Day 1 · 1 night
San José
Hotel Bougainvillea, Heredia
Hotel Bougainvillea. Gardens with mature trees twenty minutes from the airport.
- Day 1San JoséOur greeter meets you at arrivals with your welcome pack. Private transfer to Hotel Bougainvillea.
Graceful Black-throated Trogon
Birding trip · 11 nights · Arrive San José (SJO)
Costa Rica's Top Birding Spots
- Since 2004, based in Costa Rica
- Over 25,000 clients
- 1,200+ five-star reviews
- ICT licensed
Four of the places birders ask for by name, in eleven nights: Tortuguero, birded from a boat on the canals; Selva Verde on the Sarapiquí River; three nights at Arenal Observatory Lodge, on its own reserve next to Arenal's national park; and three at Macaw Lodge near Carara, where the Scarlet Macaws are. A lowland trip, Caribbean side then Pacific, and the quetzal is deliberately not on it.
- Length
- 11 nights
- Stops
- 4 birding stops: Tortuguero, Sarapiquí, Arenal, Carara and the Tárcoles
- Fly into
- San José, SJO
- Getting around
- Private driver; the river boat in and out of Tortuguero
- Great for
- Listers who want the lowlands of both coasts, a second Costa Rica trip, couples, retired listers
- Zones
- Caribbean Lowlands, Central and Southern Pacific
- Pace
- Moderate: early starts, three nights at the last two stops, one long transfer day each way at Tortuguero
- Reviewed
- November 2026
The route
East over Braulio Carrillo to the Caribbean plain and by boat into Tortuguero, back out to Sarapiquí, west to Arenal, then south and down to the Pacific at Carara, 1 hour 45 minutes from the airport on the last morning.
- San JoséArrive SJO, 1 night at Hotel Bougainvillea in Heredia
- Tortuguerovan to La Pavona (about 3 hours with the breakfast stop at Guápiles), then the boat · 2 nightsMawamba Lodge
- Sarapiquíboat out, lunch at Guápiles, then about 1 hour by van · 2 nightsSelva Verde Lodge
- Arenal3 nightsArenal Observatory Lodge
- Tárcoles and Carara3 nightsMacaw Lodge
- Fly home from SJOabout 1 hour 45 minutes, timed to your flight
The route between the numbered stops, the run back to the airport (dashed); lodges as small red pins.Every stop and lodge on this route is in the numbered list.
Why we built it this way
This is the lowland trip, and I want to be straight about what that means: no quetzal. The quetzal lives in the high oak forest and this route never climbs above Arenal, so if it is on your list, Dancing with Quetzals or Best of Birding is the better trip. What you get instead is the two things the lowlands do best. On the Caribbean side, Tortuguero's canals and then the Sarapiquí, which is Great Green Macaw country. On the Pacific, Carara, the one place where the dry forest of the north meets the wet forest of the south, which is why the Scarlet Macaws are there and why the list at Macaw Lodge runs over 300.
Arenal in the middle is the hinge. Three nights, because the lodge next to the park has over 500 species around it and the hanging bridges put you in the canopy. A client who did almost this loop came home with more than 220 species, and that is what the trip is for.
Jason Bateman, Costa Rica Specialist
Day by day
Days 2 to 3 · 2 nights
Tortuguero
Mawamba Lodge, Tortuguero
Mawamba Lodge. On the strip of land between the Caribbean and the canals, reached by boat, with the park at the door and its own boats for the birding.
- Day 2To TortugueroEarly through Braulio Carrillo National Park, breakfast at Guápiles after about 2 hours, another hour to La Pavona and the boat to Mawamba Lodge. The village in the afternoon: no cars, birds overhead. By road: about 3 hours
- Day 3Tortuguero National ParkA guided boat morning on the park's canals; from July to September the beach belongs to the nesting green turtles.
Days 4 to 5 · 2 nights
Sarapiquí
Selva Verde Lodge, Sarapiquí
Selva Verde Lodge. On the river, with its own 204-hectare primary forest reserve and 15 kilometres of trails.
- Day 4To SarapiquíBoat and van back to Guápiles for lunch, then about 1 hour to Selva Verde Lodge on the Sarapiquí River. By road: about 1 hour
- Day 5Selva VerdeA guided birding morning in the lodge's primary forest reserve, the guide's scope on the canopy.
Days 6 to 8 · 3 nights
Arenal
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 more than 500 species around it.
- Day 6To ArenalWest to Arenal Observatory Lodge, next to Arenal Volcano National Park. The lodge's trails in the afternoon.
- Day 7The hanging bridgesA guided birding morning on the hanging bridges, in the canopy, where more than 350 species have been recorded.
- Day 8Dawn at the lodgeThe birding morning tour on the lodge's own trails with the volcano in view, then a day to take the place in.
At Arenal, Lovely Cotinga, Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Yellow-eared Toucanet and Great Curassow on the lodge's trails; tanagers, hummingbirds and trogons from the bridges.
Days 9 to 11 · 3 nights
Tárcoles and Carara
Macaw Lodge, Tárcoles
Macaw Lodge. A birding lodge between two life zones near Carara, with over 300 species on its list: Scarlet Macaws, toucans, Sunbittern and Northern Jacana among them.
- Day 9To the PacificSouth and down to Macaw Lodge near Carara, between two life zones.
- Day 10The birding hikeA guided morning on the lodge's trails with a local birding guide: macaws, toucans, Sunbittern and Northern Jacana on the lodge's list.
- Day 11Carara National ParkA guided morning in the park where the dry forest meets the wet: Scarlet Macaw and Collared Aracari.
At Carara and Macaw Lodge, the Scarlet Macaw in pairs, Collared Aracari in the park, and Sunbittern and Northern Jacana on the lodge's own list.
12
Day 12 · Fly home. About 1 hour 45 minutes to San José airport, timed to your flight.
Birds to look for
On the Caribbean side, the Great Green Macaw and the Keel-billed Toucan, with Great Potoo and Sunbittern on the list and Roseate Spoonbill among the water birds of the Tortuguero canals; at Selva Verde, trogons and hummingbirds through the guide's scope.
At Arenal, Lovely Cotinga, Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Yellow-eared Toucanet and Great Curassow on the lodge's trails; tanagers, hummingbirds and trogons from the bridges.
At Carara and Macaw Lodge, the Scarlet Macaw in pairs, Collared Aracari in the park, and Sunbittern and Northern Jacana on the lodge's own list.
Know before you go
- Season. All year. The Caribbean side is wet in every month; December to April is driest at Carara. Northern migrants from August to December and January to May; Tortuguero's green turtles nest July to September.
- No quetzal. This is a lowland route; add two nights at San Gerardo de Dota if the quetzal must be on it.
- Boat days. The trip in and out of Tortuguero is a river boat, bags included; the canal tours are in the lodge boat.
- Hot and humid. Both lowlands are; the mornings are the work and the lodges pack an early breakfast.
What every trip includes
- A greeter at arrivals. One of our team outside the airport with your welcome pack and documents.
- Private transfers. A modern air-conditioned van and a Costa Rican driver for every road leg, on your schedule, early included; the river boat for Tortuguero.
- 24/7 team in Costa Rica. Our concierge desk in San José, reachable day and night for the whole trip.
- Tours we have tested. Guides and operators our team works with year after year, booked for your days.
- A local birding guide. For the mornings that matter, the person who birds that place every week.
Every trip is a custom quote built around your dates and your list.
Reviews
“We visited 4 locales: Sarapiqui, Arenal, Jaco, and San Gerado de Dota where we saw more than 220 species of birds including Quetzals at San Gerado.”
“The Scarlett Macaw and the Resplendent Quetzal were 2 of our target birds and we got both along with 182 species and 118 new birds to add to our life list!”
“This year My Costa Rica assisted me in planning my fourth birding tour to Costa Rica.”
Questions travellers ask
Is the quetzal on this trip?
No, and we say so on purpose. It is a lowland route. Two nights at San Gerardo de Dota at the end adds it, or Dancing with Quetzals runs the highlands and the lowlands in one loop.
When should we go?
Any month. The Caribbean side has no dry season to speak of; December to April is driest at Carara, and the turtles nest at Tortuguero from July to September.
Are international flights included?
No. Everything from landing to check-in for the flight home is ours; the flights are yours, and we advise on times.
Can we change it?
Yes. The Tárcoles mangrove boat added at Carara, Caño Negro as a day from Arenal, or Cerro Lodge in place of Macaw Lodge.
Is this a group tour?
No. Private, for your party only, on your dates; we run no fixed-date group tours.
Keep exploring
This route birds two of our five birding zones: Caribbean Lowlands and Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands. Each zone page has its parks, its birds and every lodge we use there.
Trips like this one
- Sarapiquí, Arenal and Cararathe Caribbean rainforest, the volcano, then the macaws on the PacificSee that itinerary
- Dancing with QuetzalsSan Gerardo de Dota, Dominical, Arenal and SarapiquíSee that itinerary
- Coast to Coast Birding, Tortuguero to the OsaTortuguero by boat, Arenal, Monteverde, Carara, Drake Bay and the quetzal at the endSee that itinerary
Or see all twenty-three birding trips, or every lodge we use, on one map.
Make it yours: request this itinerary
Tell us your dates and your list. A Costa Rica specialist writes back with your version of this trip.