tanager tourism

Western Azuero Ecotours

Tanager Ecotours offers tours for guests of Hotel Heliconia and other small groups to Coiba National Park, Cerro Hoya National Park and other destinations on the western Azuero.

Our tours depart from our base at Hotel Heliconia . Our trips bring you to the best reefs of Coiba and to the remote Cerro Hoya wilderness. Trips range from a 3 day/2 night trek to the peak of the Cerro Hoya, to a relaxed half day snorkeling at Cébaco Island, or exploration of the mangroves in the Golfo de Montijo.

Our guides are very experienced, have an in-depth knowledge of the ecosystems, plants and animals in the area and are eager to share their knowledge with you. G uides speak at least two languages. Together they have led over 250 trips to Coiba and more than 100 to Cerro Hoya.

We have also guided and supported geologists, fish biologists, botanists, ornithologists, herpetologists and biology students during their scientific work in Cerro Hoya and/or Coiba.

If you cannot find what you want among the trips on offer, contact us and we will tailor a trip to your specific wishes. One of our guides is a keen birdwatcher and he can help you enjoy the birds of the area, or help you find that one endemic species you want to see.

Tanager Ecotours

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Tanager Ecotours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

11 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Tangier

Written by Jess Lee Updated Feb 22, 2024 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Tangier became famous in the mid-20th century as the louche destination for a European and American literary set. Today, the foreign writers and artists that partied here have long gone, and Tangier has revamped itself again into a thriving, modern city.

The major tourist attraction is Tangier's medina (old town), where the winding alleys hold small museums in restored mansions, historic monuments, and souqs. For atmosphere and photography, this area is one of the best places to visit in the city.

Tangier is also one of the best places to visit and base yourself while exploring the northern Atlantic Coast and the Mediterranean Coast. Some of the top things to do within day-tripping distance include exploring the Roman ruins of Lixus, the seafront panoramas at Cap Spartel, and visiting the Mediterranean Coast's Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

The busy port here has plenty of ferries heading to and from Spain, so Tangier is often the first taste of Morocco for overlanders. After disembarking, spend a couple of days here exploring the city before heading onwards farther south or east.

Help plan your stay with our list of the top attractions and things to do in Tangier.

See also: Where to Stay in Tangier

1. Explore Tangier's Medina

2. visit tangier's kasbah, 3. dive into local history at the kasbah museum, 4. café hop in tangier's ville nouvelle, 5. admire the sea views at cap spartel & rmilat park, 6. day trip to lixus & larache, 7. day trip into spanish territory at ceuta, 8. enjoy the sea air on tangier beach, 9. day trip to asilah, 10. visit st. andrew's church, 11. discover spain's other enclave at melilla, history of tangier, where to stay in tangier for sightseeing, tips & tours: how to make the most of your visit to tangier.

Tangier's medina (old city) tumbles down the cliff towards the ocean in a labyrinth of narrow alleyways.

The medina (and the adjoining kasbah at the medina's northwest end) will probably be the focus of your Tangier visit. A lot of Tangier's boutique hotel accommodation is based within the medina's 15th-century Portuguese-built walls, but if you're not staying inside, enter through the gate of Bab Fass , on the eastern end of the Ville Nouvelle's Grand Socco plaza.

During its fast-paced past, the medina was a playground for author Paul Bowles and America's legendary beatnik literary figures such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William Burroughs.

Today very little is left from this bohemian past, though make sure to sit down for a coffee or tea at Café Central in the medina's Petit Socco, which is one of the cafés Burroughs' used to hang out at.

The Petit Socco is the central vortex of medina life. This little square is where old men sit for hours drinking tea and playing backgammon. Do as they do, and beeline here whenever you need a break from alley exploring.

The medina is more about soaking up the atmosphere rather than specific sights, but just west of the Petit Socco on Rue Siaghine is the Church of the Immaculate Conception , built by the Spanish in 1880. East of the square is the Grand Mosque.

In the southeast corner of the medina is the American Legation Museum, once the US consulate building and the oldest American diplomatic post in the world. Morocco was the first country to recognize the newly independent USA and established its legation here in Tangier in 1821. The museum inside traces the history of the relationship between the US and Morocco, and the exhibits inside include George Washington's famous letter to Moulay Abdullah.

The Tomb of Tangier-born Ibn Battuta (Morocco's famed 14th-century traveler and writer) is found in the medina's northwest corner.

The medina is a great place for snacking, street food, and cheap local eats, particularly the area around the Petit Socco.

Tangier's Kasbah (a high-walled defensive fortress where the sultan once lived) takes up the northern section of the medina.

The main gate into the Kasbah (accessed from the northwest medina wall) opens onto a large courtyard, which leads to Dar el-Makhzen Palace, once the sultan's residence and today used as the Kasbah Museum.

The palace was built in the 17th century and enlarged by each reigning sultan. The carved wooden ceilings and marble courtyard showcase the intricacies of Moroccan craftwork.

The various cafés within the Kasbah, with views across the Mediterranean Sea below, offer some of Tangier's most scenic stops for mint tea and lunch .

Address: Porte de la Kasbah, Rue Tabor

This excellent museum inside the Kasbah is based in the restored Dar el-Makhzen Palace . The museum brings together an amazing number of exhibits tracing Morocco's tumultuous and complicated history.

For history lovers, the Antiquities Collection is a must-visit, displaying mosaics and statuary from the country's prime ancient Roman sites such as Lixus and Volubilis, as well as exhibiting a life-size model of a Carthaginian tomb.

There are also displays explaining Tangier's history and a large section devoted to Moroccan arts.

The Fes Room is particularly interesting , containing silks and illustrated manuscripts, as well as centuries-old ceramics decorated from golden yellow to the famous Fes-blue.

Address: Rue Riad Sultan, Kasbah

Tangier's ville nouvelle (new city) is a must for fans of late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture, as it features many fine buildings from this time period.

Here, you'll find the Terrasse des Paresseux (Terrace of the Idle , also known as Place Faro), where you can look out at the spectacular ocean view that has captivated so many European artists.

With the harbor before you, look across the water for the hazy silhouettes of Gibraltar and southern Spain in the distance.

After you've finished admiring the view, don't miss grabbing a table at the Gran Cafe de Paris , just west of the terrace, on Place de France, which is Tangier's most famous café and has been in business since 1927. A major part of Tangier's modern history, this was a major hang-out for the literary set who once made Tangier their home.

Heading north from the Gran Cafe de Paris, along Rue de la Liberte, you'll arrive at the Grand Socco (the main square) which marks the end of the new city and entry to the medina. This is where Tangier locals come to stroll, play, and sit in the surrounding cafés for hours.

Just to the square's north is the Mendoubia Gardens, a shady spot full of fig and dragon trees.

Geography fans won't want to miss this Tangier side trip. Cap Spartel, about 11 kilometers west of Tangier , marks Africa's northwest tip . The promontory projects into the water, marking the boundary of the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.

This entire stretch of coast though is worthy of more exploration, particularly if you want to break up your city sightseeing with a gentle forest hike.

On your way to (or from) Cap Spartel, stop off at Rmilat Park on the western edge of Tangier, eight kilometers east of the cape. This 70-hectare ocean-front forest slope is home to a range of rambling walking trails that weave across the hill down to the cliffs that meet the sea.

The entire forest was once owned by Greek-American Ion Perdicaris (the park is also known as Perdicaris Park) who used it as his summer residence and planted a diverse range of flora here that still flourishes today and contributes to it being one of Morocco's most biodiverse gardens .

You'll easily spot eucalyptus, poplar, mimosa, and weeping willow trees lining the trails as well as pine and oak.

As well as hiking the trails and taking in the sea views, you can also visit the large villa Perdicaris built in 1877, and was later kidnapped by the Rif Mountain bandit Ahmed al-Raisuni in 1904 in the famous international incident which became known as the Perdicaris Affair. The villa has been restored into a museum.

For atmosphere, the best time to come to Cap Spartel is at sunset , when you can see dusk settle over the Atlantic. This is the busiest period though, as plenty of Tangier locals head out here for some fresh early evening air. For a quieter visit plan to head here in the morning.

The lighthouse here, at the tip of the promontory, is especially photogenic, and there's a great café next door where you can grab a coffee or a juice and take in the sea views.

Just below the promontory is the five-kilometer-long stretch of Achakkar Beach. At the beach's southern end are the Hercules Caves (Grottes d'Hercule) where, according to local myth, Hercules once lived.

The seaside town of Larache, 88 kilometers south of Tangier, is the closest settlement to the Lixus archaeological site, where Greek legend tells that Hercules gathered the golden apples.

The site was a trading center for first the Phoenicians, then the Carthaginians, and finally the Romans, but its history is thought to be much older than these conquerors.

The ruins include a temple, theater, acropolis, and baths, and although the site is overgrown, it's highly atmospheric.

After visiting the site, head six kilometers west into Laroche itself, where the petite seafront medina with its blue and white alleys are home to remnants of the town's Hispano-Moorish architecture.

If you're heading down the coast, Laroche is a good stop-off point between Tangier and Rabat.

One of Spain's enclaves on the Moroccan coast, this outpost of Spanish culture, 79 kilometers east of Tangier, is a major transport hub, with ferries across the Mediterranean Sea to Algeciras.

The old fortifications (built by the Portuguese) around the San Felipe Moat are the town's main sight, but Ceuta also offers a handful of small but interesting museums and art galleries to visit, as well as historic architecture to view.

The contemporary art galleries of the Museo de los Muralles Reales and Museo de la Basilica Tardorromana, which is based in the excavated ruins of a basilica, are two of the most worthwhile.

Those with an interest in religious art and architecture should also visit Ceuta's main square, home to the interesting Cathedral Museum and the 15th-century Church of Our Lady of Africa.

You will need your passport to enter Ceuta, as you are officially entering Spain. If you're traveling east along the Mediterranean Coast, Ceuta is a worthwhile stop off between Tangier and Tetouan .

Tangier's beachside district is intrinsically linked to the city's mid-20th-century heyday, when the beautiful and louche literary residents of Tangier made this one of the world's most famous strips of sand.

Its heyday is now long gone, but the beach area is still a good place for a stroll, with plenty of locals promenading and playing football along its length.

Swimming here is unfortunately not a good idea, as the water isn't very clean, but if you just want to get some sea air, stretch your legs, and take in a bit of local life, it's worth a visit.

To see the beach at its busiest, come at dusk, when you'll find local families and groups of friends enjoying the seafront's fresh breezes here.

Location: Off Avenue Mohammed VI

The little town of Asilah, about 40 kilometers from Tangier on the northwest tip of Morocco's Atlantic coast, has a history that stretches back to the Roman era.

More recently, it has been under the control of both Spain and Portugal. But the town's imposing ramparts, with surviving bastions and towers, now offer a setting for delightful seaside walks.

The Portuguese fortifications enclose an old town of pretty white-and-blue-washed houses with a distinctive Mediterranean feel.

The town is also famous for fried seafood dishes. Restaurants line the shore, making a great place to put your feet up while you sample some fish.

Tangier's Anglican church is one of the city's more relaxing spots and is a great place to visit if the hustle of the city is grinding you down.

The still functioning church (which has two morning services every Sunday) was built in 1905 and has a tranquil and rather stark interior, which incorporates traditional Moroccan architectural elements.

Outside, the small cemetery contains interesting tombstones from the early 20th century. Of particular note, writer and Tangier resident Walter Harris (author of Morocco That Was ) is buried here.

Except on Sundays, the church is kept locked, but visitors can simply knock on the door, and the caretaker will open the church up for you to view.

Address: Rue d'Angleterre

Along with Ceuta, Melilla is a Spanish enclave on Moroccan soil. Today it's a busy port town, with daily ferries to the Spanish ports of Malaga and Almeria, but Melilla's tourist attractions are also worth a day of your time if you're planning on traveling east along the Mediterranean Coast from Tangier.

Melilla's fortified old town (Melilla la Vieja) is the main focus of most of the town's sightseeing. Inside you'll find a handful of small museums; the cave and tunnel complex of Las Cuevas del Conventico, which were first excavated by the Phoenicians; and a 17th-century cathedral.

At nearby Three Fork's Cape , gaze out over the perfectly turquoise waters. From the lighthouse, you can see many small beaches and great blocks of anthracite rise out of the waters.

According to Greek mythology Tangier, or Tingi, was founded by the giant Antaeus. Tingi is mentioned by Carthaginian travelers as early as 500 BC, and Phoenician sailors visited even earlier.

After the destruction of Carthage, Tingi was affiliated with the Berber kingdom of Mauretania. It then became an autonomous state under Roman protection, eventually becoming a Roman colony in the 3rd century AD during the reign of Diocletian, and ending as the capital of Mauretania Tingitana.

In the fifth century, Vandals conquered and occupied Tingi and from here swept across North Africa.

A century later, Tingi became part of the Byzantine Empire and gradually fell into obscurity until the city's capture by Moussa bin Nasser during the first years of the eighth century. The city's inhabitants were converted to Islam, but many Berber tribes joined the schismatic Kharijite rebellion and seized the port city in AD 739.

When Moulay Idriss I established his kingdom at Volubilis in AD 788, Tangier became a focal point in the struggle between the Idrisid dynasty and the Umayyads. This struggle continued until the Fatimid dynasty from Tunisia assumed power in AD 958.

Tangier came under the successive sway of the Almoravides and Almohades, after which the city fell under the influence of the Tunisian Hafsid dynasty before passing into the hands of the Merenids.

By the 14th century, Tangier became a major Mediterranean port frequented by European trading vessels bringing cloth, spices, metals, and hunting birds in exchange for leather, wool, carpets, cereals, and sugar.

After an unsuccessful attempt to seize Tangier in 1437, the Portuguese finally conquered and occupied the city in 1471, converting the great mosque into a cathedral.

For nearly three centuries, the town was passed back and forth between the Spanish, Portuguese, and finally the English, when it was given to Charles II as part of the dowry from Catherine of Braganza.

The English granted Tangier a charter, which made the city equal to English towns.

In 1679, Moulay Ismail made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the town but maintained a crippling blockade, which ultimately led to a British retreat.

Under Moulay Ismail, the city was reconstructed to some extent but gradually declined until, by 1810, the population was no more than 5,000.

Tangier began to revive from the mid-19th century, when European colonial governments fought for influence over Morocco.

Luxury Hotels:

• For contemporary living, the facilities and service at Hilton Tanger City Center can't be beaten. Guests can sunbathe beside the rooftop pool, use the excellent gym and health club facilities, and the large, minimalist-styled rooms come with marble bathrooms.
• If you're looking for a more intimate stay, La Maison de Tanger is a luxury guesthouse with a lush, tranquil garden and plunge pool. The elegant rooms are individually decorated, with plenty of character, and some have private terraces.
• The well-located Royal Tulip City Center mixes modern style with bags of facilities. Rooms have sea views and big bathrooms, while the outdoor pool, spa, included breakfast, and good restaurant make it a favorite with guests looking for an easy, comfortable stay.

Mid-Range Hotels:

• The high-rise and modern Hilton Garden Inn Tanger City Center is a solid mid-range choice offering stylish interiors, a gym, and restaurant. It's noted for its exceptionally helpful staff. A large shopping mall is next door.
• Fredj Hotel & SPA has a rooftop pool, with sweeping views over the bay; a restaurant; and spa, while its good-sized rooms have plenty of minimalist, modern style.

Budget Hotels:

• One of the most famous historic hotels in Tangier, Hotel Continental is full of old-fashioned ambience. Rooms are basic but have excellent views of the port, and the location can't be beaten.
• The good-value Dar El Kasbah has high-ceilinged rooms in a lovely late 19th-century building and is known for its friendly staff.
• The Full Day Private Tour of Tangier offers seven hours of sightseeing in Tangier, with pickup and private transport, a camel ride on Tangier beach, a walking tour of the Kasbah and medina (including visits to the Kasbah Museum and American Legation), and a trip out of town to Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
• If you're short on time and want to visit Chefchaouen as a side-trip from Tangier, the Full Day Trip to Chefchaouen offers pickup from your Tangier hotel and private transport to Chefchaouen, a three-hour guided tour of Chefchaouen medina, and free time afterwards to explore at your own pace. If time permits, the tour also adds in a trip to Cape Spartel on the return journey to Tangier.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

More Historic Medinas: The walled old towns of Morocco's cities and towns are one of the country's major historic highlights. Don't miss Marrakesh with its famous pink-toned medina full of souks, restored historic buildings, and home to the Djemaa El-Fna, and Fes, where strolling the labyrinthine, winding alleys of its high-walled medina are the major attraction of a visit. For a smaller, easier-to-get-around medina head to Meknes, which is one of Morocco's most easygoing towns.

More Seaside Cities: For a taste of modern Morocco, head to bustling Casablanca , home to the huge and beautiful Hassan II Mosque dominating the seafront, or to the capital Rabat, where the medina fronts the Atlantic coast. For holiday sun, the city of Agadir is Morocco's hot spot and a favorite Summer destination for European tourists.

More on Morocco

Coiba Island Tours from Western Azuero Sunset Coast

Coiba Island Tours from Western Azuero Peninsula

We are located in palmilla, western azuero , halfway between mariato and torio, tour schedules & departures.

Coiba offers some of the best snorkeling in the world and interesting wildlife as well. The marine area of the park, which covers over 160,000 hectares (618 sq. miles), is home to about fish 700 species, 3 species of sea turtles and over 15 species of dolphins and whales.

The forests on the island boast 147 bird specie, 38 mammals (recently 9 bats were added to this list!) and 39 amphibians and reptiles. Among them are at least 3 endemic species, animals that occur only on Coiba and nowhere else in the world.

TanagerTourism™  Environment & Community Oriented Vacations

in close collaboration with Heliconia Bed and Breakfast, allows you to experience Coiba at its best. We visit up to four different reefs, walk two different trails and take you on a boat ride through the mangroves. You are likely to see endemic howler monkeys, agoutis and colorful birds in the forest. Coiba’s marine environment presents turtles, many types of colorful reef fish, and the harmless white-tip reef-shark around Coiba’s reefs. From the boat we regularly observe dolphins (bottle-nosed and pacific spotted dolphins), and from July to September we can also meet Southern Humpback Whales.

Coiba Island Tour Activities Schedule Coiba National Park Tour Prices & Details Coiba Tour Costs & Reservations Coiba Tour Schedules – Departure Dates Coiba Tour Frequently Asked Questions Question? Get in Touch • Contact Link Important to Read

WATCH – Let’s go to Coiba Video: Coiba National Park Impressions

• A True Birding Experience

Tanager Tours is a leading birding tours operator to birdwatching trips to Peru and other South American destinations; at the same time we are specialized Butterfly tour, photography, wildlife, nature and cultural trips in Peru. Company’s name alludes to the magnificent colors and diversity of South American tanagers and symbolizes the richness and variety of our tours.

Active in Peru since 1999, we trademark is a high degree of reliability against relatively low prices. We offer tailor-made tours as well as standard routes.

Our company has the best staff of professionals bird guides, logistic, drivers and cooks, who love birds and nature in general, enjoying our birding tours this passion makes this human group voyages of exploration and training looking for new routes to the delight of our customers.

We have a small but stable staff working exclusively for our company, this makes our services of exceptional quality and comfort for our customers. All of our birding trips and tours have been well designed to maximize viewing bird specialties by area. Our staff are constantly exploring new remote areas and improving our tours to give you the best and true birding experience.

Tanager Tours is a small but stable travel agency. Our staff consists of excellent guides supported by reliable drivers. Our guides have extensive language skills, speaking Spanish, English, and Dutch. We have minimal overhead and advertising costs: Tanager Tours’ philosophy is that our customers will find us because we offer quality tours that result in satisfied clients.

Our quality is based on the use of reliable and robust equipment and keeping group sizes small – generally between 2 to 7 clients. To back up these strengths, our drivers are not just good chauffeurs, but also skilled mechanics.

We are realistic in what is possible when birding – although we also do our utmost to show our customers as much as possible of Peru’s splendour and do all we can to answer the clients’ wishes for endemic or difficult to find species, we do not build castles of air. Our strategy is to make a realistic plan, based on thorough correspondence, to attain our clients’ targets. Tanager Tours’ guiding principle is that our tours should surpass your expectations, not to evoke unrealistic expectations that we cannot substantiate. After all, birds remain birds, and that is exactly their attraction.

Tanager Tours offers a variety of birding tours in Peru, visiting an astounding diversity of habitats. Please have a look at the bird tours Peru page to get an impression of what is possible. It goes without saying that the various itineraries can be adjusted – the itineraries presented are based on the minimum number of days to make them successful, but adding days increases chances of finding hard to see or rare species.

These itineraries form templates for our Customized Tours and Fixed Departures. Most of our trips are small groups of birders who ask us to build itineraries for them, often using our standard itineraries and adding days where they have particular interest. The sky is the limit for these tours – we have the necessary experience in Peru to advise you as to what is feasible and how best to achieve your wishes, be they a long list of difficult endemics or a relaxing holiday in a birdwatching paradise. We vary our fixed departures from year to year, mostly based on previous successes and client feedback, but also because our guides are passionate birders, not simply list-builders – they truly enjoy birdwatching in all its variety, and it shows during our tours.

Not all of our clients are dawn-to-dusk birders – we regularly include visits to Peru’s many cultural attractions in our tours. We have two such itineraries, combining relatively relaxing birding with visits to Incan, Chachapoyan, and/or colonial historical sites. They can be found on our Nature / Culture Tours page. Of course customized tours in this vein are also possible.

During any journey, food it’s very important and Peru has an excellent cuisine, that’s why we have our own cook and equipment (chairs, tables, porcelain tableware ) An specialized member of our crew, will prepare meals for you during any of our tours offering a fresh, clean and taste food, this makes our tours more comfortable and enjoyable and we avoid a typical box lunch or sandwich everyday. we avoid to have Driver-chef, this can be not safe for you, depending of the tour, we have long drivings and add extra responsibilities to one single person would be risk for everybody. another advantage is; we can have breakfast and lunch, anywhere and anytime that we like, sometimes hotels don’t offer early breakfast, so we lost value time waiting for it, in some places, nowadays hotels offer early breakfast witch its good, but sometimes is not pleasant to eat early in the morning, so thinking in those details we offer breakfast and lunch on the field, this give us more chance to get our target and we spend more time in the field, birding or enjoying the nature, surrounded by amazing landscapes, breathing fresh air, instead to be waiting in the restaurant.

Please see our photo Gallery

Occasionally, Tanager Tours organize research trips to deepen our knowledge or to explore previously unknown areas. On these trips, we cannot guarantee what we’ll see or what traveling conditions we will encounter, but they offer good value for the adventurous birder. We often undertake very long drives, spend many nights camping, and use rustic accommodations and restaurants. Those interested in this kind of travel should contact us to see if we have anything planned.

Tanager Tours started as a specialist in Peruvian birding, but the enthusiasm of its staff to visit other areas in South America has led to cooperation with similar agencies in other countries. In particular, we are active in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Argentina in conjunction with other local tour companies, and are working on building a partnership to offer tours. In general, the other agency organizes the ground logistics while we provide the guide (mostly Miguel Lezama).

David has been leading birding tours since 2000, mostly in Peru but also in other Andean countries, especially Colombia. His knowledge of South American birds always impresses clients and he has become one of the region’s most popular guides. Recently he has taken a keen interest in butterflies and is quickly becoming an expert on Andean species. David splits his time between Canada, where he is working towards a biology degree, and South America.

Miguel is a licensed Peruvian tour guide who has been studying birds since 2007. He began work in the Manu area, and now leads bird-watching tours all over Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. He enjoys exploring remote areas for the most exciting and mythical birds to create new birding routes for our costumers. He is one of the main guides for our tours, leading butterfly tours too, his knowledge about culture, History and Nature makes Miguel the best guide.

Alex is Peruvian, He was born in Puerto Maldonado in the tropical rainforest, his birdind skills are naturally develop while he was growing, nowadays he is one of the Top guides of the country his knowledge is incredible, he can ID any bird call and find any bird in the dense vegetation making Alex a great unique bird guide.

Silverio Was born in the Ese’Eja Native Community in Tambopata province in South Eastern Peru, He discover his birding skills working in his Community’s Eco-tourism project, since then he lead few birding tours in the Tambopata National Reserve until he got the opportunity to lead Birding tours for different companies, nowaday he lead tours all over Peru and Colombia and Northern Chile, and he had guided to some of the best Top ten birders worldwide whos now a days are the current living world #1.

Henry, lives in Tarapoto Northern Peru. he is one of the few bird guide living in this region. He started to train as a guide since 2007 until the present time. He worked by NGO projects, one fo them searching Peruvian endemic species «White-Masked Antbird», bird migration monitoring projects to propose new conservation areas and Nowadays he is guiding birding groups and its part of our team.

Vidal was born in Cusco, studied tourism at the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, and in 2007 began using his passion for birds in Tambopata National Reserve and Manu National Park. In 2011 he started guiding for Tanager Tours.

Actually he is one of our main Cultural Bird tour Guide in all over Peru.

Juve began work as a driver for bird watching groups a long time ago. In 2002 he formed Tanager Tours with Wim and David. Nowadays he has an unrivalled knowledge of nearly all the established birding sites in Peru. He functions as a driver as well as a second guide. Juve is able to find the real skulkers and hidden birds, even better than most of guides. For trips in Central and North Peru he often acts as driver and guide. His knowledge of English is basic, so this is only an option for customers that speak some Spanish or accept a simpler communication. He is a driver with extensive experience in the field of tourism he is working over 20 years with great skill and knowledge of mechanics makes it one of the brilliant people last years has been working with birdwatchers groups this has sparked his passion for birds and now is part of Tanager tours family

Juan is a driver with extensive experience in the field of tourism for over 20 years. His gentle manner, great driving skill and knowledge of mechanics makes him one of the best drivers for birdwatchers and Butterfly tours, who knows all birding and butterfly spots, Juan sometimes travel by himself with some intrepid birders and butterfly photographers.

R y S Tangara SAC

Ruc: 20563896362.

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• © 2022 Tanager Tours • Todos los Derechos Reservados

WE ARE TANAGER PHOTO TOURS

THE BEST BIRDS & WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCES

Explore the neotropics as never before, working with local talent and supporting community-based tourism. Our pledge is to activate regional economies by promoting natural resources thus benefiting rural communities. 

Join us for a small group Birds and Wildlife photography tour, an easy-paced birding holiday or plan a tailor-made itinerary. We will create an all inclusive travel experience, you only worry about having a good time!

Professional guides

Best places

Great memories

WHAT EXPLORERS SAY

I have had the pleasure of working together with Alejandro on various bird photography tours in Colombia over the past 10 years, and could not recommend him more highly. He is an excellent all-round naturalist, and one of the best birders in Colombia. Plus he is a very relaxed and fun person to be with, and his logistics are German-made… flawless!

Murray Cooper, South Africa.

©Dmitry Vinogradov/500px

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Home » Travel Guides » United States » Idaho (ID) » 15 Best Things to Do in Moscow (Idaho)

15 Best Things to Do in Moscow (Idaho)

In a landscape of fertile rolling hills on the Idaho-Washington boundary, Moscow is the county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, founded in the early 1890s.

The city has a cozy downtown with historic brick buildings from the turn of the 20th century and lots of community events, like a weekly farmers’ market spring through fall, and a bustling artwalk in June.

As you would expect, the University of Idaho plays an important role in the city’s cultural, social and sporting life, and many of the attractions in this list are connected to this institution in some way.

The surrounding Palouse landscape of rambling hills decked with wheat fields, can be explored on two paved rail trails, heading out east and west of the city.

1. University of Idaho Arboretum & Botanical Garden

The loveliest feature of the university campus’ verdant grounds is the UI Arboretum & Botanical Garden.

You’ll find it in 63 acres, just south of the President’s Residence and the university’s golf course, with undulating Palouse hills in the background.

Open to the public with free admission, the arboretum was laid out on a former hayfield in the early-1980s, although its origins go back way before, to the early 20th century.

In fact you can check out the site of the first arboretum, planted in the 1910s with majestic specimen trees, including a giant sequoia, on the north side of the President’s Residence.

As for the “new” arboretum, this counts more than 17,000 plants from over 2,400 taxa, mostly organized into geographical regions, including Europe, Asia and Eastern and Western North America.

On the south end are exquisite display gardens for xerophytes, ornamental willows, irises and heather, as well as a butterfly garden, magical in summer.

2. Latah Trail

Twelve miles long, this paved trail will take you east from Moscow all the way to the neighboring city of Troy.

The Latah Trail was completed in 2008 and is on the course of a dismantled BNSF railroad line that junctioned at Arrow, some 30 miles to the southeast.

The path is ten feet wide, allowing plenty of space for walkers and cyclists in summer, and snowshoers and cross-country skiers after snowfall in winter.

As this is a rail trail there are no difficult slopes but you’ll be guaranteed breathtaking panoramas of the Palouse, with tilled slopes interspersed with sweeps of coniferous forest.

In Moscow the Latah Trail merges seamlessly with the Paradise Path, in turn connecting with the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail, which we’ll talk about below.

3. Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center

The Appaloosa, identified by its colorful spotted coat, is a horse breed synonymous with the Palouse region, so it’s fitting that there should be a museum for it, right on the Idaho-Washington state line.

The museum shines a light on a variety of topics, like the history of spotted horses in art and literature, Appaloosas’ various coat patterns, and the importance of Appaloosas to the native Nez Perce people.

Display cases are loaded with interesting objects, from saddles to black and white photography and Native American artifacts. There’s also a hands-on area to keep children engaged, as well as a theater and an extensive library.

4. Moscow Farmers’ Market

Taking place on Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm, May through October, Moscow Farmers’ Market is now well into its fifth decade.

Right on Main Street, this is a celebration of the Moscow area’s farmers, artisans and musicians, giving them an opportunity to connect with the city’s residents and visitors.

For shoppers interested in food provenance the market is a chance to find out where your produce comes from and pick up tips about storage and preparation.

There’s a wide range of vendors for vegetables, fruit, plants, flowers, local grass-fed meat, pastries, honey, jams, cosmetics, home decorations, hand-forged knives and much more.

The market has live music most weeks, as well as freshly prepared food, from tacos to samosas.

5. Bill Chipman Palouse Trail

Following the right of way of the old Union Pacific Railroad, the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail runs west from Moscow, crossing the state line and taking you to Pullman, Washington.

Pullman is the home of the flagship campus for Washington State University, the second-largest institution of higher education in the state.

Seven miles long, the trail, paved all the way, carries you through bucolic Palouse scenery, parallel to State Route 270.

There’s a shallow gradient, and you’ll come across rest areas and interpretive signs along the route. And while the landscapes are gorgeous, the trail also has an important practical use as a commuter route for cyclists between the two university campuses.

6. Prichard Art Gallery

This outreach facility for the University of Idaho is located in downtown Moscow, and moved to its current location on Main Street in 1986.

The Prichard Art Gallery has a lively schedule of exhibitions, events and educational programming, receiving upwards of 17,000 visitors a year.

You can check out the creativity of members of the Idaho College of Art and Architecture, as well as temporary exhibits for local, regional, national and international artists in a whole spectrum of media.

The exhibits rotate at short intervals, so there’s always something fresh to see, while the gift shop sells unique pieces by artists and craftspeople from the area.

7. McConnell Mansion

On leafy Adams Street, a couple of blocks east of Main Street, stands the palatial W. J. McConnell House.

In a Stick/Eastlake style, this elegant residence was built in 1886 for William J. McConnell (1839-1925), who served as Governor of Idaho from 1893 to 1897, after previously representing the young state as one of its first United States Senators.

The mansion is the headquarters of the Latah County Historical Society, and you can take a look around a series of themed period rooms, featuring authentic furnishings and appliances.

The society also puts on fascinating exhibits and learning events, often in partnership with the University of Idaho and always well worth attending.

8. Colter’s Creek Winery

The rolling country south of Moscow has everything you need to make great wine, and in 2016 the Lewis-Clark Valley gained official AVA (American Viticultural Area) designation.

Colter’s Creek has a storefront and tasting room in Moscow, growing its grapes on the sunny slopes where the Potlatch flows into the Clearwater River.

Planted between the 1980s and 2010s these vineyards produce a wide variety of grapes, running the gamut from Riesling to Cabernet Sauvignon, for local handcrafted wines that have earned widespread acclaim.

The stylish Moscow tasting room is in Main Street’s Hattabaugh building, constructed in 1890, and has a choice of estate wines on tap. Wine tasting classes take place regularly, to help you tell a Sangiovese from a Tempranillo.

9. Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre

On the National Register of Historic Places, this fine old Spanish Revival cinema has a history going back to 1926, and was founded as a vaudeville stage and silent movie house.

The current tiled facade, in a pared-down Art Deco style, has been in place since 1949, and up to the late-1980s this was downtown Moscow’s main movie theater.

Since 2000, the venue has belonged to the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, which carried out thorough renovations in the 2010s. Come for classic, independent and foreign films, as well as a variety of community stage performances and other events.

10. Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center

Summers in Moscow wouldn’t be the same without this public outdoor pool, splash pad and water park, open June through September.

If you want to get your laps in, the Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center has a 25-yard, six-lane pool.

Meanwhile parents can bring children to the extensive play area, which features a toddler-friendly slide, tumble buckets, interactive equipment, slides for bigger kids and a small lazy river.

The center also has picnic tables, barbecues, lounge chairs and free Wi-Fi, as well as a full-service concession area, though you’re free to bring your own food.

11. Idaho Vandals

The 16,000-seater multipurpose arena, Kibbie Dome is home field for several of the University of Idaho’s sports teams, all called the Idaho Vandals.

So depending on the time of year you can catch pulsating football, basketball (men and women), soccer (women), tennis and indoor track and field at this venue.

The Kibbie Dome was completed in 1971 as an open-air stadium, and was given its barrel-vaulted roof in 1975.

The football team competes in the Big Sky Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), returning in 2016 after 20 years bouncing around the Big West, Sun Belt and Western Athletic Conferences.

The Vandals’ golden age came between 1985 and 1995 when it reached the I-AA playoffs in ten out of 11 seasons.

If you’re wondering about the name, “Vandals”, it goes back more than a century, when UI’s feared basketball team played defense with such ferocity that they were dubbed the Vandals by the famous coach Hec Edmundson (1886-1964).

12. Ghormley Park

Bordered on the south side by Paradise Creek, Ghormley Park is the favorite destination for family fun and outdoor recreation in summer.

The park covers just over ten acres, a large section of which is in the shade of tall, mature trees.

This is where you’ll find the picnic shelter, fitted with BBQ grills, as well as a children’s playground.

Elsewhere there are amenities for baseball/softball, basketball and horseshoes. You can use the Paradise Trail, which traces the creek and connects a number of green spaces in Moscow, to get onto the Latah Trail on the east side of the city and the Bill Chipman Trail in the west.

13. Palouse Ice Rink

You can hit the ice at this popular local rink on the southeast side of town. Resembling an aircraft hangar, the Palouse Ice Rink has a temporary look about it, and when we wrote this article was making strides raising money for a permanent complex.

There are regular public skate sessions early in the day, after school and in the evening, and skate rental is reasonably priced.

Also on the schedule are casual stick-n-puck sessions, pick-up hockey, drop-in late-night curling, league curling, Palouse Adult League Hockey and much more. Check the calendar for learn-to-skate sessions.

14. Moscow Artwalk

Beginning back in 2004, the Moscow Artwalk is a landmark on the Palouse calendar. On one Friday evening in June, more than 60 businesses and 100 artists around downtown participate in a vibrant cultural and artistic event.

Moscow Artwalk brings exhibitions of a wide variety, as well as live demonstrations by artists, workshops, live music, dance performances and food vendors, on Main Street and its intersecting streets.

You can take in this cultural feast on a self-guided trail, and there’s a passport system, with six stamps making you eligible for a prize draw. And if you miss something, many of the participating businesses also have Saturday hours.

15. Fondo on the Palouse

The foundation responsible for the Latah Trail organizes this cycling event, normally staged on the last Saturday in June.

Fondo on the Palouse takes you out into the beautiful rolling Palouse landscape on a variety of group bike rides, all setting off from Moscow.

The Family Fondo is a 15-mile route from Moscow to Troy. If you want something longer but want to stay away from road traffic, there’s a 50-mile ride along the Latah and Bill Chipman Palouse Trails.

And finally the grand Moscow Fondo is a 100-mile tour of the region, passing through Troy, Deary, Princeton and Potlatch, crossing the state line to Pullman and Colfax, WA, before returning to Moscow.

15 Best Things to Do in Moscow (Idaho):

• University of Idaho Arboretum & Botanical Garden
• Latah Trail
• Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center
• Moscow Farmers' Market
• Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
• Prichard Art Gallery
• McConnell Mansion
• Colter's Creek Winery
• Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
• Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center
• Idaho Vandals
• Ghormley Park
• Palouse Ice Rink
• Moscow Artwalk
• Fondo on the Palouse

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Idaho Birds

Western tanager.

Piranga ludoviciana Statewide Status: S:N  IBRC Review Species (Winter) eBird Species Map

All Reports (Review Species Only): Winter records only.

• 27 December 1976 – 1 – Nampa , Canyon County, Latilong 17 -American Birds 77TH CBC (1976-1977) 31(4):813
• 22 January 1978 – 1 – Meridian, Ada County, Latilong 17 –  – Ernest and Cleo Frost – American Birds 32(3):379
• 1-2 January 2002 – 1 – Harrrison, Kotenai County,Latilong 2 – eating apples with robins – 1st seen on the January1  by Matthew Moskwik – sightiing confirmed by Lisa Hardy and Shirley Sturts on January 2 – North American Birds 56(2):197
• 23 December  2012 – Hells Gate State Park, Nez Perce County, Latilong 4 – John Hanna – photos taken – Inland-nw-birders
• ♦23 December 2012 and 1 January 2013 – 1 – Hells Gate State Park, Nez Perce County, Latilong 4 – John Hanna Rare Bird Report; #:10-B-13 Voting: 7-0
• ♦15 December 2020 – 1 immature male – Barber Park, Ada County, Latilong 17 – Ken Miracle  – also seen on the CBC Dec. 16 – Photo Rare Bird Report #:1-B-2021 Voting: 7-0

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