Vallarta Bird Festival

2014 Festival Dates March 6-9, 2014

The Banderas Bay Region is home to over 300 species of different birds and will be the site this March 7, through 10 for the Puerto Vallarta International Birding Festival. The Festival is hosted by the Vallarta Bird Conservancy and will kick off on March 7 at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Four action packed days of birding and natures walks with expert guides in unique habitats will be sure to satisfy even the most advanced birders, and lectures from local and international authorities on many interesting bird and birding related topics will round out the festival.

Don’t forget your binoculars!

Festival Brochure

A festival brochure is available for download at the bottom of this welcome page.

Registration

Registration is made online under the Events/Registration page. Confirmation will be sent at the completion of online registration.

All participants require a one-time Festival registration fee of $30 per person. It is automatically be added to your order by shipping fee (registration fee). Should you need additional registrations for your order, use the ‘Add to cart’ button next to Registration. This registration fee entitles you to entrance to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens for 4 days of the festival, Thursday early morning welcome and tour of the gardens, all festival lectures and guide book “ Birds of Puerto Vallarta” by Greg R. Homel. This registration fee is mandatory for all participants whether you are attending Thursday tour and lectures or not. All other events at the Gardens(lectures excluded) are included with paid entrance to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.

If you have already registered and paid your registration fee and wish to sign-up for additional tours, please contact puertovallartabirdfestival@gmail.com to receive a discount code so that you do not have to pay the registration fee again.

All Sunday Family events at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens are Free to children with Adult paid entry(60 pesos/5 USD) to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Prior registration is required. Make reservations by contacting Claudia Lovera: puertovallartabirdfestival@gmail.com 322 2938052 or Pauline Trachtenberg: US phone: 484 821 3736

Check-In

Check in is at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens starting at 7:00 AM Thursday March 7. When you arrive, there is a short check-in procedure to receive your festival registration package and to submit a signed waiver form (required of all festival participants).

Standby

We do not maintain any standby lists. Cancellations in the online registration will release places for others.

In Person

Registration for tours may be done in-person at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens Festival table for Friday, Saturday and Sunday events. There is limited space in each tour and they can fill up, so please keep that in mind.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If we cancel a Festival Bird Tour or workshop you will receive a full refund for that event. If you cancel an event by February 7th, you will receive a refund. If you cancel after February 7th, you will not receive a refund. Notify us of cancellation by letter or e-mail to puertovallartabirdfestival@gmail.com. We will refund your payment by paypal and deduct a 20 US cancellation fee.

Additional Festival Events

During regular Vallarta Botanical Gardens hours, there will be vendors, displays, exhibitions, children’s activities(Sunday only), gardens tours and talks(different from festival scheduled lectures).

Tour Notes

Children under 12 not accepted. Animals (Dogs) not allowed. (Tours are meant for birding and thus quiet at ALL times).

Tours may require walking steep slopes and rough terrain or long distances. Please be aware of each tours difficulty rating and your ability to do this. We do not provide help as there are only guides giving the tours looking for birds.

Transportation is available by van for all tours for $30 US per person per day. This transportation will depart from our host hotel Casa Iguana in Mismaloya. If you require this transportation, you must add transportation cost for that day for each person in your registration. Otherwise, you will be expected to provide your own transportation, meeting at Casa Iguana to carpool to the Birding sites. Tours leave on time and will not wait. Tours will return to either Casa Iguana or the Vallarta Botanical Garden for lunch(self-pay) and afternoon lectures.

Lectures

All festival participants(paid registration fee) can go to afternoon lectures that will be either at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens or Host hotel Casa Iguana at no charge. Tours will return to these locations.

Lodging

Hotel Casa Iguana, located in Mismaloya, is our host hotel. It is a lovely hotel located in a Mismaloya, a small fishing village located a short distance South of Puerto Vallarta and part way to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Tours will depart and return(after lectures) here, and some of the lectures will be held here. Consider staying here. See the Lodging page for instructions on receiving the Bird festival rate.

Food

All tours will include a snack and water. Lunch will be available for purchase at either the Vallarta Botanical Gardens or Casa Iguana depending on that day’s schedule.

What to bring

Binoculars
Please dress in layers. See weather below.
Good walking shoes (sandals not advised)
Mosquito spray
Bird books if you have them

Weather

Nearly perfect, Puerto Vallarta’s tropical climate has an average daytime temperature of 80*F and a nighttime temperature of 60*F with about a 70% humidity level. Areas around El Tuito, at higher elevations can be slightly cooler. The sun rises around 7Am and sets around 7PM with beautiful morning lighting and spectacular sunsets for you photographers. March is during the dry season.