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© Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos

Los Cóbanos & Reserva Marina

13.52501 , -89.80559

El Salvador

Los Cobanos is a fishing village by a very unique volcanic rock reef formed by the flood of lava of Santa Ana volcano 10 thousand years ago. The Peninsula of "Punta Remedios" is an accident on the coastal geography that was formed by the same flood extending the land into the ocean for 6 kilometers aproximately, this means that if you take a boat from the tip of the peninsula you are already 6 kilometers into the ocean which makes easy to reach pelagic waters in search of pelagic birds. During the months of December till February this is also a departing point to watch humpback whales. There are multiple authorized tour operators that offer the whale tour, and there are a couple of captains who specialize in pelagic birds observation. Both activities are usually done in Panga style boats and the cost per trip is around 300 dollars for up to 6 people.

Delete exact location

The introductory text should contain general information about the site, which may include for instance:
• geographic/ biogeographic location
• habitat and vegetation
• typical bird species/bird communities
• protection status
• land use and history
• importance for birdwatching

Coordinates were changed by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos : 13.5250/-89.8056 (2021-08-14 01:54:19 )

Site name was changed by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos into "Los Cóbanos & Reserva Marina" (2021-08-14 01:54:19 )

Coordinates were set by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos : 13.5173/-89.8043 (2021-08-13 23:58:18 )

Site name was set by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos as "Parque Marino Los Cóbanos" (2021-08-13 23:58:18 )

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-15 01:57:48
Los Cobanos is a fishing village by a very unique volcanic rock reef formed by the flood of lava of Santa Ana volcano 10 thousand years ago. The Peninsula of "Punta Remedios" is an accident on the coastal geography that was formed by the same flood extending the land into the ocean for 6 kilometers aproximately, this means that if you take a boat from the tip of the peninsula you are already 6 kilometers into the ocean which makes easy to reach pelagic waters in search of pelagic birds. During the months of December till February this is also a departing point to watch humpback whales. There are multiple authorized tour operators that offer the whale tour, and there are a couple of captains who specialize in pelagic birds observation. Both activities are usually done in Panga style boats and the cost per trip is around 300 dollars for up to 6 people.

  • Top species

List up to ca. 25 species that:
• have a limited distribution range and/or are rare on a global level
• are most sought-after by birdwatchers at this site
• and are relatively easy to see at this site (year-round or seasonally)

Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
Galapagos Shearwater (Puffinus subalaris)
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
Yellow-winged Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus)

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-15 02:27:07)

Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-15 02:26:55)

Galapagos Shearwater (Puffinus subalaris) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-15 02:26:47)

Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-15 02:26:36)

Yellow-winged Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) was added by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos (2021-08-15 01:42:15)

  • Timing and strategy

The best way to bird around is to arrive before sunrise to the departing point to start the pelagic trip. And the best season to do that is between December and the end of March. A pelagic trip should take you around 4 hours in the water then you can spend the rest of the day trying to find the Yellow-winged Caciques in the town or the surroundings of the town. You can walk safely inside the town and if you want to explore the road the best thing to do it is by car. It is much better if you hire a local guide to arrange everything for a pelagic trip.

Give recommendations for making your visit as productive as possible.
This may include for instance:
• best season
• best time of the day
• how much time to spend at the site
• best means of locomotion within the site
• recommended routes / areas within the site
• guiding

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-15 02:00
The best way to bird around is to arrive before sunrise to the departing point to start the pelagic trip. And the best season to do that is between December and the end of March. A pelagic trip should take you around 4 hours in the water then you can spend the rest of the day trying to find the Yellow-winged Caciques in the town or the surroundings of the town. You can walk safely inside the town and if you want to explore the road the best thing to do it is by car. It is much better if you hire a local guide to arrange everything for a pelagic trip.
  • How to get there

If you want to get there by car you need to head to the town of Sonsonate and then drive by heading to Acajutla port, 4 kilometers before the port you can take the detour to Los Cobanos village, the total distance is 95 kilometers and it should take you around 2 hours. If you want to arrive there by sunrise you need to leave San Salvador at around 4 a.m. If you want to get there by bus you need to get to "Terminal de Occidente" in San Salvador and take bus 205 to Sonsonate City once in Sonsonate you need change to bus 257. The total time can be up to 3 hours and half. If you do it by bus or if you dont want to drive early in the morning there are a few places where you can stay from the night before.

Explain from where and how to get to this site with private and public transport.

Edited by Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos on 2021-08-15 02:04
If you want to get there by car you need to head to the town of Sonsonate and then drive by heading to Acajutla port, 4 kilometers before the port you can take the detour to Los Cobanos village, the total distance is 95 kilometers and it should take you around 2 hours. If you want to arrive there by sunrise you need to leave San Salvador at around 4 a.m. If you want to get there by bus you need to get to "Terminal de Occidente" in San Salvador and take bus 205 to Sonsonate City once in Sonsonate you need change to bus 257. The total time can be up to 3 hours and half. If you do it by bus or if you dont want to drive early in the morning there are a few places where you can stay from the night before.

Provide information on how to enter this site, which may include:
• entry points
• entry permits / entry tickets and fees
• opening hours / opening season
• other restrictions

Note that this section should only contain information on how to ACCESS (= enter) a site. Info on how to REACH a site should be added to "How to get there" section.

Not available yet
  • Other attractions

Add information about other attractions at this site, including
• wildlife (apart from birds)
• sights (natural, cultural, archaeological, etc.)
• activities (e.g. for non-birding companions)

Not available yet

Provide information about what type of facilities are available at
or near this site, including:
• information centers / information points
• catering
• accommodation
• hides and watchtowers
• restrooms / toilets

Not available yet

Are there any security issues or other annoyances at this site? For
instance, these may include:
• offenses like robbery or theft
• natural hazards
• dangerous or annoying animals or plants (mosquitoes, leaches, thorn bushes, etc.)
• noise pollution

Not available yet
All information about this site was contributed by Orniverse users. Neither Orniverse nor the contributors accept responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of the information provided.

Local guides

Gallery

Reports

Season:
to
Species:
2020-01-04 Pelagic Birds Trip with Oliver Komar Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
2019-11-08 to 2019-11-11 Chris Fischer's 2019 Central American Big Year El Salvador Trip 2 Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
2019-06-21 to 2019-06-24 Chris Fischer's 2019 Central American Big Year El Salvador Trip 1 Julio Cesar Acosta Burgos
Los Cóbanos & Reserva Marina - Orniverse