Costa Rica - Birder’s Paradise Tour

Join IndiGo Birding Nature Tours for this amazing adventure to some of the birdiest places in Costa Rica, the mecca of tropical birding! On this tour, IndiGo Birding has partnered with Juan Diego Vargas of Lifer Nature Tours to create an ideal itinerary. Juan Diego will be our guide as we visit a variety of habitats and elevations over the course of this 11-day, 10-night tour.

We will search for Resplendent Quetzal, Long-tailed Tyrant, Sungrebe, and so many other spectacular species. Don’t miss out on this “birding trip of a lifetime!”

Day 1 – Arrival in San Jose

Welcome to Costa Rica! Plan your flight to arrive in the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) on January 20th. A shuttle will be available to take you to the nearby Hotel Rodeo Estancia, where we will gather in the evening for a welcome meeting and dinner. And as a bonus, there are some birds to enjoy on the grounds while you relax!

Days 2 and 3 – Heading North

We depart San Jose and travel north, stopping at the Cinchona Soda y Mirador for a snack and amazing views. Expect to see many hummingbirds and tanagers up close! We will then visit Juan Diego’s private nature center (The Nest), where we will go birding and have lunch. White-collared Manakins are sure to be one of the viewing treats here. We finish our day by continuing to the Cano Negro Natural Lodge, where we will have dinner and rest up for the big days ahead. Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge protects over 25,000 acres of biodiverse wetlands. We will explore the area by boat and by foot, looking for elusive birds like Sungrebe, Boat-billed Heron, and Agami Heron. There are also grasslands and another wetland area nearby that we will explore from the road, giving us chances at Nicaraguan Seed Finch and Red-breasted Meadowlark. What a way to kick off the tour!

Days 4 and 5 – Arenal

The Arenal Volcano is one of the most iconic places in Costa Rica, plus it’s an awesome birding spot as well. We will spend a couple of nights near the base of the volcano, enjoying the scenery, both avian and natural. We will bird La Peninsula road, part of Arenal Volcano National Park, looking for Long-tailed Tyrant, White-fronted Nunbird, Keel-billed Motmot, White Hawk, Dull-mantled Antbird, Great Antshrike, Rufous-winged Woodpecker among others. We will have lunch at Sky Hanging Bridges Restaurant and, after a short break, walk the trails with some hanging bridges.

Days 6 and 7 – Talamanca Highlands

We head up the mountains in search of the Resplendent Quetzals and other high-elevation species, like Volcano Hummingbird, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, and Slaty Flowerpiercer. Our lodging for two nights will be at the famous Hotel Savegre, located in the middle of a 500-hectare nature preserve. Pack your warm clothes and be ready for 7000 feet of elevation in a cloud forest. Count on amazing scenery and lots of endemics! Here is a good spot for a spa treatment as well.

Days 8 and 9 – The Pacific

To complete our trip, we travel to the Pacific coast to stay at Hotel Villa Lapas for two nights. We could see Fiery-billed Aracaris and Royal Flycatchers on the hotel grounds! We will take a boat ride on the Tarcoles River, visit Carara National Park, and do a night excursion in search of owls. And don’t forget about the Scarlet Macaws, which are abundant in this area and often provide excellent photographic opportunities!

Days 10 and 11 – Back to San Jose

After a morning of birding around the hotel and nearby trails, we will head back to San Jose and stay the last night back at the Rodeo Estancia Hotel. We will celebrate and review a great week of birding together, making new friends, and a likely checklist of nearly 300 species. Free shuttle transportation to the airport is available on the 30th, so you should be able to catch a flight at whatever time works best for your schedule and budget. Pura vida!