Birdwatching to the Mangrove of Paredon (From Puerto Quetzal) Private Tour

What a delightful day! And I’m not even the birder in the family. Salvador made pre-contact the day before the trip and explained exactly where we would be met. After a comfortable drive we climbed on board a small vessel for an easy glide on a smooth waterway. He is knowledgeable of his birds and his country. My wife met her birding goals and even emerged with some new lifers. After a well developed birding experience, we were brought to a local resident’s home for a lunch of a delicious (but kinda spicy) national dish. We were welcomed and fed as if we were family. Well worth our time and expense!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day bird watching in Guatemala. Salvadore picked us up at the port on time and immediately spotted an oriole on the way to the car.i As we drove to the river, we stopped as Salvadore spotted birds along the way. We saw a crested caracara as well as a number of wood storks in flight. Our driver was courteous and safe. Once we arrived at the river, we boarded a small boat and headed out on the river. The boat was covered, so we had some protection from the sun. We observed many species of birds, including many terns, egrets, gulls, pelicans, ibis, roseate spoon bills, and more. We had the opportunity to get many pictures and to take the time to truly observe the birds, not just check them off a list and move on. Following our day on the river, we had lunch prepared by a traditional family (an additional cost), that was excellent. The family provided a tour of their home and were truly gracious and kind to us. Following lunch, we were driven back to the port where we boarded our ship with plenty of time to spare.

Our guide' interest and commitment to birdwatching was infectious. He allowed us to see in new ways and appreciated the subtle differences that are used to identify birds. He was also broadly interested in science and ideas making it easy to become more curious about the world. Lunch with a local family made it even better.