In 2021, we left behind our office life and began a journey that would transform the way we understood birds, travel, and Colombia itself.

For 365 days, we traveled through all 32 departments of Colombia, crossing cloud forests, rainforests, deserts, páramos, rivers, and remote communities.

We started by following birds.

Along the way, we discovered something much greater.

Birds became our gateway to extraordinary landscapes, remarkable people, local traditions, unforgettable stories, and one of the richest expressions of biodiversity on Earth.

That journey taught us that Colombia is not simply a destination to visit.

It is a country to understand, experience, and share.

Everything we learned during that year became the foundation of Birds Experience and the way we design every private journey today.

The Big Year Colombia | The Journey Behind Birds Experience

The Big Year Colombia was more than a birding adventure.

It became the journey that shaped the philosophy behind Birds Experience and the way we explore Colombia today.

What We Discovered Along the Way

As we traveled across Colombia, we realized that birds were never the final destination. They became our way of understanding the country.

Every species opened the door to a new landscape. Every landscape revealed a different culture, and every culture introduced us to people whose stories transformed the way we understood travel.

A hummingbird could lead us into a cloud forest. A roadside stop could become an unforgettable conversation over Colombian coffee. A local market, a family reserve, or a remote community could completely change the meaning of a journey.

Slowly, we stopped thinking about travel as visiting places and started understanding it as building a relationship with a territory.

That discovery became the foundation of Birds Experience.

Many Ways to Discover Colombia

Our journey across Colombia taught us something unexpected.

There is no single way to experience this country.

Some travelers dream of birds.

Others are inspired by photography, coffee, wildlife, culture, gastronomy, or simply the desire to discover extraordinary places.

The beauty of Colombia is that all of these experiences can naturally come together in a single journey.

That is why we never begin by asking you to choose a tour.

We begin by understanding how you want to experience Colombia.

The regions you’ll discover below are not fixed itineraries.

They are the places, landscapes, and stories that inspire every Birds Experience we design.

The Colombian Andes

The Heart of Colombia

The Colombian Andes are the heart of the country’s biodiversity, landscapes, and cultural identity.

They enter Colombia from the border with Ecuador and, as they advance northward, converge in the majestic Colombian Massif, one of the country’s most important ecological and geographical landmarks. From there, the Andes divide into Colombia’s three great mountain ranges: the Western, Central, and Eastern Andes.

Together, these mountains shape Colombia’s geography, climate, rivers, and much of its history.

Few places on Earth offer such an extraordinary diversity of ecosystems over such short distances. Along the Andes, travelers can move from dry forests and fertile valleys to cloud forests, high-Andean forests, and the spectacular páramo, an ecosystem found almost nowhere else on Earth.

These mountains are home to an exceptional concentration of endemic birds, orchids, butterflies, spectacled bears, and countless other forms of wildlife. Ancient frailejones protect the water that supplies much of Colombia, while Andean Condors soar above the valleys and tiny mountain hummingbirds thrive among the high peaks.

Among these mountains lies the celebrated Coffee Region, where coffee culture, remarkable birdlife, breathtaking landscapes, and genuine hospitality come together in a way found nowhere else.

During The Big Year Colombia, the Andes became much more than a destination. They became a place we returned to again and again—not only because of their extraordinary birds, but because of the people, the landscapes, and the sense of belonging we found wherever we traveled.

Mornings often began surrounded by hummingbirds, the songs of tanagers and mountain toucans, and the soft mist rising through the forests. Afternoons frequently ended around a cup of Colombian coffee, listening to stories shared by families who have lived among these mountains for generations.

Here we discovered that birding is about much more than finding species. It is about slowing down, sharing conversations, enjoying local gastronomy, understanding local traditions, and allowing the rhythm of the mountains to shape the journey.

Today, the Colombian Andes remain one of the greatest inspirations behind every Birds Experience we design.

Birds We Remember

Ways to Experience in The Andes

Birding in the Andes
Explore cloud forests, high-Andean forests, and páramos, home to some of Colombia’s most iconic birds, spectacular endemics, and an extraordinary diversity of hummingbirds.

Coffee Culture & Family Farms
Discover the people, traditions, and landscapes behind one of the world’s finest coffees. Visit family-owned farms, learn the journey from bean to cup, and experience the authentic rhythm of Colombia’s Coffee Region.

Nature & Wildlife Photography
Photograph hummingbirds, tanagers, antpittas, mountain toucans, orchids, butterflies, mammals, fungi, and breathtaking mountain landscapes that change with every elevation.

Conservation & Private Nature Reserves
Visit inspiring conservation projects created by local families and communities who have dedicated their lives to protecting Colombia’s forests, wildlife, and bird habitats.

Traditional Towns & Local Culture
Wander through colorful villages, discover regional gastronomy, meet local artisans, enjoy traditional music, and experience the warmth and hospitality that define the Colombian Andes.

Slow Journeys Through the Mountains
Take time to connect with the landscapes, the people, and the rhythm of the Andes. Some of the most memorable experiences happen between one bird and the next.

Beyond the Birds
Discover another side of Colombia’s biodiversity through orchids, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fungi, dragonflies, waterfalls, hot springs, and countless natural wonders waiting along the journey.

The Colombian Andes «Where every mountain tells a different story.»

The Pacific Rainforest

Where the Forest Breathes with the Rain

Stretching along Colombia’s Pacific coast lies one of the wettest and most biodiverse regions on Earth. Here, the Western Andes descend toward the Pacific, giving way to an extraordinary landscape of rainforests, mangroves, rivers, and remote communities, where nature shapes every aspect of life.

Few places on Earth concentrate such extraordinary biological richness. The Chocó Biogeographic Region is recognized as one of the planet’s great biodiversity hotspots, home to remarkable wildlife found nowhere else.

During The Big Year Colombia, this became one of the most immersive territories we explored.

Rain was never simply weather.

It became part of the rhythm of the journey.

Roads disappeared into dense forest. Rivers became the only way forward. Every sound seemed amplified by the humid air, from the calls of rainforest birds to the voices of communities whose traditions have been shaped by generations of living alongside the forest.

Here we discovered that biodiversity is not measured only by the number of species, but also by the deep connection between nature, culture, resilience, and community.

Some days were physically demanding.

Others felt almost surreal.

Traveling through the Pacific taught us that some places cannot be understood from a distance. They must be experienced slowly, embracing the rain, listening to the forest, and discovering the people who call this remarkable territory home.

Birds We Remember

Ways to Experience in The Pacific

Rainforest Birding
Discover one of the world’s richest bird communities in the rainforests of Colombia’s Pacific coast, home to an extraordinary concentration of Chocó endemic species.

Chocó Endemic Journeys
Search for the remarkable birds found only within the Chocó Biogeographic Region, one of the most unique biodiversity hotspots on Earth.

Rainforest Photography
Photograph vibrant birds, frogs, orchids, butterflies, mammals, fungi, towering trees, and the rich textures of one of the planet’s most diverse rainforests.

Afro-Colombian Culture
Meet the communities that have shaped the identity of Colombia’s Pacific through music, gastronomy, traditions, and a profound relationship with the rainforest and the sea.

Rivers, Mangroves & Remote Expeditions
Travel through rivers, mangroves, and pristine rainforest landscapes where nature sets the rhythm of the journey and every bend reveals a new world.

Amphibians, Reptiles & Night Explorations
TAs darkness falls, discover colorful poison frogs, reptiles, nocturnal insects, fungi, and countless rainforest creatures that emerge after sunset.

Seasonal Natural Wonders
Depending on the time of year, experience unforgettable events such as humpback whale migrations, sea turtles, nesting seabirds, and seasonal wildlife spectacles.

The Pacific Rainforest «Where the rain becomes part of the journey.»

The Caribbean Region

Where Nature, Culture and the Sea Come Together

Northern Colombia is home to an extraordinary region where the Caribbean Sea, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta—the world’s highest coastal mountain range—dry forests, mangroves, deserts, and tropical wetlands come together in a landscape unlike any other.

Few places on Earth offer such a remarkable combination of ecosystems, cultures, and endemic wildlife. Within just a few hours, travelers can move from white-sand beaches to cloud forests, crossing landscapes that are home to some of Colombia’s most iconic birds and unique natural treasures.

During The Big Year Colombia, the Caribbean revealed a completely different way of experiencing the country.

Here, birding became inseparable from the culture.

Sunrise often found us searching for endemic birds in the dry forests or along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. As the day unfolded, the journey naturally blended into colorful towns, local cuisine, traditional music, and conversations with people whose identity is deeply rooted in this remarkable region.

Every destination offered its own rhythm.

Some places felt wild and remote.

Others vibrant, joyful, and full of life.

The Caribbean reminded us that discovering a territory is about much more than its landscapes. It is about experiencing the connection between nature, history, culture, and the people who bring it to life.

Birds We Remember

Ways to Experience in The Caribbean

Caribbean Endemic Birding
Search for the remarkable bird species found only in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, one of the world’s most important centers of endemism.

Dry Forest & Desert Photography
Photograph the unique landscapes, wildlife, and dramatic scenery of Colombia’s Caribbean ecosystems.

Traditional Towns & Coastal Culture
Discover colorful villages, local gastronomy, artisan traditions, and the vibrant spirit of Colombia’s Caribbean communities.

Nature & Coastal Landscapes
Explore beaches, mangroves, wetlands, and mountains where the Caribbean Sea meets extraordinary biodiversity.

Music & Cultural Traditions
Experience the rhythms, flavors, and cultural heritage that make Colombia’s Caribbean region unlike anywhere else in the country.

The Caribbean Region

«Where landscapes move with music and light.»

The Amazon Rainforest

Where the Forest Speaks in Silence

The Colombian Amazon is part of one of the world’s largest and most intact tropical rainforests—a vast network of rivers, flooded forests, Indigenous territories, and extraordinary biodiversity that extends beyond national borders and connects much of South America.

During The Big Year Colombia, entering this territory felt like stepping into an entirely different world.

Here, the forest sets the rhythm.

Travel unfolds along rivers. Wildlife reveals itself patiently. Every sound, every silence, and every encounter is a reminder that nature moves at its own pace.

Days often began on the water, surrounded by mist, distant bird calls, and the immensity of a forest that seemed to stretch without end. Along the way, rivers connected communities, landscapes, and stories shaped by generations of living in close relationship with the natural world.

The Amazon taught us that discovery is not measured by the distance traveled, but by the depth of the experience.

Sharing time with Indigenous communities, navigating immense waterways, and observing wildlife in one of the planet’s richest ecosystems transformed the way we understand both nature and travel.

This is a place that invites us to slow down, listen carefully, and experience one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders with curiosity, respect, and humility.

Birds We Remember

Ways to Experience in The Amazon

Amazon Birding
Explore one of the world’s richest bird communities across rivers, flooded forests, terra firme, white-sand forests, and pristine Amazon rainforest habitats.

River Expeditions
Travel by boat through the Amazon’s waterways, discovering remote landscapes where the river is the only road and every journey reveals a different world.

Wildlife Beyond Birds
Encounter pink and gray river dolphins, monkeys, sloths, caimans, giant otters, frogs, butterflies, reptiles, and countless other species that thrive in the Amazon rainforest.

Indigenous Cultures & Ancestral Knowledge
Meet Indigenous communities whose traditions, knowledge, and relationship with nature have shaped life in the Amazon for thousands of years.

Rainforest at Night
Capture colorful birds, primates, river life, dramatic skies, flooded forests, giant trees, and the incredible biodiversity of the Colombian Amazon.

Rainforest Photography
Capture colorful birds, primates, river life, dramatic skies, flooded forests, giant trees, and the incredible biodiversity of the Colombian Amazon.

Amazonian Flavors
Discover the unique flavors of the rainforest through exotic fruits, traditional recipes, fresh river fish, and local ingredients found nowhere else on Earth.

The Amazon Rainforest «Where the forest speaks in silence.»

The Orinoquía

Where the Horizon Never Ends

East of the Andes Mountains, Colombia opens into the vast Orinoquía, also known as the Llanos—a landscape of savannas, wetlands, gallery forests, and winding rivers, where wildlife moves freely beneath some of the country’s most expansive skies.

During The Big Year Colombia, this region revealed a completely different side of the country.

Here, nature unfolds across open landscapes.

Birding often takes place alongside horses, rivers, cattle, and the daily life of the llanero communities, whose culture has evolved in harmony with the rhythms of the plains for generations.

Sunrise brings the sounds of awakening wildlife across the savanna, while evenings fade into spectacular sunsets, distant storms, and seemingly endless horizons.

The Orinoquía taught us that biodiversity is not found only in dense forests or towering mountains. It also flourishes across open landscapes, where wildlife, tradition, and freedom become part of the same horizon.

This is a place that reminds us that some of the greatest journeys are measured not by the places we cross, but by the sense of space they leave behind.

Birds We Remember

Ways to Experience in The Orinoquía

Savanna Birding
Explore the rich birdlife of the Llanos across flooded grasslands, gallery forests, rivers, and seasonal wetlands, home to some of Colombia’s most iconic savanna species.

Wildlife Safaris
Encounter capybaras, giant anteaters, caimans, anacondas, deer, foxes, monkeys, and countless other species that roam the vast plains of the Orinoquía.

Wildlife & Landscape Photography
Capture dramatic skies, abundant wildlife, sweeping savannas, winding rivers, and some of Colombia’s most spectacular sunsets.

Llanero Culture
Experience the traditions, gastronomy, music, horsemanship, and warm hospitality of the people who have shaped life across Colombia’s eastern plains.

Rivers, Wetlands & Endless Horizons
Travel through winding rivers, seasonal wetlands, and vast open landscapes where nature stretches as far as the eye can see.

Life on the Llanos
Slow down and experience the rhythm of ranch life, sunrise birding, afternoons on horseback, campfires, and unforgettable sunsets beneath one of South America’s biggest skies.

The Orinoquía «Where the horizon never ends.»

Along the Road

The Moments Between Destinations

Some of the most meaningful experiences during The Big Year Colombia didn’t happen at our destinations.

They happened along the way.

Over thousands of kilometers, Colombia revealed itself through mountain roads, river crossings, roadside cafés, small villages, local markets, unexpected viewpoints, and conversations with people we had only just met.

Life on the road gradually became part of the journey itself.

There were long driving days, changing weather, flat tires, and moments when plans had to be rewritten. But there were also shared meals, spontaneous laughter, acts of kindness, and unexpected discoveries that never appeared on any itinerary.

Those moments reminded us that travel is not only about reaching remarkable places.

It is also about embracing everything that happens between them.

Every road became another opportunity to discover the landscapes, cultures, and people that make Colombia so extraordinary.

Sometimes, the most memorable part of the journey is the one you never planned.

The Birds Experience Way

Slow Travel
We believe Colombia is best discovered without rushing. We prefer to spend more time in fewer places, allowing each destination to reveal its landscapes, wildlife, culture, and rhythm.

The Journey Is Part of the Experience
Some of our favorite memories have happened between destinations. Scenic roads, unexpected stops, roadside cafés, local markets, and breathtaking viewpoints often become as memorable as the birds themselves.

Genuine Human Connections
The people you meet are as much a part of the journey as the places you visit. Whether sharing coffee with a family, talking with a local guide, or learning from a community, these encounters create lasting memories.

Nature & Culture Together
In Colombia, nature and culture cannot be separated. Every forest, river, mountain, and savanna has been shaped by the people who have lived alongside it for generations.

Festivals & Living Traditions
Whenever possible, we love to incorporate local festivals and traditional celebrations into our journeys. They offer a unique opportunity to experience Colombia’s music, rituals, gastronomy, and cultural identity alongside the communities that keep these traditions alive.

Space for the Unexpected
The best moments are rarely found in an itinerary. A roadside fruit stand, an unexpected festival, children playing in a village square, or a family invitation for coffee often become the stories people remember most.

Some of our favorites include the Devil’s Carnival in Riosucio, the Blacks and Whites Carnival in Pasto, the Carnival of Forgiveness in Sibundoy, and many smaller local celebrations that most visitors never get to experience.

How This Journey Shaped Birds Experience

The Big Year Colombia transformed the way we understand travel.

What began as a personal dream evolved into a philosophy inspired by nature, culture, and meaningful human connections.

As we crossed Colombia, we discovered that the most memorable journeys are rarely defined by how many places you visit, but by how deeply you experience them.

They are shaped by conversations with local people, breathtaking landscapes, unexpected encounters, regional traditions, shared meals, long drives, and quiet moments immersed in nature.

Birds became our gateway into those worlds.

They led us to extraordinary ecosystems, inspiring conservation initiatives, and communities whose stories are inseparable from the landscapes they call home.

Today, Birds Experience is our way of sharing that perspective.

Every journey we create is inspired by the territories we explored, the people who welcomed us, and the experiences that transformed the way we see Colombia.

We don’t believe in simply visiting destinations.

We believe in discovering Colombia through its birds, its people, and the stories that connect them.

Because the greatest journeys are not measured by the places you check off a map, but by the connections you carry home.

Every unforgettable journey begins with a conversation.