Trip Features
Relaxed pace, with option to relax at nice lodgings.
Extended time at 2 incredible birding spots of West Andes.
Just 3 hotels: Cali for 4 nights, 1 in Medellín, 3 in Jardín.
Fabulous lodges & great food for a variety of diets.
Famous cities, Cali & Medellín.
Colombia’s loveliest town, Jardín.
Iconic/endemic birds, incl: Toucan Barbet, Yellow-eared Parrot, Chami Antpitta, Red-bellied Grackle, plus a spectacular lek of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock.
Black-headed Brushfinch
Wax Palms
Tour Plan
Day 1: Arrive in Cali, transfer to our nearby lodge, night near Cali.
Day 2: Bird KM 18 Area, night again near Cali.
Day 3: Visit Doña Dora’s, night near Cali.
Day 4: Atuncela Dry Forest & Lodge grounds, final night at the lodge near Cali.
Day 5: Sonso Lagoon & Flight to Medellin, night in Medellín.
Day 6: Bolombolo & Cock-of-the-Rock Lek, night in Jardín.
Day 7: High Elevation (below 11,000ft asl) Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve, night in Jardín.
Day 8: Lower Slopes (below 9000ft asl) of the Ventanas Road, night in Jardín.
Day 9: Jardin - Medellin for flights home
Cock-of-the-rock
Chami Antpitta
Spectacled Parrotlets
Lyre-tailed Nightjars
Beryl-spangled Tanager
Grayish Piculet
The Birding Sites
Cali
Santiago de Cali, or simply Cali, is the world capital of Salsa dancing, the 3rd largest city in the country, a stronghold center Colombia’s economy, and also a relatively old city, founded in 1536. If you arrive early and are interested, a day tour of the City can be quite a fun way to spend the day.
KM 18 Area
While this is not the most colorful name for a birding area, it is one of the best in all of Colombia. The road that joins Cali to the port of Buenaventura goes over a pass as crests the Cordillera Occidental (Western Andes), and here a small road hugs the mountains. This road (at “Kilometer 18”) allows access to a host of different birding sites and we’ll visit one or two, while also probably birding the road itself. Here we could encounter endemics such as Scrub Tanager, Colombian Chachalaca and Grayish Piculet, but we will also see feeding stations where the portly Chestnut Wood-Quail at times gather, and where the spectacular Multicolored Tanager sometimes puts in visits. Many other birds frequent this zone, we may connect with Little Tinamou, Marble-faced and Variegated Bristle-Tyrants, and Whiskered Wren. A host of tanagers and hummingbirds will be on exhibit from showy Purplish-mantled, Beryl-spangled, and Metallic-green Tanagers to hummers such as Booted Rackettail, Blue-headed Sapphire, and Fawn-breasted Brilliant.
Doña Dora’s & the Anchicayá Forest (Farallones Nat. Park)
Arguably the most iconic birding location in all of Colombia, this “descanso” or roadside resting area, has become famous across the country and even well beyond. Its namesake host Dońa Dora hosts travelers, passersby and especially birders at her abode here, offering them tasty cheese empanadas and coffee. The feeders attract many birds, and then a walk up the road through the surrounding forest here makes for amazing birding. Photo opps can be amazing and we can hope to be graced by Toucan Barbet, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Empress Brilliant, Choco Brushfinch, Black-headed Brushfinch and a whole bunch of others. See more about this site on The Birder’s Show.
Atuncela Dry Forest
Dry forest in Colombia is some of the most threatened habitat of all. Atuncela holds some of the same specials in dry forest surrounding Sonso, but will give us chances to clean up and connect with any birds we may not see there. Here we keep our eyes out for widespread Neotropical birds we may not see elsewhere such as Pale-breasted Spinetail, Golden-rumped Euphonia, and Spot-breasted Woodpecker. Endemics here can include Apical flycatcher, Grayish Piculet, Colombian Chachalaca, and Bar-crested Antshrike.
Sonso Lagoon
A mix of dry forest and wetland habitats just outside of Cali, Laguna Sonso, as it’s known locally is a fabulous birding site. Often loaded with whistling-ducks, herons, rallids, and raptors, it is well known as a site for finding Horned Screamer and day-roosting Common Potoos, and it can hold Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Spectacled Parrotlet, Dwarf Cuckoo, Striped Cuckoo, or Jet Antbird. Just over 5000 acres in size, we can easily fill a day seeking these birds and many more at fabulous Sonso.
Bolombolo
Just a few years back in early 2010, a Colombian biologist was investigating a poorly explored dry valley in Antioquia and discovered a wren that he believed to be unknown. Now we know it was indeed a new species, and today it goes by that very name, the Antioquia Wren. Extremely local, with a tiny range, there are believed to be just a couple thousand of these birds total, and that numbers seems to be decreasing. We’ll aim to try and see this special endemic, while also keep our eyes peeled for other endemics like Apical Flycatcher and Grayish Piculet. This area can also hold Cinereous Becard, Bar-crested Antshrike, Golden-collared Manakin, or others.
Jardín
Referred to by many as the most beautiful town in Colombia, Jardín is almost too cute to believe. A fairy-tale town with lots to do, it is well visited by nationals and foreigners alike, for its picturesque scenery, the Paso Fine horses that periodically traipse through town, the colorful town square, the large Basilica Menor of the Immaculate Conception. The latter constructed in 1872 might seem somewhat at odds with otherwise relaxed mountain town, but is itself something to behold. Of course for birders, Jardín offers a perfect launching point for exploring the birds of the Ventanas Road, the Yellow-eared Parrot ProAves Reserve, plus there is a Cock-of-the-Rock Lek. Learn more about the sites here and nearby here.
Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve
Requiring an early departure and a drive up what can be a rough road, we search for exciting species such as Yellow-eared Parrot, Chestnut-naped Antpitta and Chami Antpitta. At its highest point the reserve has spots over 10,000 feet above sea level, but we’ll remain mostly below 10,000. There are many rarer species that appear here at times, and we could encounter birds such as Rusty-winged Barbtail, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Chestnut-bellied Chat-Tyrant, and Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher. We will see the national tree of Colombia, the wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), which is important as it provides nesting sites for the parrot and also fruit for them, a staple of their diet. Regular too are hummingbirds such as Long-tailed Sylph, Collared Inca, and White-bellied Woodstar, and it’s always fun to see the Acorn Woodpeckers too. See more on the reserve here.
Ventanas Road
Remaining mostly below 9000 feet above sea level, at this location we have chances to connect with some of the birds we might have missed up higher, while also enjoying chances at many rare and fascinating species such as Tanager Finch, White-capped Tanager, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Black-collared Jay, and many many others. Even just outside of Jardín, as one heads up the road, its possible to encounter birds such as Blackish Rail, or endemics that include Colombian Chachalaca, Parker’s Antbird or the snazzy Crested Ant-tanager. If the latter looks rather like a Northern Cardinal to you, that is no coincidence, since the ant-tanagers (genus Driophlox) are now recognized as being part of the cardinal family (Cardinalidae).
Medellín
Colombia’s 2nd largest city oozes character and persona. Rich in history and popularly depicted in a manner not favored by most of the “paisas”, the city is as vibrant today as perhaps it's ever been. A city tour features a town of many murals (many featuring bird species you’ll recognize), a lot of music, a lot of dance, and a good amount of romance. A day-long city tour here is money well spent.
Rigor, Pace & Pests:
2 field days at moderate/high elevation (up to ~10,000 ft).
Rough road required to access birding sites above Jardín.
Most mornings feature dawn birding and so early rise times, but…
On non-travel days (days 2,3,4,7,& 8), guests have the option to relax and enjoy the surroundings of the lodge area.
On a few days, guests have the option to do ½ day of birding and ½ day of another activity (or inactivity).
All lodges are very comfortable.
Jardín is extremely walkable, with many nooks to explore.
PRICE & BOOKING INFO
Tour Price/person*: $5395
Deposit: $1000/person
Single supplement: $785
Final Payment Due: 19 March 2026
Group size: 6 to 10 guests
Hillstar Nature strongly recommends all guests purchase travel insurance that covers Trip Cancellation, Trip Curtailment, Trip Interruption, and Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation.
*Based on double occupancy at lodgings, with a group size of 6 to 10 registrants. Maximum group size is 10 registrants, plus guide(s) and driver(s). If there are fewer than 5 registrants, this tour may be cancelled or re-negotiated. Note that if you want a roommate we can try to find you one, but we cannot guarantee all guests a roommate. If none is available, you will be charged the single supplement.
The tour price (fee) includes:
All accommodations from Day 1 until Day 9.
All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 9.
All transportation from airport pick-up on Day 1 in Cali (CLO) to airport drop-off on Day 9 in Medellín (MDE).
All guiding services, access permits and entrance fees to birding areas included.
Tips for drivers and staff at hotels and restaurants.
Internal flight from Cali to Medellín.
Excluded from your tour fee are:
International arrival and departure flights. We can advise, but do not book international flights.
Alcoholic beverages, beyond the 1 drink included with each dinner.
Personal expenses such as laundry services, charges for phone calls, additional expenses associated with travel such as insurance, visa fees, airport taxes, airline baggage fees, COVID tests, vaccinations, etc.
Tips for local guide/escort (recommended $5 to $10/day/person).
Documents
All travelers must have a current passport, valid for six months beyond the start date of this tour, with at least one blank page for visas.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Please review Hillstar Nature’s Terms and Conditions of Booking at the bottom of the Home page on our website. If a guest/participant cancels registration:
● 120 days or more prior to the start of the tour, a refund is issued minus a $500/person processing fee.
● Between 119 and 90 days prior to the start of the tour, half of the tour fee will be returned to the registrant.
● 89 days or less prior to departure, no refund of payments or deposits are issued.
View Hillstar Nature’s Terms & Conditions of Booking