Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands
The river that runs past Carara National Park to the sea, and the mangroves along it. Over 400 species of birds have been registered in the area, and the best way to see this part of it is from a boat.
Carara and the Tárcoles hold birds of the wet Pacific and birds of the drier northwest side by side. The park gives you the forest at dawn; the boat gives you the water birds, usually the same day, on flat water with a guide.
And the crocodiles. The river is known for them, some three to four metres long, and the ones under the bridge are the photograph everyone takes home.
From the boat, the Boat-billed Heron in the mangroves, with the big eyes of a bird that hunts at night, and the Great Egret along the banks. The Keel-billed Toucan crosses the river, and the Great Tinamou calls from the forest edge.
Overhead, morning and evening, the Scarlet Macaw pairs crossing between Carara and the river. Carara has its own page.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boat-billed Heron | Cochlearius cochlearius | Pico Cuchara (Chocuaco) | |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Garceta Grande (Garza Real) | |
| Keel-billed Toucan | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Tucán Pico Iris | |
| Great Tinamou | Tinamus major | Tinamú Grande | |
| Scarlet Macaw | Ara macao | Guacamayo Rojo (Lapa Roja) |
Fly into San José. Carara and the Tárcoles are about an hour and a half from the airport, so the boat often goes on the last full day of a trip, with one more dawn at Carara before the flight home. Hot at sea level all year: the boat goes out early.
All year. The mangroves and the macaws are here in every month.
Four lodges, the same four as Carara: a ridge-top lodge with the macaws crossing the valley in front of it, a five-star hacienda on the riverbank at the edge of the park, a lake lodge between Carara and the bridge, and a beach resort just south for a birder travelling with family.
Photo: Cerro Lodge
Tárcoles
A Birder's Haven near Jaco Will Have You Seeing Red: The Stunning Scarlet Macaw!
★★★★
Ten bungalows and ten rooms on a ridge about 10 minutes from Carara, where scarlet macaws cross the valley in front of the hotel and about 150 species have been counted around it. "Macaws and fascinating hummingbirds on the feeders", in one client's words.
Photo: Hotel Punta Leona
Punta Leona
Private white sand beach
★★★
A beach resort in one of the country's last transition forests, where the wet Pacific forest meets the dry, just before Jacó and 45 minutes from the San José airport. A private white sand beach, three pools, and Carara and the Tárcoles river a short drive away: the lodge for a birder travelling with a family.
Photo: Macaw Lodge
Tárcoles
Beauty and Sustainability not far from the Tarcoles River
★★★★
A lake in front of the lodge and forest on two sides, between Carara and the Tárcoles bridge, with over 300 species on the lodge list, Sunbittern and Northern Jacana among them. Opened in 2011, and our clients mention the owner, Pablo, by name.
Photo: Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda, Autograph Collection
Carara
A hacienda and colonial village on the riverbanks at the edge of Carara National Park
★★★★★
The old Villa Lapas, reopened as Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda, an Autograph Collection hotel, on the riverbank at the edge of Carara National Park near Tárcoles, where scarlet macaws cross over the grounds. The same birding ground we have used for years, with a five-star hotel on it now.
A few minutes on the form, and one of our Costa Rica specialists comes back to you personally with a first itinerary: the Pacific 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.
