Finca El Pilar is a private forest preserve on the slopes of Cerro Cucurucho, 2 km southeast of Antigua’s central park, that Motmot Treks calls a reliable place to see hummingbirds. It has hummingbird feeders at the foot of a 1.5 km nature trail, a 4.5 km dirt road up to a viewpoint at 2,000 m, and a high trail into cloud forest at 2,400 m. On eBird it is the most-checklisted hotspot in Sacatepéquez, with 306 species and 2,703 checklists, and at least 18 hummingbird species on its all-time list (read 1 November 2026). None of the sources we read on 1 November 2026 (operator pages and eBird) publishes the gate fee; a Facebook search returned nothing we could read. Every guided option below includes it.
Trail lengths, elevations, hours and the bird list by habitat come from Cayaya Birding’s Finca El Pilar page (an operator, undated, read 1 November 2026). Bird counts and last-seen dates come from eBird, read on 1 November 2026. Tour prices come from each operator’s own page, or for Guatemala Nature its WeTravel listing, read the same day.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Where | 2 km southeast of Antigua’s central park, a 10-minute drive (Cayaya Birding); Motmot Treks says 15 minutes from Antigua |
| Map point | 14.5415, -90.7115 (eBird hotspot directions) |
| What it is | Private preserve; supplies water to several communities near Antigua; part of the Antigua Guatemala Important Bird Area (IBA GT016) (Cayaya Birding) |
| Elevation | 1,600 to 2,400 m (Cayaya Birding) |
| Habitats | Dry forest low down, pine-oak and cloud forest higher up (Cayaya Birding) |
| Hours | 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, every day of the year, per an undated operator page (Cayaya Birding); not confirmed by the finca |
| Entrance fee | Not published in any of the operator pages or eBird pages we read (1 November 2026); included in all three guided prices below |
| eBird, all years | 306 species, 2,703 checklists, 1,301 eBirders (read 1 November 2026) |
| eBird, October 2026 | 118 species, 35 checklists, 31 eBirders |
| Hummingbirds | At least 18 species on the all-time eBird list (our count of species names) |
| Guided walks | From US$40 per person for 3 participants (Cayaya Birding), entrance included |
| Best season | Any time of year, per Cayaya Birding |
The trails
Cayaya Birding describes three ways into the forest. Lengths and elevations are as it gives them.
| Route | Length | Elevation | Habitat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature trail | About 1.5 km; about 3 km in total if you come back down the dirt road | 1,600 to 1,900 m | Shade coffee, humid broadleaf forest, dry forest in a narrow valley | Several steep stairways with handrails; well marked from the coffee plantation onward |
| Dirt road | About 4.5 km | 1,600 to 2,000 m | Dry and mixed forest | Open area around the car park at 2,000 m with views of Agua, Acatenango and Fuego on clear days |
| High-elevation trail | Not given | 2,000 to 2,400 m | Mixed pine-oak-cypress forest changing to cloud forest | Woodcreepers, trogons and winter mixed flocks |
To start the nature trail, Cayaya says you can begin birding at the parking lot, walk past the pools and go straight on to the coffee plantation after the small houses; from there the trail is well marked. The hummingbird feeders sit at the lower entrance to the trail.
Other sources put the top higher than Cayaya’s 2,400 m. One of eBird’s sub-hotspots at the finca is named for the forest above the cabins at 2,000 to 2,650 m on Cerro El Cucurucho, and Guatemala Nature’s tour page gives the farm’s elevation as 2,650 m. Cayaya’s page does not say how far up its high trail goes beyond 2,400 m.
The hummingbird feeders
According to Cayaya Birding, the feeders at the lower trail entrance are the place to see Rufous Sabrewing, which it describes as endemic to the Pacific-slope mountains of Chiapas, Guatemala and El Salvador, and the Green-throated Mountain-gem, a regional endemic it says is seen frequently. It lists Rivoli’s, White-eared, Azure-crowned and Berylline Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing and Mexican Violetear as other feeder visitors. Motmot Treks’ tour page says the feeders draw several species at once, often just a few feet away.
The feeders have their own eBird sub-hotspot, Finca El Pilar–comederos de colibríes. It holds 1,160 of the finca’s checklists and 250 species on its own, and in October 2026 it led the finca’s sub-hotspots on eBird with 15 checklists (trails 2, cabins 0).
The 18 hummingbird species we counted on Finca El Pilar’s all-time eBird list (read 1 November 2026; our count matched names ending in Hummingbird, Sabrewing, Mountain-gem, Violetear, Starthroat or Sheartail, so the true total may be higher):
Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Green-throated Mountain-gem, Rufous Sabrewing, Violet Sabrewing, Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Berylline Hummingbird, White-eared Hummingbird, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Mexican Violetear, Blue-tailed Hummingbird, Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Long-billed Starthroat, Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem, Garnet-throated Hummingbird, Wine-throated Hummingbird and Slender Sheartail.
An all-time list counts every species ever reported at the hotspot. It says what has turned up there over the years, not what you will see in one morning.
What eBird shows, part by part
eBird files Finca El Pilar as a general-area hotspot that rolls up its sub-hotspots. Figures are all years, from the Sacatepéquez hotspot list read on 1 November 2026.
| eBird hotspot | Checklists | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Finca El Pilar (general area, all parts combined) | 2,703 | 306 |
| Finca El Pilar–comederos de colibríes (hummingbird feeders) | 1,160 | 250 |
| Finca El Pilar–cabañas (cabins) | 499 | 234 |
| Finca El Pilar–senderos (trails) | 246 | 224 |
| Finca El Pilar–bosque arriba de las cabañas (forest above the cabins, 2,000-2,650 m) | 132 | 194 |
| Finca El Pilar–Cerro El Cucuruchu (cumbre) (summit) | 21 | 131 |
On both checklists and species, the general-area hotspot ranks first in the department, ahead of the Antigua historic centre (824 checklists, 230 species). Its Plan Your Visit and How to Bird Here sections read “Nothing added yet for this hotspot”, so eBird carries no access notes of its own.
Recent and not-so-recent records
| Species | Last eBird record at Finca El Pilar | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Rufous Sabrewing | 25 October 2026 | 5 |
| Green-throated Mountain-gem | 25 October 2026 | 6 |
| Highland Guan | 22 August 2026 | 3 |
| Pink-headed Warbler | 25 April 2017 | 2 |
Birds by habitat
All from Cayaya Birding’s page:
- Nature trail canopy: flocks of Bushy-crested Jays on the valley’s northern slope, Rose-throated Becard, Dusky-capped Flycatcher and Northern Emerald-Toucanet, with Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo and Bar-winged Oriole if you are lucky. Woodpeckers include Northern Flicker and Golden-fronted, Golden-olive and Hairy Woodpecker. Baltimore Oriole and Tennessee, Black-throated Green and Townsend’s Warblers are common in the northern winter.
- Undergrowth: White-eared Ground-Sparrow, White-naped (Yellow-throated) Brushfinch, Ruddy Foliage-gleaner, Rufous-capped Warbler and White-tipped Dove.
- Forest: Slate-throated Redstart, Golden-browed Warbler, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren and White-faced Quail-Dove; Highland Guan with good luck. Cayaya warns that forest birding can be hard going and some days are very quiet.
- Dirt road: Black-capped Swallows, which nest and roost in caves in the road bank, plus Blue-throated Motmot, Tufted Flycatcher, Flame-colored Tanager, Hooded Grosbeak, Greater Pewee and Gray Silky-flycatcher. Cayaya says Singing Quail is often heard. Hammond’s Flycatchers in the boreal winter.
- Car park at 2,000 m: Rufous-collared Robin, Tropical Mockingbird, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Eastern Bluebird.
- High trail and cloud forest: Spot-crowned Woodcreeper (the commonest of three woodcreepers), Collared and Mountain Trogon, and winter mixed flocks with Townsend’s, Wilson’s, Crescent-chested and Red-faced Warblers. In the cloud forest: Common Chlorospingus, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Guatemalan Tyrannulet, Black and Mountain Thrush, Elegant Euphonia, Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem and Brown-capped Vireo.
About the Pink-headed Warbler
Pink-headed Warbler was one of the globally threatened species on which the Antigua Guatemala Important Bird Area (IBA GT016) was designated, per Cayaya Birding’s IBA page (it was Vulnerable then; BirdLife has listed it as Least Concern since 2020), but its last eBird record at Finca El Pilar is dated 25 April 2017, more than nine years before our 1 November 2026 read. eBird has October 2026 records near Tecpán; see our Pink-headed Warbler page for those sites.
Entrance fee and hours
Entrance fee: none of the sources we read on 1 November 2026 (operator pages and eBird) publishes the gate fee; a Facebook search returned nothing we could read, and eBird’s hotspot page has no visitor notes. All three guided options below include the entrance fee. If you go on your own, ask at the gate.
Hours: the only published hours are on Cayaya Birding’s page, which says the finca “opens the 365 days of the year from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM”. That page is undated and comes from a tour operator, not the finca.
Guided options and prices
Each price is from each operator’s own page, or for Guatemala Nature its WeTravel listing, read 1 November 2026.
| Operator | Format | Price | Includes | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayaya Birding (birding-antigua-guatemala.com) | Private full- or half-day birding walk, led by Knut Eisermann or Claudia Avendaño; meet at Finca El Pilar | “Prices starting at US$ 40.00 per person for 3 participants” | Guide, entrance fee, bird checklist | Transport |
| Motmot Treks (motmotgt.com) | Half day, 7:00-11:00 or 14:00-18:00; English, Spanish or French | US$156 for a group of 2; US$140 with its 10% launch offer on trips booked by 31 December 2026 | Guide, binoculars, site and reserve entries, coffee and traditional bread | Hotel transport and breakfast are paid add-ons; with transport, pickup is 30 minutes before the start |
| Guatemala Nature (booked via WeTravel) | Owling evening: hotel pickup in Antigua 16:30, feeders at 17:00, then up the mountain for owls; return to Antigua at 20:30. Group size 2-10 | US$175 (the page does not say whether per person or per group) | Transport Antigua-El Pilar, entrance fee, bird guide | Tips |
Cayaya Birding takes bookings for the walk by its online form, email, or phone/WhatsApp/Signal on +502 5308 5160, as listed on that page. Guatemala Nature’s page names Fulvous Owl as the target of the evening walk.
What to bring
Motmot Treks’ FAQ lists closed walking shoes, layers for the cool morning air, a hat, sunscreen and water, and says the trails can be slightly damp early in the day. Guatemala Nature’s list adds a camera and money for food. If you are walking the nature trail, Cayaya’s note about steep stairways with handrails is the one to plan around.
The 2016 Christmas Bird Count
The sixth Antigua Guatemala Christmas Bird Count, compiled by Cayaya Birding, took place on 3 January 2016 and had 15 observers in four groups counting at Finca El Pilar, Finca Filadelfia and Cerro Alux. Together they found 1,257 birds of 120 species, and 44 more species turned up during the count week. Those totals are for all three sites combined, not El Pilar alone. Finca El Pilar was one of the count’s sponsors.
Where to stay
The finca is a 10-minute drive from Antigua (Cayaya Birding), and Motmot’s morning slot starts at 7:00, so a bed in Antigua is the simple base.
Where to stay in Antigua Guatemala
Compare Booking.com, Airbnb and hotels on one map. Drag the map and set your dates to see live availability and real prices.
Affiliate links — if you book, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
More birding near Antigua
- Birdwatching in Guatemala: the national guide, from the Biotopo del Quetzal to Tikal.
- Birding day trips from Antigua: El Pilar next to Finca Filadelfia, Cerro Alux and Tecpán, with eBird totals and prices for each.
- Pink-headed Warbler in Guatemala: where it is being recorded now.
- Finca Filadelfia coffee tour · Cerro de la Cruz · Coffee tours in Guatemala · Getting to Antigua · all activities.
Sources
- Cayaya Birding, Finca El Pilar: https://cayaya-birding.com/pilar.htm (undated page, read 1 November 2026)
- Cayaya Birding / Birding Antigua Guatemala, Birding walk at Finca El Pilar: https://birding-antigua-guatemala.com/birding-walk-finca-el-pilar.htm (read 1 November 2026)
- Motmot Treks, Finca el Pilar birdwatching tour: https://motmotgt.com/birdwatching-tours/finca-el-pilar/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Guatemala Nature on WeTravel, OWLING Finca El Pilar: https://www.wetravel.com/i/69cabd71d7b22e907d61a1ac (read 1 November 2026)
- eBird, Finca El Pilar hotspot and bird list: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3959134 (read 1 November 2026)
- eBird, Sacatepéquez hotspots, all years: https://ebird.org/region/GT-SA/hotspots?yr=all (read 1 November 2026)
- Birding Antigua Guatemala (Cayaya Birding), Antigua Guatemala Important Bird Area: https://birding-antigua-guatemala.com/IBA-Antigua-Guatemala.htm (read 1 November 2026)
- Cayaya Birding, Christmas Bird Count Antigua 2015-2016: https://cayaya-birding.com/cbc/antigua2015.htm (read 1 November 2026)
Affiliate links — if you book, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Before you pay, check each plan's medical-evacuation limit and its rules for hiking and adventure activities. Three options, as each company describes them on its own site:
- Genki Traveler: a monthly subscription for up to 12 months that covers up to €1,000,000 for unexpected medical care while traveling abroad, at public and private doctors and hospitals.
- SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: the Essential plan is travel medical insurance paid every 4 weeks; the Complete plan is full health insurance with extra travel protections.
- Faye: single-trip plans sold to residents of U.S. states (not U.S. territories); its FAQ lists emergency medical cover of up to $250K and emergency medical evacuation of up to $500K, and adventure and extreme activities need a paid add-on for medical cover.
Limits, prices and the altitude rules side by side: travel insurance for Guatemala · insurance for volcano hikes
Affiliate links: we earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Plan descriptions come from each insurer's own site, read September 22-25, 2026; Genki's limit is in euros, Faye's in U.S. dollars; this is not insurance advice. Disclosure
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the entrance fee at Finca El Pilar?
None of the sources we read on 1 November 2026 (operator pages and eBird) publishes the gate fee; a Facebook search returned nothing we could read. All three guided options we checked include the entrance fee in their price: the Cayaya Birding walk (from US$40 per person for 3 participants), the Motmot Treks half day (US$156 for a group of 2) and the Guatemala Nature owling evening (US$175). If you go on your own, ask at the gate.
What are Finca El Pilar's opening hours?
Cayaya Birding, a tour operator, says on its undated Finca El Pilar page that the finca opens 365 days a year from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. None of the sources we read on 1 November 2026 comes from the finca itself, so the hours are unconfirmed.
How do I get to Finca El Pilar from Antigua?
Cayaya Birding says it is 2 km southeast of Antigua’s central park and a 10-minute drive. Motmot Treks says 15 minutes from Antigua. The eBird hotspot’s directions point is 14.5415, -90.7115. None of the sources we read gives a bus route or taxi fare to the finca.
How long are the trails at Finca El Pilar?
Per Cayaya Birding: a nature trail of about 1.5 km from 1,600 to 1,900 m, about 3 km in total if you walk back on the dirt road; the dirt road itself, about 4.5 km from 1,600 to 2,000 m; and a high-elevation trail from 2,000 to 2,400 m that passes from pine-oak-cypress forest into cloud forest. The nature trail has several steep stairways with handrails.
Which hummingbirds can I see at Finca El Pilar?
We counted at least 18 hummingbird species on the finca’s all-time eBird bird list (read 1 November 2026). Cayaya Birding calls the feeders at the lower trail entrance a good spot for Rufous Sabrewing and says Green-throated Mountain-gem is seen frequently there; it also lists Rivoli’s, White-eared, Azure-crowned and Berylline Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing and Mexican Violetear. On eBird both Rufous Sabrewing (5) and Green-throated Mountain-gem (6) were last reported on 25 October 2026.
Can I see the Pink-headed Warbler at Finca El Pilar?
Do not count on it. The most recent Pink-headed Warbler record at the Finca El Pilar eBird hotspot is dated 25 April 2017 (2 birds), as of 1 November 2026. Our Pink-headed Warbler page covers the Tecpán-area hotspots where eBird has recent records.
