30 Jul 2025 - 04 Aug 2025 (6 days)
USD2,495 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Alexander Alvarado
Tour price (Per person): USD2,495 * GBP1,987 * EUR2,389 * AUD3,835
Single Supplement: USD190 * GBP151 * EUR182 * AUD292
Flight costs: USD90 * GBP72 * EUR86 * AUD138
Flight costs (Linked Tour): USD100 * GBP80 * EUR96 * AUD154
12 Aug 2026 - 17 Aug 2026 (6 days)
USD2,600 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Lisle Gwynn
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD2,600 * GBP2,071 * EUR2,489 * AUD3,997
Our Santa Marta tour takes us to the Santa Marta Mountains and the Guajira Peninsula on the northern coast of Colombia. The Santa Marta massif is an isolated mountain range, and its snow-capped peaks are the highest coastal mountains in the world. It is also one of the most endemic-rich regions of South America, hosting nearly 50 endemic and regional specialities plus numerous endemic subspecies several of which, upon further taxonomic review, are likely to be elevated to full species status in the future.
Santa Marta & Sierra Nevada Brushfinches; Santa Marta Bush Tyrant; Santa Marta Parakeet; Santa Marta Woodstar; Santa Marta Mountain Tanager; White-tailed Starfrontlet; Hermit Wood Wren; Santa Marta & White-lored Warblers; Yellow-crowned Whitestart; Black-backed Thornbill; Rusty-headed Spinetail; Santa Marta Blossomcrown; Santa Marta Antpitta; Santa Marta Screech Owl; Santa Marta & Brown-rumped Tapaculos; Vermilion Cardinal; Glaucous Tanager; Sapphire-bellied, Buffy & Sapphire-throated Hummingbirds; Red-billed & Coppery Emeralds; Ferruginous Pygmy Owl; Chestnut Piculet; Rufous-vented & Chestnut-winged Chachalacas; White-tipped Quetzal; Black-fronted Wood Quail; Bronze-brown Cowbird; Turquoise-winged Parrotlet.
Rainforest, dry forests, estuarine, xerophytic scrub
Temperate to cold in highlands (El Dorado), hot and dry in the lowlands (Guajira Peninsula). Rain is likely on some days.
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and 1 local leader
This is a moderately difficult tour. Not suitable for dedicated photographers; or anyone with mobility / health challenges. Some very early mornings / long days.
Comfortable to good.
Moderate to demanding. Bird density is low in some areas, several difficult target species that require patience, persistence & repeat attempts (ie: Antpittas & Tapaculos).
270+
spectacular Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range, Caribbean Sea
good
Two great tours led by Tuomas, who is an outstanding birder and great tour leader. Local guides were also very good, so we all saw virtually all of our hit list birds. Thanks to all.
Dusan is an excellent guide (best ears in the business!) as well as a wonderful person to share this long of an adventure. He’s very concerned for everyone’s health, safety and enjoyment of the birding.
Tuomas is a great guide and excellent with bird IDs and helping people see all of the birds as much as possible. He also managed to maintain group morale despite a very ambitious and exhausting itinerary.
"Tuomas was very knowledgeable, personable, and savvy. He did an excellent job of balancing hard core birding with the needs of the group. The accommodations and food were good throughout and the transportation was excellent! This was an adventurous, fun, and challenging trip and I very much enjoyed it. Roger, the local guide, was also very good. Thank you!"
First of all, Forrest Rowland's profound knowledge of the full range of bird identification traits, songs and calls, habitat preferences and behavioural detail was indispensable to our ability to view, hear, and understand what we were looking for/at. Even more so, his knowledge and ability to effectively convey such information in a timely and readily comprehensible manner was an essential component of our ability to get on birds effectively. Plus his expertise and experience did not stop with the bird life. Secondly, he was an amazing leader in keeping a diverse group of participants focused on tasks at hand and committed to an inclusive "team" dynamic, not an easy feat! His very personable and easy going style kept everyone engaged and appreciating contributions from the whole group... and no one ever appeared isolated. Lastly, and also crucial to an effective journey of this type, Forrest was always on top of tour logistics and management, which are extremely complex and sometimes change with little notice (e.g. flights being cancelled). ln part this was due to his own experience travelling within Colombia, building upon the wonderful network of supporting "staff/contributors", and he was always able to easily provide next step details, rationales, and alternatives to the group.
Colombia - Perijá & Santa Marta Endemics - Tailormade 2024 - September 2024
Colombia - Highlights 2024 - July 2024
Colombia - Highlights (ECU replacement) 2024 - January 2024
Colombia - Northern Andes: Central Andes 2023 - October 2023
Colombia - Northern Andes: Medellin & surrounds 2023 - October 2023
Colombia - Northern Andes: Bogota & surrounds 2023 - October 2023
Colombia - Northern Andes: Santa Marta 2023 - September 2023
Colombia - Santa Marta Extension I 2023 - August 2023
Colombia - Highlights 2023 - August 2023
Colombia - Santa Marta Extension II 2022 - December 2022
Colombia - Northern Andes: Western & Central Andes 2022 - November 2022
Colombia - Northern Andes: Medellin & Magdalena Valley 2022 - November 2022
Colombia - Northern Andes: Bogota & surrounds 2022 - November 2022
Colombia - Highlights 2022 - September 2022
Colombia - Mega Birding Tour II 2021 - November 2021
Colombia - Mega Birding Tour I 2020 - January 2020
Colombia - Highlights 2019 - November 2019
Colombia - Santa Marta Extension 2019 - November 2019
Colombia - Perijá & Santa Marta Endemics (SGT) 2019 - October 2019