Day 1 - Veracruz city

Arrival to Veracruz Airport, and drive to Hotel Mocambo. Night in Veracruz City. Dinner at Mocambo Hotel.

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Día 2 – Xalapa

Early morning walk around the hotel grounds. After a nice breakfast we will head towards Xalapa. During our trip up to the mountains we may have time to visit Chichicaxtle (the second count site) and look for the raptor migration inland. After we arrive to our hotel and enjoy lunch, we will visit El Haya Ecological Park. Night at Hotel Gamma Nubara, Xalapa. Dinner at the hotel.

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Día 3 Xalapa - Macuiltepetl - Anthropology museum

During the morning we will visit the Macuiltepetl Park (extinct volcano inside the city). Lunch. During the afternoon we can visit Miradores or the Anthropology Museum (very nice place, and a little bit of culture). Night at Hotel Gamma Nubara, Xalapa. Dinner at the hotel.

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Día 4 -Xalapa - Perote

An early morning start will take us to the highlands, visiting Las Minas canyon, a very nice habitat (a spectacular view) of pine-oaks. Later in the morning we will be driving up to the Cofre de Perote area, even higher altitudes, with a habitat dominated by pines and fir trees. We will head to the city of Perote for lunch. After lunch we will be visiting the arid valley of Perote, looking for more desert-related birds. After an afternoon birding, we will head back to Xalapa. Night at Hotel Gamma Nubara, Xalapa. Dinner at the hotel.

 

Día 5– Transfer to the coast - Chichicaxtle - Cardel

First thing in the morning, on our way to the coast, we visit Miradores Lagoon, place for the new “Grass Wren”, and several resident and migratory species, like the Mexican Sheartail, Botteri´s Sparrow, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove, and the possible new split Rufous-napped Wren (maybe it will be “Veracruz Wren”), etc. After a well-deserve lunch along the road, we visit the rooftop of our hotel and look for migration, we can also check Chichicaxtle (the second count site inland). Night in Hotel Bienvenido, Cardel. Dinner at Hotel Bienvenido.

 

Día 6 - Cardel - Cansaburro

During the morning we will visit Playa Juan Angel (Johnny Angel Beach, river mouth, dunes, and scrub vegetation with open areas), ending the morning around Cansaburro (wetland and dune forest). Coming back late in the morning to Cardel, to look for migration from the hotel roof. Depending on the migration we can move between Cardel and Chichicaxtle or visit La Antigua and take a boat ride to the river mouth. Night in Hotel Bienvenido, Cardel. Dinner will be at La Antigua if we take the boat ride.

                              

Día 7 - Cardel - Quiahuiztlan

During the early morning we will quickly visit the Farallon Lagoon, looking for waterbirds and other birds around. After this stop we will visit the Quiahuiztlan ruins (which can be a spectacular hawk watching site), an old Totonac cemetery. We will return to the hotel for lunch, and another opportunity to look for the raptor migration. At some point during the afternoon maybe after a quick visit to Chichicaxtle, we can check about the flight there before. Night in Hotel Bienvenido, Cardel. Dinner at the hotel in Cardel.

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Día 8– Cardel 

Since this is our last full day in the land of the biggest raptor migration in the world, we will start the day visiting the coast in search of small bird migration. After a morning of chasing birds, we will return to the hotel rooftop and search for raptor and aquatic bird migration. After lunch we will return to the hawkwatch to keep enjoying the spectacle of the migration, with the possibility of moving inland during the afternoon, following the line of migrants during their daily routine. Night in Hotel Bienvenido, Cardel. Dinner at Hotel Bienvenido.

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Día 9 – Tlacotalpan - Drive back to Veracruz city 

We will start the day driving south of Veracruz City, visiting open grasslands, which are good for all sorts of migratory species, as well as resident species. We will drive even further south for a lovely lunch, at the town of Tlacotalpan (“pueblo mágico”) along the majestic Papaloapan River. During the afternoon we will check the wetlands along the road. We will end the day back at the Hotel Mocambo. Night in Veracruz City. Dinner at Mocambo Hotel.

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Día 10 – Departure Day

Flight back home 😊