Every place on one map
The Highlands
San Gerardo de Dota and the Savegre valley
The Savegre valley at about 2,200 metres, where we send birders for the Resplendent Quetzal: the birds, the lodges in the valley and how to get there.
See the placeLos Quetzales National Park
The oak forest on the ridge above San Gerardo de Dota: 12,355 acres of park, the quetzal with a guide, the six lodges at its edge and the trips nearby.
See the placeCerro de la Muerte and the km 70 lookouts
The highest road in Costa Rica, over the ridge above the quetzal valley: the birds of the ridge at km 70, two family lodges on top and how to get there.
See the placeTapantí National Park, above the Orosí valley
Tapantí, the wet side of the Talamanca above Cartago: oropendolas and tanagers at the balconies of the lodge beside the park, the quetzal, the drive.
See the placePoás Volcano National Park and its slopes
The slopes of Poás above the Central Valley, where two of our birding trips spend their first nights: cloud forest birds, the quetzal with luck, the lodge.
See the placeMonteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, founded in 1972: the bellbird and the quetzal with a guide, the lodge whose trails walk into it, and our trips there.
See the placeSanta Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Santa Elena, the quieter reserve at Monteverde, run by the public high school board since 1992: a guided quetzal morning, the lodge we use and the trips.
See the placeCuri-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde
Curi-Cancha, the private farm beside the Monteverde reserve where our birding mornings climb from pasture into primary forest: the birds, lodge and trips.
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The Caribbean Foothills
Rancho Naturalista's reserve, above Turrialba
125 acres of Caribbean foothill forest above Turrialba with a bird list over 450: the Snowcap at the pools, the feeders, the trails and how to get there.
See the placeThe Río Tuis valley, below Rancho Naturalista
The Río Tuis valley below Rancho Naturalista, a few hours or the whole day: the Lanceolated Monklet, the tanager flocks and the trips that bird here.
See the placeCerro El Silencio, above Turrialba
Cerro El Silencio above Turrialba, higher and more open than Rancho Naturalista: Red-fronted Parrotlet, both hawk-eagles and tanager flocks, and our trip.
See the placeLa Angostura lake and the Turrialba farmland
La Angostura lake and the farmland around Turrialba: toucans and parakeets in the gardens, birds on the water, and the country hotel we use by the lake.
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The Caribbean Lowlands
Arenal Volcano National Park
Birding Arenal Volcano National Park from the lodge next to it: the umbrellabird, cotingas and toucanets, the hanging bridges and our trips.
See the placeCaño Negro Wildlife Refuge and the Río Frío
A wetland of international importance near the Nicaraguan border, birded from a boat on the Río Frío: spoonbills, jacanas, anhingas and our lodge.
See the placeSelva Verde, on the Sarapiquí River
Selva Verde on the Sarapiquí River, a lodge of ours: 204 hectares of primary forest, 15 km of paths, the river at the garden's edge, and the birds.
See the placeLa Selva Biological Station, Sarapiquí
A working research station of the Organization for Tropical Studies in Sarapiquí, with a bird list over 450 long and 57 km of trails. Where we stay.
See the placeBraulio Carrillo National Park
Over 108,000 acres of primary forest between the Central Valley and the Caribbean lowlands, a park list over 500 species, and Tapirus Lodge at its edge.
See the placeTortuguero National Park and its canals
Tortuguero National Park has no road and is birded from a boat on the canals: spoonbills, the Boat-billed Heron, macaws, and the lodges we use there.
See the placeGandoca-Manzanillo and the Keköldi ridge
The south Caribbean coast: the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge walk near Panama, and the Keköldi hawk watch on one of the world's great raptor routes.
See the placeThe Mistico hanging bridges at Arenal
The Mistico hanging bridges near Arenal put you level with the canopy birds, with a local guide and the volcano in view. Over 350 species recorded.
See the placeTirimbina Biological Reserve, Sarapiquí
Tirimbina in Sarapiquí: over 600 hectares of rainforest, a bridge across the river to an island, a canopy bridge 35 metres up, and 9 km of trails.
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The Northern Pacific Lowlands
Palo Verde National Park and the Tempisque River
Dry forest, mangrove and wetland on the Tempisque River: Jabiru, storks and spoonbills from the boat, the Mangrove Hummingbird with luck, and our lodge.
See the placeCurú Wildlife Refuge and the Río Pochote
On the Nicoya coast near Tambor: the peninsula's only Scarlet Macaws at Curú, a boat up the Río Pochote, our beach lodge and the trip that ends here.
See the placeRincón de la Vieja National Park
An active volcano with sulphur lagoons and mud springs, and a 3,400-acre ranch at its foot with over 300 bird species: the birds, the lodge, the way in.
See the placeSanta Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks
Santa Rosa and Guanacaste National Parks in the far north: dry forest with trees at least 500 years old and 250 bird species, a guided day from Liberia.
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The Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands
Carara National Park
Where the dry Pacific forest meets the wet, and where we take birders for Scarlet Macaws: the birds, the lodges nearby and the trips that end here.
See the placeThe Tárcoles River mangroves, by boat
The Tárcoles River and its mangroves by boat, below Carara: Boat-billed Heron, toucans and egrets, crocodiles under the bridge, our lodges and the trips.
See the placeMarino Ballena National Park and Bahía Ballena
Bahía Ballena and the Marino Ballena park at Uvita: over 200 species on our lodge's hill, the Fiery-billed Aracari, whales from December to March.
See the placeHacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge
330 hectares of rainforest, mangrove and beach north of Dominical, 7 km of trails and a bird watching tower, and one of our lodges inside the refuge.
See the placePiedras Blancas National Park and the Golfo Dulce
Piedras Blancas National Park on the Golfo Dulce: over 35,000 acres of lowland wet forest, our lodge bordering it at La Gamba, 30 minutes from Golfito.
See the placeCorcovado National Park and the Osa
Corcovado and the Osa: 13 major ecosystems in one park, over 400 bird species, macaws and curassows on the trails, our lodges at Drake Bay and Dos Brazos.
See the placeLos Cusingos and the San Isidro valley
Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary and the El General valley around San Isidro: two of our lodges, over 200 species at one, Black Guan at the other.
See the placeManuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park: 680 hectares of rainforest, mangrove and beach with 184 bird species, walked with a qualified guide, and our trip there.
See the placeWilson Botanical Garden and Las Cruces
The Wilson Botanical Garden at the Las Cruces research station near San Vito: over 400 bird species, 472 hectares in La Amistad, and our lodge there.
See the placeGolfito Wildlife Refuge
The Golfito Wildlife Refuge on the Golfo Dulce: a hard hike with monkeys, sloths and tropical birds, macaws over the gulf, and our lodge at La Gamba.
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Which of these mornings is yours?
Tell us the birds you want, your dates and how you like to travel, and we will come back with a first itinerary: the places in the right order and how many nights each one really needs. That first version is just a place to start.
Or call us: 1 (800) 996-1139 from the US and Canada, +506 4052-2140 in Costa Rica.