Secluded Costa Rica Birdwatching Tour

‘Secluded Costa Rica Birdwatching Tour’  Itinerary 

Day 1: Caribbean Foothills | Arenal Volcano Area

Arrive today at the Liberia International Airport where you’ll be met by your private guide. You’ll travel approximately 3.5 hours through rolling hills, cattle farms, fields of yucca and pineapples to reach your destination; La Fortuna. This area is most commonly referred to as “The Arenal Volcano area”.

Arenal is home to the iconic Arenal Volcano. The perfect cone stands majestically overlooking the town of La Fortuna. The base is surrounded by lush tropical rainforest and rolling green hills. Arenal is known as the adventure capital of Costa Rica due to the huge choice of activities offered in the area. Bird Watching is one of the area’s top attractions.

Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge

Day 2: Caribbean Foothills | Arenal Observatory Lodge Reserve

The Arenal Observatory Lodge was the former research center for the Smithsonian Institute. The location is ideal for viewing the volcano and bird watching. Today you’ll spend the full day around the trails at the Observatory Lodge. More than 500 species have been registered on the grounds and forest of the lodge. Keep watch for the black-crested coquette, yellow-eared toucanet, great curassow and many more. The diverse habitat provides a true paradise for bird watchers.

Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge

Day 3: Caribbean Foothills | Sky Tram & Sky Walk

Today you’ll venture to the Sky Tram/Sky Walk for an interesting perspective of the rainforest canopy. You’ll board a tram that slowly travels from the forest floor, up through the forest and above the canopy. This interesting ride allows guests the opportunity to experience the different flora and fauna at each level of the rainforest.

Watch for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. After the tram, you’ll hike through the forest trails keeping your eyes sharp, looking for nunbirds, trogons, and more. You will enjoy lunch in the town of La Fortuna and then return to the Observatory lodge for afternoon birdwatching and dinner.

Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge

Day 4: Tenorio National Park | Rio Celeste Hideaway Trails

After breakfast, you will travel about one hour to the Tenorio National Park area and the Rio Celeste Hideaway Lodge. The lodge sits beside this 32,000-acre protected reserve. Today you will enjoy the trails that surround the lodge, birding the grounds and looking for the interesting species that inhabit the area. Keep a lookout for Crested Guans, Tody Motmots, and many species of hummingbirds.

Hotel: Rio Celeste Hideaway

Day 5: Tenorio National Park | Rio Celeste & National Park

After a delicious breakfast, you will head to the Tenorio National Park for a day of bird watching. The trails in the park take you through lush forest and alongside the spectacular Rio Celeste. Rio Celeste (Blue River) twists and turns its way throughout the National Park. Along the river, there are multiple hot springs and impressive waterfalls.

The unique mineral composition provided by the Tenorio Volcano gives the water a pure turquoise hue that must be seen to be believed. Along with the marvelous natural wonders of the area, the birding at Tenorio is fantastic. One of Costa Rica’s most difficult and most wanted birds, the bare-necked umbrella bird, can be found perched in the trees anywhere in the park.

Hotel: Rio Celeste Hideaway

Day 6: Guanacaste Mountains| Hot Springs & Mud Pools

This morning after breakfast, you will start your journey to Northern Guanacaste and the Rincon de la Vieja National Park area. You will travel about 3 hours from Rio Celeste, making your way through horse farms and cattle ranches. Look for the famed Guanacaste trees that dot the landscape. Farmland gives way to mountains as you arrive at the Borinquen Lodge. Borinquen Lodge is famous for its natural hot water pools and mud baths. You also can enjoy a natural steam room and sauna.

Hotel: Borinquen Lodge 

Day 7: Guanacaste Mountains | Rincon de la Vieja

You will make an early start today, to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park. You will want to be on the trails and in the forest before the Guanacaste heat sets in, in the afternoon. Rincon de la Vieja National Park is famous for the large caldron style volcano that sits at the center of this protected area.

Visitors enjoy an interesting array of ecosystems from open fields, to lush forest and tumbling waterfalls, bubbling mud-pots, and eventually to open plains. Birding in the area is spectacular and you’ll want to keep watch for the emerald toucanet, lesser ground cuckoo, and the black-faced solitaire (to name a few).

Hotel: Borinquen Lodge

Day 8: Guanacaste Mountains | Santa Rosa National Park

Today you will mix birding watching with some history. Santa Rosa National Park is one of the oldest and largest National Parks in Costa Rica. It’s Costa Rica’s largest remaining section of tropical dry forest. The parks combination of scrub grasses and thorned acacia trees often remind visitors of the African Savannah.

Along with the beautiful landscape, Santa Rosa is famous for being the site of one of only three armed conflicts to ever take place on Costa Rican soil. Farmers stood their ground against William Walker at this site, protecting the freedom of their nation in 1856, and once more against the Nicaraguan dictator, Somoza in 1955. Their victories are celebrated with a modest museum, at La Casona, the small ranch house that still stands today. You’ll have time to view the displays if you like.

Hotel: Borinquen Lodge

Day 9: Guanacaste | Liberia Airport

Your amazing birding journey comes to an end today, as you return to the Liberia Airport for your flight home.