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Quest for the Agami Heron

12-Night, 13-Day Trip

About This Birdwatching Group Tour

Focus: Birdwatching

Tour Highlights

Chance to see the rare and secretive Agami Heron
Expert private birding guide throughout the trip
Prime locations for Resplendent Quetzals, Snowcap Hummingbirds, Great Green Macaws, and more
Opportunities to spot Sloths, Monkeys, Anteaters, and Leatherback Turtles
Comfortable accommodations in top birding lodges

Trip Overview

Day 1:

Arrive San Jose

Days 2-3:

Talamanca Highlands

Days 4-5:

Turrialba, Mid-Elevation

Days 6-7:

Pacuare Reserve - Caribbean Lowlands

Days 8-9:

Caribbean Lowlands

Days 10-11:

Caribbean Foothills

Day 12:

San Jose

Day 13:

Return to SJO Airport

Overview
What's Included
Itinerary
Additional Info
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This 12-night, privately guided birding tour offers a rare opportunity to observe nesting Agami Herons at the remote Pacuare Reserve—one of the most exclusive birding experiences in Costa Rica. The journey begins in the Central Valley and travels through the highland forests of the Talamanca Highlands, the scenic Turrialba Valley, and the species-rich Caribbean Lowlands. Guests will visit premier birding locations including La Selva Biological Station and the mid-elevation forests of La Fortuna, with Arenal Volcano in the distance. With expert guiding throughout and access to regions few travelers ever reach, this is a truly special itinerary for birders seeking unique sightings and a broad range of habitats.
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What's Included in Your 12-Night, 13-Day Quest for the Agami Heron Tour?

  • Small Group Tour – Birdwatching

    On a group tour with a private guide, the guide is with you from your arrival to your departure. You not only bird at the hotels, parks, and reserves on your itinerary, you also have the flexibility to stop with the guide at local spots, and places that only the guides know. You have an expert with you every step of the way. Guests with a Private Guide can expect to see at least 50% more species than guests using local guides.

    Pros and Cons of a Scheduled Group Trip

    Continuous expert guidance throughout the entire trip

    50% more species typically observed

    Access to off-the-beaten-track locations

    Flexibility for impromptu stops

    Daily species recap with guide

    Species identification from your guide during and after your trip.

    Fixed travel dates

    Less individual flexibility

      Ideal for

    • Serious birders aiming to maximize species sightings

    • First-time visitors wanting constant expert guidance

    • Birders interested in off-the-beaten-path locations

    • Travelers who value having all meals and services included

    • Birders who enjoy shared experiences with like-minded travelers

    • Travelers looking for easy, seamless experience

      • Quest for the Agami Heron Itinerary Details

      Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica

      Upon arrival, meet your private driver and transfer to your hotel. Spend the afternoon birding in the lush gardens of Hotel Bougainvillea with your private guide, a perfect introduction to Costa Rica. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and trip overview with your guide and fellow travelers.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Hotel Bougainvillea Gardens

    • Day 2: Paramo Birding & Talamanca Highlands

      Travel to the highlands of San Gerardo de Dota, home to pristine cloud forests and some of Costa Rica’s most sought-after bird species. Stop for birding in the páramo, where specialties like Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren can be found. In the afternoon, explore the lodge’s gardens and trails. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Savegre Reserve

    • Day 3: Resplendent Quetzal & Highland Specialties

      Spend the morning birding at Savegre Lodge’s private reserve, searching for the Resplendent Quetzal and other highland endemics. Later, visit Batsu Gardens, a paradise for hummingbirds and tanagers, offering exceptional birding opportunities.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Savegre Reserve

    • Explore

      Batsu Gardens

    • Day 4: Transition to the Caribbean Foothills

      Depart for Turrialba, descending into the lush foothills where new bird species await. Upon arrival at Rancho Naturalista, enjoy an afternoon of birding from the lodge’s famous terrace, where hummingbirds, toucans, and tanagers are usually abundant.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Rancho Naturalista Gardens, Feeders & Trails

      costa rica Birding Lodges Rancho Naturalista

    • Day 5: Rancho Naturalista and surrounding area

      Explore Rancho Naturalista’s private trails, home to Snowcap, and venture to the surrounding area visiting La Mina and El Silencio trails.  Your private guide will help you find the top species of the region. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Rancho Naturalista Gardens, Feeders & Trails

      costa rica Birding Lodges Rancho Naturalista

    • Explore

      Cerro El Silencio & La Mina

    • Day 6: Journey to the Agami Heron’s Hidden Sanctuary

      Travel to the remote Pacuare Reserve, a pristine coastal wetland where the elusive Agami Heron nests. Along the way, keep an eye out for wetland birds and forest species. Upon arrival, settle into the ecolodge and join the reserve orientation. You’ll learn about the Agami Herons and Leatherback Turtle studies and find out how you can participate (if you like) in the different initiatives. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Pacuare Reserve

    • Day 7: Agami Heron & birding by boat

      Embark on a boat excursion through the southernmost extension of the  Tortuguero Canals, a prime habitat for herons, kingfishers, and caimans. Visit the Agami Heron nesting site, one of the best places in the world to observe this stunning species.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Tortuguero National Park Southern Canals

    • Day 8: Final Morning at Pacuare & Transfer to Sarapiquí

      Enjoy a last morning exploring Pacuare’s wetlands before traveling to Sarapiquí, a lowland rainforest teeming with birdlife. Settle into your lodge and spend the afternoon birding at Tirimbina Reserve.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Tirimbina Lodge Trails

    • Day 9: Lowland Birding Hotspots

      Begin the day with early morning birding at La Selva Biological Station, famous for its trogons, manakins, and Great Green Macaws. In the afternoon, visit Cope’s Gardens, a hidden gem for owls and roosting potoos. If you’re lucky, the Sickle-bill Hummingbird will make an appearance. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      La Selva Biological Station

    • Explore

      Cope’s Gardens

    • Day 10: Foothill Feeders & Arenal Volcano

      Transfer to the Arenal region, stopping at the Cinchona Feeders, where barbets, toucanets, and tanagers gather. In the afternoon, enjoy birdwatching at Arenal Observatory Lodge, surrounded by rainforest and volcano views.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Cinchona Feeders & Trails

    • Explore

      Arenal Observatory Lodge Reserve

    • Day 11: Exploring Arenal’s Birdlife

      Spend the day birding the trails and gardens of Arenal Observatory Lodge, home to over 400 species of birds.  Together with your private guide you’ll explore the feeding stations, platforms, gardens and beautiful forest trails. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Arenal Observatory Lodge Reserve

    • Day 12: Final Birding & Return to San José

      Travel back to San José, stopping at the renowned San Luis Tanager Watch, where an impressive variety of colorful tanagers can be seen up close. Enjoy a relaxing evening at your hotel, reflecting on the incredible birding experiences of your journey.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      San Luis Tanagers

    • Explore

      Villa San Ignacio Trails

    • Day 13: Departure

      Your private guide bids you farewell as you take a private transfer back  to the airport for your flight home.

        "Simply the best!"

        We can’t say enough about how pleased we were that we went with Costa Rica Focus, and thoroughly recommend them in every respect.

        From the very onset, it was a pleasure working with our contact Jess. She always promptly addressed any questions or concerns we had and tailored the vacation to suit our needs and requests. The entire vacation from pick up to drop off was flawless and the various locations gave us a wonderful opportunity to experience the diversity of birds, plants and other wildlife in Costa Rica. …

        As for our guide and driver Andres, what can we say? If a review sheet had a plus and minus column, we would request a third plus-plus column. He was absolutely amazing in every respect.  We arrived to meet Andres as a stranger only to leave two weeks later feeling like we just left our best friend behind. He was the most knowledgeable guide, an extremely careful and diligent driver, plus a delightfully thoughtful fellow in every respect. Nothing was too much trouble and any questions or requests were answered or taken care of immediately.  Many before we even asked the question. His main concern always was that we had the best experience in every respect.

        Without hesitation we highly recommend Costa Rica Focus.

        Richard and Donna,
        San Diego, California.

        Richard B

        San Diego, CA

        "Costa Rica Focus made our first Costa Rica experience perfect."

        What a vacation this turned out to be. I’ve had the best vacation of my life, and a big part of this is down to Costa Rica Focus. Thanks a lot, and I want to recommend this company to everyone with a wish to visit Costa Rica. A thoroughly professional company, which gave my first-time birding experience with the American continent another dimension.

        The drivers brought us safely between the sites. The local birding guides did an excellent job, and I were satisfied to discover the guides were equally nerdy as me. The guides knew bird-ID, song/calls and sites very well. I ended up with a species list of nearly 300, but would certainly have struggled reaching 220-230 without the help by the local birders from Costa Rica Focus. They also included my not-so-nerdy wife in a brilliant way, which made her happy as well.

        I owe a more detailed explanation to those who want to keep up reading, to explain. I’ve been a Norwegian birder for well over 40 years, but my wife doesn’t share this hobby with me. She likes nature but is more interested in the culture part new places. With the possible conflicting interests in mind, I contacted Costa Rica Focus just to get some advice for a Costa Rica-tour we had talked about since even before we got married 27 years ago. We had an idea of which sites we were going to visit and just had a few questions of which order we should do the sites, and how to best move from between the places.

        Costa Roca Focus quickly responded, and gave us a few options, one of which was to set up a 12-days schedule. I silently asked for the 12-days-tour, and to my complete surprise, my wife accepted on the condition of getting a week on the beach after the Costa Rica Focus journey. I probably won the jackpot.
        This turned out to be the best decision we’ve made in a long time. I can’t praise the company enough, and the money was well spent. The standards of our hotels were around 3 (4) stars, and all breakfast included. About two weeks before our tour started, Costa Rica gave us a must-do-list, which included connecting to a Whatsapp-group, to download an app (Axis) which kept an overview of our schedule and name of the guides for the trip, and a list to remind us of what to pack. These were all useful to us. The contact with Costa Rica Focus during our trip was quick and easy, and through the WhatsApp-group the company always responded quickly to our questions. …

        Jørn Helge M

        Norway

        "Another home run by Costa Rica Focus"

        A 10-day birding trip with a photography focus. Great birding and photography with our fabulous guide Sr. Minor H. despite occasionally iffy weather. Locations were great, accomodations ranged from luxurious to very basic, food from merely very good to excellent, including some pleasant surprises like Pizzeria Los Colibries, on the road to Savegre where we ended up when our destination restaurant turned out to be closed due to a medical emergency in the owner’s family – really good pizza with near-perfect crust and hyper-local ingredients like local mushrooms, herbs from their own gardens, lettuce from their hydroponic gardens, etc. It’s the first pizza place on the right on the road down to San Gerardo de Dota from National Route 2. You can’t miss it:). Logistics were perfect, including arrival and departure.

        Not a lot ot add to the overwhelmingly positive reviews of Costa Rica Focus. This is the fifth trip I’ve taken with them in four years, including one to Ecuador in collaboration with Ecuador Birds Tours, and if I go again to a destination they offer, I can’t think why I would look elsewhere.

        rfichera

        Boston, MA

      Additional Tour Info

      This itinerary requires an intermediate level of physical activity. Guests will traverse a variety of environments, including well-established trails, narrow forest paths, gardens, feeders, and observation platforms. Participants should be comfortable walking at least 2 miles at a steady, relaxed pace without the need for frequent stops or rest. Walks to the Agami nesting site are approximately 2 miles (each direction). Conditions are hot, humid, and often wet and marshy. 

      Weather

      Weather in Costa Rica varies significantly by region and elevation. Expect different temperatures and rainfall patterns as you travel through the country. While some areas experience brief morning mist or afternoon showers, others may have longer periods of rain. These patterns shift throughout the year and create the perfect conditions for Costa Rica’s rich wildlife. While we plan activities around typical weather patterns, we recommend packing for both sun and rain to ensure your comfort throughout your journey. The temperatures listed below represent typical averages for each region, though daily conditions may vary.

      • Central Valley: Warm daytime temperatures from the high 70s °F to low 80s °F. Evenings pleasant in the high 60s °F to low 70s °F.
      • Highlands (Talamanca Mountains): Cooler conditions prevail here, with daytime temperatures in the mid to high 70s or low 80s °F. Evenings can drop to the high 40s or low 50s °F, so pack appropriately to stay comfortable throughout your journey. We recommend layers and a fleece or jacket. 
      • Mid-Elevation Locations (Foothills): Enjoy temperate weather with daytime highs in the low to mid-80s °F and evenings and early mornings in the low to mid 60s Mid-Elevation Locations: Enjoy temperate weather with daytime highs in the low to mid-80s °F.
      • Caribbean Lowlands: Daytime temperatures will range from the high 80s to low 90s °F. Evening temperatures will be in the high 70s – low 80s °F. Expect high humidity.

      On the Trail

      Please note that some parks and reserves lack seating or designated rest areas once inside the forest. While most trails are relatively flat, certain locations may involve inclines, steps, or uneven terrain with minor elevation changes.

      Trail conditions will vary, and guests should be prepared to navigate narrow forest paths with natural debris such as sticks, leaves, rocks, and roots. In the event of rain, trails may become muddy and slippery, adding to the challenge.This itinerary is designed for participants with an intermediate level of fitness and mobility, ensuring a rewarding experience for those prepared for the natural demands of these environments.

      All guests should be comfortable carrying their own equipment and personal items in the field. We understand that everyone’s pace and energy levels are different. If you ever feel the need for a shorter day, a morning to rest, or time to recharge, please let your guide know. This is your trip, and we’re here to ensure you enjoy it to the fullest.

      This trip would not be recommended for a person with mobility issues.

      Accommodations

      For our group trips, we select hotels based on their prime locations for birding opportunities. Accommodations will range from basic, rustic lodges to mid-range hotels with additional amenities, always with the goal of prioritizing excellent access to birding hotspots.

      It’s important to note that not all hotels will have air conditioning, but all will feature private bathrooms, hot or warm running showers, fans, and Wi-Fi (available at least in reception or dining areas, though signal strength may vary). The level of comfort will align with the descriptions provided in the itinerary.

      In some locations, rooms may be a 5–15 minute walk from the reception or dining areas. If you have physical needs and would prefer a room closer to these facilities, please inform us in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.