Resplendent QuetzalPhoto: ondrejprosicky
Mirador de Quetzales is on the ridge, not in the valley. It sits on Cerro de la Muerte, up by the highway, on land the family has farmed since 1948 and has run as a lodge for more than 25 years.
That altitude is the reason to choose it. The birds of the high ridge, the ones the San Gerardo lodges drive up for, are on the doorstep here: the km 70 lookouts are about a kilometre away in a straight line.
The name says the rest. It is a quetzal lookout. Bring a proper jacket: it is one of the colder places we put people.
We could not find a website of the lodge's own, so this paragraph carries only what our catalogue holds: a family farm on Cerro de la Muerte since 1948, a lodge for more than 25 years, and a cold climate at altitude. We have not confirmed trails, feeders or a guide service from the lodge itself, and this section stays short until we do.
Photo: Mirador de Quetzales
San Gerardo de Dota
Located in Cerro de la Muerte
★★★★
On land the family has farmed since 1948 on Cerro de la Muerte, run as a lodge for over 25 years, and the name says what you are there for: a quetzal lookout. It is cold at this altitude, so pack a jacket.
On the ridge around the lodge, the high-altitude specialists: the Timberline Wren in the bamboo, and the Wrenthrush, the bird the official list puts in a family by itself.
With them, birds of the high forest that carry the regional endemic flag: Flame-throated Warbler, Collared Redstart, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher and Sulphur-winged Parakeet.
The Resplendent Quetzal is the lodge's name and the reason for the trip. With a guide, all year.
Down the slope in Los Quetzales National Park, the guides add Black Guan and Peg-billed Finch, with Swallow-tailed Kite over the ridge.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resplendent Quetzal | Pharomachrus mocinno | Quetzal | |
| Timberline Wren | Thryorchilus browni | Soterré del Bambú | Regional endemic |
| Wrenthrush | Zeledonia coronata | Zeledonia | Regional endemic |
| Flame-throated Warbler | Oreothlypis gutturalis | Reinita Garganta de Fuego | Regional endemic |
| Collared Redstart | Myioborus torquatus | Candelita Collareja | Regional endemic |
| Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher | Ptiliogonys caudatus | Capulinero Colilargo | Regional endemic |
| Sulphur-winged Parakeet | Pyrrhura hoffmanni | Perico Aliazufrado | Regional endemic |
| Black Guan | Chamaepetes unicolor | Pava Negra | Regional endemic |
| Peg-billed Finch | Acanthidops bairdi | Fringilo Piquiagudo | Regional endemic |
| Swallow-tailed Kite | Elanoides forficatus | Elanio Tijereta |
This is a simple, high, cold stop: a cluster of wooden bungalows on the ridge beside the highway, each facing down the valley toward the mountains. Bungalows range from one queen bed for two up to six beds for a family, so a small birding group can share one. The day starts early with the guided quetzal tour from the lodge, then breakfast at Restaurant Atardecer, which serves Costa Rican and international dishes through the day and takes its name from the sunsets over the valley. A new hummingbird garden sits by the buildings. Evenings are short and cold, so plan on a hot meal, a sweater and an early night.
Meals. Restaurant Atardecer, Costa Rican and international dishes. Whether meals come with a standard stay is not stated (a three-night all-inclusive package is listed).
Perfect for: a birder driving south who wants a dawn quetzal tour without a detour off the highway.
The highest road in Costa Rica, over the ridge above the quetzal valley: the birds of the ridge at km 70, two family lodges on top and how to get there.
See the placeThe oak forest on the ridge above San Gerardo de Dota: 12,355 acres of park, the quetzal with a guide, the six lodges at its edge and the trips nearby.
See the placeThe Savegre valley at about 2,200 metres, where we send birders for the Resplendent Quetzal: the birds, the lodges in the valley and how to get there.
See the placeNo fixed trip stays here yet; we build it into a custom trip.
Want 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.
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