Alamos, Sonora
Mexican birds are part of southeastern Arizona’s allure, but few birders venture into neighboring Sonora. Within a day’s drive of the border is a land of Black-throated Magpie-Jays, Social Flycatchers, Elegant Quail, Squirrel Cuckoos, Mexican Parrotlets, and much more.
The tour begins in Tucson with an evening orientation and dinner at a hotel near the airport. The next morning, we’ll load the van and drive through the Sonoran Desert to the coastal resort town of San Carlos. After an afternoon birding beaches and estuaries and a relaxed evening at a hotel overlooking Bahia San Carlos, we’ll start the next morning with some early birding at Nacapule Canyon, famous as a “lost world” oasis of tropical plants and animals, enjoy a buffet breakfast at our hotel, then continue south to the charming colonial town of Alamos. Our destination is El Pedregal Nature Lodge, a luxurious retreat at the edge of the city. The relaxed pace of the tour will allow participants to fully enjoy the site’s amenities, including a pool, bird feeders, and trails. After 3 days of exploring a variety of tropical habitats, including walks through Sinaloan thorn forest and tropical deciduous forest, we’ll return to San Carlos for one more night before ending our tour in Tucson. (8 days/7 nights)
Tentative Itinerary*
Day 1 (Sat): Meet at Baymont by Wyndham Tucson Airport for orientation and dinner
Day 2 (Sun): Depart Tucson for San Carlos, night at Marinaterra Hotel & Spa
Day 3 (Mon): early birding at Nacapule Canyon, breakfast, drive to Alamos, check in at El Pedregal Nature Lodge
Day 4 (Tue): Breakfast at El Pedregal, birding around Alamos, restaurant lunch, afternoon siesta/free time, dinner in Alamos
Day 5 (Wed): Breakfast at El Pedregal, birding around Alamos, restaurant lunch, afternoon siesta/free time, dinner in Alamos
Day 6 (Thu): Breakfast at El Pedregal, birding around Alamos, restaurant lunch, afternoon siesta/free time, dinner in Alamos
Day 7 (Fri): Early birding around El Pedregal, check out and depart for San Carlos, night at Marinaterra Hotel & Spa
Day 8 (Sat): Breakfast at the hotel, check out, return to Tucson mid-afternoon
* The actual itinerary will be flexible and may change as opportunities and/or access issues dictate.
$1900 per person/double occupancy*, $2350 per person/single occupancy. SABO members are eligible for a discount of $30 per person. Package includes 7 nights’ lodging, ground transportation from Tucson, tourist and guide fees, and meals from dinner the first day through lunch the last day. Alcoholic beverages, guide and lodging gratuities, and other personal expenses are not included. Limited to 8 participants. A deposit of $200 per person is required to hold your reservation.