BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS with Tortuguero

January 27 - February 5, 2023

This is a scheduled small group birding tour that allows our guests to travel with peace of mind. We care about the safety of our guests and this trip is specifically designed to respect all COVID measures. Bring your small group or join this scheduled tour to make new birding friends.  We can price this tour from 1- 6 person groups. There is a 12 person maximum for this tour.

email us at ashley@cotingatours.com for pricing.

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If these dates don't work for your schedule we can check into availability for other dates.

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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 2-10 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 (Jan. 27) and one on departure day (Feb 5)

• Full time private bilingual professional guide specializing in birds and natural history from Day 2-10

• 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 day pass entrance to Carara National Park

• 1 Tarcoles River Mangrove Boat Tour

• 1 full day entrance to La Selva

• 1 entrance to Cinchona Hummingbird Garden

• Full access to the Arenal Observatory trails

• 1 entrance to Cope's Garden

• 2 Day pass entrances to Tortuguero National Park

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Important Travel Information: US CDC international travel requirement: "If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get tested no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States (US) and show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight, or be prepared to show documentation of recovery (proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel)." See: 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html 

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In order to comply with CDC international travel regulations Cotinga Tours will provide guests with a link to the laboratory page where each client must schedule a Covid test at the SJO airport on their departure date 4 hours prior to their flight departure time. Costs for Covid test are not included in tour price.  Guest must pay testing lab directly.

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Cotinga Tours is NOT responsible for the following:

 

• The traveler's compliance or the consequences of non-compliance with United States or Costa Rica COVID-19 policies.

• Costs associated with the required COVID-19 tests.*

• Any delays in receiving the COVID-19 test results and any costs incurred due to delayed test results.

• If the traveler tests positive for COVID-19 and their trip is interrupted by quarantine requirements.

• Any costs incurred if there is delay in departure from Costa Rica.

 

*Cotinga Tours will provide travelers with the link where you can make your appointment and pay for the approved COVID-19 test to be administered at the SJO airport on departure day. Cotinga Tours will also provide transportation to airport so that you arrive 4 hours prior to your departure time so that there is time to receive your results prior to your departure time. It is the client’s responsibility to provide their personal information to make and complete the appointment. Most laboratories will email the test result directly to the client.

Travel restrictions and entry policies for the United States of America can change without notice. It is the responsibility of the client to stay informed the weeks and days before and during their trip to make sure they comply with the most current United States policies. Here is a helpful link to the United States Embassy guidelines: https://cr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

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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 and 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.

Jan 27: 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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Jan 28 & 29: Travel by bus and then by boat to Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean. Here we will explore the rich labyrinth of waterways which will afford us excellent wildlife viewing. The area boasts 320 bird species, including Tiger Herons, Agami Herons, White-fronted Nunbird, and all six species of Kingfishers belonging to the Americas. Along with birds, we may also see sloth, caiman, iguanas, poison-dart frogs, freshwater turtles, basilisk lizards, the Honduran White tent-making bats, and three species of monkeys that frequent the banks. 

 

Jan 30: 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. 

 

Jan 31:  Spend the 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. 

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Feb 1 & 2: 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.

 

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Feb 3:  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.

 

Feb 4: 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.

 

Feb 5: Transfer directly to the airport for departing flights. FLIGHTS MUST BE IN THE AFTERNOON TO ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR COVID TESTING RESULTS (N0 earlier than 2:30 pm departures). You will arrive to the airport 4 hours prior to your departure time for COVID-19 tests at the airport. We will provide you with link to reserve and pay for your COVID-19 test after booking your tour with us. 

 

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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 $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

• 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.

• 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.