Arrival day · Cali
Arrival in Cali (1,000 m)
Airport pickup and transfer (30–60 min). Overnight in Cali or the K-18 area.
Colombia · International Expedition
Colombia Bird Photography Expedition
Twelve days through the Chocó foothills, Central Andes cloud forest and páramo — antpittas at feeding stations, the Cock-of-the-Rock lek, Oilbird cave and Andean endemics.
The expedition
What this journey is
From 900 m wetlands to 4,000 m páramo, the itinerary moves through Colombia’s richest photography sites: Doñadora and La Florida feeders, Anaime hummingbirds, Río Blanco antpittas, Termales del Ruiz, Hacienda El Bosque, Tinamú, Jardín and the Guácharos reserve.
Altitude gains are staged deliberately so the group acclimatises before the páramo day at 4,000 m.
Small group format with local Colombian bird guides at every site, coordinated end to end by VIVO.
A route built for photographers, not listers: controlled setups, close-range antpittas, hummingbird multi-flash and altitude planned day by day.
Close-range antpitta photography at Río Blanco and Hacienda El Bosque
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek in Jardín
Oilbird cave visit at the Guácharos reserve
Páramo species up to 4,000 m — Buffy Helmetcrest and condor chances
Chocó and Central Andes endemics across nine habitats
4x4 access to remote feeders and lodges
12Days on route
900–4,000 mAltitude range
9Habitats
4–8Photographers
Day by day
The route
Every day is built around light, altitude and the sites that actually deliver photographs.
Day 1 · Chocó / Km 18
Doñadora Feeders & Km 18
Drive ~1 h 15 (55 km). Altitude 1,300–2,000 m. Chocó foothills to cloud-forest transition. Morning at the Doñadora feeders.
- Toucan Barbet
- Club-winged Manakin
- Empress Brilliant
- Glistening-green Tanager
- Rufous-throated Tanager
- Spot-crowned Barbet
- Velvet-purple Coronet
- Rufous-gaped Hillstar
Day 2 · La Florida → Buga
La Florida & Transfer to Buga
2 h drive to Buga. Altitude 2,000 m down to 1,000 m. Morning at La Florida cloud forest.
- Multicolored Tanager
- Chestnut Wood-Quail
- Scaled Antpitta
- Acorn Woodpecker
Day 3 · Sonso → Anaime
Sonso Lagoon / El Diamante & Transfer to Anaime
30 min local plus a 4 h drive. Altitude 900–1,500 m. Wetlands to Andean forest.
- Horned Screamer
- Snail Kite
- Apical Flycatcher
- Grayish Piculet
Day 4 · Anaime
Anaime — Hummingbird Paradise
2.5–3 h drive. Altitude 1,800–2,000 m. Afternoon transfer to Kiraikai.
- Tolima Blossomcrown (endemic)
- Indigo-capped Hummingbird (endemic)
- White-tipped Sicklebill
- Southern Emerald Toucanet
- Crimson-backed Tanager
- Orange-chinned Parakeet
- Green Jay
Day 5 · Quira / Cai
Quira & Cai + Transfer to Manizales
1.5–2 h drive. Altitude 1,300–2,100 m. Afternoon transfer to Manizales.
- Golden-headed Manakin
- White-bibbed Manakin
- Guira Tanager
- Moustached Puffbird
Day 6 · Río Blanco
Río Blanco Reserve — Antpittas
30 min drive. Altitude 2,400–2,800 m. High cloud forest with close-range antpitta photography at feeding stations.
- Brown-banded Antpitta
- Slate-crowned Antpitta
- Buff-tailed Coronet
- Masked Saltator
Day 7 · Los Nevados
Nevados / Termales del Ruiz — Páramo
1.5–2 h ascent. Altitude up to 4,000 m. Páramo ecosystem with iconic high-Andean species.
High altitude day — pace is deliberately slow.
- Buffy Helmetcrest
- Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
- Andean Condor
- Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle
Day 8 · Hacienda El Bosque
Hacienda El Bosque
1 h 15 drive. Altitude around 2,800 m. Controlled high-elevation setups.
- Crescent-faced Antpitta
- Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan
- Barred Fruiteater
Day 9 · Coffee Region
Glamping Colores de mi Revés
1 hour of bumpy road in special 4x4 vehicles. Scenic transfer through coffee landscapes. Secondary forest and open habitats.
- Mixed tanagers
- Hummingbirds
- Flycatchers
- Woodpeckers
Day 10 · Tinamú → Riosucio
Tinamú Reserve & Transfer to Riosucio
About 3 h 30 total. Morning at Tinamú Reserve (1,200 m). Afternoon transfer to Riosucio.
- Golden-collared Manakin
- Moustached Puffbird
- Guira Tanager
- Gray-headed Dove
- White-breasted Wood-Wren
Day 11 · El Roble / Jardín
Mirador El Roble & Jardín — Cock-of-the-Rock Lek
About 2 h total. Altitude 1,800–2,200 m. Morning at Mirador El Roble (2 hours, bumpy road). Afternoon in Jardín at the Cock-of-the-Rock lek.
- Chami Antpitta
- Chestnut Wood-Quail
- Ocellated Tapaculo
- Andean Motmot
- Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Day 12 · Guácharos → Medellín
Oilbird (Guácharos Reserve) & Transfer to Medellín
3.5–4.5 h. Morning at the Oilbird site. Afternoon transfer to Medellín (hotel or airport). End of the expedition.
- Oilbird
- Torrent Tyrannulet
- Andean Motmot
Subjects
What you photograph
Designed around a realistic set of subjects. Wild species are never guaranteed — we tell you the odds honestly.
Designed around
- Multicolored Tanager (endemic)
- Tolima Blossomcrown (endemic)
- Brown-banded Antpitta (endemic)
- Chami Antpitta (endemic)
- Buffy Helmetcrest (endemic)
- Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
- Oilbird (Guácharo)
Also possible — never promised
- Indigo-capped Hummingbird (endemic)
- Grayish Piculet (endemic)
- Toucan Barbet
- Crescent-faced Antpitta
- Slate-crowned Antpitta
- Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan
- Club-winged Manakin
- Empress Brilliant
- Velvet-purple Coronet
- Horned Screamer
- Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
- Andean Condor
- Violet-tailed Sylph
Habitats on route
- Chocó foothills and Km 18 cloud-forest transition
- Cauca valley wetlands (Sonso Lagoon)
- Central Andes high cloud forest (Río Blanco, El Bosque)
- Páramo up to 4,000 m (Termales del Ruiz)
- Coffee-region secondary forest and Tinamú lowlands
Photographic opportunities
- Antpitta feeding stations at close range with clean perches
- Multi-flash hummingbird setups at established feeders
- Lek photography of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
- Cave and low-light work at the Oilbird site
Where you sleep
Lodges on route
Properties are chosen for their position next to the day’s sites, not for their star rating.
Yotoco Lodge / La Florida Lodge
Used on this route according to departure timing.
Cantos del Río / Urapanes
Used on this route according to departure timing.
Glamping Colores de mi Revés
Used on this route according to departure timing.
Lodges are assigned per departure between the properties listed above and equivalent options in Manizales, Riosucio and Jardín, according to route timing and availability. Your written proposal names the exact property for every night.
Who leads
Your team in the field
A VIVO photography lead plus local specialists who know each site season by season.
Bird photography · Wildlife photography coaching
Yeudy Hernández
Bird & Wildlife Photography Partner
Collaborating photography leader on selected international departures, focused on in-field coaching for bird and wildlife photography — multi-flash hummingbird setups, birds in flight and low-light forest work.
Expedition planning · Costa Rica field logistics
Elías Peña
Founder · Expedition Planner · Costa Rica Field Lead
Founder of VIVO Expeditions. Designs every workshop route, coordinates hotels, ground transport, permits and local specialists, and leads field sessions in Costa Rica. He is also the person travellers talk to before, during and after each workshop.
Getting around
Private ground transport, 4x4 where it matters
Cali in, Medellín out
The expedition starts with an airport pickup in Cali (30–60 min) and ends with the afternoon transfer to Medellín on day 12. Everything in between moves in private vehicles reserved for the group and its gear.
Special 4x4 vehicles cover the rough sections: the hour of bumpy road into Glamping Colores de mi Revés, the climb to Mirador El Roble and the páramo ascent to Termales del Ruiz.
Driving days are real — 4 h to Anaime, 3 h 30 to Riosucio, 3.5–4.5 h on the final day — and they are always paired with a morning session so the light is never spent in the vehicle.
International and domestic flights are not included. Flights into Cali and out of Medellín are booked by you; we advise on timing so the transfers fit the route.
In the field
How a day actually runs
Pre-dawn starts, controlled setups and time to work a subject properly instead of chasing a list.
Mornings begin before first light, usually at a feeder or antpitta station where the birds are already habituated. That is what makes close-range frames of Brown-banded and Crescent-faced Antpitta realistic instead of lucky.
Midday is for multi-flash hummingbird work at established feeders — Tolima Blossomcrown in Anaime, Buff-tailed Coronet at Río Blanco — and for reviewing files with the photography lead.
Afternoons return to the field for lek and low-light situations: the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek in Jardín and the Oilbird cave at the Guácharos reserve, both of which demand a different technical approach.
A local Colombian bird guide works alongside the VIVO lead at every site, so finding the bird and photographing it are two separate jobs handled by two people.
Before you fly
How to prepare
Nothing exotic is required — but altitude, humidity and low light all deserve planning.
Camera gear
A telephoto plus a shorter lens covers the whole route. Flash matters more here than focal length.
- 300–600 mm telephoto and a 70–200 mm for hides
- Flash with diffuser (multi-flash setups are provided at feeders)
- Tripod or monopod for the lek and cave sessions
- Double the cards and batteries you think you need
- Rain covers and silica — cloud forest is permanently humid
Altitude and fitness
The route climbs from 900 m to 4,000 m progressively so the group acclimatises before the páramo day.
- Walking is short and mostly on trails or roads near the vehicles
- The 4,000 m day at Termales del Ruiz is deliberately slow-paced
- Tell us in advance about any respiratory or cardiac condition
- Expect several bumpy 4x4 sections (El Roble, glamping, páramo)
Clothing and field kit
- Layers for 30 °C lowlands and near-freezing páramo mornings
- Waterproof jacket and quick-dry trousers
- Waterproof boots with grip for muddy trails
- Headlamp for pre-dawn starts and the Oilbird cave
- Insect repellent for the Tinamú and Sonso lowlands
Documents and health
- Passport valid at least six months beyond travel
- Travel insurance is mandatory and not included
- Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for lowland sites
- Bring personal medication in original packaging
Once your dates are agreed we send a full written gear and packing brief for this exact route, plus the flight timings that fit the day 0 pickup in Cali and the day 12 transfer to Medellín.
From the field
Photographs from this route
Real frames from the sites in this itinerary — no stock, no AI imagery.
All photographs © VIVO Expeditions and its guides. Shown for reference only; conditions vary by season.
Investment
Investment
Flights, travel insurance, alcoholic beverages, tips and personal items are never included. Single rooms are available at a supplement where the property allows it.
Quoted per departure
This expedition is request-only: the cost depends on group size, room configuration and the exact lodges available for your dates. We quote the full 12 days — lodging, meals, private transport, local guides, reserve entrances, antpitta stations, lek and Oilbird cave access — in a written proposal, with no charge and no card details when you send the form.
Scope
What the fee covers
Included
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Ground transportation throughout (4x4 where required)
- Professional bird guides at every location
- Lodge and hotel accommodation (12 nights)
- Park and reserve entrance fees
- Photography hide and feeder station access
- Antpitta feeding station access (Río Blanco, El Bosque)
- Cock-of-the-Rock lek access (Jardín)
- Oilbird cave visit (Guácharos Reserve)
- Water and refreshments daily
Not included
- International flights
- Domestic flights to Cali / from Medellín
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal items and tips
Optional add-ons
- Extra nights in Cali or Medellín
- Single-room supplement
- Post-expedition editing review session
On request
- Private departure on your own dates
- Airport assistance in Cali and Medellín
- Costa Rica extension with VIVO before or after
Terms
Booking and policies
Multi-day expeditions follow VIVO’s workshop terms — written proposal first, deposit to hold the place, and clear deadlines for the balance.
Request, then written proposal
Sending the form charges nothing. We confirm dates, lodges and guides, then send a written proposal with the exact route and cost. Your place is only held once the deposit is received.
Deposit and balance
- 30% deposit confirms your place on the departure
- Full balance is due 90 days before the start date
- Bank transfer or card; card payments carry the processing fee
Cancellation
Deposits secure lodges, 4x4 vehicles and local guides months in advance, so cancellation terms are set out in full in your written proposal before any payment is made. Transferring your place to another photographer is possible where lodges allow it.
Insurance, species and route changes
- Travel insurance covering medical care and trip interruption is mandatory
- No wild species is ever guaranteed, including endemics at feeding stations
- Weather, road or reserve conditions may reorder days; the site list stays equivalent
Request — no charge
Request Availability
This is a request, not a booking. Nothing is charged now: we review dates, lodges, guides and group size, then send you a written proposal with the exact route and cost.
- No charge and no card details required
- Written proposal with lodges, guides and inclusions
- Answered directly by Elías, who coordinates the expedition
Is my request a confirmed booking?
No. This expedition is request-only: we confirm dates, lodges and guides, then send a written proposal. No charge is made when you send the form.
How demanding is the altitude?
The route climbs from 900 m to 4,000 m progressively. The páramo day is deliberately slow-paced, but let us know about any respiratory or cardiac condition in advance.
Are endemics guaranteed?
No. Feeding stations and leks give very high odds for several endemics, but no wild species is ever guaranteed.
1 · Your workshop2 · Your details