Brief Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival - Night in San Jose (Hotel Bougainvillea)
Days 2/3/4 - Hotel Punta Leon (Pacific Coast)
Days 5/6/7 - Savegre Mountain Lodge (7200 feet in the mountains)
Days 8/9/10 - Ranch Naturalista (Caribbean Foothills)
Day 11 - Return to Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 12 - Flights Home
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival - San Jose
The tour begins with a welcome dinner and a brief orientation to our trip.
Day 2 - 4 Pacific Coast
Visiting the Pacific coast, along the Rio Tarcoles, we will explore Carara National Park. This area is a confluence of several habitats—tropical dry forest, coastal marsh and southern rainforest.
As we walk the trails we will look for Scarlet Macaw, Blue-crowned Manakin, Black-faced Antthrush, and the elusive Streaked Antpitta. Nearby we have also found Pacific Screech Owl, Striped Owl, Olivaceous Piculet, Scrub Greenlet and the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird.
Day 5 - 7 Central Mountains
Set at 7,200 feet above sea level on a family farm with a clear trout stream running through it, our lodge is surrounded by one of the finest examples of highland pine-oak cloud forest on the planet. The exhilarating ride into the valley is spectacular as the road winds along high cliffs and through the forest!
The surrounding private nature reserve is the best place in the world to see the Resplendent Quetzal—one of the most beautiful birds in the Americas. Other “hot” finds here may include Flame-colored Tanager, Volcano Junco, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, and Flame-throated Warbler.
The lodge offers comfortable rooms—with heaters—as it gets very cool at night at this elevation. The restaurant offers buffet dining that always includes fresh trout and wonderful desserts.
Day 8 - 10 Caribbean Foothills
“The best place to see the Snowcap Hummingbird” is a quote heard often when people speak of Rancho Naturalista. This privately owned reserve is set at around 3000 ft. in the foothills of the Caribbean slope. The many trails on the property will keep us occupied searching for the 400 or so species found here. Even a lazy afternoon on the balcony can offer magnificent birding! This 125 acre ranch lies in pre-mountain rain forest in the Caribbean zone at 3000’. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded by guests locally. over 200 of them from the balcony alone!
Hummingbirds such as the Snowcap and Violet-crowned Woodnymph, as well as many passerines are regular visitors to the evening ‘baths,’ a small stream that tumbles through rocky pools where we can quietly observe them from benches above.
The flower-surrounded lodge and two cottages look 22 miles across the valley to Volcanoes Irazu and Turrialba. Delicious meals are served family style in the dining room, which has a view of the valley. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are provided year-round.
Day 11 San Jose
Today’s drive will offer more spectacular views and some good birding stops as we return to San Jose for a good night’s sleep before returning to the USA.
Day 12 - Return to USA
Departure to USA
Costa Rica has quickly become a popular birding destination. The abundance of birds and other wildlife due to the incredible habitat diversity, and its location as part of the land-bridge between North and South America, is astounding. Over 800 species of birds have been recorded within its borders.
