Colombia Bird Photography
10 Days — Valle del Cauca
Three reserves close to each other, from the Pacific slope to the Cauca Valley, photographed from feeders and hides, plus a full day at Laguna de Sonso for waterbirds.
Dear Travelers,
At Motmot Nature we work with one or two photographers at a time and at an unhurried pace. We stay several days in each place, return to the same feeders at different hours, and decide light, position and timing together with you in the field. Along the trip we also hold sessions to review the images together.
This route through the Valle del Cauca, for January 2027, follows that way of working.
Why these three places. They are close to each other, so the days go into photography rather than driving: the longest transfer is about three hours and the others are shorter. Together they cover three different environments: the humid Pacific slope at Doña Dora, the cloud forest at La Florida and the dry forest of the Cauca Valley around Buga. That gives a wide range of species without changing regions. All three have well-established feeders and hides, so the birds come close and the light can be planned. From Buga we also spend a full day at Laguna de Sonso, a protected wetland 5 km from town, for waterbirds.
✈ Flights — your flight times can add two more sessions
Day 1 — Arrival: Book the earliest domestic flight into Cali (Alfonso Bonilla Aragón — CLO). If you land in the morning, we reach Doña Dora by midday and use the whole afternoon at the feeders.
Day 10 — Departure: You fly out of the same airport in Cali, about 1.5 hours from Hacienda El Diamante. With an afternoon or evening departure, we can add a final morning at El Diamante before the drive.
Day-by-Day Route
All transfers are in our private vehicle, driven by your guides.
- ✈Cali airport (CLO) · arrival Day 1, departure Day 10
- 1Doña Dora · Days 1–3
- 2La Florida · Days 4–6
- 3Hacienda El Diamante, Buga · Days 7–10
- ●Laguna de Sonso · Day 8
Sites & Target Species
Doña Dora Birding
La Florida Birding
Hacienda El Diamante
Laguna de Sonso
From the Route
Photos from the reserves and lodges on this route.
Birds
Lodging
Trip Cost
Included & Not Included
✓ Included
- 9 nights in one room with two separate beds and private bathroom
- All meals from Day 1 lunch to Day 10 lunch
- Two guides from our team for the whole trip
- Private vehicle with fuel and highway tolls
- Entrance to the reserves in the itinerary
- Full day at Laguna de Sonso with local guide and boat
- Pickup and drop-off at Cali airport
✗ Not Included
- International and domestic flights
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tips and personal expenses
- Activities not listed in the itinerary
Booking Conditions
Reservation & Payment
A 50% deposit confirms the booking. The balance is due 15 days before the start date. We accept international wire transfer (Western Union or bank transfer).Cancellation Policy
With the deposit we book and prepay every lodge on the itinerary. Those bookings are non-refundable, and our two guides are committed to your dates for all 10 days.If you cancel after paying the deposit, we can refund about 15% of the deposit (unused tolls and part of the operator fee). The other 85% is already committed to lodging and guide time.
Date changes depend on availability at every site and may change the price if rates differ.