WINGED ODYSSEY APRIL 2024

April 1 - 13, 2024

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Tour includes: 

• 12 nights of lodging and all meals (pre-arranged) starting with Breakfast on day 2 and ending with breakfast on day 13

• All transportation Day 2-12 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 (April 1) and one on departure day (April 13)

• Full time private bilingual professional guide specializing in birds and natural history from Day 2-12

• 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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• Access to trails at Arenal Observatory Lodge

• 2 private boat tours in Cano Negro area

• Entrance Cano Negro National Park and Medio Queso Reserve

• 1 full day at La Selva Biological Station

• 1 visit to Cope’s Art Gardens

• Full access to trails at the Bosque de Paz reserve

• 1 visit to Paraiso Quetzal hummingbird feeders

• 1 visit to the Oak forest reserve at Savegre

• 1 visit to Cinchona Hummingbird feeders

• 1 visit to San Luis Hummingbird feeders

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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 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.

April 1: 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.

 

April 2, 3: After breakfast, travel north to Caño Negro making a stop at the stunning San Luis Hummingbrid Gardens, arriving to the lodge in the afternoon. Caño Negro wetland and Wildlife Refuge is located in northern Costa Rica, close to the Nicaraguan border. This is a spectacular wetland habitat which attracts migratory birds . This location is considered a remnant natural area which means the flora and fauna have not been significantly disturbed by agriculture, development, or non-native species invasions. It is a pristine ecological treasure that invites wetland and rainforest species. While in Caño Negro , you will enjoy exploring the wetlands by boat and appreciating the vast amount of species that inhabit the area. Some of the species that you could see include Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Pinnated Bittern, Yellow-breasted Crake, Black-collared Hawk, Nicaraguan Grackle, Spot-breasted Wren, Gray-headed Dove, Great Potoo, Nicaraguan Seed Finch, Pied Puffbird, 5 species of Kingfishers, and Agami Heron to name a few. . While in Caño Negro, if evening weather permits, there is a possibility to spot  nocturnal species like Striped Owl, Black and White Owl and Spectacled Owl.

 

April 4 & 5: 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.

 

April 6: 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. 

 

April 7:  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. 

 

April 8 & 9:  Spend the next two days at Bosque de Paz Biological Reserve which is a privately owned 3000 acre nature reserve nestled in the forest. Its name, Peaceful Forest, is the perfect description of this lush, green location. Since 1997, there have been 331 different species of birds recorded at Bosque de Paz. Some of the species that can be found on the property include Red-faced Spintails, Spotted Barbtails, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, American Dipper, Tufted Flycatcher, Gray-breasted Wood-wrens and even the Resplendent Quetzal. This is a location that is home to an abundance of hummingbirds. A handful of the species you can see are Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Green Hermit, Scintillant Hummingbird, Magenta-throated Woodstar and Black-bellied Hummingbird. This is also a great location to see colorful birds like the Silver-throated Tanager, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Golden-browed chlorophonia, Azure-hooded Jay, Collared Trogon, and many others.  This is also a great place to see raptors like Great Black Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, and Bicolored Hawk.

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April 10: 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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April 11: 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

 

April 12:  Return to San Jose.  Return to lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

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April 13: Transfer to the airport for departing flights. 

 

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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

• No refund for any unused entrances or tours

• $650 non-refundable deposit invoiced upon booking.

• 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.