Yellow-throated ToucanPhoto: Jim Cumming
Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands
Macaw Lodge is the one in the hills. It sits among the forests of the Cerros de Turrubares, inland from Carara and the Tárcoles bridge, with a lake in front of the lodge and forest on two sides, and the lake is what the other Carara lodges do not have.
On the water, look for Sunbittern and Northern Jacana. The lodge says more than 350 species of birds are found in the area.
It opened in 2011, and the walks leave reception at six with a guide who knows the trails. Our clients tend to come back talking about the owner, Pablo, by name, which tells you how small and personal the place is.
The lodge runs two guided bird walks on its own trails, one of about two and a half hours and one of four, both leaving reception at 6 a.m. with a professional guide who helps you find and name the birds. It asks you to bring binoculars, a camera, water, repellent and a poncho. The lodge's tour page also offers a guided morning in Carara, which it describes as a transition zone between the northern dry forest and the southern humid forest. The lake in front of the lodge is in our catalogue; the lodge's site shows it in its photographs.
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.
At the lake, the Sunbittern and the Northern Jacana, and the Amazon Kingfisher, which the lodge names on its walks. In the forest round the lodge, the birds the lodge itself lists: the Scarlet Macaw, the Fiery-billed Aracari (a regional endemic), the Yellow-throated Toucan and the Orange-collared Manakin, another regional endemic.
A short drive away in Carara, the Collared Aracari, Slaty-tailed Trogon and King Vulture, and on the Tárcoles the Keel-billed Toucan along the river.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunbittern | Eurypyga helias | Garza del Sol | |
| Northern Jacana | Jacana spinosa | Jacana Centroamericana | |
| Amazon Kingfisher | Chloroceryle amazona | Martín Pescador Amazónico | |
| Scarlet Macaw | Ara macao | Guacamayo Rojo | |
| Fiery-billed Aracari | Pteroglossus frantzii | Tucancillo Piquianaranjado | Regional endemic |
| Yellow-throated Toucan | Ramphastos ambiguus | Tucán Pico Castaño | |
| Orange-collared Manakin | Manacus aurantiacus | Saltarín Cuellinaranja | Regional endemic |
| Collared Aracari | Pteroglossus torquatus | Tucancillo Collarejo | |
| Slaty-tailed Trogon | Trogon massena | Trogón Coliplomizo | |
| King Vulture | Sarcoramphus papa | Zopilote Rey | |
| Keel-billed Toucan | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Tucán Pico Iris |
The eight Standard Rooms are on the second floor of the main building, opening onto a balcony above the lobby, and they are the only rooms with wifi. The seven bungalows are spread around the gardens, each with a terrace and rocking chairs; the Natural Bungalows, built of bamboo, teak and clay walls, sit closest to the main building. All units have ceiling fans, bronze screens and solar-heated water, with no air conditioning. Meals are cooked on site with produce from the farm. A day might be an early walk, a farm or cacao tour, the waterfall trail, and yoga in the late afternoon. There are no shops or restaurants nearby.
Meals. lodge restaurant, Costa Rican cooking with farm produce. Meal inclusion not stated on the pages read.
Perfect for: a birder who wants a quiet lodge with yoga and a farm table, not a resort.
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 and its mangroves by boat, below Carara: Boat-billed Heron, toucans and egrets, crocodiles under the bridge, our lodges and the trips.
See the placeWant to add a luxury stay to your trip? See every hotel we represent on CostaRica.Org (opens in a new window). We plan birding lodges and beach resorts in one trip.
Tell us the birds you want, your dates and how you like to travel, and we will come back with a first itinerary: the lodges 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.
Keep going: add more birds, lodges or tours, then turn your Wishlist into a trip.
