General Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Mexico. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they took this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING MEXICO: All U.S. citizens traveling to and from Mexico must have a valid passport. Your passport, as a general rule, should be valid for at least six months after the date the tour ends. Tourist cards are required and are obtained upon entry at the border customs. Citizens of other countries may need a visa and should check their nearest Mexican embassy. If required by the embassy or visa-granting entity, WINGS can provide a letter for you to use regarding your participation in the tour.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Mexico in the University of Texas series here. Click on the map’s lower right corner to adjust size. You can review the U.S. Department of State background notes on Mexico here.
HEALTH: No specific inoculations are necessary. For further information on health advisories for Mexico, we refer you to the CDC’s Travel Health Home Page
MEALS AND PACE OF THE TOUR: All meals are included in the tour price, starting with dinner on Day 1.
As with all tours in the tropics, we’ll try to be in the field around dawn, which means about 6:30 a.m. Throughout the tour, birds will be the focus of our early morning outings while the butterflies will draw an increasing proportion of our attention as the day warms up. At any time, we will divert our attention to any regional specialties that fortuitously appear, be they bird or butterfly.
The pace of each day varies somewhat with this tour. On the first half of the tour, full days with early departures, picnic breakfasts, but relaxed, sit-down lunches will be the rule. While at Rancho del Cielo we will always be relatively close to our lodging, allowing for later mornings, afternoon siestas and sit-down meals. All dinners are at restaurants, while all meals at Rancho del Cielo are excellent home-style American, prepared by the staff.
Walking is mostly along roads and wide trails that are level to gently sloping, with the possibility of some short stretches of steeper gradients. In such cases, we will adjust our speed of ascent accordingly to avoid making it too strenuous. The ground at Rancho del Cielo features rough limestone and is in places very uneven, especially on unimproved trails. Extra care must be exercised at all times. You might consider bringing a collapsible walking staff. The highest elevation we will visit is no more than 5,500 feet.
CLIMATE: Lowland Tamaulipas usually has a hot and humid climate, similar to southern Texas. We will be here during the end of the rainy season, and afternoon thundershowers would not be unusual. The higher elevations can be quite cool in the early mornings, and afternoon rains are also possible here. October could also see the arrival of an early cold front from the north, after which even the lowlands can be rather chilly. In other words, one should be prepared for the possibility of rain and a wide range of temperatures.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Our hotels in Texas and Ciudad Mante offer standard amenities. The lodging for our three nights at Rancho del Cielo is rustic but quite comfortable. We will be housed in several sex-segregated dormitory-style cabins that each have a shared bathroom. Couples can usually be accommodated, but there will likely not be a possibility of private rooms.
ELECTRICITY: Electrical current and plugs at hotels are the same as in the U.S., i.e., 110 v, 60-cycle, parallel prong. Power failures occur, but not with any regularity. Appliances with especially broad ground prongs may not fit outlets at some hotels. You might want to bring a converter. Rancho del Cielo has lights and hot water generated by butane, but there are no public utilities.
DRESS: Informal throughout.
TRANSPORTATION: Transportation during the tour is by vans. We will be leaving our vans in Gómez Farías while we load up in special high-clearance vehicles for the two-hour, very bumpy drive up to Rancho del Cielo. While there, we will be on foot.
SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group. Smoking is not allowed in the cabins at Rancho del Cielo.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Scenery and memory shots will be plentiful and simple to obtain but birds are difficult to photograph. Although there will be occasions when bird photography is possible, a birdwatching tour is not normally the best means of pursuing this aim. “Digiscoping”, on the other hand, is perfectly compatible with the tour, though it is necessary that you bring your own telescope! If you are a serious photographer, please contact us for further information about photographic possibilities.
Butterflies are much more approachable, and there will be ample opportunities to document those we see with cameras or video recorders. Several rules of etiquette will be advised (and enforced if necessary), however, to avoid conflicts among photographers and observers, the viewing opportunities of the group will always take precedence. Bring all your film with you as it may be difficult to find precisely what you need on short notice. Camera equipment should be packed in moisture- and dust-proof bags, as a precaution.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read our General Information & Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Mexico: Birds and Butterflies of Gómez Farías and the El Cielo Biosphere ReserveVeracruz, Mexico, Tours will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Updated: February 2008