Birding trip · 10 nights · Arrive San José (SJO)
Our three slopes trip, the Pacific lowlands, the Talamanca and the Caribbean foothills, with the volcano added at the front. Two nights at Arenal Observatory Lodge, two at Macaw Lodge near Carara, two for the quetzal at San Gerardo de Dota and two at Rancho Naturalista, with a full day birding the ranch. Ten nights, four very different forests.
North to Arenal, south and down to the Pacific at Carara, up into the Talamanca, east to the foothills above Turrialba, and a last night back near the airport.
The route between the numbered stops; lodges as small red pins.Every stop and lodge on this route is in the numbered list.
Some birders look at the three slopes trip and ask for Arenal too. We have built that twice, most recently for a group of four, and this is the shape it took.
Two nights everywhere is the honest cost of five zones in ten nights. You pack every other day.
What I would not cut is the full day at Rancho Naturalista. It is the stop our clients write home about, and one day with the lodge's guides is worth more than a third night anywhere else on this route.
Jason Bateman, Costa Rica Specialist
Day 1 · 1 night
Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia
Hotel Bougainvillea. Gardens with mature trees twenty minutes from the airport.
Days 2 to 3 · 2 nights
Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal
Arenal Observatory Lodge. A 1987 Smithsonian research station on its own 350-hectare reserve next to Arenal Volcano National Park, with its own trails and the volcano from the window.
At Arenal, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Lovely Cotinga, Yellow-eared Toucanet and Great Curassow on the lodge's trails.
Days 4 to 5 · 2 nights
Macaw Lodge, Tárcoles
Macaw Lodge. 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.
At Carara and Macaw Lodge, the Scarlet Macaw in pairs and Collared Aracari, with Sunbittern and Northern Jacana on the lodge's lake.
Days 6 to 7 · 2 nights
Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota
Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge. Bungalows with fireplaces on a hillside above San Gerardo de Dota, close to Los Quetzales National Park, with trails through the lodge's own forest.
At San Gerardo de Dota, the Resplendent Quetzal, with Fiery-throated Hummingbird at the feeders, Black Guan in the oaks and Northern Emerald-Toucanet.
Days 8 to 9 · 2 nights
Rancho Naturalista, Turrialba
Rancho Naturalista. The birding lodge of the Caribbean foothills: 125 acres of slope forest half an hour from town, feeders on the balcony, hummingbird pools.
At Rancho Naturalista above Turrialba, the Snowcap at the forest pools in the late afternoon, Red-headed Barbet, Gray-headed Chachalaca and Rufous Motmot at the morning feeders, and Lanceolated Monklet in the Río Tuis valley.
Day 10 · 1 night
Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia
Hotel Bougainvillea. Gardens with mature trees twenty minutes from the airport.
At Arenal, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Lovely Cotinga, Yellow-eared Toucanet and Great Curassow on the lodge's trails.
At Carara and Macaw Lodge, the Scarlet Macaw in pairs and Collared Aracari, with Sunbittern and Northern Jacana on the lodge's lake.
At San Gerardo de Dota, the Resplendent Quetzal, with Fiery-throated Hummingbird at the feeders, Black Guan in the oaks and Northern Emerald-Toucanet.
At Rancho Naturalista above Turrialba, the Snowcap at the forest pools in the late afternoon, Red-headed Barbet, Gray-headed Chachalaca and Rufous Motmot at the morning feeders, and Lanceolated Monklet in the Río Tuis valley.
Every trip is a custom quote built around your dates and your list.
“The bird guides at Rancho were absolutely stellar (Mercedes, Fabian and also Harry came with us too first afternoon).”
“They also understand birding travel versus other types of travel and found lodges that catered to birding.”
“Because of their incredible professionalism, accommodating service, and awesome attention to detail, we identified 347 new "life" birds.”
It adds Arenal at the front and gives every stop two nights instead of three. Birding in Costa Rica's Eco-Zones is the slower version without the volcano.
Yes. The other trip like this ran eleven nights, with four at Arenal and three at San Gerardo de Dota, and Carara left out.
No. Everything from landing to check-in for the flight home is ours; the flights are yours, and we advise on times.
Yes. Cerro Lodge in place of Macaw Lodge, Trogon Lodge or Savegre in place of Dantica.
No. Private, for your party only, on your dates; we run no fixed-date group tours.
This route birds four of our five birding zones: Caribbean Lowlands, Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands, Highlands and Caribbean Foothills. Each zone page has its parks, its birds and every lodge we use there.
Or see all twenty-three birding trips, or every lodge we use, on one map.
Tell us your dates and your list. A Costa Rica specialist writes back with your version of this trip.
Keep going: add more birds, lodges or tours, then turn your Wishlist into a trip.
