The Ria Lagartos Bio Reserve is the best place for birding in the Yucatan because of the remarkable variety of habitats here. However the amazing nature here is a great pleasure year round with several bird species resident to the lagoon and diverse habitats that include the sea, coastal dune, scrub, an extensive estuary, salt flats, fresh water wetlands, as well as both dry and humid forest.
Much of the 150,000 acres in the reserve is estuary and beach(35miles long) and not accessible by road.
About 80kms of mangrove estuary .
🦩 Birding & Photography Boat Tour – Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
Discover the incredible birdlife of Río Lagartos on a private 4-hour boat tour designed for birdwatchers and nature photographers. Our expert local guides help you get close to the birds for clear, unobstructed views — most species are surprisingly calm around the boats.
Our comfortable, shallow-draft launches give you safe and easy access to areas of the reserve that can’t be reached by land. This allows exceptional opportunities to spot and photograph a wide range of species in their natural habitats — perfect for both experienced birders and photographers.
We provide cold drinks, bottled water, binoculars, and a bird identification guide on board. You’re welcome to bring your camera gear, spotting scope, extra clothing, or lunch.
The best time for boat birding is early morning or late afternoon, when the light is soft and bird activity peaks.
Bring comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and — if you’re a photographer — a zoom or telephoto lens to capture the beauty of the reserve’s mangroves and wildlife.
Reservations are required to ensure a personalized, low-impact experience that supports sustainable tourism in the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.On a Private boat 4 hr tour we can often get quite close to birds for an unobstructed view. Suprisingly the majority of birds do not seem threatened by the boats. The launches also make it possible to bring extra clothing, a lunch, spotting scopes, and camera gear. We provide a cooler for cold drinks, bottled water and a bird identification book and binoculars to use if you need them.
Rates :
1-6 Person – Birding – Photography Boat Tour MXN $ 4,250.00 pesos USD $ 200
Birding Tour:
Discover endemic and migratory species with expert guides who know every call and habitat. Perfect for those wanting to expand their life list.
Focuses on identifying, observing, and listing as many bird species as possible. Participants are usually birdwatchers (sometimes “listers”) who want to see specific endemic or migratory species.Fast-paced — cover more habitats to see a greater number of species.
Birding Guide: Expert in bird calls, identification (visual and vocal), and habitat recognition.Equipment & Group Size
Birding: Binoculars and spotting scopes, often shared. Small groups or individuals.
📋 Goal: Spot and identify birds.
Experience Type Birding Tour: Educational, checklist-focused, ideal for passionate birders.
Photography Tour:
Designed for photographers — slower pace, perfect lighting, and expert guides who help you get close without disturbing the wildlife. Focuses on getting beautiful, high-quality shots of wildlife and scenery. Participants may spend longer at each location for composition, light, and behavior.Slower — guides move gradually, often waiting for the right moment, light, or bird behavior.Skilled at positioning the boat or vehicle for the best angles and light, minimizing disturbance, and anticipating animal behavior for great shots.
Equipment & Group Size Cameras with long lenses, tripods, smaller private tours (to avoid crowding or movement).
Experience TypeCreative, patient, and immersive — ideal for nature or wildlife photographers.
📸 Goal: Capture stunning wildlife images.
For a complete list of the species in the Bio Reserve see the bird list for Rio Lagartos.
Bird Lists for Rio Lagartos and the Yucatan to print or download
Trip Advisor Review “The best bird guide period”
TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2025
Thank you for making this possible!
Dear customers and friends,
We are delighted to share some very special news with you: We have been recognized with the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2025 award!
This award places us among the top 10% of the world’s most popular experiences, thanks to the reviews, ratings, and comments you have shared over the past year.
This achievement would not be possible without your constant support, your trust, and, above all, your preference. Every visit, every recommendation, and every positive word inspires us to continue improving and always offer our best.
We would like to extend a very special thanks to our team, whose commitment and dedication are the lifeblood of this project. And, of course, to you, our valued customers and friends, who are a fundamental part of this story.
This recognition is as much yours as it is ours. Thank you for joining us and being part of this great achievement!
With gratitude, Diego Nunez Martinez & The Río Lagartos Adventures family !
The following is a partial list of species that can be seen on Birding boat trips in the Rio Lagartos Bio-Reserve..395 species have been counted
Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber)
Brown pelican(Pelecanus occidentalis)
American white pelican(Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Neotropical cormorantPhalacrocorax brasilianus (antes Phalacrocorax olivaceus)
Anhinga(Anhinga anhinga),
Black-bellied Plover – Pluvialis squatarola
Semipalmated Plover – Charadrius semipalmatus
Killdeer – Charadrius v. vociferus
Black-necked Stilt – Himantopus m. mexicanus
Greater Yellowlegs – Tringa melanoleuca
Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes
Spotted Sandpiper – Actitis macularia
Western Sandpiper – Calidris mauri
Least Sandpiper – Calidris minutilla
Stilt Sandpiper – Calidris himantopus
Laughing Gull – Larus atricilla
Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia, formerly Sterna caspia )
Magnificent Frigatebird – Fregata magnificens
Bare throated Tiger-Heron ( Tigrisoma mexicanus)
Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius phillipsi),
Reddish Egrets (Egretta refescens rufescens),
Great blue heron( Ardea Herodias)
Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor)
Little Blue Heron – Egretta caerulea
Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis ibis
Green Heron – Butorides virescens
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – Nycticorax violaceus
White Ibis – Eudocimus albus
Roseate Spoonbill – Platalea ajaja
Wood Stork – Mycteria americana
Great egret(Ardea alba), also known as Great White Egret, Common Egret, Large Egret or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret.
Osprey(Pandion haliaetus),
Mangrove Cuckoo(Coccyzus minor)
Mangrove Vireo (Vireo pallens)
American Pygmy Kingfisher.(Chloroceryle aenea)
Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger niger)
Willets (Tringa semipalmata semipalmata),
Whimbrel(Numenius phaeopus)
Common Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus utilensis)
Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus maximus).
Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)
Dunlins (Calidris alpina hodsonia),
White-rumped (Calidris fuscicollis),
Stilt (Calidris himantopus),
Least (Calidris minutilla)
Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri),
Sanderlings (Calidris alba),
Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres morinella)
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes).
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
We also offer options in Flamingo Boat trips which are different than the bird watching boat trips. The trips are shorter(3 hours) and designed to bring visitors to the feeding grounds of the flamingos. Flamingo Lover’s tours are offered during the day and at sunset.
