Itinerary

Day 1: April 5th. Arrive in San Jose where you will be warmly welcomed by your guide and chauffer and escorted back to your hotel. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the poolside or taking a walk in the lovely gardens to recuperate from your long day of travel. If you feel like getting some exercise, there are lighted tennis courts available to you at the hotel. Depending on arrival time, you may also be able to do some birding with your guide on the hotel grounds. This is a good place to see the White-eared Ground-sparrow, the Blue-crowned Motmot, some colorful hummingbirds, and maybe even the Prevost’s Ground-sparrow. D.
Overnight at Bouganvillea Hotel.

Red and Blue Poison Dart Frog © Ken Wilson

Day 2: : Travel to Hotel Villa Lapa, situated at the edge of the Carara Biological Reserve on the banks of the Tarcoles River near the Pacific coast. We will stop along the way to look for Blue-winged Teals, Least Grebes, Northern Jacanas, Anhingas, and Cormorants. After lunch at the hotel, we will explore the bird-rich trails through the forest, and hope to see Long-tailed Manakin, Scarlet Macaws and Tiger Herons, among many others. Spend the day in the Carara Biological Reserve, a unique climatological zone where the ecosystem of the humid southern coastal region joins the dry climate of the northern Pacific area, becoming a rich meeting ground for species from both regions. This is truly one of the highlights of the tour, where we hope to find the Orange Collared Manakin dancing in their lek. This is a great location to spot antbirds, up to five different species of Trogons, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and even Royal Flycatchers. In the early mornings, before entering the reserve, we will visit the nearby bridge overlooking the Tarcoles River, where Scarlet Macaws fly over daily. Here you will also be amazed by the gigantic crocodiles basking on the banks of the river. Overnight at Hotel Villa Lapas. BL&D.

Days 3 & 4: Travel to the Pacific coast where we will spend the next two days at La Cusinga Lodge and surrounding area. The lodge borders the unique Ballena Marine National Park. Ballena is the Spanish word for whale. The park gets its name because of its located on the north-south migration path of the humpback whales. If we are lucky we might have the opportunity to see one of these beautiful creatures on its migration path. The area is also known for its rich marine life and coastal terrestrial habitats. We will spend ample time exploring the 500 acre private reserve at the lodge, home to howler monkeys, white-face monkeys, iguanas, basilisk lizards and other reptiles, as well as excellent birdlife including the Fiery-billed Araçari , Yellow-billed Cotinga (a species endemic to Costa Rica and Panama), King Vulture, Grey-necked Wood-rail, American Oystercatcher, Elegant Tern, a variety of shorebirds, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Smooth-billed Ani, Scaled Pigeon, Striped Owl, Costa Rican Swift, Olivaceous Piculet, Panama Flycatcher, Yellow-crowned, Tyrannulet and Riverside Wren. BL&D.

Days 5 & 6: Today we will travel further south to Las Cruces Biological Station, home to the Robert and Katherine Wilson Botanical Garden and run by the Organization for Tropical Studies. The station boasts an impressive collection of tropical and subtropical plants from around the world, including rare and endangered species from Costa Rica. Among the 1000 genera and 212 plant families represented at the station there is an astounding compilation of ferns, aroids, bromeliads, gingers, heliconias, marantas, and palms. The gardens and surrounding rainforest attract a wide variety of birds, many of which are exclusively found in the southern zone of the country. Some of our target birds while at the station include: Turquoise Cotinga, Fiery-billed Aracari, Masked Yellow-throat, Marbled Wood-Quail, Garden Emerald, White-bellied Emerald, Charming Hummingbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Speckled Tanager, Thrushlike Manakin (Thrushlike Schiffornis), Golden-naped Woodpecker, and Pale-breasted Spinetail. If we are lucky we may even see Crested Oropendula and Wattled Jacana. BL&D.
Overnight at Las Cruces Biological Station.

Day 7 & 8: Traveling west this morning brings us to Esquinas Lodge on the outskirts of Golfito where we will spend the next two days. The lodge is surrounded by dense lowland rainforest bordering on the Piedras Blancas National Park. This is a great area to look for Ruddy-breasted Seed-Eater, Red-breasted Blackbird, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager (endemic), Baird’s Trogon, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-crowned Manakin, Brown-chested Martin, Scrub Greenlet, and Thick-billed Euphonia among many others. We might even spot Pearl Kite and Uniform Crake. BL&D.
Overnight at Esquinas Lodge.

Day 9: Today we will return northward to San Gerardo de Dota, stopping for lunch in the San Isidro area. The remainder of the afternoon will be spent exploring the bird rich habitat in the Savegre River Valley. Walking through the gardens of our lodge and along the Savegre river, we can hope to see Flame-colored Tanager, Collared Trogon, Torrent Tyrannulet, Volcano hummingbird, and Gray-tailed Mountain Gem to name a few. In the evening after a delicious dinner, we will go over the birds, reptiles, mammals, and any other wildlife seen that day. BL&D.
Overnight at Albergue de Montana Savegre.

Day 10: We will spend this morning exploring the misty highland cloud forest reserve at the Finca Mirador de Quetzales, where up to 20 pairs of Resplendant Quetzals have been seen. Some of the other highland species we will be looking for include: Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher, Peg-billed Finch, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Sooty Robin, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, and Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager. Before returning to our lodge for lunch, we will visit the Paramo habitat at approximately 3500m above sea level in search of the Volcano Junco. After lunch we will bird more of the Savegre River Valley. BL&D. Overnight at Albergue de Montana Savegre.

Days 11, 12, 13: Today we travel further north to Sarapiqui. This lowland rain forest region at the base of the Caribbean slope is another of the areas well-known for hosting a great diversity of tropical flora and fauna. Here the Sunbittern, Black-faced Grosbeak, and Gray-necked Wood-Rail are just a few of the inhabitants we may encounter. This is the most likely spot on the trip to see the Great Green Macaw, an endangered species that depends on the equally endangered Dipteryx tree for feeding and nesting. The Dipteryx is one of the ‘emergent’ trees found in the Sarapiqui area. We will be staying at the La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), clearly a highlight of the tour. The next 3 days will be spent at the station which is among the four most famous tropical research facilities in the world, providing a haven for an outstanding abundance of wildlife.

Such abundance includes, more than 420 bird species, more than 500 species of butterflies, 55 species of snakes, and 120 species of mammals. A vast variety of different species of trees can be seen in the arboretum. This is the most likely place to make your tinamou dream come true as there are three species of Tinamou that inhabit La Selva. Amongst the many birds we will be looking for, we are likely to see Rufous Motmot, Purple-throated Fruit Crow, Snowy Cotinga, trogons and caciques. Animals here are not so camera shy, providing ample photo opportunities. Peccaries (wild pigs), agoutis, coatis, sloth, and monkeys frequent the area. B,L&D.
Overnight at La Selva Biological Station

Day 14: This morning we return to San Jose for a farewell dinner and overnight stay to rest up for departing flights the next day. En route to San Jose, we will visit the Virgen del Socorro area, stopping along the way for lunch at the lovely Waterfall Gardens on the edge of the Braulio Carrillo National Park. After lunch we will enjoy the extensive butterfly and hummingbird gardens where up to 12 different species of jeweled hummingbirds and a large variety of colorful butterflies, including the giant blue Morpho, visit the garden. We will also walk along the river, experiencing close-up views of 5 spectacular waterfalls. Following our departure from this beautiful spot we will walk through the serene river valley called Virgen del Socorro where we may be lucky enough to see the Lanceolated Monklet and watch soaring White Hawks and Swallow-tailed Kites. B,L&D.
Overnight at Bouganvillea Hotel.

Day 15: April 19th.
Following breakfast you will be taken to the airport for your flight home.

Tour includes: all lodging and meals starting with dinner on day 1 and ending with breakfast on day 15; all transportation in Costa Rica in a modern and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with clear glass windows, ideal for wildlife viewing; full time private bi-lingual professional guide specializing in birds and natural history; entrance fees to parks and reserves; 3 chilled bottles of water per day per client; and taxes.
Price based on double occupancy.

Tour does not include: International air fare, airport taxes ( Approximately $27.00) and tips to local staff, guides and driver.

*Each morning we will be getting an early start to make the best of our time and to maximize our opportunities to see the most species of birds possible. As an optional outing, one night in each location we will go owling (weather permitting). Each evening there will also be an optional meeting after dinner to go over the bird list and the next days activities

Click here to see more photos from our 2007 trip to Costa Rica.