9,960 hectares of wetland near the Nicaraguan border, named a wetland of international importance in 1991, and a refuge you bird from a boat. More than 350 species have been recorded here.
The Río Frío runs through it, with lagoons along its course. The boat works the edges where the herons, storks and spoonbills feed, and you sit with your binoculars up while the boatman steers. No trail, no climb.
Most people see Caño Negro as a long day out from Arenal and get back after dark. Our Northern Zone trip sleeps beside the refuge instead, two nights, so the first boat goes out at first light from the village.
From the boat, the water birds: Roseate Spoonbill, Northern Jacana, Anhinga and Neotropic Cormorant, the four the zone is known for here, with the Great Blue Heron, a northern migrant on our list.
The big one to ask the boatman about is the Jabiru. The lodge named its restaurant after it, because it is seen in the area.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roseate Spoonbill | Platalea ajaja | Espátula Rosada | |
| Northern Jacana | Jacana spinosa | Jacana Centroamericana | |
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | Aninga | |
| Neotropic Cormorant | Nannopterum brasilianum | Cormorán Neotropical | |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Garzón Azulado | |
| Jabiru | Jabiru mycteria | Jabirú | |
| Agami Heron | Agamia agami | Garza Pechicastaña |
Caño Negro is about two hours from La Fortuna and the Arenal area, which is why it nearly always comes after Arenal on a trip. Fly into San José or Liberia. It is hot on the water, so bring sun cover for the boat.
All year. The refuge is at its best with high water, April to November; December to April gives the easiest mornings.
One lodge, beside the lagoon in Caño Negro village and 1.7 km from the pin, with its own boats into the refuge.
Photo: Caño Negro Natural Lodge
Caño Negro
A Beautiful Eco-Lodge in the Untamed Wilderness of Caño Negro
★★★
Forty-two rooms beside the Caño Negro Lagoon and the Río Frío, with the lodge's own boat, birding and canoe tours into the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, a wetland of international importance since 1991. The one lodge on this page for the northern wetlands.
A few minutes on the form, and one of our Costa Rica specialists comes back to you personally with a first itinerary: the lowlands in the right order with whatever else is on your list, and how many nights each stop 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.
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