Day 1 - Arrival and Central Valley overnight
Meet your guides at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day off to recover from your trip and enjoy the grounds of the hotel. Birding on the hotel gardens is a good way to start getting familiar with some of the common birds Costa Rica such as Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher ad Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. Night in Santo Domingo.
Day 2 – Middle elevations and Caribbean foothills
After an early breakfast drive to Tapanti National Park and spend the morning birding this spectacular protected area. Then drive to Ujarras for lunch and more great birding at Restaurant El Cas. In the midafternoon head to our final destination for the day and home for the next two nights. Just a few of the enticing species we could encounter today include Black-bellied Hummingbird, Prevost's Ground-Sparrow and American Dipper. Night at Rancho Naturalista.
Day 3 – Birding at Rancho Naturalista and surroundings
Spend the whole day in one of the prime areas for birding in Costa Rica. Before breakfast enjoy the hummingbird feeders and the bird table. After breakfast walk in the forest and drive in the vicinities of the lodge in search of the specialties of the area such as Snowcap, Sunbittern and White-vented Euphonia, amongst many others.Night at Rancho Naturalista.
Day 4 - Rancho Naturalista and drive to Savegre Valley
Before breakfast birding at the Moth Light, to enjoy unique views of otherwise shy birds coming to feed on the insects attracted by the black light. After lunch the drive to the Talamanca Mountains, a major center of endemism. Along the way stop for some birding at Los Quetzales National Park. We'll look for Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher and a lovely little regional endemic, the Volcano Hummingbird. Night at Savegre Lodge.
Day 5 - Savegre Valley and surroundings, birding for regional endemics
Today we will leave early to look for one of our biggest targets: Resplendent Quetzal. The Talamanca Mountains are the most reliable place to see this bird in the Country and possibly in all its range, so our chances for great views are pretty high. We will spend the rest of the day birding around the area looking for some of the highland species of the valley, such as Golden-browed Chlorophonia and the attractive Flame-throated Warbler. Night at Savegre Lodge.
Day 6 - Paramo and drive to San Isidro Valley
Early morning birding on the hotel grounds. After breakfast we make our way to the highest point of Costa Rica accessible on a paved road, to explore the Paramo, a unique ecosystem growing above timberline. Then drive down into the San Isidro Valley and spend the rest of the day birding around the hotel. Species to look for today include Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Timberline Wren and Volcano Junco. Night in Rivas.
Day 7 -
Talari Lodge-Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary
Early birding on the grounds of the Lodge. After breakfast drive a few minutes to Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary, a hotspot for South Pacific Foothill birding and former home to the great 20th Century naturalist Alexander Skutch, Pioneer of the Ornithology in Costa Rica. We hope for some cracking tropical birds today such as Turquoise Cotinga, Speckled Tanager and Orange-collared Manakin. Night in Rivas.
Day 8 –
Birding at Pacific coastline and Tropical Dry Forest
Early birding on the grounds of the Lodge. After breakfast drive to the Central Pacific, stopping at some birding hotspots. Spend the afternoon birding the grounds of the hotel and surrounding area for Dry Forest specialties, including Fiery-billed Aracari, Long-tailed Manakin and Turquoise-browed Motmot. Night near Tarcoles.
Day 9 - Boat tour in Tarcoles River and Carara National Park
Early morning Boat Ride on the Tarcoles River and Guacalillo Mangrove Swamps looking for waders and wetland species. We will search for the tiny American Pygmy-Kingfisher and the red-headed ' Mangrove' Yellow Warbler. Spend the rest of the day birding Carara National Park and vicinities, in search of Scarlet Macaw and others. Night near Tarcoles.
Day 10 -
Central Pacific-Central Valley-Flight home
Early birding on the grounds of the lodge and drive to international airport for afternoon flight. We'll try to add a few new species to the trip list today, such as Black-headed Trogon and Gartered Trogon and the ridiculously long tailed White-throated Magpie-Jay. End of tour.
