Country: Colombia
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Bahía Aguadulce beach
Bahía Aguadulce pairs calm, clear water with an easy shoreline, making it a straightforward beach stop within a short island drive of Southwest Bay.
Read MoreBahía Suroeste beach
Providencia's beaches are the island's main draw inland from the reef. Bahía Suroeste, at the island's hub, is the most convenient base for swimming in clear Caribbean water.
Read MoreOptional Saturday Southwest Bay horseback races
On Saturday afternoons, islanders race horses along the sands of Southwest Bay. The event is a long-standing local tradition rather than a staged show, so it depends on the day of the week and the island's own calendar.
Read MoreSan Andrés Malecón and beach swimming
San Andrés life centres on the Malecón, the shorefront boulevard of the island's only town, on the north shore. It is an easy place to swim in clear water, eat creole food and stay out for live music and reggae in the evening.
Read MoreAraucana Lodge Gardens, Feeders and Bird Tables
Spend the afternoon and early evening in the lodge gardens, feeders and bird tables, where Southern Lapwing, Eared Dove, Ruddy Ground-dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Andean Motmot, Red-headed Barbet and Acorn Woodpecker come and go, and a strong hummingbird set works the flowers. It is an easy, relaxed session after a long travel day.
Read MoreLaguna Negra Waterfowl Stop
Make a short stop at Laguna Negra, a high lake that sometimes holds Andean Teal and the Andean form of Ruddy Duck among its quiet water.
Read MoreHacienda El Bosque Hummingbird Garden
Work the active hummingbird garden, where Sword-billed Hummingbird, Tourmaline Sunangel, Sparkling Violetear and White-bellied Woodstar come to the feeders and Masked and White-sided Flowerpiercers join the sugar. Watch the sky for Broad-winged Hawk over the working farmland.
Read MoreRio Blanco Bamboo Patches
Work the bamboo patches above the guest house, a specialism in its own right. The bird here is a quiet, specialist-birders' list: a rich hemispingus set, Plushcap and Yellow-billed Cacique among the bamboo-loving tyrantlets and wrens.
Read MoreRecinto del Pensamiento Lodge Grounds and Premontane Forest
Walk the extensive forest-fringed grounds of Recinto del Pensamiento in the afternoon and evening light, a relaxed introduction to very humid premontane forest. The lodge's on-site bird list runs to 192 species, and the grounds are a low-effort place to pick up quiet forest birds before dinner.
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