BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS

March 15 - 24, 2024

Available only for semi-private tours
(private lodge transfers & local lodge guiding)​

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Tour includes: 

• 9 nights of lodging and all meals (pre-arranged) starting with Breakfast on Day 2 and ending with breakfast on Day 10

• All transportation Day 2-9 in Costa Rica in a modern and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with clear glass windows ideal for wildlife viewing

• 2 Airport transfers: one on arrival day (Mar 15) and one on departure day (Mar 24)

• Full time private bilingual professional guide specializing in birds and natural history from Day 2-9

• Entrance fees to the parks and reserves specified below

• Taxes (airport taxes and tips to local staff, guide and driver not included)

• Owling excursions will be available one night at each location weather permitting and if the guide deems the outing productive.

• Meals are pre-arranged. All rooms are comfortable, clean and have en suite bathrooms. 

 

Tours and Entrances included:

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• 1 entrances to Carara National Park

• Tarcoles Boat Tour

• 1 full day entrance to La Selva Biological Station

• 1 entrance to Cinchona Hummingbird Garden

• 1 entrance to Cope's Garden

• 1 entrance to Bogarin Trails

• 1 entrance to the Oak Forest

• 1 entrance to Paraiso Quetzal Hummingbird Gardens

 

 

DETAILED ITINERARY

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*Each morning we will be getting an early start to make the best of our time, and maximize our opportunities to see the most species of birds possible while maintaining a comfortable pace. As an optional outing, one night in each location, we will go owling (weather permitting and if the guide determines the outing to be productive). Each evening there will also be an optional meeting before or after dinner to go over the bird/wildlife checklist for that day.

 

*Please note that exact meal amd outing times will be announced by the guide as the tour goes along. This is to allow for flexibility in the itinerary to be able to best take advantage of time in the field and so the logistics run smoothly for the group as a whole.

Mar 15: Arrive in San Jose where you will be warmly welcomed by your guide/chauffeur 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. This is a good place to see the White-eared Ground-sparrow, the Blue-crowned Motmot, Rufous-capped Warbler and Hoffman’s Woodpecker.

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Mar 16: Travel to Cerro de la Muerte, stopping for lunch en route. We will spend the afternoon exploring the misty highland cloud forest reserve at the Paraiso de Quetzal.  The area is home to Resplendent Quetzal as well as fiery-throated hummingbird, Black-and-yellow Silky- flycatcher, Large-footed Finch, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty Robin, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Peg-billed Finch to name a few. Before returning to our lodge for dinner, we will also visit the Paramo habitat at approximately 3500m above sea level in search of the Volcano Junco. We will overnight in San Gerardo de Dota, nestled in a quaint highland valley nearby.

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Mar 17: Spend the day exploring the gardens, riparian highland habitats, and old growth tropical oak cloud forests surrounding the lodge. Walking through the gardens and along the Savegre river, we can hope to see Flame-colored Tanager, Collared Trogon, Torrent Tyrannulet, Volcano hummingbird, and Gray-tailed Mountain-Gem, among many others. Some of the other species we will be looking for include Black-faced Solitaire, Spotted Wood-Quail, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Ochraceous Wren, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and of course the Resplendent Quetzal. In the evening after a delicious dinner, we will go over the birds, and any other wildlife seen that day.

 

Mar 18: Travel to the Central Pacific lowlands where your lodge is situated at the edge of the Carara Biological Reserve on the banks of the Tarcoles River near the Pacific coast. In the afternoon, we will explore the bird-rich trails through the forest, and hope to see Scarlet Macaws and Tiger Herons, among many others.

 

Mar 19: Spend the day exploring the Carara National Park, 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. We will also take time to visit Playa Azul where some of the species we will look for are Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Yellow- crowned Night-Heron, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Melodious Blackbird, Bare-throated Tiger- Heron, , Spectacled Owl, and many species of shorebirds.

 

While in the area, one afternoon you will enjoy a two-hour mangrove tour by boat along the Tarcoles River with a local guide. During the tour we will not only be impressed by the giant crocodiles that inhabit the area but also the variety of shorebirds, water birds, and raptors.

 

Mar 20 & 21: Spend two nights in the Arenal area, which offers breathtaking views of the jungle-covered Arenal Volcano. This is a birding and wildlife hotspot, and the stunning natural beauty will astound you. The extensive trails at the lodge allow for tremendous opportunities to view the Crimson-collared Tanagers, White Hawk, Brown- hooded Parrot, and the Golden-olive Woodpecker, along with an array of colorful hummingbirds, and three species of Toucans. One night, we will go owling in search of the Black-and-White Owl and Mottled Owl, in the hotel grounds.

 

Mar 22: Travel to the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui. Spend the afternoon exploring the wildlife-rich riparian zone along the banks of the Sarapiqui River. This rain forest region at the base of the Caribbean slope is well known for hosting the greatest diversity of tropical flora and fauna. Here the Sunbittern, Black-faced Grosbeak,an d Gray-necked Wood-Rail are a few of the inhabitants of the area. This is the most likely spot on the trip to see the Great Green Macaw, an endangered species that depends on the Dipteryx tree for feeding and nesting. This is one of the emergent trees commonly found in Sarapiqui. Also lurking in the forest are two- and three-toed sloth, 3 different species of monkeys, and peccaries. 

 

Mar 23:  Spend the next  day at La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), clearly a highlight of the tour. The station is among the four most famous tropical research facilities in the world. We will see an outstanding abundance of wildlife. The station is home to 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. There are three species of Tinamou that inhabit La Selva. We will be looking for Rufous Motmot, Trogons, Caciques, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, and Snowy Cotinga, among many others. Animals here are not camera shy, so there will be ample photo opportunities. Peccaries (wild pig), agoutis, coatis, sloth, and monkeys frequent this area. All of which makes for unforgettable days. 

 

Mar 24: Transfer to the airport for departing flights. It is important to arrange late afternoon flights. If you prefer to fly out early, please schedule your flight date for March 25th and we will help you coordinate a hotel reservation for the night of March 24th. 

 

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Important Notes & Conditions:

 

• Meals are pre-arranged and prepaid so if the group wishes to make changes to the schedule that result in missing a pre-arranged meal, there will be no refund for the missed meal and guests will assume the additional cost of the missed meal elsewhere for themselves, the guide and driver.

• We encourage guests to bring reusable water bottle and refill water bottles at filtered water dispensers in lodges and on the bus to reduce our use of plastic

• Any additional airport transfers that are not on the arrival or departure date for this tour have an additional charge of $56.50 per transfer

• Airport exit taxes are not included and are approximately $30 per person (Most airlines are including them now, so please check with your airline for details.)

• International airfare not included

• Early check-in (usually before 3pm) and late check-out (usually after 10am) fees are not included. If an early check-in or late check-out is requested, the client will pay the corresponding charge per hotel policy. 

• Cotinga Tours will not cover any additional costs that could result from flight changes such as schedule changes, flight cancellations, airstrip closures, flight rerouting or other situations that are out of our hands, including extra costs in transfers, lodging, or costs due to missed/rerouted flights that may result from these changes.  All additional costs due to flight related changes will be covered by the client

• Non-smokers prefered. Costa Rica has strict laws on smoking in public. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas away from the main public amenities. This means that there is no smoking on public property, inside the hotel facility, trail systems or reserves. 

• Physical Fitness Disclaimer: This tour has moderate daily fitness activity. Participants will need to be able to stand for periods of time out in the field. Anticipate walking a daily total of 1-2 miles at a slow pace on faily flat ground. If there are inclines they will be slight and gradual. Minimal amount of stairs. If this could be an issue please let us know.

• No refund for any unused entrances or tours

• Tips to guides and hotel staff not included Guidelines are available upon request

• Alcoholic beverages and costs of a personal nature are not included

• We highly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that covers trip
  cancellation, trip interruption, and loss or damage to optics and equipment, in order to protect your investment.

• A non-refundable booking deposit of $650 will be collected upon booking

• Cancellations and respective refunds are according to the following schedule (all cancellations must be received in writing):

  • Cancellations received before 90 days prior to the arrival date, the client receives a full refund less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Cancellations received between 90 and 75 days prior to the arrival date, the client receives a 50% refund of the total less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Cancellations received between 74 and 66 days prior to arrival date, the client receives a 25% refund of the total less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Cancellations received at 65 days or less prior to the arrival date, there will be no refund available.