Western Panama - Chiriqui Highlands & Tranquilo Bay

This holiday offers an exploration of endemic-rich western Panama, a wonderful alternative to better-known Costa Rica which lies just to the west. Our itinerary offers varied montane birding in the forested Chiriqui highlands together with the humid tropical lowlands and coral reefs of Bocas del Toro, all in search of a suite of regional endemics and other special birds.

After a night in Panama City, we fly west to David, the capital of Chiriqui province, from where we drive north for an hour to the mountains around Boquete, a stronghold in Panama for the Resplendent Quetzal. Staying for two nights at the eco-friendly Finca Lerida, a shade-grown coffee plantation (where we’ll be able to taste the award-winning produce), we will enjoy looking for species such as Lesser Violetear, Volcano Hummingbird, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Flame-throated Warbler and Golden-crowned Warbler. A full day on the Pipeline Trail promises an array of species alongside Resplendent Quetzal, among them Yellowish Flycatcher, Mountain Elaenia, and regional endemics Black-cheeked Warbler, Dark Pewee, Black-faced Solitaire, White-throated Mountaingem, and Talamanca Hummingbird.

Closer to the Costa Rican border lies Mount Totumas Cloudforest Lodge. En route west, we call in at Birding Paradise, a small conservation venture with some star birds such as Orange-collared Manakin, Fiery-billed Aracari, Black-hooded Antshrike, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner and Riverside Wren. Next we have three nights at Mount Totumas, enjoying the lodge’s excellent hospitality and food, along with some high quality central American birding in the epiphyte-laden forest, with species such as Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird, Black-faced Solitaire, Black Guan and Fiery-throated Hummingbird. This is a fantastic spot for hummingbird photography!

Our final base, Tranquilo Bay eco lodge, is located in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, a tropical paradise surrounded by lush, humid rainforest, clear lagoons, coral reefs and far-reaching vistas. This luxury ecolodge is our base for five nights and offers comfortable, spacious cabins within the forest and deliciously prepared local meals. It is also a birding paradise, with more than 200 species on site and nearly 500 possible when we include off-site excursions. A great feature of Tranquilo Bay is a canopy tower in the lodge clearing that offers spellbinding views of the surrounding islands and fly-by Montezuma’s Oropendulas! During our stay at Tranquilo Bay, we will be on the lookout for Black-and-white Owl, Blue-throated Toucanet, Snowy Cotinga, Golden-collared Manakin, and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, among many others. Offshore we will scan for boobies and Red-billed Tropicbird, and there will be at least one optional coral reef snorkelling session, as well as daily swimming/snorkelling from the dock for those who wish to do so.