The southern route of Peru for bird watching that brings together the regions of Lima, Cusco, Abancay, Madre de Dios and Ica is an excellent and real birding circuit in the country of the Incas, considering the travel time and money to be invested versus the large possible number of observable birds.

In this circuit, which can also have different and varied extensions, it shows almost a thousand different species of birds, with 22 endemic species, 12 near endemic (birds only shared with Bolivia) and even 07 endemic to the Humboldt current (birds shared with Chile and Ecuador).

In this sense, a program of 11 to 14 days is enough to have at your disposal this great treasure of nature that Peru offers.

Starting in Lima city with a direct flight to the city of Puerto Maldonado you can stay for 3 to 5 nights in any of the very good lodges in the area in the middle of the tropical forests.

Then, another direct flight will connect the city of Puerto Maldonado with Cusco city, the main cultural destination of South America that offers around 20 species of endemic birds.

The nearest and recommended places of the imperial city are the Huacarpay lagoon (30 kms) with RAMSAR category, the community of Chonta (120 kms) opposite the Apurímac canyon to watch condors and the community of Socma (80 kms) with the presence of five endemic birds in their environment and easy access. Obviously, there are many more points of sighting and everything will depend on the time that you have.

Undoubtedly, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu will be one of the best destinations, since in addition to having one of the best-preserved archaeological centers all over the world, its rich geography shows more than 450 species of birds, that is almost 25 % of the total bird in Peru.
Just 186 km from the Cusco city is the Apurimac region and in it the National Sanctuary of Ampay, an area protected by the state for its complex geography which developed processes of speciation and endemic

After these unforgettable places we can return to the city of Lima with one of the 30 flights that connect to both cities or even better, we can catch a direct flight from the Cusco city to the Pisco airport, located just 3 hours from Lima , but also access door to the coastal birdlife.

From this airport, a 5-minute road leads to the beaches of the same town with birds completely different from those already observed on the route, ten minutes further north and you can visit the Pisco wetlands as well as the Pisco river mouth towards the Pacific Ocean.

A night in a hotel in front of the beach is always good and even more so when the next morning you can get a trip to the Ballestas Islands from the port of the same town of Paracas, a group of guano islands that are home to countless birds including the endemics of the Humboldt current.

Thus, the south of Peru, besides being a historical, cultural and gastronomic destination, offers at the same time its four natural ecoregions for birdwatching and above all a pleasant encounter with oneself.

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