Are you tired of cold nights and chilly mornings? Do you dream of tropical breezes and warm sandy beaches? Well now you have a chance to escape the mountains and spend some time enjoying the smell of the ocean while experiencing the natural beauty of the Barra de Potosi area.
Barra de Potosí is a secluded fishing village on the Pacific coast in the Municipality of Petatlan, in the state of Guerrero. It is located only 12 miles south of Zihuatanejo, yet is tranquil, away from crowds, and surrounded by nature.
18th century manuscripts describe the importance of the trade routes from Barra to the Philippines. During the last decade of the 19th century Barra the Potosí was part of the Hacienda Zihuatanejo, a large and significant coconut plantation.
Until the mid 20th century, Barra de Potosí was first settled by families mostly coming from nearby coastal areas, especially south of Barra in Nuzco. These families’ palapa huts were situated at the mouth of the lagoon. They lost their homes to the growing tides following the earthquake of 1985. Then, there was an outpouring of international aid creating the current village in its present location. Sixty lots were given by lottery to members of the qualifying families. The village still consists of these families and their descendants (about 600 people). The houses were all built by the Red Cross of Italy, Japan, and Germany and were painted red and white with red crosses on them. Now all but a few are stuccoed and painted in different colors as the tourism economy has developed.
The National Institute of Anthropology is currently working on a dig in La Chole, south of Barra, and they believe the Hill of Guamilule is actually a pyramid that is part of a three pointed configuration of pyramids marking a large city in a major civilization predating the Olmecas
The scenic and extensive mangrove reserve of Laguna de Potosi is a 4-mile long saltwater lagoon joined by a river with a large sand bar at its mouth. A few years ago, it was declared an Important Area for Bird Conservation by a tri-national effort (Canada-USA-Mexico) to preserve our shared birds. We will kayak the lagoon through mangroves, and tranquil open waters to view and photograph its flora, fauna and birds.
Audubon invites you to enjoy the natural wonders of this beautiful and diverse area and to help us with our efforts to protect the environment and support local environmental education programs.
March 15th | Thursday
Depart on a 4 hour drive to Patzcuaro where we'll stop for lunch then we'll leave for Barra de Potosi and arrive at our B&B 4 hours later. We'll check in our hotel, freshen up and leave for dinner, where we'll meet with Laura Kelly, founder of Barra's children's library.
March 16th | Friday
After breakfast at our B&B, join us for a leisure kayaking tour at Barra's lagoon. Our local guide will direct us through the mangroove forest and the shallow lagoon's waters while we look for tropical acuatic birds such as: Roseate Spoonbills, Magnificient Frigatebirds and Neotropical Cormorants. At noon we'll enjoy fresh seafood in an enramada, a traditional beach front restaurant in Barra de Potosi. After relaxing at the beach and before dinner, we've been invited to visit the children's library with Laura Kelly and the children of the village of Barra de Potosi, after that we'll go to Lagartos restaurant for dinner in Barra.
March 17th | Saturday
Start the day with breakfast at our B&B. We'll head out for a tour of Xihuatlan, a 3000 year old archaeological site, then we'll head back to the beach for lunch. Later that afternoon we'll go to the town of Zihuatanejo were we can visit art galleries, museums or do some shopping. Then we'll enjoy dinner at a picturesque restaurant on Playa de la Ropa.
March 18th | Sunday
Enjoy breakfast at our B&B, then visit el Refugio de Potosi, a center for wildlife conservation and environmental education, where we'll also enjoy birdwatching. We'll get back to your favorite enramada for lunch, then spend your last afternoon relaxing at the beach. We'll go to Villa don Manuel restaurant for our last dinner in Barra.
March 19th | Monday
After breakfast we'll gather at reception with our luggage. Once we've checked out and loaded our baggage, we'll depart for Patzcuaro where we'll stop for lunch, then we'll depart for San Miguel de Allende.
Itinerary is subject to changes without prior notification
Be sure to bring your current -valid- ID such as your Passport or IFE.
Water bottle or small canteen, can be filled up with purified water in the hotel
Binoculars
Camera
The weather tends to be hot and sunny, please bring your hat, sunscreen
and sunglasses
Insect repellent
Day pack
Light-weight walking/hiking shoes
Lightweight long sleeve shirts and pants for additional sun protection
Beach gear (bathing suit, beach shoes)
We recommend packing your binoculars, toiletries and travel documents in your
carry-on
Biodegradable tissues and toilet paper.
A supply of resealable plastic storage bags can be very handy for storing food items
from the breakfast, to be used as mid-morning snacks
DEPARTURE: Timing is critical. Our departure each morning is as early as possible in order to enjoy birding activity at its best. All wildlife activity in the tropics diminishes quickly as the midday heat intensifies.
Special price for Audubon's trip to Barra de Potosi:
USD $ 519.00 dollars
MXN $6,490.00 pesos
Special discounted price for Audubon Members only:
USD $ 498.00 dollars
MXN $6,225.00 pesos
Single Accommodation Supplement:
USD $ 120.00 dollars
MXN $1,500.00 pesos
If you are traveling alone we will try our best to match you with another single traveler of the same gender. Otherwise we offer single accomodations for an extra fee.
Prices apply for: A minimum of 10 and a maximum 19 travelers
The fee includes:
Transportation
Accommodation
Breakfasts
Bird watching guide
Fee for Kayaking tour
Fees for entrances to Archaeological site and el Refugio de Potosi.
Contribution to Sociedad Audubon de Mexico, A.C.
Gratuities
If you are interested in going on this trip please contact:
Colleen Besman | Audubon Board Trip Coordinator viajesconaudubon@gmail.com
Phone: (415) 152-3644
>>Payment deadline: February 24th, 2012<<
Due to the cancellation policies of our providers, we must retain 30% of your payment if you cancel your reservation 7 or more days prior to departure.
If you cancel less than 7 days prior to departure 100% of your payment becomes nonrefundable.
>>Reservations will be confirmed once the full payment has been received<<
Payment method:
If using an American bank account make a check payable to Colleen Besman
If using a Mexican bank account make a check payable to: Colleen Besman
Please put the following in a sealed envelope:
- Your check
- Your completed Trip form
- Your telephone number
Colleen Besman 236-B
La Conexion, Aldama #3
If you are paying in cash, it must be delivered in person along with your Trip form to Colleen Besman.
Contact Colleen at: viajesconaudubon@gmail.com or Tel. +52 (415) 152 3644
Full payment will be due and owing by February 24th, 2012
If you wish to update your membership or join Audubon, the annual fee is:
$30 USD / $350 pesos per person or
$50 USD / $600 pesos per family
Sociedad Audubon de México, A. C., based in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, is the only Audubon organization in Mexico. From San Miguel de Allende, we spread out to work with local communities to help preserve and restore bird, wildlife and plant habitat, and to foster biodiversity in general. To make our mission a reality, we develop events, programs, conferences and projects. Learn more about our mission and programs at www.audubonmex.org
