
Tours and adventures for all ages
Scarlet Macaw Tour by Raul
Immerse yourself in Belize’s breathtaking diversity of avian life such as this exclusive Scarlet Macaw Tour, available only during November to March. This extraordinary experience takes place just outside the Maya village of Red bank Village, in Stann Creek District. Every year, these magnificent birds leave their primary home( Chiquibul Forest Reserve) and travel to the Red Bank area to feed. Located an hour drive from Placencia or 45 minutes from Hopkins.
It is estimated that approximately 300 scarlet macaws still exist in Belize, and most of these can be found in Red Bank village during this time. Despite a ban on poaching, scarlet macaws are a very slow-growing species and so seeing these magnificently plumed birds is truly a spectacular sight as they gather to feed along the river banks. During the peak of the season, up to 150 macaws can be spotted at one feeding ground.
Embark on an unforgettable birding adventure with “the one and only” Raul, the macaw expert. This tour starts with a hike into the rainforest and up the foothills of the Maya Mountains. The trail can be steep and muddy when it rains, so it’s not for the faint of heart. However, the reward of seeing these endangered birds in their natural habitat is worth the effort. There are multiple hiking trails in the area and Raul will take you on the best trail to see the scarlet macaws at a close range. The longest hike can be 45 minutes one way. One of the trail is steep and considered difficult. Kindly check with Raul if the birds are closer to the village or at a feeding ground where a short or no hike is involve if you have a difficult time hiking.
A bonus to this trip is the other birds that often are spotted during a Red Bank visit, including wood creepers, toucans, other parrots, mot-mot, manakins, tanagers, White Hawks, Laughing Falcons and more. Of course, finding Scarlet Macaws is our main objective. This tour is also doable in the afternoon however kindly check with Raul if the birds are active in the afternoon. If you are not visiting during the right season, you can still enjoy our year round tropical bird watching tour.
Scarlet Macaw Tour can be combined with River Kayaking or river tubing in red bank. Please email us to customize your tour or if you have your own transportation to get to red bank.
Tour Price from Hopkins:
USD $110 per person
Minimum of 2 persons is required
USD $90 per person if 3 persons or more
USD $50 per person if you have your own transportation
Tour Price from Placencia:
USD $120 per person
Minimum of 2 persons is required
USD $100 per person if 3 persons or more
USD $50 per person if you have your own transportation
Tour duration:
Departs: 5:30 am or 1:00 pm
Returns: 12:00 pm or 6:00 pm
Tour difficulty:
Difficult
- Private guide
- Transportation to and from your accommodation
- Bottled water
- Breakfast
- Park entrance fee
- Binoculars
- Bug spray
- Walking shoes
- Camera
- Swim suit
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What our Guests are Saying
Raul did a great job at finding the Macaws and getting us very close to them.
Highly, highly recommended! Raul did a great job at finding the Macaws and getting us very close to them. We managed to see them right above us and loudly hear their nut cracking sounds. Raul is very knowledgeable and it was great to see how much he loves the birds and wild life around his home village. As a bonus, we managed to spot a couple of toucans
We had a fantastic afternoon together with Raul who went out of his way to show us the Scarlet Macaws.
We had a fantastic afternoon together with Raul who went out of his way to show us the Scarlet Macaws. We were able to observe about 10-20 of them for more than 20 minutes. What a magical experience! I can highly recommend the tour and Raul if in Belize.
This tour was one of the highlights of our trip.
This tour was one of the highlights of our trip. We saw at least 20 Scarlett Macaws throughput the morning. Raul was an awesome tour guide and the hike was worthy. A word of caution for travelers however is that we came home crawling with ticks! They were so tiny that it was hard to find them. We even had long pants and long sleeves and they still managed to find their way onto our bodies. Be sure to wear light colors, tuck pants into socks and do a tick check after your hike!
Seeing these birds in the natural habitat is fascinating
Highly recommend Raul as a wonderful guide for any activity interested in Belize. We did the scarlet Macaw tour with him and we were very pleased as he knew where to find these birds. Seeing these birds in the natural habitat is fascinating and Raul made it more interesting with information about the area. We had to take a swim in the swimming holes nearby after a great hike. Thanks Raul!