REFUGIO LOS VOLCANES

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Toll free 1-800-538-2149

Availability:

January - December

Associated Costs

Rates and Fares

The per person fee for this tour is based on double occupancy from Santa Cruz. The fee includes all food beginning with lunch on Day 1 and ending with lunch on Day 4, lodging from arrival to Los Volcanes, ground transportation, tipping, park entrance fees, and guide services provided by tour leaders. The tour fee does not include international flights to Bolivia, airport departure taxes, alcoholic beverages, special gratuities, phone calls, laundry service, or items of a personal nature. Changes in cost would only be made to reflect similar changes in airline fares, land services, or currency exchange rates.

Currently there is no single supplement charge for this tour.

Itinerary

Brief Itinerary

Day 1

Santa Cruz and transfer to Los Volcanes. Overnight: Refugio Los Volcanes (Lb,D)

Day 2-3

Los Volcanes. Overnights: Refugio Los Volcanes (B,L,D)

Expanded Itinerary

Day 1

Santa Cruz and transfer to Los Volcanes, Amboró National Park. We'll plan to depart the city of Santa Cruz very early in the morning (probably 7:00 or 8:00 a.m.) in order to reach our first hiking trail when there is a lot of activity and the temperatures are not too high. We'll have a picnic snack in semi-humid forest along a rushing river on the lower mountain slopes, then hike a dry, gently undulating trail through the forest.

Continuing westward, we will eventually reach the southern boundary zone of Amboró National Park and Los Volcanes, hopefully arriving at our destination with enough time to hike down the entrance road looking for wildlife. Older passengers should be warned that the entrance road is very steep and takes about 2 hours to walk down.

A good walking stick and supportive foot wear are essential, however passengers should also be aware that they can be transported to the bottom of the valley by jeep. Overnight: Refugio Los Volcanes (Lb,D)

Day 2-3

Los Volcanes, Amboró National Park. We'll plan to depart the city of Santa Cruz very early in the morning (probably 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.) in order to reach our first birding trail during peak activity. We'll have a picnic breakfast in semi-humid forest along a rushing river on the lower mountain slopes, then hike a dry, gently undulating trail through the forest. Continuing westward, we will eventually reach the southern boundary zone of Amboró National Park.

Amboró National Park is a large wilderness area of 1.5 million acres that straddles the eastern foothills of the Andean Mountains in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It is conveniently situated at the meeting point of four very different biogeographical zones: the southern rim of the Amazon Basin (with its humid tropical rainforests), the western edge of the Brazilian shield (with its subtropical deciduous forests), the northern limit of the Chaco (temperate woodlands), and the very diverse subtropical and temperate forests of the Andes mountains. This mosaic of ecosystems shelters a correspondingly rich diversity of plants and animals, including no less than 830 bird species! The comfortable Refugio Los Volcanes is conveniently located in the subtropical and temperate forests of Amboró National Park, and will provide us with a very comfortable base from which we will explore the nearby forests.

The valley where the lodge is located is excellent for parrots, including Mitred, Blue-crowned, Green-cheeked, and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, and in late November the strikingly beautiful Military Macaws breed here. Two-banded Warblers are almost guaranteed, and we've also had past luck with Huayco Tinamou, King Vulture, Sunbittern, Spectacled Owl, Channel-billed Toucan, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Black-banded Woodcreeper, Black-capped Antwren, White-backed Fire-Eye, the shy and elusive Slaty Gnateater, White-crowned Tapaculo, Marbled-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Yungas Manakin, Rufous-bellied Thrush, and Plush-crested Jay.

The area also features some very good mixed species flocks that feature a diverse group of tanagers including the Common Bush-Tanager (a very beautiful race), Guira Tanager, Black-goggled Tanager, Blue-naped Euphonia, and Fawn-breasted Tanager. Between the months of May and November, cold fronts from the Antarctic drive higher altitude species down to lower elevations providing us with opportunities to see White-winged, Saffron-crowned, and Blue-necked Tanagers. This is definitely one of the most exciting times to visit the lodge as figs begin to fruit during this time period as well!

The pace at the lodge is normally very slow. We will be waking up very early to have breakfast before dawn, then will bird until late in the morning when the sun becomes too hot and the bird activity dies down. This is a perfect time to enjoy the crystal clear waters of the streams found near the lodge and we will even have the opportunity to swim in a natural pool that has formed at the base of a small waterfall. We will continue birding in the afternoon and into the early evening when nocturnal birds such as the Spectacled Owl will become our target. Overnights: Refugio Los Volcanes (B,L,D)

Day 4

Transfer to Santa Cruz. We will spend the final morning once again exploring the entrance road and will eventually be transported to the top in a 4-wheel drive jeep. Depending on schedules, we will make several stops while traveling back to Santa Cruz with a planned arrival early enough to allow you to organize your belongings for flights later this evening or the following day. (B)