Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico
Sites of interest
- PN Huatulco and resort surroundings
- Pluma Hidalgo
- San José del Pacifico
- Pelagic
Top target birds
- Orange-breasted Bunting
- Blue-capped Hummingbird
- Lesser Ground-Cuckoo
- Red-breasted Chat
- White-throated Jay
- Red Warbler
- Bumblebee Hummingbird
Practical reasons for interest
- Doable as a very quick winter trip, not a major time commitment
- Driving not needed for coastal areas around PN Huatulco and resorts
- Non-birders happy to join for relaxing beaches, snorkeling, and resorts
Concerns
- How is the driving on the road to Pluma Hidalgo? Road condition? Amount of traffic, and behavior of drivers? Some reports that the road is hairy to drive, but doable. See Facebook thread, and trip reports from Hornsveld, and Maurice et al., below.
- Is it possible/reasonable to get a taxi or colectivo to and from Pluma Hidalgo (and San José del Pacifico)?
- Lodging in Pluma Hidalgo?
- Finca Don Gabriel ~$70 per night, recommended by several in Facebook thread below.
- Relatively few trip reports from independent travelers, though quite a few from group tours. It does seem to get birded independently, just few written reports to draw information from.
Itinerary thoughts
- Fly into Huatulco (HUX), transfer to hotel/resort
- Huatulco - 2-3 nights
- Pelagic? - arrange through Huatulco Bird Guides (Cornelio) or Manuel Grosselet
- Rent car at airport, drive to Pluma Hidalgo (1h)
- Pluma Hidalgo - 2-3 nights
- (San José del Pacifico - 1-2 nights?)
- Return to airport, fly home
- 4-6+ nights
Resources
- Stephen Brauning - Mar 2017
- Facebook Birding Travel group - query on Pluma Hidalgo, with variety of responses
- Facebook Birding Travel group - pelagic and guide pricing
- Ross Gallardy - Apr 2021 - San José del Pacifico, Pluma Hidalgo - not many details
- Patrick Maurice et al. - eBird trip report, but with extensive narrative, relevant area begins on Day 5 (Jan 1)
- Hornsveld - Dec 2019, western Mexico, only a few small notes on this area
- Larry Chen and Sarah Toner - eBird trip report, just checklists/sites
- Howell bird-finding guide