Birdwatcher's Paradise (Escorted)

If you are serious about bird watching, Costa Rica is the place for you. One of the reasons for Costa Rica's extraordinary bird life is the country's great variety of habitats: rain forests, mangrove swamps, beaches, cloud forest, rivers, etc. And you will be able to find in any of these ecosystems any of the 878 recorded bird species to date in Costa Rica only a short distance apart.

Day 01 Arrival-San Jose :
Arrival. A representative from Costa Rican Trails will meet you at the airport and provide transfer to the Hotel.

Overnight at the El Rodeo (std. superior room) or Presidente (standard room). Breakfast is included.

Day 02 Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve :
These amazing wetlands are located in the northern zone of Costa Rica, close to the small village of Los Chiles in the Province of Alajuela.

Caño Negro is mainly conformed by the Caño Negro Lagoon and the Rio Frio. It has an extension of 9960 Hs., and it is one of the most important biological areas of the country and the four most important wetlands area in the world.

Cano Negro Wild Life Refuge was declared 'Wildlife Area of International Importance' in 1991. This Costa Rica ecological treasure is the natural habitat of more than 350 species of birds, as well as the emerald basilisk, iguanas, river turtles, caimans and jaguars.

Overnight at the Caño Negro Natural Lodge, standard room. Breakfast & Dinner included.

Day 03 Natural Walk/ Wetland Tours :
In this tour you will know a little more about the great biodiversity of the refuge and about the threats of environmental impact on this place. You will also learn what Natural Lodge Caño Negro is doing in order to fight the dangers that are reducing this reserve. We will visit one of the butterfly gardens of the place, where we will be able to see different species of butterflies and will get to know about the work here of a small association of women, and of the great importance it has for them as a way to make a living. Then we will visit the turtle project where they will explain the processes that are carried out to help this reptile.

Visit, on a very safe and comfortable boat, the channels and lagoons that compose this beautiful area. The visitor will be very impressed with the scenery, the observation of flora and fauna and the incredible beauty of the channel systems. This refuge is home of more than 350 bird species, such as Jabiru, Roseate Spoonbill, Neotropic Cormorant ,Anhinga, Wood Stork, Tricolored Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron ,White Ibis Great Blue Heron ,Snowy Egret ,Sungrebe Black-bellied, Whistling-Duck.

Overnight at the Caño Negro Lodge, standard room. Breakfast & dinner included.

Day 04 - 05 La Carolina Lodge :
La Carolina Lodge is a rustic guesthouse on the eastern slopes of Volcano Tenorio. We are located in a less traveled region of northwestern Costa Rica, amidst sunny jungles and volcanic mountains. The lodge sits on 170 acres, nestled in rainforest and fed by a freshwater river. We have a warm, friendly, Costa Rican staff and excellent home-cooked meals. The lodge is also a full-time cattle ranch and farm. We have 4,500 feet of river front, with a backdrop of rich, tropical forest. Toucans, squawking green parrots, and hummingbirds are just a few of the birds nesting in the jungle canopy.

The ranch is also home to many tropical mammals like sloths, anteaters, kinkajous and coatis, as well as giant butterflies, bromeliads, wild orchids, and other flora. Approximately 85 acres are dedicated to pastoral farmland for our cattle and horses, citrus groves and vegetable gardens. From the hilltops, one has stunning views of the neighboring volcanoes, Tenorio and Miravalles.

Carolina Lodge is a birdwatcher's paradise. Follow your eyes and ears and you are sure to spot many varieties of toucans, ant birds, macaws, parrots, trogons, and manikins. Every morning, you'll watch resident mandibled-toucans feeding on bananas beside the kitchen porch.

Two nights at the Carolina Lodge, standard room. All meals included

Day 06 - 07 La Ensenada :
Continue on the Panamerican Highway on the road to Punta Morales, Coyolitos and Abangaritos. La Ensenada National Wildlife Refuge, with 1000 acres, is located on the pacific coast in the province of Puntarenas, on the gulf of Nicoya. It is an ideal place for horseback riding; for naturalists, for bird watchers and nature lovers. The most important activities of this ranch are cattle and horse the production of salt and fruit. It is also a paradise where you will find the perfect point of balance between place, excitement and adventure.

The hotel offers accommodations on comfortable Villas facing The Nicoya gulf with two beds, bathroom, closet and spacious terrace, from which you enjoy and unforgettable sunset relaxing in a hammock.

The gulf of Nicoya offers, to those who love birds and photography, many different species and variety of birds such as pelicans, herons, parrots, Montezuma oropendula, bellbird, white iris, great egret, etc.

Two nights at the Ensenada Lodge, standard room. All meals included

Day 08 Carara :
Morning departure towards the Central Pacific Coast and the Carara Biological Reserve. This 4700 hectare reserve is at the mouth of the Tárcoles River. The reserve is surrounded by pasture and agricultural land and forms an oasis for wildlife from a large surrounding area. Check in at the Villa Lapas Lodge located at nearby Carara.

Experience the raw power of the rainforest through our Sky Way walking tour in the afternoon. Of 1.5 miles (2.5 km) in length, this all-ages tour lets you observe a wide array of exotic flora and wildlife firsthand. Make yourself one with the jungle! Five suspended bridges at more than 180 feet above the ground! Each of these bridges is an astonishing 300 feet in length, crossing through the very heart of the tropical rainforest. Experience the unique sensation of getting surrounded by the magic of virgin, unspoiled nature.

Overnight at the Villa Lapas, standard room. Breakfast included

Day 9 Carara :
Early breakfast and departure to the Carara Biological Reserve where you will be able to spot the brilliantly patterned scarlet macaw. Other birds to watch for include guans, trogons, toucans, mot-mots and many other forest species. Monkeys, squirrels, sloths and agoutis are among the more common mammals present. This afternoon we will navigate along the Tárcoles River. This river adventure will provide a great understanding of the life cycle of the mangrove and its species. This mangrove forest is one of the most important in the mid Pacific Coast for the conservation of the Scarlet Macaw. Endangered species of birds such as the mangrove Cuckoo, Mangrove Hummingbird, Mangrove Vireo, Panama Flycatcher, Egrets and many Herons spend most of the day in the forest, they roost in the mangroves.

Overnight at the Villa Lapas, standard room. Breakfast included

Day 10 Departure :
Transfer to the international airport.

Enjoy nature and help the environment taking a green tour in Costa Rica.