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Cerro Cahuí protected area and Lake Petén Itzá. Photo/© Knut Eisermann. |
Birding in El Remate. El Remate is a small village on the northern shore of lake Petén Itzá. The shallow water offers habitat for water birds like Northern Jacana, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, herons and shorebirds.
A small protected area called Cerro Cahuí provides birding opportunities within tropical rainforest. This site was initially established in 1988 as a protected area for the conservation of the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), an endemic species to the Yucatán Península and northern Guatemala. Cerro Cahuí covers 700 hectares of humid, tropical rainforest and ranges in height from 100 to 360 meters above sea level. From its scenic viewpoints you can see lake Petén Itzá, the second largest lake in Guatemala, which has a surface area of 99 square kilometers. In spite of its small size, Cerro Cahuí is ecologically significant because of its watershed function for lake Petén Itzá.
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| Male Ruddy Ground-Dove (Geotrygon montana). Photo/© Knut Eisermann. |
The protected area has two loops of well-maintained trails, which provide excellent spots for birding. Here a whole range of lowland rainforest birds is waiting to be discovered: Toucans, trogons, wrens, antbirds, pigeons and many, many more. When you are done birding for the day, we will take you to see the fine wood handicrafts from El Remate; the best know handicrafts from El Petén, carved from precious hardwoods.
Accommodation Hotel and restaurant facilities are readily available in El Remate.
For independent travelers:
Please fill this reservation form and we will send you information on rates and space availability as soon as possible.
When is the best time for birding at Cerro Cahuí? Any time of the year.
How do you support conservation and development in El Remate? Cerro Cahuí is the smallest protected area under the supervision of the Center for Conservationist Studies (CECON) of San Carlos University. By visiting this protected area you will be collaborating to support continued management and research activities in the area and, as a tourist, you are helping to develop alternative jobs for the locals and diminish the anthropogenic impact on the primary forests of the Maya Biosphere Reserve.
