Costa Rica | Birding and Photography

Upon arrival in San José this afternoon, you will be met at the airport and taken to the hotel. Attend a welcome briefing and dinner this evening. Check-in starts at 3 pm.

This morning, check out of the hotel and start your journey to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve in the Caribbean lowlands, with elevations ranging from 180 to 220 feet. Founded by the Holbrook family in 1985, the lodge is renowned for its commitment to ecological preservation and sustainability. En route, stop for a visit to the home and private reserve of Costa Rican naturalist and wildlife artist José Alberto Pérez, also known as Cope. Cope's property is designed to maximize opportunities for birding and photography. Have lunch and continue to Sarapiqui. After arriving at Selva Verde this evening and receive a brief orientation to the facilities prior to dinner. The reserve is home to a large assortment of avian life, including several types of herons, egrets, hawks, falcons, macaws, hummingbirds, flycatchers, warblers, sparrows, and tanagers. Specific species often spotted at Selva Verde include the Keel-billed Toucan, Sunbittern, Crimson-backed Tanager, Wood Thrush, Crowned Woodnymph, and Grey-cowled Wood-Rail. Selva Verde is also home to the endangered Great Green Macaw, which can occasionally be found feeding on the giant fruiting almond trees in the rainforest. Go on a photography walk after dinner.

Begin the day with optional birding around Selva Verde grounds and reserve. Then, take a boat ride on the Río Sarapiquí. While winding down the river, which is bordered with forests and cultivated fields, look for aquatic animals, birds, and reptiles in their natural habitat. You may also see residents going about their daily lives and witness the impact local banana plantations have on this watershed. Return to the lodge for lunch then have the afternoon free to explore and photograph on the hotel grounds. This evening after dinner, join your guide for a night walk in search of frogs.

This morning after breakfast, depart for Arenal Observatory Lodge, with a stop at La Fortuna's Eco-Center Danaus, a private ecological reserve where programs for conservation, training, environmental education, and sustainable production are developed. Take time for photography along the grassland areas, the bridge over the Burío River, in the secondary forest, and near the natural spring in search of some of the reserve's 150 species. Have lunch in the town of La Fortuna before continuing to the hotel, arriving mid-afternoon. Arenal Observatory is the only ecolodge situated between Lake Arenal and the massive Arenal stratovolcano, as well as the only hotel within Arenal National Park. Set on a ridge amid towering pine trees and beautiful rainforest on the south side of the volcano, the lodge boasts seven miles of well-maintained trails on over 800 acres. Elevations range from 1,650 to 2,950 feet. The lodge is a paradise for photographers and birders alike, with more than 400 species recorded here. Some of the more spectacular local residents include the Three-wattled Bellbird, Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Sunbittern, Laughing Falcon, Red-lored Parrot, Great Curassow, Northern Jacana, Steely-vented Hummingbird, and Keel-billed Toucan. There is also plenty of other wildlife in the area, including three species of monkeys. You'll have time after arrival for photography at local feeders and on the trails.

Spend a full day around the trails and gardens at Arenal Observatory. Some folks may want to take advantage of the variety of spa services available (to be paid on site). Room type - Smithsonian

Travel to Carara today, arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. The area is home to more than 200 species of birds, including the Scarlet Macaw. Go for a boat ride along the Tárcoles River to watch for both water and shore birds, like the Double-striped Thick-knee, Roseate Spoonbill, jacanas and ducks. The Tárcoles River basin is one of the most important in the Pacific coastal region; it drains virtually the entire western side of the Central Valley. Tárcoles hosts an amazing diversity of wildlife along its banks. The river is a perfect place to catch a glimpse of mangrove specialties such as the rare Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Mangrove Hummingbird, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Panama Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, Yellow Warbler (Mangrove), and Scrub Greenlet. Perhaps the most famous of all its inhabitants are the enormous American crocodiles that live on its banks.

Take an early morning photography and bird walk before breakfast. Then, set out for Carara National Park, one of the birding hotspots of Costa Rica. The park is located in the Central Pacific region, one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the country. The intersection of northwestern tropical dry forest with the humid rainforest of the South Pacific region, concentrated in a relatively small area, produces an interesting combination of species from both ecosystems. Keep your eyes open for Golden-naped Woodpecker, Baird's Trogon, Orange-collared Manakin, Riverside Wren, Black-hooded Antshrike, Dot-winged Antwren, Long-billed Gnatwren, and Chestnut-backed Antbird.

After breakfast head up to the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains. This afternoon, enjoy the opportunity to photograph the beautiful colors of the Fiery-throated Hummingbird. Pack a fleece and layers to be prepared for cool weather at this elevation (about 9,000 feet above sea level).

Spend the day exploring and photographing the area and looking for Resplendent Quetzals, Northern Emerald-Toucanets, trogons, hummingbirds, tanagers, and woodpeckers, just a few of over 200 avian species that are found in the area.

Mornng visit to Paraiso del Quetzal with lunch then return to San Jose. Farewell dinner at the hotel tonight.

Transfer to the airport for flights home. Check out is at 12 pm.