Birding Express with Nils: Western Cuba and Trinidad

Reception at José Martí International Airport (Havana) and transfer to Soroa (approx. 1 hour driving west).

Soroa is located in a lush intramontane valley surrounded by tropical forest and beautiful waterfalls. The route offers spectacular scenery that anticipates the biological richness of western Cuba. A typical rural, quiet, and scenic area, ideal for starting the trip in a privileged natural setting. Afternoon birdwatching at sunset.

Accommodation in a guesthouse (2 nights). Welcome meeting, checklist, and dinner at a private local restaurant.

At night, optional search for Cuban Pygmy Owl and American Barn Owl (white-winged form), as well as observation of the Western Tree Hutia using a thermal camera. Accommodation at B&B.

Morning birding session at the Soroa Orchid Garden and surrounding areas, an excellent starting point for Cuban endemics: Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Scaly-naped Pigeon, White-crowned Pigeon, Western Spindalis, West Indian Woodpecker, Cuban Oriole, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee, Yellow-headed Warbler, Western Red-legged Thrush, Cuban Vireo, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Loggerhead Kingbird, and the elusive Giant Kingbird, along with several migratory species. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Transfer to Viñales (approx. 1.5 hours, 2 nights). Visit to Nils’ studio-home, where he will present his original Cuban bird illustrations and share exclusive details of his projects and his upcoming book Birds of Cuba, A Comprehensive Field Guide. Sunset terrace dinner in an intimate, specialized setting, checklist compilation. Accommodation at B&B.

The Viñales Valley, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1999), is one of Cuba’s most spectacular landscapes, surrounded by limestone mogotes and widely known for its tobacco-growing tradition.

Morning birding around the San Vicente Farm area to locate Scaly-naped Pigeon, Cuban Solitaire, Olive-capped Warbler, Cuban Vireo, Yellow-headed Warbler, and Red-legged Honeycreeper.

Exploration of trails within Viñales National Park in search of: Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Cuban Grassquit, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Antillean Palm Swift, Western Spindalis, West Indian Woodpecker, Cuban Pygmy Owl, Cuban Oriole, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee, Yellow-headed Warbler, Cuban Bullfinch, Cuban Vireo, Great Lizard Cuckoo, and Eastern Meadowlark, along with Nearctic migrants (warblers, tanagers, and emberizids).

In the afternoon, birding in the area of the Mural de la Prehistoria. Checklist and dinner at an ecological restaurant with one of the best sunset views in the valley. Accommodation at B&B.

Early departure toward Zapata Swamp (5+ hours), with strategic stops at wetlands along the road to search for King Rail, Northern Jacana, Snail Kite, as well as various species of ducks, gulls, and shorebirds.

Visit to the Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve, where excellent views of Cuban endemics and migratory warblers and vireos can be obtained, with a special opportunity to search for target species such as Cuban Grassquit and Stygian Owl.

Countryside lunch at the family ecofarm “El Rocío”, with the possibility of birding in the surrounding areas and searching for Fernandina's Flicker and other Cuban and Caribbean endemics, as well as touring the farm and visiting the breeding area of the Cuban Stingless Bee and tasting its medicinal honey.

Arrival in Playa Larga, in the Bay of Pigs. The Zapata Swamp is the largest wetland in the insular Caribbean, a Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site, with more than 254 recorded species and considered the best birdwatching area in the entire archipelago due to its habitat diversity and high concentration of endemics.

Accommodation at B&B (3 nights). Checklist and dinner.

Exploration of marshes, mangroves, and open wetlands, where it is possible to observe: Cuban Black Hawk, American Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Reddish Egret (white and dark morphs), American Wood Stork, Osprey (Caribbean), Clapper Rail, Black Skimmer, Yellow Warbler, and the white morph of the Great Blue Heron, among many other species of gulls, shorebirds, herons, and ducks.

Lunch at the classic and picturesque restaurant “El Ticki”, located in front of the bay in Playa Larga with beautiful views.

In the afternoon, visit to the Casa Ana backyard, where we will be welcomed by our host Adrian, and it will be possible to observe up close the world’s smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird, Cuban Emerald, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Crow, Cuban Pygmy Owl, and numerous migratory warblers, including Cape May Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Then we will visit the “Jardín de Rocío”, located in the rural settlement Los Hondones, a paradise for birds where tranquility prevails, in direct contact with nature and the hospitality of hosts Julio “El Chino” and his wife Yona. Here it is possible to enjoy close encounters with several individuals of Blue-headed Quail-Dove, Zenaida Dove, Cuban Blackbird, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird, Bee Hummingbird, among Cuban, regional, and migratory species.

Checklist, dinner, and accommodation at B&B.

Departure to La Turba, a sedge grassland habitat within the Ciénaga, where it is possible to find two of Cuba’s rarest and most restricted species: Zapata Wren and Zapata Sparrow, as well as the Red-shouldered Blackbird, along with other endemic and migratory species.

Visit to an ecological station where ex-situ conservation projects are being developed for threatened aquatic species such as the Cuban Gar and the Cuban Slider.

In the afternoon, exploration of the savannas of Soplillar in search of Cuban Amazon and Cuban Parakeet.

A nocturnal excursion will be conducted to observe: Bare-legged Owl, Cuban Nightjar, American Barn Owl, and Stygian Owl.

Checklist, dinner, and accommodation at B&B.

Departure at 6:30 a.m. toward Cienfuegos, with a stop at Bermejas Refuge (approx. 50 min) to observe Blue-headed Quail-Dove, Gray-fronted Quail-Dove, Cuban Parakeet, Fernandina's Flicker, Northern Flicker, Cuban Pygmy Owl, among other endemic and migratory species.

Two additional stops along the route (La Cuchilla and Babiney rice fields) to observe Red-shouldered Blackbird, Limpkin, and Green Heron (dark morph, brunescens). In the Babiney rice fields, large concentrations of Glossy Ibis, King Rail, and other waterbirds and shorebirds can be observed.

Arrival in Cienfuegos (approx. 45 min), UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Pearl of the South.” Lunch at a local restaurant. Alternatively, a visit to the Botanical Garden may be arranged in search of Gundlach's Hawk.

Continuation along the southern coastal road with scenic views of the Caribbean Sea (45 min), with stops to observe Cuban Gnatcatcher, White-collared Swift, Black Swift, and potential hybrids between Yellow-headed Warbler and Oriente Warbler.

Accommodation at Villa Guajimico (1 night), a coastal enclave between hills and reefs with scenic sunsets, coral reef systems, and nearby cave habitats supporting endemic species. Checklist and dinner.

Departure at dawn toward Trinidad (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). En route birding stops to look for Cuban Palm Crow, Cuban Crow, and Giant Kingbird.

Visit to the Valle de los Ingenios and the historic center of the town.

Lunch at a local restaurant in Trinidad. Return to Havana.

Accommodation at a B&B guesthouse (2 nights).

Panoramic tour in 1950s American classic cars through the main architectural landmarks.

Guided visit through the five colonial squares of the historic center, including the Cathedral of Havana, the La Cabaña Fortress, and the El Morro Castle.

Lunch. Free afternoon or optional birdwatching at Playa del Chivo, the main urban site for shorebirds and coastal species.

Farewell dinner at a traditional Havana restaurant with live Cuban music, a regular stage for groups associated with the phenomenon Buena Vista Social Club.

Transfer to the airport for departure.