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Fundación Loros
Volunteer Experience at the Parrot and Macaw Sanctuary near Cartagena

Volunteer experience at a parrot and macaw sanctuary · near Cartagena

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At a glance

  • Duration

    6 hours

    Morning shift 7 AM – 1 PM · Afternoon shift 12 PM – 6 PM

  • Price

    USD $150 per person

    Children up to 16 years old pay 50%. All inclusive.

  • Group

    Max. 5 people per guide

    Small groups, bilingual guide Spanish/English.

  • Minimum age

    7 years

    No maximum age. Suitable for good physical condition.

  • What's included

    Everything, no extras

    Private door-to-door transport + breakfast + lunch + bilingual guide + activity + native tree planting.

  • Tree planting included

    A native tree

    Each visitor plants their own tree in the tropical dry forest restoration zone.

  • Location

    Villanueva, Bolívar

    35 km from Cartagena · view on Google Maps →

  • Languages

    English and Spanish

Volunteer experience at the sanctuary: a day inside the real process of giving a parrot back its sky.

The parrots and macaws that arrive at Fundación Loros come from cages, seizures, abandonment. Each one has a story, a wound to heal, and a right still owed: to fly again. This volunteer experience is not a guided tour — it's a real working day alongside the team, inside the process that takes each individual from captivity to candidate for freedom.

The day starts with a traditional breakfast by the lake and a technical talk on the wildlife management model: minimum-handling principle, rehabilitation, flock formation, soft release, and post-release monitoring. Then you take part in concrete tasks: food preparation, behavioral observation, data recording, support during flight sessions and enrichment activities. In the afternoon, you walk the reintegration zones where released individuals already form stable flocks, feed some of the parrots in rehabilitation, plant a native tree, and visit the forest nursery.

Tropical dry forest, 35 km from Cartagena.

You are in Villanueva, Bolívar — where the foundation does its work. The reserve protects 1,300 acres of one of the most threatened ecosystems in the Colombian Caribbean and guards the habitat to which Amazonian parrots, macaws, and other species of the shared forest return. Your day is not a symbolic add-on: it is real hours of work inside the protocol.

The value of your experience is reinvested in full in the foundation's mission: caring for specific individuals, restoring the ecosystem that receives them, monitoring released flocks, and sustaining the partnerships with the farmers who protect the ecological corridor.

"Such a meaningful and unique experience. Feeding and caring for the parrots and macaws was incredible — you can feel the genuine conservation mission here." — Peter S., Viator (abril 2025)

Itinerary

How your day works

Choose the shift that works best for you. Both cover all Stations of El Sendero hacia la Libertad — only the start time changes.

Morning shift · 7:00 AM – 1:00 PMAfternoon shift · 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

  1. 7:00

    12:00

    60 min

    Pickup at your hotel

    We pick you up in Cartagena in private door-to-door transport. About 1 hour to Villanueva, Bolívar.

  2. 8:00

    13:00

    30 min

    Arrival and breakfast by the lake

    Welcome with a traditional breakfast prepared with ingredients from our farm.

  3. 8:30

    13:30

    30 min

    Conservation talk

    How the foundation works: rehabilitation, reintegration, and tropical dry forest restoration.

  4. 9:00

    14:00

    150 min

    Volunteer experience with parrots and macaws

    Concrete tasks: food preparation, observation, data recording, support during flight sessions and enrichment. All under the principle of minimum handling.

  5. 11:30

    16:30

    30 min

    Farm lunch

    Lunch with local and home-grown ingredients.

  6. 12:00

    17:00

    30 min

    Plant your native tree

    You plant your own native tree in the tropical dry forest restoration zone. It's your physical legacy — the same tree that tomorrow will give food and shelter to the released parrots.

  7. 12:30

    17:30

    30 min

    Farewell and return

    We return to Cartagena by private transport. Estimated arrival at 13:00 (morning shift) or 18:00 (afternoon shift).

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The Trail to Freedom

Your place on the trail

Each experience covers some of the 11 stations in the real rehabilitation and reintegration process. The ones you'll go through are highlighted.

  1. Breakfast at the Lake

  2. Fruit Kitchen

  3. Feeding the birds

  4. Aversion training

  5. Trail of the tití monkeys

  6. Nursery · tree selection

  7. Horseback ride along the trail

  8. Release point

  9. Agroecological station

  10. Commemorative tree planting

  11. Toast and certificate

Station 2 · Fruit Kitchen

Nourishing is also freeing. Only a well-fed body can fly with strength.

Sanctuary team · Fundación Loros

The impact behind your visit

Real numbers from the Foundation's work

Every experience you book funds this measurable, verifiable work. These are the numbers behind the only specialized psittacine center in Colombia.

  • 60+

    Birds released and site-faithful

    Parrots and macaws that flew back to the forest

  • 200+

    Birds in active rehabilitation

    Rescued from illegal trade and in the process of reintegration

  • 500 ha

    Protected tropical dry forest

    One of the most threatened ecosystems in the Caribbean

  • 20.000+

    Trees planted in the reserve

    Nursery on-site · native and fruit-bearing species

  • 80

    Years of longevity

    What a parrot or macaw can go through

  • 1.000+

    Parrots seized per year in Colombia

    The reason the Foundation exists

Volunteer Voices

What they felt caring for the birds

  • Such a meaningful and unique experience. Feeding and caring for the parrots and macaws was incredible — you can feel the genuine conservation mission here.

    Peter S.

    Viator · Abril 2025

  • The birds are majestic and having a chance to feed them was incredible.

    Dana K.

    Viator · Mayo 2025

  • Save the parrots! This volunteer experience is so special — you get to feed, hold and care for endangered macaws. A must-do in Colombia.

    Anaispi

    Tripadvisor · 2025

  • Los loros son definitivamente seres muy especiales, esto fue una experiencia de vida totalmente recomendada!

    angela

    Tripadvisor · Mayo 2025

  • Visitamos una organización sin ánimo de lucro dedicada a la rehabilitación de loros y guacamayos nativos. Nuestro recorrido fue dirigido por Andrés, un veterinario, y Roshan, un biólogo, ambos muy conocedores, profesionales, apasionados y acogedores. Esperamos volver y ver cómo están los árboles que plantamos.

    Sebastian

    Airbnb · Septiembre 2025

  • Magical birds — delicious fruit and wine, charming dogs, beautiful scenery and interesting to learn about conservation efforts in Colombia.

    Anaispi

    Tripadvisor · Abril 2025

These testimonials are real customer reviews. They can be verified on:

Verify on TripadvisorVerify on GetYourGuideVerify on Airbnb

Frequently asked questions

What's included in the price?+

Round-trip transport from Cartagena, breakfast and lunch made with ingredients from our farm, bilingual guide español/inglés, all program activities, and the conservation contribution.

Do you offer discounts for children or groups?+

Children up to 16 years old pay 50%. For groups of more than 6 people or special inquiries, write to us using the inquiry button and we'll send you a personalized quote.

What is the minimum and maximum age?+

The minimum age is 7. There is no maximum age — the experience is suitable for people in good general physical condition. If you have questions about the difficulty level for your group, contact us.

How large are the groups?+

We work with small groups: a maximum of 5 people per bilingual guide. This lets us offer a personalized experience, respect the wildlife, and keep a comfortable pace for everyone.

What should I bring?+

Comfortable, breathable clothing, closed-toe shoes with good grip (no sandals), a cap or hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, a camera, and water (we provide reusable bottles). For birdwatching and hiking, long trousers are better.

Where do you pick us up, and at what time?+

We pick you up at your hotel, accommodation, or an agreed meeting point in Cartagena, in private door-to-door transport. Two shifts are available: morning (pickup 7:00 AM, return ~1:00 PM) and afternoon (pickup 12:00 PM, return ~6:00 PM). The exact location and time are confirmed 24 hours in advance by WhatsApp.

What is the cancellation policy?+

Cancellations more than 72 hours in advance: full refund. Between 72 and 24 hours: 50% refund. Less than 24 hours or no-show: no refund. If we cancel due to weather or safety reasons: full refund or rescheduling.

Is it suitable for people with reduced mobility?+

Some experiences involve walking on uneven terrain. For guests with reduced mobility, we have adapted options (UTV tours, on-farm observation). Tell us your situation through the inquiry option and we'll put something together for you.

What languages is the experience offered in?+

All our guides are bilingual in Spanish and English. If your group needs another language, write to us in advance and we'll see what we can arrange.

Book

Book your experience

Time slot

Total

$300 USD

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