Costa Rica | Raptor Migration Festival in Sarapiquí

Upon arrival in San José, you will be met and taken to your hotel.

After breakfast, depart for Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve in the lush Caribbean lowlands of north-central Costa Rica. Have time to orient yourself and walk the grounds before having lunch and then checking into your room. This afternoon, visit Refugio Lapa Verde (RLV) to check out the reserve's canopy platform and witness the raptor migration from this unique vantage point. In the afternoon or early evening, Kenneth Acuña, the Hawkwatch Coordinator at Refugio Lapa Verde will give a lecture about the raptor migration. This evening, after dinner, enjoy an optional night hike at Selva Verde Lodge!

Start the day with an early morning bird walk around the grounds of the lodge. After breakfast, enjoy a guided hike across the Sarapiquí River and into Selva Verde's 500-acre rainforest reserve, where it is possible to see species such as the Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, White-winged Becard, Sunbittern, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, and the endangered Great Green Macaw. This afternoon, roll up your sleeves to help the RLV team prepare for the big day tomorrow. Help with setting up their big tent, preparing or folding leaflets, or any other tasks needed to support the large turn-out expected on Saturday. This evening, attend an informal talk with biologist Randall Montoya-Solano from RLV about the Raptor Migration Festival, an innovative community conservation initiative. Chris Corpus, Senior Director of Conservation at the Dallas Zoo will also be on hand to talk about the Zoo's partnership with RLV to directly support efforts to save animals and ecosystems from extinction.

This morning is the big day of the festival! Head to RLV to spend the morning and early afternoon at the festival. There will be ample opportunities to visit the canopy platform, check out the work of local artisans at the craft booth, and enjoy the day watching raptors and being a part of this community conservation initiative. Lunch will be either at RLV or at Selva Verde Lodge. Later this afternoon, depart for Poás Volcano, stopping en route at the Galeria de Colibrí, a roadside café with an impressive array of feeders overlooking a waterfall in the valley below. In the late afternoon, arrive at the lodge and enjoy the grounds. *** If space opens up at Selva Verde Lodge, the group will stay overnight at SVL again and do a full-day visit to La Virgen, Galeria de Colibrí, and Poás Volcano National Park tomorrow.

This morning, go birding in the Poás Volcano area to look for some mid-elevation species such as Black Guan, Talamanca, Fiery-throated, and Volcano Hummingbirds, Mountain Elaenia, Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher, and Slaty Flowerpiercer, among others. In the afternoon, visit Poás Volcano National Park, where with luck you'll be able to see the impressive crater and its acidic crater lakes. (Entry is dependent on seismic activity permitting visitation.)

This morning, transfer out to San José International Airport or to your hotel in San José if you have chosen to extend your trip. Keep in mind, the lodge is located one hour from the international airport, so it's best to schedule flights that depart SJO no earlier than 9 am.