Costa Rica | Birding and Photography in Sarapiquí, Carara, Uvita and San Gerardo de Dota

Upon arrival in San José, travel to Hotel Bougainvillea. Check-in is available at 3 pm. This evening, enjoy dinner and a welcome orientation.

Travel to Carara arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. The lodge is home to more than 230 species of birds, including the Scarlet Macaw, which the hotel is named after. In the afternoon, when it cools off a bit, explore the area around the lodge and river. Later, take a guided night walk to observe owls.

Check out this morning, and then 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. Travel south to Uvita and enjoy some free time on arrival at La Cusinga.

After breakfast, check out and head toward San Gerardo de Dota. Stop for lunch at Alma de Árbol, and then visit Batsú Gardens. After check-in at Savegre, explore the grounds before dinner. Some resident hummingbirds here include the Talamanca Hummingbird, Lesser Violetear, White-throated Mountain-gem (Grey-tailed), Volcano Hummingbird, and the tiny Scintillant Hummingbird.

Savegre is located in a small community in the Talamanca Mountains and houses its own private biological reserve. This high-elevation habitat of mostly oak and highland cloud forest is rich with insects, mammals, amphibians, and a huge variety of avifauna - more than 170 species. The large centennial oaks that cover the forest are laden with lichens and mosses that contrast with the colorful bromeliads. Spend the morning traveling in a 4x4 vehicle to the upper reserve and looking for the Spotted Wood-Quail, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Collared Trogon, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ruddy Treerunner, Ochraceous Pewee, Barred Becard, Wrenthrush, and Golden-browed Chlorophonia. In the afternoon, search for the Resplendent Quetzal. Dinner tonight is followed by a guided night walk.

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. Stop at Paraíso Quetzal for lunch and hummingbird photography. After arriving at Selva Verde, receive a brief orientation to the facilities and spend time exploring the property before 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.

Depart after breakfast for the world-famous Organization for Tropical Studies La Selva Research Station for photography and birding in the tropical wet forest. La Selva consists of approximately nearly 4,000 acres of land, more than half of which is virgin forest. The area averages over 13 feet of rainfall each year, making it a prime spot to observe water birds. More than half of Costa Rica's recorded bird species have been spotted at La Selva, including the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Red-capped Manakin, Great Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Striped Cuckoo, Slaty Spinetail, Yellow-tailed Oriole, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar. In the afternoon, 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.

Begin the day with optional birding around Selva Verde grounds and reserve. After breakfast, visit 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. Return to the lodge for lunch, and enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore on your own or participate in optional activities at your own expense. This evening, after dinner, take another walk in search of nocturnal species.

After breakfast, leisurely depart for San José. En route, stop at Mirador Cinchona, and then have lunch at a local restaurant. Arrive at Hotel Bougainvillea and, after check-in, spend the afternoon doing more photography in the gardens. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Travel to the airport for flights home. Check-out is at noon.