Cusco Birdwatching Trip to See the Condors of Chonta Town
A full-day Cusco birding trip with the aim of seeing Condors and three endemics. This is an easy-paced tour, that it's possible to book on any day subject to availability, but it does involve some trail walking.
There's no doubt that the Condor is a must-see species for birdwatchers and although there are many different places in Peru and the rest of South America to see the birds, there can be no more beautiful, peaceful and lonely place to enjoy them than close to Chonta Town, not far from Cusco.
If the idea of an experience walking in the solitude and bird-filled scrubland of the high Andes appeals to you, this full-day Cusco birding tour is the one for you.
The Condor was a deity for the Incas - a god of the heights. They believed it to be the transporter of souls between earth and the spirit world and in a place like Chonta you can understand why they thought that way.
The Cusco birding trip begins in the city and after an hour and a half's drive you take an unpaved road that climbs through the mountains for another hour to the town of Chonta. The scenery along the way is unmatched with views of the Vilcabamba mountain range where the Salkantay mountain stands proud.
From the town of Chonta you go on foot on an 8km round trip to the viewpoint for the Condors. Along the trail you can see birds such as the Apurimac Brushfinch, Bearded Mountaineer, Rusty-fronted Canastero, Creamy-crested Spinetail and Streak-fronted Thornbird.
There are other places to observe these birds but this is the closest to Cusco. If you are taking in the sights of Machu Picchu then why not add a Cusco birdwatching trip to Chonta Town to your itinerary?
Cusco Birding Trip for the Condors of Chonta Town Highlights
- A chance to watch Condors in a beautiful and isolated area
- Views of the Apurimac Brushfinch, an endemic bird that is restricted to a really small range
- Views of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range
Have a little more time to spend Cusco birdwatching on your holiday? Have a look at some longer tour options. For example the Hummingbirds of South Peru Tour
Alternative Tour Name: Cusco Birdwatching to See the Condors of Chonta Town
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