The following is the programme for 2022.
Day London / San Jose
Depart London Gatwick at 11.15
hrs on British Airways direct flight to San Jose arriving at 16.50 hrs. On arrival,
transfer to the Buena Vista Hotel where one night is spent. Buena Vista
is a delightful, perfectly situated boutique hotel
near to the International airport, located in the lush mountains of Alajuela
with incredible views of the volcanoes Poas, Barva and Irazú, the central
valley, tropical forest and coffee plantations.
Day 2 - 3: San Jose / Savegre
After breakfast we set off for
Cerro de la Muerte, arriving at our accommodation for lunch. The rest of the
afternoon is spent around the gardens and grounds where Resplendent Quetzals
have been seen as well as Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Black-and-yellow
Silky-flycatcher, Large-footed Finch, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty
Robin and Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager to name a few. Check-in to the Savegre
Mountain Lodge where three nights are spent. Eighty-nine kilometres south of
San Jose in a private natural reserve of 400 hectares and just 9 km from Los
Quetzales National Park, Savegre Hotel is the perfect starting point for
exploring Costa Rica's magnificent tropical cloud forest in all its beauty.
Nicely appointed cabins and excellent food add to the enjoyment of our stay in
the fresh mountain climate.
We spend the next full day
exploring the gardens, riparian highland habitats, and old growth tropical oak
cloud forests surrounding the Savegre Mountain Lodge. Walking through the
gardens and along the Savegre river, we can hope to see Flame-colored Tanager,
Collared Trogon, Torrent Tyrannulet, Volcano Hummingbird, and White-throated
Mountain Gem, among many others. Some of
the other species we will be looking for include Black-faced Solitaire, Spotted
Wood-Quail, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Ochraceous Wren,
Ornate Hawk-eagle, and of course the aptly named Resplendent Quetzal.
Day 4 - 6: Savegre/Carara
We now travel to Hotel Villa
Lapas where three nights are spent. As close as it is possible to get to Carara
National Park Hotel Villa Lapas combines comfortable air-conditioned
accommodation and tasty cuisine with stunning surroundings, packed with flora
and fauna. Just by walking the beautiful flowing river which goes through the
grounds of the hotel it is possible to see an amazing number of rainforest
species. Our route will initially take us south where we will be looking for
Turquoise Cotinga, Pearl Kite and Fork-tailed Flycatcher which are on the
northern edge of their range. We will take lunch en route. At Villa Lapas we
will explore the bird-rich grounds, and hope to see Scarlet Macaws and Tiger
Herons, Long-tailed Manakin, and Baird’s Trongon. We will also visit the nearby
Playa Azul where some of the species we will look for are Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Melodious Blackbird, Bare-throated
Tiger-Heron, Pacific Screech-Owl, Spectacled Owl, Crane Hawk, and many species
of shorebirds.
We spend the next two days in
and around the Carara Biological Reserve, a unique climatological zone where
the ecosystem of the humid southern coastal region joins the dry climate of the
northern Pacific area, becoming a rich meeting ground for species from both
regions. This is truly one of the highlights of the tour, where we hope to find
the Orange Collared Manakin dancing in their lek. It is also great location to
spot antbirds, up to five different species of Trogons, Rufous-tailed Jacamar,
and even Royal Flycatchers. During our time here we will be taking a boat trip
on the river Tarcoles which gives us close encounters with birds of the
mangroves such as Mangrove and Prothonotary Warblers, Panama Flycatcher,
potentially five species of kingfishers, Zone-tailed and Mangrove Black Hawks
plus an array of waders including Collared Plover.
Days 7 -9: Carara/Arenal
After a relaxed start, we travel
to Arenal Observatory where three nights are spent. Set high on a ridge facing
Costa Rica's most active and spectacular volcano and the only lodge located
within the Arenal Volcano National Park, the Arenal Observatory Lodge offers
travellers a high standard accommodation and a truly unique experience. The
lodge itself is within 870 acres of land including 270 acres of primary
rainforest fitted with well-marked trails and the feeding station at the
Observatory is also a magnet for a range of birds. This mid-elevation area also
is an excellent spot for birds such as Crimson-collared, Bay-headed,
Silver-throated and Hepatic Tanagers, Red-legged and Green Honeycreepers,
Tropical Pewee, Band-backed Wren, Black-thighed Grosbeak, Buff-rumped Warbler
and a wide range of raptors including Ornate Hawk-eagle and White Hawk.
The extensive trails take us through a wide range of habitats, from
more open pasture to dense rainforest and this provides an equally varied range
of bird species.
Day 10 - 12: Arenal/La SelvaCarara
Today we travel, birdwatching
along the way, to Hotel Selva Verde Lodge in the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui
where two nights are spent. Selva Verde is set in its own rainforest grounds
which border the fast-flowing River Sarapiqui. It also adjoins La Selva
Biological Research Station which has a truly amazing range of flora and fauna.
The combination of tasty food and comfortable accommodation, makes this an
ideal centre from which to explore the area. This lowland rain forest region at
the base of the Caribbean slope is well-known for hosting the greatest
diversity of tropical flora and fauna in the country. Here the Sunbittern,
Black-faced Grosbeak, and Grey-necked Wood-Rail are a few of the inhabitants of
the area. This is the most likely spot on the trip to see the Great Green
Macaw, an endangered species. Also lurking in the forest are two- and
three-toed sloths, 3 different species of monkeys, and peccaries.
We spend the next two days near
La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS),
clearly a highlight of the tour. The station is among the four most famous
tropical research facilities in the world and home to more than 420 bird
species, 500 species of butterflies, 55 species of snakes, and 120 species of
mammals. A vast variety of different species of trees can be seen in the arboretum.
There are also three species of Tinamou that inhabit La Selva. We will be
looking for Rufous Motmot, Trogons, Caciques, Purple-throated Fruit Crow, and
Snowy Cotinga, among many others. Animals here are not camera shy, so there
will be ample photo opportunities. Peccaries (wild pigs), agoutis, coatis,
sloths, and monkeys frequent the area. We will also be taking a boat ride on
the river Sarapiqui with chances of Bat Falcon, Green Ibis, and Rufous-tailed
Jacamar.
Due to the various schedule
changes following the last eighteen months we will actually be spending the
third night in La Selva Biological Station itself. The accommodation here is
comfortable but a little more basic. However, the enormous advantage is unrestricted
access to the reserve which would otherwise not be possible.
Day 13 -14: La Selva/San Jose
Return to San Jose for the
final two nights at the wonderfully comfortable Bougainvillea Hotel which draws
birdwatchers from far and wide, not only for the high standard of accommodation
and food but also the 4 hectares of tropical gardens which provide ample chances
to see a range of central valley species. Only 45 minutes from the
international airport it is ideally placed for a relaxed final stop.
Our final full day will take us
up to the fabulous La Paz Waterfall Gardens which provide a wealth of
mid-elevation species including a number of hummingbirds such as Violet
Sabrewing, Green Hermit and Brown Violetear plus a plethora of tanagers,
flycatchers and warblers. Nearby feeding stations along the way provide
additional opportunities to enjoy further close encounters with various birds.
Day 15: San Jose / London
Transfer to San Jose
International Airport for a direct British Airways flight to London Gatwick
departing at 18:40 hrs.
Day 16: London
Arrive at London Gatwick
at 11:00 hrs.
