One of the country's active volcanoes, with sulphur lagoons and mud springs in the park, and below them the forest of the lower slopes, which is where the birding is. Our own guide to birding in Costa Rica names the lower parts of the park as great places to see birds, and that is where a guided walk goes.
At its foot is Hacienda Guachipelín, a 3,400-acre working ranch 22 km from Liberia, with dry forest, 32 rivers coming off the volcano and over 300 species of birds recorded on the land. Birders walk the ranch's own trails at first light and are back for breakfast.
It is the place on the dry side for a birder travelling with people who do not bird. Canopy, horses and hot springs are all on the same property.
The Great Curassow walking the forest floor, and the Collared Aracari in the canopy, the two our park notes name here.
Then the birds of the whole dry side: Turquoise-browed Motmot on the fence posts, Long-tailed Manakin, famous for the dance two males perform side by side for one female, and White-throated Magpie-Jay in noisy family groups round the ranch.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Curassow | Crax rubra | Pavón Grande | |
| Collared Aracari | Pteroglossus torquatus | Tucancillo Collarejo | |
| Turquoise-browed Motmot | Eumomota superciliosa | Momoto Cejiceleste | |
| Long-tailed Manakin | Chiroxiphia linearis | Saltarín Toledo | |
| White-throated Magpie-Jay | Cyanocorax formosa | Urraca Copetona |
Fly into Liberia. Hacienda Guachipelín is 22 km from Liberia, so the trip can start here the afternoon you land.
The dry season, December to April, when the trees are barest and the birds easiest to see. The resident birds are here in every month.
One lodge, the ranch at the foot of the volcano, with the trails, the hot springs and the horses on the same land.
Photo: Hacienda Guachipelin
Rincón de la Vieja
A Great Property with A Host of Exciting Activities On-Site
★★★
A 3,400-acre working ranch on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja, 22 km from Liberia, with dry forest, 32 rivers coming off the volcano and birding from the ranch's own trails. Good when the birder travels with people who do not bird: canopy, horses and hot springs on the same property.
No fixed trip stops here yet; we add it to a custom trip.
A few minutes on the form, and one of our Costa Rica specialists comes back to you personally with a first itinerary: the dry side 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.
Keep going: add more birds, lodges or tours, then turn your Wishlist into a trip.
