Southern Peru: Birds, Nature & Cultural (18 days)

Day 1: Lima-Pisco: We will pick you up from your hotel and go to Pisco by private transport. We will making birding stops at pantanos de Villa marshes Puerto Viejo marshes and beach an Pucusana beach in order to see peruvian penguin Great Grebe, White-tufted Grebe, Peruvian Thickknee and many, many more. . We stay in a hotel in Pisco, a friendly little town near Paracas Peninsula.

Day 2: Paracas: We start with an excursion by boat to the Islas Ballestas, seeing a large amount of Peruvian Boobies, Pelicans, Cormorants and the Inca Tern, the most beautiful tern on earth. There are also a lot of Sea-lions. After the 2-hour boat trip we continue to the peninsula Paracas by car and on foot. We will see a strange looking desert landscape, nice coastal rock formations, more birds and a possible Sea Otter or Dolphin. In the afternoon we drive to Nasca. Hotel…..

Day 3: Nasca: Most important part, the flight over the Nasca lines. Afterwards there will be time to visit the cementary of Chauchilla, and in the pottery and gold-mining demonstrations. Overnight in Puerto Inca (near Chala), a nice place situated at a bay of the Pacific Ocean.

Day 4: 6 hours driving to Arequipa with some stops to see sea birds and beautifull scenery. In the afternoon time to visit the city. Sleep in Hotel…

Day 5: Chiguata - Arequipa: The birders will spend most of the day above Chiguata searching for endemic birds like White-throated Earthcreeper, Black Metaltail and Tamarugo Conebill (the last one only between June and October) The less or not dedicated people can spend their time in Arequipa. It´s an attractive city of white stone buildings (sillar) surrounded by three volcanoes. You can visit it´s lovely Plaza and its Monasterio de Santa Catalina. Situated at 2300 m. Arequipa is also a good stay to begin to acclimatize for the next days when we are coming above the altitude of 4000 m.

Day 6: To the Colca Canyon: Leaving Arequipa early, we will stop at the national reserve "Salinas y Aquada Blanca". Here we find vicuñas, one of the two wild members of South America´s camels. From now on we will look for high altitude species like Caracara´s, Earthcreepers, Canastero´s, Yellow-Finches amongst others. The marshy area of Tocra at 4200 m.a.s.l. has always a good range of birds (Crested Duck, Puna Ibis, different Ground-Tyrants and Andean Negrito for instance) Before the pass at 4800 m. above sea level is a very interesting birding area, but we will wait exploring that till tomorrow if we are better acclimatized.

From the pass it is a short trip to Chivay (at 3700 m.) where we spend the night in a hotel. Optional is a visit to the thermal hot springs.

Day 7: Cruz del Condor: Every day are coming hundred of more people to see the spectacle of huge condors flying nearby. At the same spot we look for Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Hillstar, Giant Hummingbird, Andean Swifts, Slender-billed Miner and Canyon Canastero. On our way back to Chivay we will give attention to one of the Arequipa endemics, Dark-winged Canastero. Passing the same high pass of yesterday we will stop hoping to find the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, a rare wader of the highlands. It´s often a difficult species to find. But there are more interesting species to see here.

Back on the paved road we continue in the direction of Juliaca, making two birding stops on the way. Giant Coot, Andean Avocet and Puna Plover are the most wanted species. Hotel in Puno.

Day 8: Lake Titicaca This lake is the only place where we can encounter the Short-winged (or Flightless Titicaca) Grebe. Often we see it on the boat ride to the floating islands of the Uros Indians. Also an excursion to Sillustani is a possibility. We will stay in a hotel in the small village of Lampa. It´s worthwhile to spend the late afternoon (or the early next morning) already near Lampa hoping to see Darwin´s Nothura ( a small tinamou).

Day 9: Drive to Cusco: After some birding near lampa and -if still necessary- a drive to Huancané for the Short-winged Grebe we follow the raod to Cusco. This is a very scenery drive through high altitude country.

Day10: To the Cloud Forest : Leaving Cusco early we have a nice stop at Lake Huacarpay. Here you will see Plumbeous Rail, Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant, the endemic Bearded Mountaineer , a big hummingbird, lots of waterfowl and much more.Continuing, we cross first the dry part of the Andes, arrive in the lovely Andes village Paucartambo before we climb again to the Acjanaco pass, where the Manu N.P. starts. The vegetation changes dramatically on these eastern slopes of the Andes. The whole afternoon we spend bird watching crossing the elfin - and cloud forest arriving before dinner in the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge at 1500 m.

Day 11:The surroundings of the Cock-lodge We stay in this lovely area in a lodge run by Selva Sur. One of the aims of this conservation organisation is to buy land to avoid deforestation. The eastern Andes slopes belong to the most diverse habitat systems in the world. In a lot places in Peru and Ecuador this habitat is disappearing. Here it is conserved within the Manu Nat.Park.

The unpaved road and some lodges are the only signs of human activity. We start before light with a visit to the place where the Cocks-of-the-Rocks have their display and we will use the best birding hours after a quick breakfast. In the afternoon there is again the possibility for a walk and in between you can relaxe in the lodge, looking at the colourfull birds that visit the garden.

Day 12:To Amazonia Lodge: Slowly descending we spend the whole morning bird watching till we arrive in Pilcopata for lunch. We are now in the real tropics. We continue with a 40-minute drive to Atalaya, where we cross the river to Amazonia Lodge (650 m.a.s.l.)

Day 13: Amazonia Lodge: Situated in the transition zone of the Andean foothills and lowland rainforest Amazonia lodge combines a nice place to stay (not too hot) and a lot of birds. In their lovely garden you will see different species of hummingbirds, the noisy Oropendolas and the beautiful Masked Crimson Tanager among others. The Hoatzin is a very common bird here. You have a splendid opportunity -like in the Cock-of-the-Rock-lodge - to take pictures of these birds. We will also see monkeys and a possible Peccary.

Day 14: ACCA biological station: Leaving Amazonia lodge after the early morning birding and breakfast, we drive back (now up) over the same Manu road till ACCA bilogical station at 2700 m.a.s.l. On the way in (day 10) we had time enough to find the secialties. Now we spend an afternoon and awhole morning for birds like Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, White-collared Jay, Red-and-White Antpitta and many tanagers. Like the area around Cock-of-the-Rock lodge this area has also the phenomenon of mixed species flocks.

Day 15: Back to Cusco: Around midday we return to Cusco. Hotel included in tour price.

Day 16: Train to M.Picchu, visit to the ruins of M.Picchu, hotel in the village

Day 17::AM birding and in the afternoon Train back to Cusco, hotel

Day 18: Visit of Cusco on your own. In the afternoon flight to Lima

Not included: Overflight Nazca Lines, neither flight back Cuzco-Lima 

 Contact to: travelingperu@gmail.com. Ask for Jorge

Ask for  a private trip. Choose your days

 Prices: $4,000. USD. Minimum 2 paxs.

E-mail us to: travelingperu@gmail.com

Ask for a private trip. Choose the month.

Prices pp: $5,000 USD, Minimum 2 paxs.