATCHING ADVENTURE IN MAZATLAN | @ONCAEXPLORA on Feb 27, 2023
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