This tour takes us to endemic-rich western Panama, which includes cool, montane birding and the humid tropical lowlands. Both sites offer an exciting cross section of birding from cloudforest to lowland rainforest and coastal Caribbean waters.
Tranquilo Bay is located in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, a tropical paradise surrounded by lush, humid rainforest, sandy beaches, coral reefs, and lagoons. This luxury ecolodge offers comfortable, spacious cabins within the forest and deliciously prepared local meals. It is also a birding paradise, with more than 200 species on site and nearly 500 possible when we include off-site excursions. One of those sites includes the famous Fortuna Road, which offers access to lowland, mid-elevation, and higher-elevation birding at the Continental Divide. We will spend one full day and another half day along this very birdy road. Another awesome feature of Tranquilo Bay is a canopy tower near the cabins that offers memorable views of the surrounding islands, and it's great for birding, too! During our stay at Tranquilo Bay, we will be on the lookout for Black-and-white Owl, Blue-throated Toucanet, Snowy Cotinga, Golden-collared Manakin, and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, among many others. Offshore we will scan for boobies and Red-billed Tropicbird.
Our second site is located in the cooler Chiriqui highlands, where a short but adventurous 4x4 excursion will bring us to another premier ecolodge. With comfortable rooms, a restaurant that serves Asian and European cuisine, and the hospitality of Jeff, Alma, and Karin, we will eat, sleep, and bird well. Within the bromeliad-draped and moss-covered oak forest, we'll be on the lookout for Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird, Black-faced Solitaire, Black Guan, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, and White-throated Mountaingem as we target many of the Chiriqui highland endemics. This is a fantastic spot for hummingbird photography!
Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.
Client comment
"This was a wonderful tour. Jesse Fagan is a terrific guide. His enthusiasm and knowledge is amazing--and infectious. Plus, he is a lot of fun! We would enjoy traveling with him again. Tour Manager Ruth Kuhl, as usual, was amazingly efficient and thorough. We can hardly wait for our next Field Guides trip!" A.W., WESTERN PANAMA: CHIRIQUI & BOCAS DEL TORO 2019