San Blas: World capital of wetland birds
Trip length
2 days 1 night
Season
Subject to availability
Minimum
4 birders
Offered
Eng / Spa
San Blas Tour Details
The port of San Blas is located in the state of Nayarit, about three hours north of Puerto Vallarta. Founded during the Spanish colony, it was one of the two main ports in the Pacific Ocean. It is currently a quiet fishing village, internationally known for being the most popular destination for birdwatching in Mexico.
In the surroundings of San Blas you can see wetland sites, estuaries and mangroves, being La Tovara -with its extensive mangrove forests and intricate brackish water channels- the most important. There are also mountain areas, with dry forests and oak forests. All this allows that in a relatively small area at least 300 different bird species can be found, with 25 of them endemic.
Hotel Paraíso Miramar will be our resting place for one night. This rustic but charming hotel facing the sea is located on the outskirts of the city of San Blas and has fans and TV in each of its 28 rooms. Beautiful gardens surround the property, which makes this place the best place to keep watching birds as we prepare to continue the adventure.
Among the birds that we can observe in the areas to visit are different species of flycatchers and herons, as well as hawks, woodpeckers, several species of warblers and buntings. It is also possible to spot ducks, roseate spoonbills, the citreoline trogon and the elegant trogon, tiger herons, kingfishers, nightjars and even the boat-billed heron and the northern potoo.
Highlights
- Expert birding guide
- Visit to La Tovara and boat trip.
- Birding in a different habitats: coast, mangroves, dry forest and oak forest.
- Binoculars and telescope available. Personal checklist.
- Field guides
- Small Groups
Includes
- Ground transportation in A/C vans
- Continental breakfast day 1 & 2 (sweet rolls, fruit, coffee, water and soft drinks)
- Lunch on days 1 & 2
- Dinner on day 1
- Lodging at Paraiso Miramar Hotel on night 1
- Bilingual Naturalist guide
- Boat trip to La Tovara
Not Included
- Alcoholic Beverage
- Personal expenses such as room service, telephone calls, etc.
Know Before You Book
Level of fitness: Moderate flexible. Most of the walks are not difficult but we do have to follow a schedule, especially concerning to the boat on La Tovara. Some moderate walks on natural or unpaved trails will be necessary.
- Children under 8 years of age and pregnant women are not allowed.
- People with back, neck, heart or knee problems are not recommended.
- Maximum weight for this tour is 250 lbs.
- Children from 8 to 11 years old must be accompanied by a paying adult.
- Not accessible for wheelchairs.
- All participants must be able to walk on their own for short distances over natural or unpaved trails.
Itinerary
6:30 am - Day 1
Meet your guide and the rest of the birdwatchers at our office in Marina Vallarta, where we board our comfortable vehicle to go to San Blas. Shortly after an hour of travel, we’ll stop at a place known locally as El Camino del Cocodrilo (Crocodile Road) to enjoy a light snack and, mainly, for birdwatching.
Around 12 pm we make another stop at the Mirador de las Aves, a place that has a magnificent view of one of the estuarine lagoons of the site. After making our observations, we head to a nearby beach to enjoy a delicious local meal at one of the restaurants in the area.
We’ll be checking in at our hotel at approximately 2pm. After a couple of hours of well-deserved rest, we go to the jewel of San Blas, La Tovara estuary, where we continue with our bird watching, now aboard one of the boats of the community. Get ready for the most exciting part of this adventure! After this fantastic expedition, we’ll be back at our hotel at around 8 pm to have dinner.
6:30 am approximately - Day 2
We start this day by boarding our vehicle to go to Singaita town, where we’ll enjoy a light breakfast while continuing our birding activity for a few more hours; during this time we also go to a marshy area to continue with our wetland species register.
Our return to the hotel is shortly before 12 pm, to take our belongings, check out and set out on our way back to Puerto Vallarta. We have our lunch on route.
The arrival to Puerto Vallarta is at 4 pm approximately
SUPPORTING CONSERVATION
In Ecotours de México we pride ourselves on offering excellent services on all our nature tours. To achieve this, we believe it is vital to protect the most important thing we have: our environment. Therefore, throughout our more than 25 years of experience, we have participated and supported different associations, campaigns and conservation projects, both local and national. Some of them are:
ECOBAC.
– We are the main sponsor of ECOBAC (Ecology and Conservation of Whales, AC), a non-profit association that is responsible for the research and protection of humpback whales in Banderas Bay, as well as the diffusion of the NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010, federation standard for whale watching.
– We participate in the FIBB Catalog providing photographs of humpback whales for identification.
– ECOBAC and RABEN (Network of Assistance to Entangled Whales) are responsible for dealing with cases of whales entangled in fishing gear; Ecotours has supported these activities by providing boats and trained personnel for rescue maneuvers.
– Distribution of ecological and conservation information for environmental education.
– Find more information at www.whalephoto.org
Boca de Tomatlán Sea Turtle Camp.
– Each season, Ecotours de México makes a donation of various materials necessary for the correct management of the camp (tarpaulins, buckets, boxes, rakes, diggers, etc.)
– Also, donations of teaching materials with information about turtles have been made.
– Likewise, a donation is made per person in each of our visits during our tour “Encounter with Nature at the Sea Turtle Camp”.
The Green Macaw Sanctuary.
– In 2017, an artificial nest was donated for the project of protection, conservation and reproduction of the green macaw in Las Juntas and Los Veranos, Jalisco.
– Ecotours staff also supported the assembly of the donated artificial nest.
– Also, a donation is made per person in each of our visits to the sanctuary during the “Green Macaws Sanctuary” tour.
Campaigns to clean rivers and beaches.
– Ecotours has organized and participated in various local campaigns to clean the rivers and beaches of Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay.
– In the same way, we clean the areas we visit in our tours.
Fishing Garbage Tournament at Marietas Islands.
– Ecotours has promoted and participated of the cleaning activities organized by CONANP (National Commission of Protected Natural Areas) and the National Park managers.
Distribution of organic products.
– To further support the care of our environment, at our shop we have biodegradable products (Newen organic soap, solid shampoo, handmade soaps), environment-riendly products (bamboo toothbrushes) and reusable products (aluminum bottles, mesh bags and jute bags).
We do this because we really care about Nature.
What to bring
Bring your refillable water bottle to your trip or buy one with us and get a 10% discount on our shop. Check our section with Ecofriendly products Link
Binoculars, all terrain shoes or tennis shoes, light neutral-color clothes (not bright colors), long-sleeved shirts and long pants are OK, sun hat or cap, insect repellent and camera. Please bring only small luggage.
Cancellation Policies
- Cancellations 72 hrs in advance 100 % refund
- Cancellations 48 hrs in advance 50% refund
- Cancellations the day of tour or no shows or be late, forfeit the entire amount, No refund
- Activities may change due to weather conditions (hurricane, storm)
- All guests are required to sign an acknowledgement of risk.
- All tours are non-refundable once taken.
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