With close to 1800 species of birds, Peru is an absolute highlight of Neotropical birding. On top of this dizzying bird list, the country host many very localized, poorly known and endemic species. The center of the country is ideal to get to know some of these species. This high level of endemism is due to the complex topography and the maze of isolated valleys and cordilleras where evolution has worked for hundreds of thousand of years. This itinerary is especially designed to see a large number of these endemic and localized species with some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth as a fitting backdrop.

 

Main Itinerary - The central cordilleras

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Days 1-2. The trip will start in Lima and from there we will explore the coast and its different ecosystems. Wetlands, beaches, and rocky coastal habitats host a rich and diversified avifauna, complemented at this time of the year by many migrants from the Northern hemisphere. We will follow the dry coast, and make a few stopovers in the Pantanos de Ventanilla, Pantanos de Villa and the small fishermen village of Pucusana.

 

Day 3. We will visit the incredible Paracas Peninsula, an extremely desertic overhang whose high cliffs are battered by the powerful Pacific ocean waves.

 

Day 4. Back in Lima, we will visit the coastal reserve of Lomas de Lachay, a small verdure oasis in the surrounding desert. This tiny reserve protects a fabulous and ecosystem. The nearby ocean generates coastal fogs which are stopped by the high hills. This results in the condensation of the dew, which in turns allow the persistance of a green vegetation inhabited by many specialized species.

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Days 5-6. After this coastal interlude, we will start our exploration of the mountainous part in the center of the country. In the famous Santa Eulalia valley, we will explore the whole altitudinal gradient, from the arid slopes covered in dense bushes to the barren vastness of puna and peatbogs of Marcopomacochas and Ticlio.

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Day 7. Continuing on the high altitude theme, we will travel to the famous Junin Lake, a huge piece of water nested at more than 4000m a.s.l. in the centre of a cold wind swept plateau. In this rather inhospitable environment we will look for two fabulous and extremely rare endemics: the Junin Rail (sometimes considered a subspecies of the Black Rail) and the Junin Grebe.

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Days 8-9. From Huanuco, we will have our sole stop of the trip in Andean tropical forests. We will explore the famous trails of Paty and the Carpish tunnel. Finally after a day spent on the impressive mountain roads and amidst breathtaking landscapes, we will reach the legendary Cordillera Blanca and its summits culminating above 6500m a.s.l.
 

Days 10-11-12-13. We will spend the remaining of our time in the magnificent Huascaran National Park. All the different habitats will be thoroughly explored in search of the many spectacular and special species that live here: paramo, Polylepis forests, temperate bushland, rocky slopes and emerald-green deep lakes.

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At the end of the main itinerary, so as to avoid an unnecessary waiting time for the extension to take place, day 13 of The central cordilleras trip actually corresponds to the day 1 of the extension The Humboldt current.

Extension - The Humboldt current

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Days 1-2. On top of this magnificent itinerary we are in the position to offer you an exceptional pelagic extension. From a fishing vessel, we will have the chance to sail about 40km offshore to meet the cold waters of the Humboldt current. Marine life is teeming here and besides the usual Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters and Storm-petrels classically observed, we might even entertain the idea of finding something even rarer given how many country's firsts have been seen in such pelagic trips. We should also be on the watch for any whale or dolphin that might cross our path.