Imagine the rarity of being able to watch a pair of gilded hawks soaring above a tropical waterfall, surrounded by pristine jungle, riding the thermal currents in grace and glory, circling first up then down, demonstrating their prowess and aerial agility and determined might. The thought conjures visions of the wild outdoors; one of peace and serenity watching one of nature’s great raptors exercise their natural freedom and dominance of the skies. Now imagine watching dozens, perhaps thousands of soaring hawks, performing simultaneous and graceful aerials, rarely flapping their powerful wings, occasionally screeching a communication to the flock around them. Sounds like a world of fantasy doesn’t it. But it’s not. Near Veracruz, Mexico, is the site of the world's most concentrated migratory raptor flyway, the Veracruz River of Raptors (VRR). Each fall, four-to-six million raptors migrate through the state of Veracruz, heading to points farther south in Central and South America. Because of the region's geography, raptors from eastern, central, and western North America converge, providing October visitors to the region with a display unequaled of avian fancy unparalleled anywhere on the planet. As many as 2 million Broad-winged Hawks, one million Swainson's Hawks, and over 200,000 Mississippi Kites--nearly the entire world population for these three species--pass through Veracruz each fall. In addition, over 1.5 million Turkey Vultures join the flight, as do thousands of other raptors, waterbirds, and songbirds. Combine this with the hundreds of resident bird species in the state of Veracruz, and the scores of Olmec, Totonac, and Aztec archeological sites, all set in the friendly, unspoiled culture of east central Mexico, and you could be headed to the adventure of a lifetime. It's been called one of the more spectacular natural wonders of the world. From August through November, trained hawk watchers annually record about 5 million birds of prey heading south for the winter. The best viewing is around a small town called Cardel, about 20 miles north of Veracruz. North of Cardel the eastern Sierra Madres send a spur off towards the Gulf of Mexico. This range ends a couple of miles short of the coast. North of this gap between the mountains and the gulf, relatively flat land extends all the way to northern Canada, so virtually all the Broad-winged Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, and an awful lot of the Turkey Vultures that nest in North America get funneled through that narrow chute and spread out as they move south. The Cardel site is close enough to the end of the funnel that, when the weather is good for soaring, there’s a flood of raptors passing overhead. According to ornithologist Rob Bierregaard's wonderful web site about the River of Raptors, "Each morning around 10AM when the sun is heating up the earth, hot air rises in updrafts. Somehow the birds find these "thermals" and effortlessly ride them up thousands of feet. When a few birds find a thermal, all the birds in eyeshot see them going up and fly over to take advantage of that thermal. Soon there may be thousands of hawks streaming into the bottom of the "kettle" of raptors (they call it a vortex in Mexico, which is a bit more descriptive). Once the birds at the top of the kettle sense they’re no longer getting much lift (the air is cooling and no longer buoyant), they peel off in an extended squadron. This is when the River of Raptors is at its most impressive. Hundreds or thousands of birds—20 or 30 across and many deep—pass overhead. Their wings are set and tucked in, as they’re on a long, controlled glide to the south. If they’re on a really long glide, they will start to stratify—the heavier Turkey Vultures "sink" to the bottom of the stream, the lighter Broadwings "float" to the top, with Swainson’s in the middle. The thermal-up-and-glide technique is so efficient that I had to think hard to remember if I even saw a hawk flap its wings the whole day we were watching." Visitors to Veracruz will find a remarkable region full of natural wonder, plenty of culture, and a diversity of ecosystems that make it unique in Mexico. The colonial City of Veracruz is a large metropolis, the largest port city in Mexico, and as such there is always a mix of cultures in the famous city square, where one can opt to dine on one of dozens of sidewalk restaurants, shop a world class free market, and converse with people from all over the world who flock to this remarkable city to enjoy the flavors of the tropics. The city is a mix of fine art and high society, of indigenous cultures and of remarkable attractions, and it is easy to get lost in the favors of the community and spend more than a few days enjoying its museums, beaches, and offshore attractions. Here the southern Gulf is ocean blue, and the deep waters surrounding Veracruz offer world class fishing and diving opportunities. Veracruz is also a city of great history. This is where Cortez first landed and was the first provincial city of New Spain. The lucrative silver and gold trade of the New World soon was based out of Veracruz and a remarkable “floating” Spanish-era fort was constructed in the bay, the perfect bastion to protect the city from French and English assault, and later from marauding pirates of the Gulf. The fort still stands and attracts thousands every week to walk the great walled terraces that still seem to speak of gallant and even bloody days gone by. Not far away is the cradle of Central American culture, the lost cities of the Olmec. You can easily spend a week exploring a number of archeological sites of this remarkable culture, well preserved and open for exploration by visitors. To the south and west are the dense tropical jungles of East-Central Mexico, full of pristine lakes, abundant wildlife including nearly 700 species of birds and howler monkeys that flit from limb to limb above your head. In Catemaco, a beautiful community situated on the shores of Lake Catemaco, offers a unique experience the traveler is not likely to forget. It is the scene each year of the World Wizard’s Convention, where witches and professed warlocks gather to celebrate their trade and to pass out cures and curses for whoever has the purse strings to afford it. You can get healed, have a curse removed, or a relationship blessed for as little as $5 on most any street corner. But the River of Raptors remains one of the best reasons to visit Veracruz State in the fall. The McAllen Chamber of Commerce is hosting the McAllen International Birding Tours this October to visit the famed River of Raptors event. The special group tour will take charter travelers on a beautiful trip across the state to see this remarkable annual migration. This year to tour can be booked for $965 per person including airfare. It departs McAllen Oct. 10th. For more info, call the Chamber tour director at 956-682-2871. Prices are based upon double occupancy.