Los Tarrales Natural Reserve, at km 164.2 on Ruta Nacional 11 in Patulul, Suchitepéquez, sells guided birding tours on its own website: a 5-hour morning tour at US$90 for one or two people (US$35 each from three), a 4-hour afternoon tour at US$70 (US$25 each), a 9-hour full day at US$160 (US$60 each) and a 10-hour Horned Guan hike at US$300 for one or two. Every tour must be booked 48 hours ahead, and the reserve accepts no walk-in visits.
Prices, durations and rules on this page are from the reserve’s website, tarralesreserve.com, read on 31 October 2026: its tour list, each tour’s own page, its FAQ and its directions page. The tour pages state prices in US dollars (From 35 US dollars, and so on). For the reserve’s coffee mill tour, see our Lake Atitlán coffee tours page.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Where | Km 164.2, Ruta Nacional 11, Patulul, Suchitepéquez |
| Setting | Southern slopes of Atitlán Volcano, Pacific foothills |
| Reserve size | 1,300 hectares (Spanish home page) |
| Bird list | More than 370 species recorded (English FAQ); more than 350 (Spanish home page) |
| Walk-ins | Not accepted; every visit by prior booking |
| Booking lead time | 48 hours for tours |
| Payment | Two versions: in full at booking, by credit card or bank transfer, within 72 hours (Spanish tours page); full amount due when the 48-hour grace period ends (policy on each tour page) |
| Pets | Not allowed |
| Outside food and drink | Not permitted (exceptions for small children) |
| Phone | +502 5919-8882 |
| reservations@tarrales.com | |
| Where to sleep | At the reserve’s hotel, or Patulul |
Tour prices
| Tour | Duration | 1-2 people | Groups of 3+ | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Guided Birding Tour | 5 h | US$90 | US$35 per person | Half-day with an expert guide |
| Afternoon Guided Birding Tour | 4 h | US$70 | US$25 per person | After lunch |
| Full-Day Guided Birding Tour | 9 h | US$160 | US$60 per person | About a two-hour lunch break at noon; meals not included |
| Horned Guan Guided Tour | 10 h | US$300, with 4x4 transport to Vesubio | US$125 per person (3-4 people) | Maximum group of four |
| Guided Nocturnal Tour | 2 h | US$65 per group | US$25 per person | Owls, snakes, frogs, deer, per the reserve |
| Waterfall Tour | 3 h | US$65 | US$25 per person | About 7 km, moderate; optional car to a 10-minute walk from the falls, US$40 for up to four |
The tour pages give durations but not start times (read 31 October 2026); the morning tour description says to get out early. Ask for the start time when the reserve confirms your guide.
The Horned Guan tour
The reserve’s page for this tour opens with a warning in capitals: “THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TOUR INVOLVING A VERY STRENUOUS HIKE”. The price includes a 4x4 ride up the volcano to Vesubio, and the reserve says the cost reflects kilometres of trail upkeep, monitoring of the Horned Guan habitat and extra pay for the guide and driver who take you up. The group limit is four people.
How booking works
| Step | What the reserve says |
|---|---|
| 1. Request | Submit a booking request at least 48 hours ahead. Guides are hired from nearby communities; the reserve requests one and replies when it has an answer. |
| 2. Pay | The Spanish tours page says rooms, meals and tours are paid in full at booking, by credit card or bank transfer, and that you have 72 hours from booking to complete payment or the booking is cancelled. The policy on each tour page instead says the full amount becomes due when the 48-hour grace period ends, and that failure to pay may lead to automatic cancellation. |
| 3. Grace period | You may cancel without penalty within 48 hours of booking. This does not apply if your arrival or tour starts within 48 hours of booking. |
| 4. After the grace period | No cancellations, modifications, rescheduling or transfers, and no refunds, including for weather, illness or emergencies. |
| 5. Meals | The tour pages say meals are not charged at booking (the Spanish tours page lists meals among what is paid at booking). Between 48 and 72 hours before arrival the reserve confirms arrival time, dietary needs and meal choices; a confirmed meal not cancelled at least 4 hours before service is charged in full. |
The reserve’s own pages disagree on three points (read 31 October 2026):
| Point | Spanish tours page | Policy on each tour page |
|---|---|---|
| When you pay | In full at booking; 72 hours to complete payment | Full amount due when the 48-hour grace period ends |
| Meals | Paid at booking with rooms and tours | Not charged at booking |
| Transfers to other dates | Payment non-refundable but in some cases transferable | No transfers after the grace period |
If any of these matters to you, get the answer in writing before you pay.
Getting there
- By road: the reserve says about 2.5 to 3 hours from Guatemala City and Antigua and about 1.5 hours from Panajachel, reachable via the Pan-American Highway (CA-1) or the coastal highway (CA-2). Four-wheel drive is not required in normal weather and road conditions.
- Transfers it arranges through independent providers, starting prices as listed:
| Transfer to/from Los Tarrales | From |
|---|---|
| Panajachel or Atitlán | US$113 |
| San Juan La Laguna or San Pedro La Laguna | US$170 |
| Chichicastenango or San Marcos La Laguna | US$188 |
| La Aurora Airport, Antigua or El Paredón | US$207 |
| Quetzaltenango | US$226 |
See also our page on Patulul.
Where to sleep: the reserve or Patulul
The full-day tour runs nine hours and the morning tour starts early, and the reserve is 1.5 hours from Panajachel. Sleeping at the reserve’s own hotel or nearby removes that drive before an early start. The reserve says its kitchen can accommodate gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and nut-free diets with notice before arrival, and that Starlink Wi-Fi covers most rooms and common areas.
Live availability near Patulul:
Where to stay in Patulul
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A workable birding day
| Step | Time | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Book and pay | 48+ hours before | Reserve |
| Meals and diet confirmed | 48-72 hours before arrival | Reserve |
| Morning guided birding | 5 hours | Reserve |
| Lunch | About two hours at noon (full-day tour) | Reserve |
| Afternoon guided birding | 4 hours | Reserve |
| Nocturnal tour (optional) | 2 hours | Reserve |
More birding and Atitlán
- Birdwatching in Guatemala: Los Tarrales alongside the Biotopo del Quetzal and other sites.
- Lake Atitlán coffee tours · San Lucas Tolimán · all activities.
Sources
- Los Tarrales Natural Reserve, tour pages: https://www.tarralesreserve.com/service-page/morning-guided-birding-tour, /afternoon-guided-birding-tour, /full-day-guided-birding-tour, /horned-guan-guided-tour, /guided-nocturnal-tour, /waterfall-tour (read 31 October 2026)
- Los Tarrales, Spanish home page and tours page: https://www.tarralesreserve.com/es, https://www.tarralesreserve.com/es/birdwatching (read 31 October 2026)
- Los Tarrales, FAQ: https://www.tarralesreserve.com/faq (read 31 October 2026)
- Los Tarrales, How to arrive: https://www.tarralesreserve.com/how-to-arrive (read 31 October 2026)
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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 a birding tour at Los Tarrales?
On the reserve’s own tour pages (read 31 October 2026): morning guided birding tour (5 hours) US$90 for 1-2 people or US$35 per person for groups of 3 or more; afternoon tour (4 hours) US$70 or US$25 per person; full-day tour (9 hours) US$160 or US$60 per person, meals not included; nocturnal tour (2 hours) US$65 per group of 1-2 or US$25 per person for 3 or more.
How much is the Horned Guan tour at Los Tarrales?
US$300 for 1-2 people, including 4x4 transport up the volcano to Vesubio; groups of 3-4 pay US$125 per person. Maximum group size is four. The reserve calls it an extremely difficult tour with a very strenuous hike; it lasts 10 hours.
Can I just turn up at Los Tarrales?
No. The reserve says all visits must be arranged in advance and that it does not accept visits without an appointment. Tours must be booked 48 hours ahead because the guides are hired from nearby communities and the reserve has to request one.
Can I cancel a Los Tarrales booking?
Each tour page carries the same policy: you can cancel without penalty within 48 hours of booking. After that grace period the full amount is due and the booking cannot be cancelled, modified, rescheduled or transferred, and there are no refunds. A booking for a date within 48 hours must be paid in full at once and is non-refundable from the start.
How many bird species are at Los Tarrales?
The reserve’s English FAQ says more than 370 species have been recorded; its Spanish home page says more than 350. Species it names include the Horned Guan, Azure-rumped Tanager and Blue-and-white Mockingbird.
How far is Los Tarrales from Antigua and Lake Atitlán?
The reserve says about 2.5 to 3 hours from Guatemala City and Antigua and about 1.5 hours from Panajachel, and that a standard car can reach it in normal weather. It sells private transfers from US$113 (Panajachel or Atitlán) to US$226 (Quetzaltenango).
