World famous for its incredible birdlife, Costa Rica’s diverse ecosystems boast almost one thousand different species of bird.
Staying in a variety of lodges, many known for their excellent location and environment for birdwatching, this 16-day birding tour of Costa Rica explores ecosystems from rainforest, cloud forest and grassland to coastal reserves, wetlands and mountains. Travel between lodges in a private vehicle, with a mixture of guided tours led by experienced specialist guides from the lodge and free time to explore the trails and birdlife independently. While the tour focuses on birdlife, you also have the chance to see some of Costa Rica’s other wildlife, including sloths, monkeys and colourful frogs. While you can see incredible birdlife throughout the year in Costa Rica, the migration season runs from December to April, when species from North America head south for the winter months, and this offers the best birding experience.
San Jose – Turrialba – Sarapiqui – Caño Negro – Costa de Pajaros – Central Highlands – Bijagual – San Gerado de Dota
Trip Highlights
- Stay at one of Costa Rica’s best birding lodges, Rancho Naturalista in the volcanic region of Turrialba
- The Sarapiqui rainforest provides shelter for over 400 bird species including the great green macaw
- Enjoy birdwatching tours in the wetlands region of Caño Negro to see stork, spoonbill and hummingbird
- In the rainforests of Bijagual, spot scarlet macaw, burning-billed aracari and yellow-throated toucan
- Costa de Parajos is Costa Rica’s premier birding destination boasting a mixture of habitats
- Visit Los Queztales National Park, famous for the elusive resplendent quetzal with a colourful plumage
Itinerary
Day 1
UK to San Jose
Fly from the UK to San Jose, where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation on the outskirts of the capital. The extensive gardens of this peaceful hotel provides a good introduction to the birdlife of the Central Valley.
Hotel Bougainville
Day 2
San Jose to Turrialba – 83kms
This morning you will be transferred out of San Jose passing lush countryside before arriving in the mountainous area of Turrialba. Under the shadow of Turrialba Volcano, this fertile region is home to both cloud forest and rainforest, as well as extensive plantations. Over 450 species of birds have been recorded in this area including the elusive resplendent quetzal, montezuma oropendola, snowcap hummingbird and keel-billed toucan. For the next two nights you will be staying at one of Costa Rica’s best birding lodges, Rancho Naturalista.
- Breakfast
Rancho Naturalista
Day 3
Turrialba
Start the morning with a private birdwatching tour with an expert guide from your lodge. On foot explore the protected reserve of pre-montane Caribbean rainforest which is home to several marked trails. At an altitude of 900 to 1,200m, 7 kilometres of trails cross through secondary and primary forest around your accommodation, all which can also be walked independently. The region is especially known for its hummingbirds who can be seen from the lodge balcony, including the tiny snowcap hummingbird which is found only in a very limited range in Central America.
- Breakfast
Rancho Naturalista
Day 4
Turrialba to Sarapiqui – 138kms
There is free time in the morning for further birding from your lodge before you head north to Sarapiqui in a private transfer. Leave behind the mountains of Turrialba as you travel to the Caribbean lowlands, stopping for the next two nights in your lodge bordering the Sarapiqui River. Your lodge is surrounded by a 500-acre private reserve of dense rainforest which is known for its abundant birdlife.
- Breakfast
Selva Verde
Day 5
Sarapiqui
Early this morning join a shared birdwatching tour. A critical stopping point on the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor that links North and South America, the rainforest of Sarapiqui provide shelter for over 400 endemic and migratory species, including the critically endangered great green macaw who make their nests in the Almendro Tree protected within the lodge’s reserve.
- Breakfast
Selva Verde
Day 6
Sarapiqui to Caño Negro – 130kms
Continue your Costa Rica birdwatching tour north with a private transfer to the wetlands of Caño Negro, close to the border with Nicaragua. This area of lagoons, rivers and flood plains is the most important wetland reserve in Costa Rica, with a completely different environment and bird species to the rainforest. You will be staying for the next two nights in a comfortable ecolodge on the edge of the Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve.
- Breakfast
Natural Lodge
Day 7
Caño Negro
This morning join a shared birdwatching tour of the wetlands of Caño Negro, exploring the region on foot or by boat depending on the water levels. A variety of wetland species can be seen including the jabiru stork, sunbittern, amazon kingfisher and the roseate spoonbill, with migratory species from North America overwintering in the wetlands during the drier winter months.
- Breakfast
Natural Lodge
Day 8
Caño Negro to Costa de Pajaros – 128kms
Your private transfer will take you through more remote regions of northern Costa Rica, past small towns and plantations as you cross from the wetlands to the Pacific Coast. Your destination today is the Costa de Pajaros on the coast of the Gulf of Nicoya. The name translates as ‘Coast of Birds’, so it is no surprise that this is a premier birding destination with a mixture of habitats including mangroves, open grasslands, shrubland and tropical dry forest.
- Breakfast
La Ensenada Lodge
Day 9
Costa de Pajaros
The day is free to explore the birdlife in the region around your lodge. Species that can be seen here include the great curassow, cinnamon hummingbird, turquoise-browed motmot and collared aracari. As well as birding on the trails around your lodge, you can organise optional activities through the lodge including a boat trip through the mangroves or along the Bebedero River to see coastal and wetland species.
- Breakfast
La Ensenada Lodge
Day 10
Costa de Pajaros to Central Highlands – 111kms
Continue your journey by private transfer heading away from the coast and into the central highlands of Costa Rica. Your destination today is a lodge in the hills close to the small town of Narajo where you will spend the next two nights. Located at an altitude of 1,650m and surrounded by cloud forest and coffee plantations, the gardens of your lodge are a haven for hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Breakfast
Chayote Lodge
Day 11
Central Highlands
Start the day with a shared guided birdwatching tour in the forests around your lodge. Accompanied by your naturalist guide, look out for species including the scintillant hummingbird, blue-crowned motmot and keel-billed toucan. The rest of the day is free to continue your exploration or arrange optional excursions through your lodge.
- Breakfast
Chayote Lodge
Day 12
Central Highlands to Bijagual – 87kms
Leave from Chayote Lodge in the morning to head back towards the Pacific Coast with your private vehicle and driver. You will be spending the next two nights in a lodge in the hills that border Carara National Park, a short distance from the coast. In a transition zone between the dry tropical forest of the north and the tropical humid rainforest of the south, over 350 species of birds are found in the forests here, the most notable being the brightly coloured scarlet macaws, after which your lodge is named.
- Breakfast
Macaw Lodge
Day 13
Bijagual
Today you have a private birdwatching tour to explore the trails around your lodge with an experienced guide. As well as the scarlet macaw, look out for species including the burning-billed aracari, yellow-throated toucan and orange-necked manakin. The rest of the day is free for birding in the lodge grounds, with the option to arrange a trip into Carara National Park.
- Breakfast
Macaw Lodge
Day 14
Bijagual to San Gerado de Dota – 221kms
Head along the Pacific Coast in a private vehicle before turning inland to climb back into the hills of the Continental Divide. Your final destination is deep in Costa Rica’s famous cloud forest, staying in a birding lodge close to the small town of San Gerado de Dota adjacent to Los Queztales National Park. At an altitude of over 2,000m, this is an excellent location for seeing highland species.
- Breakfast
Savegre Hotel & Spa
Day 15
San Gerado de Dota
Explore the trails through the cloud forest around your lodge on a shared guided birdwatching tour. The resplendent quetzal is the most iconic resident of this region with its brightly coloured plumage but there are many other highland species to observe including the long-tailed silky-flycatcher, collared redstart, acorn woodpecker and scintillant hummingbird. Surrounded by the fresh cloud forest air high in the Talamanca Mountains, this will be an unforgettable end to your birdwatching experience.
- Breakfast
Savegre Hotel & Spa
Day 16
San Gerado de Dota to San Jose – 107kms / San Jose to UK
Depending on your flight time, you may have time for a final morning birding walk before you are transferred to the airport in San Jose in a private vehicle, arriving in time to check in for your overnight flight back to the UK.
- Breakfast
Extending your stay...
Adding more time in one or more of the lodges which are of most interest would give you more time to see a wider range of birdlife.
The Osa Peninsular is easy to add at the end of the trip, giving an incredible wildlife experience to round out your birding tour.
A beach stay in a resort on the Pacific Coast such as Manuel Antonio or Uvita would give you chance to relax at the end of your trip in a beautiful environment surrounded by rich rainforest.
Guide to Price
16 days from £5185 per person
What's Included
- International flights
- Private transfers as specified
- Shared guided tours as specified
- Hotel accommodation and taxes
What's Not Included
- Visas
- Travel Insurance
- Expenses of a personal nature
- Meals unless specified
from £5185
Travel Information
Getting There
British Airways offers frequent direct flights from London to San Jose during the peak season from October until March. There are also indirect flights via Europe with airlines including Iberia, KLM, Air France and Lufthansa, as well as flights via Canada and the United States.
Flying Time
The direct flight between London and San Jose is about 10-11 hours, with indirect flights slightly longer depending on where you are flying via and the stopover time.
Time Zone
Costa Rica -6 hours GMT.
Visa Requirements
British citizens do not need a visa to visit Costa Rica for stays of up to 90 days.
Do’s and Don’ts
Greet locals with a friendly ‘buenos dias’ or ‘buenas tardes’ and understand that eye contact is valued in conversation. ‘Pura vida’ is the most common saying throughout Costa Rica, translating to the ‘simple life’ or ‘everything is good’ and recognises a relaxed, optimistic and grateful lifestyle.
Embrace the slower pace of life and expect service in restaurants and bars to be slower than the UK and Europe.
If self-driving, don’t underestimate travel times as when driving in more rural and remote areas roads can be windy and/or unpaved. Also avoid driving at night.
Do not touch or feed wildlife and do not remove natural souvenirs such as taking rocks, shells or plants from their natural habitats.
It is polite to ask permission of any local people before taking any photographs.
Money
Costa Rica has its own currency, the Costa Rica Colón, which is divided in 100 centimos. The US dollar is also very widely accepted in Costa Rica and can be used in most hotels, restaurants and shops as well as for tips. There are ATMs in larger towns and cities and credit cards are also widely accepted, but in remote rainforest lodges it is best to have US dollars cash or local currency.
Tipping
Tipping is common in Costa Rica as with the rest of Latin America but is at your discretion. The amount of tip should depend on the service received. A 10% service charge is always included in restaurant bills. As a guideline, a tip of around US$5 to US$10 per person per day for a guide is about the right amount, and about S$5 per person per day for a driver. Tips to guides and drivers are normally given in US dollars cash. Please note that American travellers to Costa Rica do often tip much higher than this amount, but you should not feel pressured to overtip.
Food and Drink
Costa Rica is known for its abundance of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables as well as excellent seafood. Many dishes were brough to Costa Rica by Spanish settlers but adapted to local ingredients, although the Caribbean coast does have more of an Afro-Caribbean influence. Gallo Pinto, the local version of the ubiquitous Latin American staple of rice and beans is one of the most common dishes, often served for breakfast, but can also be found for lunch and dinner. Grilled meat and fish with rice or salad is served in most restaurants, with ceviche, raw marinated fish, common on the Pacific Coast and rondón, a meat and vegetable stew common on the Caribbean coast.
Copo, shaved ice flavoured with fruit syrup is a great way to cool down, and there is an abundance of fresh fruit juices as well as excellent local coffees. The national alcoholic drink is guaro, made from sugar cane, although American-style beers are more common, with some excellent craft beers produced in San Jose.
Shopping
Local handicrafts such as the woodwork and handmade jewellery can be found in the Mercade Central in San Jose as well as the markets of Tamarindo and Sarchi. Costa Rica is known for its excellent local coffee and chocolate which can often be purchased directly from plantations as well as in Britt stores.
Travel Advice
Costa Rica is generally regarded as a safe country, although petty theft such as pickpocketing and purse-snatching is not uncommon, especially in San Jose and you should remain vigilant. For current information on Costa Rica the best resource is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) which is a comprehensive resource and updated regularly. We would also recommend visiting the Safer Tourism Foundation website (www.safertourism.org.uk) before you travel and will be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have.
Suggested Reading
Lonely Planet and Rough Guides have excellent guide books for Costa Rica. The ‘Birds of Costa Rica’ by Richard Garrigues is an excellent guide to the birdlife of the country, although many lodges have their own field guides.
Health
Costa Rica is considered to have the best healthcare system in Latin America with a comprehensive public health system supported by reputable private clinics. Your doctor is the best person to advise you on staying healthy whilst abroad but current recommended vaccinations are Hepatitis A and Tetanus. Yellow Fever is not present in Costa Rica, but a Yellow Fever certificate is required if travelling from countries with a risk of Yellow Fever. This includes all destinations with Latin America with the exception of Panama and Argentina. There is a low risk of malaria on the Caribbean Coast and very low risk elsewhere in the country - antimalarials are not usually recommend except in exceptional circumstances. For current information on health advice you may wish to visit the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website Travel Health Pro on https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/. The Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad (MASTA) website (www.masta.org) is also a useful resource.
Accommodation
Costa Rica offers a wide range of accommodation, from city hotels to rainforest lodges to boutique beach resorts and private villas, all with a wide range of standards. While there are some large beach resorts, most accommodation tends to be small and focuses on providing excellent service. Outside of San Jose, visitors to Costa Rica rarely stay in large towns or cities and most often stay in more remote locations to soak up the wildlife and scenery. Due to the remote location and small size of the hotels and lodges, accommodation needs to be booked well in advance.
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