Private Tour
Birdwatching Tours in El Salvador with Expert Biologist Guide
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Includes pick up and drop off at your hotel or Airbnb in San Salvador or Santa Tecla. Will take you to the birding hotspots and will be your birdwatching guide.
Ecoparque El Espino provides habitat for a diverse avian community, hosting approximately 221 bird species. It´s number sixth hotspot for birdwatching in El Salvador.
Among the easily observable bird species are the Turquoise-browed Motmot, Lesson´s Motmot, Red-billed Pigeon, Berylline Hummingbird, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Squirrel Cuckoo, Gartered Trogon, Masked Tityra, Black-headed Saltator, Streak-backed Oriole, White-bellied Chachalaca and Collared Aracari.
El Boqueron National Park, situated atop the dormant San Salvador Volcano at an elevation of 5,905 ft above sea level, features a prominent attraction: a crater measuring 3 miles in diameter and plunging 1,830 ft deep. It´s a good spot for regional endemics such as Bushy-crested Jay, Rufous Sabrewing, Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer and Brown-backed Solitaire.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Ecoparque El Espino
Eco Parque El Espino is characterized as an actively managed shaded coffee plantation interspersed with patches of deciduous forest. Located at an elevation ranging from 2642 ft to 3937 ft above sea level (800 m - 1200 m) and spanning across 35 hectares, it provides habitat for a diverse avian community, hosting approximately 221 bird species. It´s ranked as the sixth hotspot for birdwatching in El Salvador. Notable features within the park include small geysers.
Parque Nacional El Boqueron
El Boqueron National Park, situated atop the dormant San Salvador Volcano at an elevation of 5,905 feet (1800 meters), features a prominent attraction: a crater measuring five kilometers in diameter and plunging 558 meters deep. With a reported count of 170 bird species, the park is particularly renowned for its highland avian inhabitants.
What‘s Included
Binoculars and a printed bird guide
All Fees and Taxes
Meals are not included
Meals are not included
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
El Espino + Boqueron bird tour
San Salvador volcano bird tour: In this birding tour we combine mid-elevation birds at Eco parque El Espino and highland birds at El Boqueron National Park.
Duration: 4 hours
bottled water
Pickup included
Reviews
50 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great Experience!
veraaK1605NN,,Feb 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Rodolfo was fantastic! His English was perfect and his knowledge of the birds was extremely accurate - by sight and sound. We identified more than 100 species in two half-day trips with him. Having traveled widely himself he was an excellent conversationalist. We very much enjoyed our time with Rodolfo: five out of five stars.
Wonderful Salvador with Rodolpho
philippesM5658EN,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I had the chance to have Rodolpho as our guide throughout our trip in Salvador. He is simply the best guide we have ever had. He is knowledgeable, friendly, always on time and his suggestions were always pertinent. We would highly recommend Rodolpho for a great experience in Salvador. Our trip would not have been the same with out him
Fantasitc. Do not miss this tour!
Fearless61218237968,,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00You should not miss the top notch birding tours with Rodolfo Welsh, maestro photographer and bird specialist. You do not need a strong bird watching expreince, but will still enjoy a fantastic trip. If you have a stron experince, you will definately go deeper. He picked me up from a hotel in San Salvador super early morning and guided me in the Jiqulisco Bay & Spider Monkey Forest. His insightful knowledge of where to find what species is amazing. With passion and patience, he not only spots birds by sound but also advise good angles for photographing. With the binoculars he kindly lent me, it was so easy to follow him. Among so many species we saw were the two species that I really wanted to see during the trip – turquoise-browed motmot and common squirrel cuckoo. Big bonus was painted bunting and black-headed trogon that he spotted even during lunch time. Besides learning about endemic species, coming from the US it was also nice to see those migrated such as warblers and orioles, which are spending winter here. I wished I have had more time to visit other spectacular sites with him in El Salvador. It was also such a great pleasure meeting with Ricky, the birding partner of Rodolfo, who guided me in EcoParque and El Boqueron near San Salvador. Do not underestimate these sites despite they are near the capital - the trip was amazing! In dense forests, and despite unusual wind, Ricky was able to find so many species thanks to his talent to spot by sound. I appreciated his sharing of his knowledge on habitats & ecosystem where birds live. Along with a long list of species that we saw, he so kindly shared fantastic photos from the trip.
Outstanding Birding with a World-Class Guide
harrymM9833PN,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an incredible birding experience in a truly beautiful land! As an avian photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to bird with local guides throughout Central America, and I can confidently say that our guide, Rodolfo, is a top-tier birding expert. I have yet to encounter a guide who is as professional, caring, and thoughtful. He is someone who so clearly demonstrates that his number one priority is creating an exceptional experience for his guests. From the very first moments at our initial birding site, our small group of three could immediately sense his enthusiasm and genuine passion for locating both endemic and migrating species. Rodolfo’s knowledge, patience, and dedication made the experience not only productive, but truly memorable. I would highly recommend him to any birder, or even non-birder who wants to experience the true natural beauty of El Salvador.
Great introduction to El Salvador’s birds
Emma B,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Rodolfo was great. He picked me up in a very timely manner early in the morning, and made sure to go to the spots where he knew we would have a better chance at finding more elusive species. He’s very knowledgeable about local birds and good at making sure you spot them. He also knows a ton about the history, ecology, and landscape of the country, so you’ll also get a great introduction to the nature and culture of El Salvador more broadly. Definitely recommend
Very nice experience at...
Rebecca V,,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very nice experience at the Ecoparque and volcano, which we would not have been able to get to on our own. We saw dozens of birds, including an up-close experience with the Turquoise-Browed Motmot, the national bird. Following the tour, we were provided with a full set of photographs with our guide's professional camera. Our guide knew all of the birds, and shared information about their calls and plumage.
Best Intro to El Salvador's Abundance of Birds!
420catherine,,Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an outstanding introduction to the lush beauty and abundance of stunning birds in El Salvador! Rodolfo picked us up right on time and took us to two different sites. Our group of three was amazed at the number of species that Rodolfo led us to at the first stop, El Espino Park. He provided us with binoculars, took time to make sure we could see and/or photograph, and shared interesting facts about bird behaviors. As we walked through the park, he also pointed out interesting butterflies and plants in the park. At the next stop, El Boquerón, at a higher elevation, Rodolfo once again found more beautiful species of birds at the crater of the San Salvador volcano. The tour was an absolute pleasure. On the drive back to our hotel, Rodolfo asked us if we had other birding destinations while in El Salvador and then gave us the scoop on where to find birds at them. His advice turned out to be spot-on! I’m so glad we took this tour at the start of our trip - it helped make the entire stay in El Salvador more enjoyable!
Awesome birdwatching and El Salvador tour!
ecv14,,Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Me and my wife arranged a custom 4 day tour with Rodolfo, and it was an amazing and unique experience! Before and during the tour, Rodolfo was attentive and accommodating; we loved birdwatching with him and learning from his expensive knowledge on birds, flora and fauna and other things El Salvador. We spotted, heard and photographed lots of endemic bird species, including 3 kinds of mot mots, 12 species of humingbirds, and many more. Our tour included: Day 1: After a pick up at our hotel in San Salvador, we had an early visit of the ruins of Cihuatan; we had the park pretty much to ourselves and mixed birding and visiting the pyramids (a mot mot was part of our welcome committee). We then drove up to a very special place in the mountains called La Burbuja; we stayed in a cozy cabin with a very nice fireplace (it is chilly at night!), saw MANY hummingbirds (I believe the site is uniaue in species sightings) and hiked up and down the beautiful property. Made us wish we could stay longer. Day 2: We drove down the mountain and headed to Juayua for a visit to the colonial towns at the ruta de las flores; Rodolfo recommended the town of Ataco for its architecture, murals and atmosphere. We even saw a religious procesion going by with a mariachi band. Day 3: We had the very unique experience to visit a real coffee producing finca; the roads to this place are a little 'Salvadorean massage' (requiring a 4x4 vehicle), but the destination is worth it. The owner Jose Roberto was extremely hospitable, and we enjoyed learning from him, birding in his property and horseback riding. We then headed to Cerro Verde in time for a stunning sunset view on top of the cloud forest with the Izalco volcano as a backdrop. Day 4: After an early morning birding walk, we took a guided hike to summit the Santa Ana Volcano; it is a steep 8 km hike but both journey and the views atop the volcano (there is a turquoise lagoon inside the caldera) are worth it. After a well deserved lunch, we ended our tour with a visit of the Joya de Ceren archeological site (a towns buried under volcanic ash, like Pompei) and some more birding. We wholeheartedly recommend Rodolfo Walsh for your tour of El Salvador!
11/10 Experience
rogerg908,,Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I was blown away at how many incredible birds we saw. Rodolfo is a master at what he does and I cannot recommend his tours enough. My dream was to see a Turquoise-browed Motmot and we got lucky with a sighting at the top of the day, and then the birds kept coming!
Beautiful birds
Surprise888,,Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Rodolfo picked us up at 6am in a comfortable car. He is cheerful and friendly. He is very knowledgeable about the birds and could identify them by the sounds. He also has recorded bird’s sounds in his phone and he played them to bring the birds closer. He walked at a good pace and gave us time to look at the birds. We were very fortunate to see El Salvador’s national bird, Turquoise-browed Motmot. We highly recommend Rodolfo as a great guide if you are interested in birds.
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Operated by Birdwatching Tours El Salvador