SOUTHERN SENSATION 

February 13 - 25, 2027

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Discounted Rate (for payment by check or bank transfer)

Price per person (based on double occupancy): $4,775

Single supplement: $998

 

Regular Price (payments by credit card)

Price per person (based on double occupancy): $4989

Single supplement: $1,043

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*All Prices in US Dollars*​

*This tour needs a minimum of 6 people to run*

*Small Group prices available upon request*

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 Tour includes: 

• 12 nights of lodging

• Meals starting breakfast on Day 2, ending with breakfast on Day 13

•  Full time Bi-lingual English-Spanish speaking guide, specializing in birds and natural history starting on Day 2 until drop-off at Bougainvillea on Day 12

• Full time ground transportation in a spacious air-conditioned vehicle from Day 2 until Day 12 (while in Drake Bay, the bus will remain in Sierpe and transport round trip will be by boat as well as transport included in scheduled tours specified in this quote while at the hotel in Drake)

• Ground transfer from SJO Airport to hotel on Day 1

• Shared Sierpe Boat Transfers

• Ground transfer from hotel to SJO Airport on Day 13

• All tours and entrances listed above, taxes (airport taxes and tips to local staff, guide and driver not included)

Tipping is customary and merit based in Costa Rica. (See below for tipping guidelines to pass along to guests 

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Tours and Entrances included:

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• 1 entrance to Carara National Park

• 1 Tarcoles Boat Tour

• 1 visit to Paraiso Quetzal

• 1 visit to Oak Forest Reserve

• 2 Sierpe boat transfers to Drake Bay

• 1 shared Mangrove Tour

• 1 shared Sirena Tour *if weather permits. Back up option is San Pedrillo Station in Corcovado National Park

 

Focus

​This is a classic birding and wildlife tour featuring unhurried walks over mostly easy terrain. That said, some trails—particularly in the Talamanca Mountains and Arenal National Park—can be steep, root-strewn, and muddy at times. Conditions in the lowlands are often hot and humid, which can make walking more demanding. For these reasons, the tour is best suited to participants with an average level of fitness who enjoy walking. As wildlife activity peaks in the early morning hours, pre-breakfast starts will be encouraged to make the most of each day. That said, all walks are optional, and excellent birding can usually be enjoyed right from the lodges.

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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.

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February 13 – Arrival in San José

 

Upon arrival in San José, you will be warmly welcomed by your driver and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure—relax by the pool or explore the hotel gardens to recover from your travels.
Possible species: White-eared Ground Sparrow, Lesson's Motmot, Chestnut-capped Warbler, Hoffmann’s Woodpecker.

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February 14 – Cerro de la Muerte & San Gerardo de Dota 

 

Travel to the highlands of Cerro de la Muerte, stopping for lunch en route. The morning will be spent birding the misty cloud forest at Paraíso Quetzal, home to the iconic Resplendent Quetzal. Other target species include Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher, Large-footed Finch, Peg-billed Finch, and Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush.

While in the area, we will visit the páramo habitat at approximately 3,500 meters in search of the Volcano Junco. Overnight in the charming valley of San Gerardo de Dota.

 

February 15 - Savegre Valley

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Spend a full day exploring the gardens, riparian zones, and old-growth tropical oak cloud forest surrounding the lodge. Birding along the Savegre River may yield Flame-colored Tanager, Collared Trogon, Torrent Tyrannulet, Scintillant Hummingbird, and White-throated Mountain-Gem.
Additional possibilities include Black-faced Solitaire, Spotted Wood-Quail, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Ochraceous Wren, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and Resplendent Quetzal.

 

February 16 & 17 - Las Cruces 

 

Travel to Las Cruces Biological Station home to Robert and Katherine Wilson Botanical Garden, run by the Organization for Tropical Studies. The station boasts an impressive collection of tropical and subtropical plants from around the world, including rare and endangered species from Costa Rica. Among the 1000 genera and 212 plant families represented at the station there is an astounding compilation of ferns, aroids, bromeliads, gingers, heliconias, marantas, and palms. The gardens and surrounding rainforest attract a wide variety of birds, many of which are exclusively found in the southern zone of the country. Some of our target birds while at the station include: Turquoise Cotinga, Fiery-billed Aracari, Olivaceous Piculet, Marbled Wood-Quail, Garden Emerald, White-tailed Emerald, Charming Hummingbird, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Speckled Tanager, Northern Schiffornis, Golden-naped Woodpecker, and Pale-breasted Spinetail, If we are lucky we may even see Crested Oropendula and Wattled Jacana.

 

February 18 & 19 - Las Esquinas

 

 Travel to Esquinas on the outskirts of Golfito where you will spend the next two days. The lodge is surrounded by dense lowland rainforest, bordering the Piedras Blancas National Park. This a great area to look for Ruddy-breasted Seed-eater, Red-breasted Blackbird, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, Baird’s Trogon, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Velvety Manakin, Scrub Greenlet, and Thick-billed Euphonia among many others. We might even spot Pearl Kite and Uniform Crake.

 

February 20 - Drake Bay 

 

Travel to Drake Bay, home to Corcovado National Park. In Sierpe you will take a 1.5 hour boat transfer through the impressive Sierpe Terraba mangroves to get to the Drake Bay Wilderness Lodge. This is one of the richest areas in the country in terms of biodiversity. The spectacular Scarlet Macaws next in the area. While here, we will explore one of the most extensive patches of primary rainforest in the South Pacific region of the Americas. This is the most likely place along the trip to see a Tapir or even a wild cat. Among the great number of colorful birds that inhabit this region, we will enjoy seeing toucans, White-crested Coquette, Velvety Manakins, a variety of trogons. Among the 400+ bird speces in Corcovado, we may also see the Great Curassow, antbirds, tinamous, toucans, Fiery-billed Aracari and many others. Our hotel is situated on the coast, allowing for breathtaking views of the ocean from the pool area and open-air pool bar.

 

February 21 & 22 - Osa Peninsula  

 

While in the area, you will enjoy a full day trip to Sirena Station in the heart of Corcovado National Park. Be prepared for a wet landing. The Osa Peninsula is best known for the famous Corcovado National Park, truly a highlight of the itinerary. This requires an ocean boat trip to get there. Corcovado National Park is considered one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. Truly a nature lover’s paradise, the park contains 2.5% of the planet’s total animal species. This list includes all four species of monkey found in Costa Rica, an enormous concentration of Scarlet Macaws, four species of turtle, peccaries, red-eyed tree frogs, to name a few. 

On another day, you will also enjoy a day tour in the Sierpe Mangroves. One of the few endemic species to Costa Rica resides in the area: the Mangrove Hummingbird which we will look for on this boat tour. Other highlights of the tour include Blue-footed Booby, Coco’s Booby, possibly the Yellow-billed Cotinga, King Vulture, Common Black Hawk, among many others.

 

February 23 - Central Pacific Lowlands 

 

Today you will travel by boat and land to the Central Pacific lowlands, arriving at a lodge located near Carara National Park. Afternoon birding on forest trails may reveal Scarlet Macaws, Tiger-herons, and a wealth of lowland species.

 

February 24 - Carara National Park & Tárcoles River 

 

Explore Carara National Park, a unique transition zone between dry forest and humid rainforest ecosystems. Highlights include Orange-collared Manakin, multiple species of trogons, antbirds, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and Royal Flycatcher. While in the area we will also look for Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Melodious Blackbird, Spectacled Owl, and shorebirds.
One afternoon features a two-hour mangrove boat tour on the Tárcoles River, offering excellent views of crocodiles, waterbirds, raptors and Scarlet Macaws.​

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February 25 – Departure 

 

Return Flights must be in the afternoon (Drop-off at the airport will be at 3:30 pm). If you would like to add a night closer to the airport for departures on February 26th, please reach out to us for a quote.

 

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.

• Participants must bring a reusable water bottle and refill water bottles at filtered water dispensers in lodges and on the bus to reduce our use of plastic. Single-use plastic bottles are not allowed in the National Parks

• Any additional airport transfers that are not on the arrival or departure date for this tour have an additional charge of $60 per transfer (if you require a private transfer from any other location, this will be quoted upon request and added as an additional item on your invoice)

• International airfare not included

• Early check-in (usually before 3pm) and late check-out (usually after 10am) fees are not included. Early check-in / late check-out must be requested before final invoicing (service contingent upon hotel availability and is not guaranteed)

• 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 participant

• Each participant is responsible to make sure they meet the legal requirements for entry/travel to Costa Rica, including up to date and proper travel documents and visas when applicable based on the traveler's passport issuing country.

• Non-smokers preferred. 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: Our tours involve a moderate level of daily physical activity. Participants should be comfortable standing for several hours at a time in the field, sometimes in hot and humid weather conditions. Daily walking is typically 1–2 miles at a slow pace on generally flat terrain, though some slight and gradual inclines may be encountered. Participants should also be able to comfortably navigate stairs. Please note that many of our itineraries include high-elevation locations reaching up to 3,500 meters (11,483 feet) above sea level. Our birding and wildlife tours feature unhurried walks over mostly easy terrain. That said, some trails—particularly in the Talamanca Mountains and Arenal National Park—can be steep, root-strewn, and muddy at times. Conditions in the lowlands are often hot and humid, which can make walking more demanding. For these reasons, our tours are best suited to participants with an average level of fitness who enjoy walking. If any of the above could present an issue, you are required to inform us prior to booking.

• Participants must disclose in their registration form: any health conditions that could prohibit them from fully participating in the tour and/or interfere with their or other participants' ability to enjoy the tour. Failure to do so can result in expulsion from the tour and will not be eligible for a refund of any portion of the tour and any costs related to an expulsion will be the sole responsibility of the participant.

• No refund for any unused entrances or tours

• Tips to guides and hotel staff not included (tipping is customary, expected and merit-based in Costa Rica): group tours (10+ participants): $10-12  per day per participant for guide(s) and $5-8 per day per participant for the driver; $ 1 per day for hotel maid service and $2 per service for porters for 1 bag and an additional $1 per bag. What guests decide to tip within these guidelines should be based on the merits of the service provided.

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

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

• Non-refundable registration deposit: $850 USD per person, unless otherwise stated in the tour quote.

• All tour balances are due 90 days prior to the arrival date, unless otherwise stated in the tour quote.

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

• All cancellations must be received by email in writing to the emails: croffice@cotingatours.com with copy to info@cotingatours.com and inquiries@cotingatours.com

• 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 0 days prior to the arrival date are non-refundable.

 

Pandemic and Illness Detailed Policies 

• In case of illness or medical emergency including injury, all medical costs and any extra costs associated with a medical issue (lodging, transportation, meals, etc) are the responsibility of the participant. Cotinga Tours will not be responsible for any costs incurred. Cotinga Tours will assist participants in finding alternative accommodations if participants are denied entrance into a hotel in their itinerary due to illness. Participants will pay for these additional accommodations and transfers directly to the hotel and transportation companies.

• If a specific test or other testing is necessary while in Costa Rica, extra costs incurred--transportation, medical costs, test cost, alternative lodging and meals will be covered by the participants.

• The above pandemic and illness related travel requirements could change at any time due to government mandates, please check with us.

• In case of a travel emergency within Costa Rica, Cotinga Tours will keep communication with the participants. *In terms of a travel emergency that affects travel to or from the country of origin, it will be the responsibility of the participant to communicate with Cotinga Tours so we can assist. Any costs incurred related to delays, changes or cancellations due for medical reasons, weather or airline delays will be the responsibility of the participants to cover. 

• Traveling during any pandemic does come with risks. Cotinga Tours as well as the hotel properties, tour operators, and restaurants follows the sanitary policies enforced by the Costa Rican Ministerio de Salud.