Mahahual and Costa Maya Birdwatching

Great excursion with a great guide!

We booked the birding tour with Victor for while we were in port on a cruise. Highly recommend this private excursion, Victor is extremely knowledgeable and helped us identify over 30 species of birds that were new to me, on a "quiet" day. We enjoyed the conversation about all his work in conservation for birds but also Jaguars and dog spay/neuter and rescue. We birded just outside the port, drove to a farm 30 min away where we saw most of our birds, and a jungle road (where we picked up a freshly picked dragonfruit for with our lunch) . He provided drinks and his truck was very comfortable. Lunch at the farm was a delicious mole' The only negative was the mosquitoes (bring your bug spray amd wear long pants/long sleeves) but that's how birding is sometimes! Overall a really fun day and Victor took great care of us!

via Tripadvisor

An unforgettable birdwatching experience!

Victor provided us with an amazing, memorable birding tour! He met us outside the cruise port where the birding began immediately before we even got to the car! On the car ride to the property where he conducted the tour, he pointed out a number of birds and shared information about the local ecosystems and wildlife. When we got to our destination, I was impressed with Victor’s ability to spot and identify a huge variety of birds, nearly all of which were new species to us, coming from Colorado. The tour concludes with a delicious lunch at the house on the property. On the way back to the cruise port, Victor even took the time to make a mango stop at a roadside fruit stand at my wife’s request. I cannot recommend this company highly enough! They provided a perfect experience!

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you had such a memorable birding tour with Victor. His passion for birds, local wildlife, and the ecosystems of our region truly shines through, and we're thrilled that he was able to introduce you to so many new species during your visit. It's especially rewarding to know that the experience began right from the cruise port and continued throughout the journey. We're also glad you enjoyed the homemade lunch and the special mango stop on the way back—those personal touches are what help make each tour unique and memorable. Your kind words and recommendation mean a great deal to us. We will be sure to share your comments with Victor, who will be delighted to know he helped create such a perfect experience for you and your wife. We hope to welcome you back for another birding adventure whenever your travels bring you to the area. Warm regards, Mahahual Ecotóurs.

via Tripadvisor

An Amazing Day of Birding and Nature

We booked a 5-hour tour with Victor while our ship was in port in Costa Maya. My wife is an avid bird photographer, and we knew that Victor was the guy to go with. My job was to carry her equipment, make a list of the birds she saw/photographed, and stay out of the way! The property where Victor lives is an old limestone quarry, with a great mix of jungle, open spaces and ponds. In only about 3 hours, we saw 29 new bird species, from Anis to Yellowlegs. It was amazing and I was writing the list as fast as I could. Victor is a great bird tour guide; he knows the birds names in English, Spanish and Latin, and spotted birds hidden in trees and even over 200 yards away; what an eye for birds! The tour included an authentic local Mayan lunch which was delicious, and then we were off to another trail a few miles away with more new colorful birds. We highly recommend Victor for a wonderful local birding and nature tour.

Response from the operator: Thank you very much for your fantastic review and for choosing to spend your day in Costa Maya with us. We are delighted to hear that you and your wife enjoyed your birding adventure with Victor. It is always rewarding to know that our guests have the opportunity to discover so many new species, and 29 new birds in a single tour is certainly an exciting achievement! We are especially pleased that Victor's knowledge, sharp eye, and passion for birding helped make the experience both productive and memorable. The limestone quarry property offers a unique variety of habitats, and we're glad you enjoyed exploring its diverse ecosystems as well as the additional trail later in the day. It is wonderful to hear that the authentic Mayan lunch was also a highlight of your visit. We hope to welcome you back to Costa Maya for another birding and nature adventure in the future! Warm regards, Mahahual Ecotóurs team.

via Tripadvisor

Had a great day birding with Victor!

Victor met us right outside of the cruise port in the pouring rain. He graciously accommodated my son’s request to visit the Chacchoben ruins, and the rain miraculously cleared! We birded in the beautiful jungle around the ruins, saw and heard many exciting local species, as well as spider monkeys and an agouti. Victor is very knowledgeable and knows how to spot, call to, and identify these amazing birds. He is also an excellent photographer and took pictures to document what we had seen. I love that we will be able to look at these pictures and remember our special birding trip. We followed that with a snack of delicious fresh pineapple and mango and a visit to a pepper farm for a hot sauce tasting. (I think that the tour typically includes lunch, but perhaps there wasn’t time for that because we drove out to the ruins.) We took a walk around the farm and he found us a coveted toucan! On the way back to the port, we did some roadside birding, and Victor was very persistent (and patient with me!) to make sure we were able to see the Tiger Heron we requested. All in all, it was a wonderful day and made our visit to the cruise port much more special than a typical cruise excursion.

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed review! We are delighted that what began as a rainy morning turned into such a memorable adventure for you and your son. It was a pleasure to accommodate your visit to the Chacchoben ruins, and we're so glad the weather cooperated just in time for some fantastic birding and wildlife encounters. Seeing a variety of local birds, spider monkeys, and an agouti in their natural habitat is always exciting, and we're thrilled that you enjoyed the experience. Finding the toucan and finally spotting the Tiger Heron you had hoped to see made the day even more special. Birding is often about patience and persistence, and we're happy that those efforts paid off! We're also pleased that you enjoyed the fresh tropical fruit, the hot sauce tasting at the pepper farm, and the opportunity to explore some of the local flavors and culture along the way. Most importantly, we're glad that the photographs will help preserve those wonderful memories for years to come. Thank you for choosing us during your visit to Costa Maya and for your kind words. Knowing that your day felt more personal and memorable than a typical cruise excursion means a great deal to us. We hope to welcome you back for another birding adventure in the future! Warm regards, Mahahual Ecotóurs Team.

via Tripadvisor

Costa Maya Birding

Great birding experience. I was able to see many birds in their natural setting. Victor drove me to farm in his nearly new truck.

Response from the operator: Thanks for a nice review and we are so happy that you had a great experience. We hope to see you in the future to keep looking for more beautiful birds.

via Viator