Birding in/around Rio Branco

August 15, 2011 12:09 PM

Going to Rio Branco, Acre state, Brazil next month. Looking to do some birding, and soliciting suggestions/tips.

I am quite bad at discovering these sorts of things on my own, so any advice re: good guides-for-hire, organized treks, etc. would be much appreciated. I would only have about 5 days, which isn't ideal, but if I get a really good suggestion I might be able to make more room.

I don't speak Portuguese, but FWIW I am starting a Rosetta Stone program to get the basics. I speak Spanish already, which has thus far been helpful in navigating Portuguese-language websites.

Thanks in advance!

posted by dondiego87 to Travel & Transportation around Rio Branco, Brazil (3 answers total)

Best answer: There's a very nice Zoobotanical Park at the University which is accessible by bus (as well as moto-taxi, car taxi, etc.). It's a pretty large area and has been well-preserved. A cool, funky cafe out of town in Senador Guiomard serves a killer breakfast for most of the morning and early afternoon. The grounds there are beautiful, but I'm not a birder so I can't speak to that. If you can get there, the Parque Ecologico Chico Mendes is an interesting place both naturally and historically speaking. I found an "eco parque" called Ayshawa in Xapuri online that might be of interest. You'll find a lot of Brazilians that speak Spanish in the region, being so close to Bolivia and Peru. Most of the time Portuguese speakers understand Spanish just fine, anyway. Feel free to memail me if you want more info.
posted by stinker at 3:35 PM on August 15, 2011

Oh -- the cafe in Senador Guiomard is called Cafe da Carol.
posted by stinker at 3:37 PM on August 15, 2011

And finally (phew) if you're looking for a guided tour, I'm not familiar with any, but I've had good luck just asking around once I get somewhere in Brazil. Word of mouth is a pretty good indication of the quality of a place.
posted by stinker at 3:40 PM on August 15, 2011