Veracruz + Oaxaca

By combining some of our favorite areas in the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca into one trip, we are offering up some of the most diverse habitats and bird species of any trip Solipaso runs! This is a one way trip, starting in Veracruz City and ending in Oaxaca City. After flying into Veracruz City, we spend time on the flanks of the Sierra Madre Oriental, we'll explore coffee plantations, humid cloud forest and the magnificent high desert and pine environment below the volcanic plug and national park, El Cofre del Perote.

After being in the mountains, we drop down to the coast of Veracruz. The Sierra de Los Tuxtlas is a geographic anomaly - a volcanic mountain range at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico and home of the northernmost tropical rainforest, the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve and UNAM field station. On the interior edge of this range lies Lake Catemaco, one of the largest lakes in Mexico, which is known for its diversity of birds and black magic! Birding in the Tuxtlas Reserve and rainforest offers up some special Mexican birds and regional sub-species endemics! Leaving Veracruz, we head inland through vast expanses of sugar cane and pineapple fields to the bustling city of Tuxtepec where we spend time birding the the steamy, tropical lowlands. From here, we head up into the amazing Sierra Madre Oriental, which holds some of the largest tracks of humid cloud forest in Mexico!

We'll spend our days in  Oaxaca City birding the key areas of the valley as well as visiting the cultural points of interest, such as Teotitlan del Valle and Monte Alban. Although we cover a lot of ground on this trip and our days are all full, there is only one big drive day and we manage to stay several nights in each location to minimize moving.