The volcano above the Central Valley, and the first nights of two of our birding trips. The park is nearly 15,000 acres with at least four habitats, mostly cloud forest and humid low mountain forest, rising over 8,000 feet.
We stay on the slopes at Poas Volcano Lodge: eleven rooms of stone and wood on the edge of the cloud forest, beside a working dairy farm, between two national parks. The living room has a walk-in fireplace, and on a cold evening at this height you will sit by it. Four of our recent birding itineraries stay there. The birding on the slopes is tanagers, hummingbirds and toucans, Black Guan and Sooty Thrush, and with luck the quetzal.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens is within driving distance, for the afternoon.
The Resplendent Quetzal turns up here with luck. With a guide, all year.
In the cloud forest, Black Guan and Sooty Thrush, both regional endemics, with tanagers, toucans and hummingbirds around them.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resplendent Quetzal | Pharomachrus mocinno | Quetzal | |
| Black Guan | Chamaepetes unicolor | Pava Negra | Regional endemic |
| Sooty Thrush | Turdus nigrescens | Mirlo Negruzco | Regional endemic |
Fly into San José. Poás is a morning's drive from the city, on the far side of the Central Valley from Tapantí, which is why our trips can start here on the day you land.
All year. The slopes are cooler than the lowlands and can be wet, so bring a fleece and a rain layer.
One lodge on the slopes, small, stone and wood, beside a dairy farm.
Photo: Poas Volcano Lodge
Poás
An Intimate Mountain Lodge with Breath-taking Views of the Poas Volcano
★★★★
Eleven rooms of stone and wood on the edge of the cloud forest, beside a working dairy farm, with a walk-in fireplace in the living room for the cold evenings. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is within driving distance, and four of our recent birding itineraries stay here.
A few minutes on the form, and one of our Costa Rica specialists comes back to you personally with a first itinerary: the Highlands 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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