Overview
Things to consider:
Arrival day: It flight schedule is from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm; we would prefer to drive to our first destination/lodge/forest.
Arrival time between 4:00 pm – 8 pm; overnight Hotel Bouganvillea.
Arrival time after 8:00 pm; overnight Hotel Adventure Inn.
An included hotel’s airport shuttle would be arranged.
Places to visit:
Talamanca Highlands : There is no better destination in the country for endemic birds than the Cerro de la Muerte! Although the diversity of species here is less than in lowlands, the highlands far exceed any other area in endemic species. Hummingbirds, Flycatchers, Vireos, Trogons, and Wrens are some of the families that have been isolated here for millions of years, creating unique specialization of species. Imagine a crisp, misty morning among the giant oaks where you spot the beautiful Resplendent Quetzal! This is one of the few places you can find them all year round, and these treasured moments are what make this deep green location so special to us birders!
Birding Highlights: Black Ear Woodquail, Resplendent Quetzal, Silvery-throated Jay, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Dusky Nightjar, Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, Buffy Tuftedcheck, Flame-throated Warbler, Blue-throated Toucanet, Maroon-chested Ground Dove, Fiery-throated Hummingbird.
Piedras Blancas Rainforest: Located in the small community of La Gamba, Esquinas Rainforest has become an icon of sustainable tourism, employing local people, and conserving its natural habitat. This piece of paradise has truly become a dream for bird seekers: Trogons, Hummingbirds, Flycatchers, Woodcreepers, and Arcaries are plentiful. On its trails and riverbeds new species are found daily, and this is truly an incredible destination for target birds such as Manakins, Potoos, Cotingas, rare foliage gleaners,
Birding Highlights: Black-check Tanager, Charming Hummingbird, Little Tinamou, Three-wattled Bellbird, Ruddy Woodcreeper, Yellow-bellied Seedater, Uniform Crake, Brown-throated Parakeet, Savanna Hawk, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Seedater, Tiny Hawk.
Carara National Park : The greatest birding destinations in the country, this incredible park boasts the second largest population of Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica! With easy access to all trails, mangrove swamps, pasture fields and forest edges, this destination is friendly for all ages and fitness levels. There are very few places where more than a hundred species can be found on one trail, but the Meandrica trail is infamous for just that. It has become a treasured birding icon where you can seek tinamous, trogons, wrens, antpittas, manakins, cotingas, bellbirds, and antshrikes, among others. The nearby forested edges house many open field birds, such as jays, blackbirds, greenlets, rails, ground doves, motmots, hawks, parakeets, and owls. The mangroves of the Rio Grande de Tarcoles can reward the birder with up to five species of kingfishers, as well as many other shorebirds such as herons and egrets. The most remarkable of this area are the restricted range birds of the mangroves, such as vireos, warblers, cuckoos, flycatchers, and even the elusive Rufous Necked Woodrail and the only true Costa Rican endemic, the Mangrove Hummingbird.
Birding Highlights: Scarlet Macaws, Orange Collared Manakin, Fiery-Billed Aracari, Baird’s Trogon, Riverside Wren, Crane Hawk, Red-breasted Blackbird, Mangrove Vireo, Mangrove Hummingbird, Scrub Greenlet, Cherrie’s Tanager, Great Tinamou, Northern Royal Flycatcher.
What is included:
All ground, water, and air transportation (if described) depending on the group size can be an SUV 4×4 or a 17 passenger van.
All activities such as boat tours, park fees, local guides
All accommodations based on double occupancy
3 Meals per day as described. Except on arrival day
What is not included:
Personal travel insurance, gratuities to guides/hotel staff/restaurant services
Alcoholic drinks, extra meals, room services, international flight