Photography tour in el Dorado Nature Reserve
Fauna and Landscape Photography
Gallery
The Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta is one of the ecosystems with the highest levels of endemism in the world. This place is the most upper coastal mountain range in the world and has the tallest mountains in the country. The tour takes place in the cloud forests of the northern region of this range close to the city of Santa Marta. During this trip, you’ll see a vast diversity in bird species, including some that only live in this particular region of the world. You will also enjoy some of the best sunset landscapes of the Caribbean region due to the unique position that the lodge offers up in the mountains.
The tour lasts for five days, and it will take you up to 1700 above sea level, and fo one day, you’ll travel up to 2400m in search of a unique landscape and wildlife experiences.
Day 1: Arrival at Santa Marta’s airport and just after we take the land transfer to El Dorado (4-5 hour drive). Arrival at the lodge (1700 above sea level), lunch break. Small walk to the lodge’s viewpoint to see the sunset while birding through the forest: dinner, short hike in search of amphibians and reptiles. Night in the lodge.
Day 2: Early in the morning, We will take breakfast at 5:10 AM, then a 4-hour walk through the forest (easy hike) in search of different bird species. We’ll be back at the lodge by 10:00 AM-11:00 AM, where we can enjoy different hummingbirds and tanager species that feed at the feeders and then we’ll have lunch at noon. We’ll have resting time until 2 PM. Later we’ll do a hike in search of more bird species ending with the sunset at the hotel’s viewpoint where we can practice landscape photography. We’ll have dinner at 7:00 PM, and after we’ll do a small night walk in search of endemic amphibians and reptiles from the region. Night in the lodge.
Day 3: Again, We take breakfast at 5:10 AM, then a 4-hour walk through the forest (intermediate hike) in search of different bird species through the Cumbre trail. We’ll be back at the lodge by 10:00 AM-11:00 AM where we can enjoy different hummingbirds and tanager species. Lunch at noon and rest until 2:00 PM. In the afternoon we will do another small hike in search of different bird species and end up enjoying the sunset at the lodge by 5:30 PM. We’ll have lunch at 7:00 PM and then look for the night monkeys and kinkajous that visit the lodge at night.
Day 4: We meet at 3:30 AM at the lodge’s main house and begin our car ride to San Lorenzo Ridge (2400 meters above sea level), where we will look for the endemics Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Tanager and other bird species. At 5:00-5:30 AM, we’ll arrive at the viewpoint where we’ll have breakfast and do our birding activities until 9:00 AM. We’ll drive back to the lodge where we’ll rest until lunchtime at noon. Later on, we’ll go to the lodge’s viewpoint to enjoy the sunset landscape while searching for more bird species. After dinner, we’ll look for the endemic Santa Marta’s Screech Owl.
Day 5: Final morning in the cloud forest of the Sierra Nevada. We meet at the lodge’s main house at 5:20 AM to have breakfast and then we’ll do our last birding activity walking one of the trails in search of missing bird species. At 10 AM, the guide takes you to the Santa Marta Airport. End of the tour
- During wildlife observation tours, priority must be given to SILENCE. Animals should not be fed or contacted.
- In order to have an excellent birding experience bring BINOCULARS
- It is very important to follow the instructions of the guide
- The lodge is very comfortable, it offers double rooms with private bathroom and hot water
- We recommend that you arrive to Santa Marta on Day 1 very early in the morning or you may arrive the previous day and stay in Santa Marta for one night. On day 5, make sure your flight out of Santa Marta is not earlier than 4-5 PM or ideally you stay another night in Santa Marta