Itinerary

Day 1: flight to Palacios-boat to Las Marias
Your guide, Robert Gallardo will meet you at the airport, and catch our flight to the town of Palacios, one of the gateways to La Mosquitia, Central America's largest wilderness. After a 50 minute flight following the Honduran coastline we will arrive at Palacios. There, we will board a large dugout canoe with a motor. We will then take an approximately 4-5 hour ride up Rio Platano itself until we arrive at the village of Las Marias. We will have chairs with backrests to make the ride even more enjoyable and will stop for breathers and lunch along the river. Once we arrive at Las Marias we will get settled into our riverside accommodations and enjoy the village life for the rest of the day. The village is inhabited by a mix of Pech and Miskito indigenous people.

Overnight: Hospedaje Doña Rutilia's

Day 2: Petroglyph tour up Rio Platano
Today we begin to explore the lower core zone of the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve as we observe some of its historical, cultural and archaeological treasures. After breakfast we will walk through the village to where our small dugouts and local guides will be waiting. We will literally be "pulled" upriver with poles by our guides as they navigate the river. We will then take a hike through the rain forest over a small ridge, dropping back down to the river where our boats meet us. We will then have lunch at a villager's home nearby before going upriver a little further to reach one of the areas' most famous petroglyphs. We will study the carving before making the trip back downriver to Las Marias.

Overnight: Hospedaje Doña Rutilia's

Days 3 - 5: Hike to Pico Dama-(3 nights)
On this multiple night excursion we will explore part of the core zone known as Pico Dama-"Grandfather's Peak". This almost mystical spire rises nearly 2,500 ft. straight out of the rainforest floor and we will spend the next several days hiking to the base of it and around it. This seldom visited area contains a wide array of wildlife and we should see monkeys, perhaps wild pigs, sloths and other mammals as well as an assortment of beautiful tropical birds and butterflies.

Overnight: Tent camping

Day 6 & 7: Return to Las Marias from hike-(2 night)
Today we will return to Las Marias from our rainforest hike. We can spend the rest of the day relaxing, swimming in the river or getting more acquainted with the village. We will have an extra day for birding this area.

Overnight: Hospedaje Doña Rutilia's

Day 8: Down river to Raista (1 night)
After breakfast we will travel downriver to the coast via motorboat. Near the coast itself we will travel a short distance via a canal that comes out into Ibans Lagoon, another body of brackish water. We will stay at the village of Raista, Robert's former Peace Corps site. We can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing, exploring the coast or swimming in the war m Caribbean waters.

Overnight: Raista community lodging

Day 9: Fly to La Ceiba-(2 nights)
After breakfast we will take a motor boat back to the town of Palacios where we will catch a later morning flight back to La Ceiba