Birdwatching at Santa Eulalia canyon and Marcapomacocha road

This two day trip can be run almost anytime on request. (Check with us). Most visitors to Peru will definitely remember this trip as a highlight during their stay in Peru. Not only for being at the highest altitude, at 4900m (16000 ft)  but because the contrasting difference to bustling 8 million habitants metropolis,Lima just three-four hours away. It is another world.

While it is possible to do it in two days, there are always some targets missed. We recommend allocating three days for this trip. 

Given below are a couple of very easy Lima one day trips.  After a long and dusty trip in interior Peru it may be a good idea to have a few days to spare in Lima. If you don´t want to do biridng all day, you can check out our half day trips, which can be combined with some of the great archeological museums in Lima, which should not be missed. During the Lima days, hotel and dinner in Lima are not included. We have several hotel possibilities which we can book for you in a wide range of prices and comfort.

Half day birdwatching trips.

Perfect tours if you are short of time, want to do other activities in Lima as well, or perhaps have a plane to catch and some time to kill. 

• El Olivar Park and Pantanos de Villa
  Good introduction to the birds of LIma
• La Punta and Pozo Arenillas
  Good introduction to the birds in Lima. The trip can be run almost anytime. A short trip to do very close to the airport. Perfect  for a short trip to kill time. Especially good for North American waders, gulls and terns - September-April is the best time migrating birds, but it is always something to see.
• Palomino Islets and La Poza Arenilla en La Punta
  Visit South American Sealions, Humboldt Penguin and the Palomino guano islands off La Punta, Callao with a good bird guide.
• Ventanilla Lagoons - a few hours to kill near airport
  Great wetland area just north of the airport. Combine with La Punta.

Full day birding excursions.

Santa Eulalia valley and Marcopomacocha. (2 or 3 days)

Day 1.

We will make a 4 AM start straight for Santa Eulalia Valley in order to be in position when the rare Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch is more active. There are many west slope specialties here, such as Black-necked Flicker, Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail, Bronze-tailed Comet, Great Inca-Finch, Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, Canyon Canastero, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, Thick-billed Miner, Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Rusty-crowned Tit-Spinetail, Streaked Tit-Spinetail and many others. We stay in the quite comfortable Huachupampa hotel with private bath and hot water at around 2900m.

Day 2.

In the early morning we will be at the look out to spot Andean Condors flying out from their roosting cliffs. At the Polylepis forest we have been very successful with White-cheeked Cotinga in the past. Also present are Striated Earthcreeper, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Giant Conebill, Tit-like Dacnis, Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant , Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper and maybe we spot White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant found here twice. We will continue over the 4900m pass to the Milloc bog for things like Puna Tinamou (rare), Giant Coot, Gray-breasted and Rufous-bellied Seed-snipes, Puna Snipe, Southern Pochard (twice), Andean Ibis and of course all the targets: Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, White-bellied Cinclodes, Olivaceous Thornbill, Black-breasted Hillstar, Dark-winged Miner, Junin Canastero, Ground-Tyrants and many more. In the afternoon we shall drive back to Lima or will be connecting to Junin Lake, Central Peru or Carpish.

Day 3.

3 day version: If you allocate three days to this itinerary it is OK to leave Lima at 5 AM. You will try for the Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch the following day after staying overnight at Huachupampa. We recommend the three day version, because we almost invariable miss an endemic or two due to the time constraint of the two day program. Within this program it also possible to make a walk (or horseback excursion at extra charge) to the fantastic rock formations at Marcahuasi. Incidentally this area is also one of the best to find Canyon Canastero and Andean Condor. Another option is hiking to the Puya Raimondi stand above Vicas. Here there is also a relatively good hotel that can be used as base.

Another option is to do two or more day trips from Lima, to sample the best birds. See the day tours specified above.. You can stay comfortably in a Lima Hotel (you can choose between different price ranges), and have a wide selection of restaurants availble and wifi internet at the hotel to keep in contact with your friends. If you only do two day trips you will not reach the Polylepis Woodland where the White-cheeked Cotinga occurs. Adding a third day for the Polylepis, you may either drive via Marcapomacocha or via Santa Eulalia. Estimate 4-5 hours to get to the Polylepis from Lima. You can cut this driving time by either staying in Santa Eulalia  Huachupampa cutting 2.5 hours or in San Mateo (cuttng 2.5 hours)