Tours & Destinations Costa Rica
. . . . . 2013 TOUR SCHEDULE . . . . .
COSTA RICA
A Superb Week at Rancho Naturalista Lodge, & Beyond
27 July 2013 - 4 August 2013, 9 days & 8 nightsRancho Naturalista is considered to be one of the finest birding lodges in Central America. With comfortable well-kept rooms, peaceful forest surroundings, excellent meals, an extensive trail system, banana and hummingbird feeders for the birds, bird bathing pools, and an area bird list of more than 400 species, you can see why it is a favorite destination for birders from around the world! It is located at an elevation of 3000 feet on the Caribbean slope, allowing for mild temperatures in the day and perfect sleeping conditions at night. Its location also lends itself to birding day trips into the adjacent lowlands, middle elevations, and highlands, thus providing an even greater diversity of habitats and birds. We will have ample time to explore all of these areas from our comfortable base at Rancho Naturalista. Here is a sample of your first morning at the lodge: We begin with early morning birding from the famous balcony. Here we will enjoy our morning coffee or tea along with an amazing variety of birds at the feeders. Groups of Gray-headed Chachalacas, Groove-billed Anis, Collared Aracaris, Brown Jays, Passerini's, Palm, and Blue-gray Tanagers, Black-headed and Buff-throated Saltators, and impressive Montezuma Oropendolas will provide quite a show. Other likely possibilities include Blue-crowned Motmot, Lineated, Black-cheeked, and Hoffmann's Woodpeckers, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Mistletoe Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Golden-hooded and White-lined Tanagers, Black-striped and Orange-billed Sparrows, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, and Chestnut-headed Oropendola. Hummingbird feeders just a few feet away will be buzzing with Green Thorntail, the stunning White-necked Jacobin, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green-breasted Mango, Brown Violetear, and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds. Watch the vervain hedges for Stripe-throated Hermit, the unique Black-crested Coquette, and the dazzling little Snowcap! The surrounding trees may yield Keel-billed Toucan, Brown-hooded and White-crowned Parrots, and both Masked and Black-crowned Tityras. This is all BEFORE our 7 AM breakfast, when we'll leave the veranda and walk some trails to look for many new species. Steven Easley will expertly lead this tour. We are happy to be able to keep the price the same as in 2011--no increase in THREE years!
Price: $2355.00 from San Jose, Costa Rica
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NORTHERN COSTA RICA
Poas & Arenal Volcanoes, La Paz Waterfall Garden & the Cano Negro Boat Ride
4 August 2013 - 12 August 2013, 9 days & 8 nightsThis is a fabulous birding journey through the most scenic and bird-rich areas of Northern Costa Rica. We will begin in the highland forests surrounding Poas Volcano National Park, with views of the crater of this dormant volcano. We will then continue to La Paz Waterfall Garden with its busy hummingbird and banana feeders. Our next stop will be for two nights in the pristine cloud forest setting at the lovely Bosque de Paz Lodge. Here we will be entertained by the hummingbird, fruit, and corn meal feeders, as well as mixed flocks of cloud forest species. From here we continue to the best Caribbean wetland in Costa Rica, Lake Caño Negro National Park, staying at the very comfortable Caño Negro Natural Lodge. Birds are seemingly everywhere and the boat ride on Lake Caño Negro is one of the highlights of any tropical birding tour. Caño Negro is also an excellent area for nocturnal birds, including many species of impressive owls and both Great and Common Potoos. We will finish the tour with two nights in the most scenic area in all of Costa Rica, Arenal Volcano. Our home base will be the exquisite Arenal Observatory Lodge located safely near this active volcano, offering amazing views of the volcano's fireworks at night. The entire area is enveloped by beautiful Caribbean foothill rainforest. While here we will enjoy the hummingbirds in the gardens, tanagers and oropendolas at the feeders, the many trails leading into the rainforest, and the Arenal Hanging Bridges, with its suspension bridges through the canopy. Our final night will be near the airport at the Orquideas Inn with its gardens and good food. Whether it is an impressive bird list, comfortable lodging, or stunning scenery you are looking for, this tour has them all. Steven Easley will be your leader. Combine this tour with the Rancho Naturalista Tour that immediately precedes it, and save $200 on the total of the two tour fees. We are happy to be able to keep the tour fee the same as in 2011--THREE years with no price increase!
Price: $2355.00 from San Jose, Costa Rica
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NORTHERN COSTA RICA
Poas & Arenal Volcanoes, La Paz Waterfall Garden & the Caño Negro Boat Ride
28 December 2013 - 5 January 2014, 9 days & 8 nightsThis is a fabulous birding journey through the most scenic and bird-rich areas of Northern Costa Rica. We will begin in the highland forests surrounding Poas Volcano National Park, with views of the crater of this dormant volcano. We will then continue to La Paz Waterfall Garden with its busy hummingbird and banana feeders. Our next stop will be for two nights in the pristine cloud forest setting at the lovely Bosque de Paz Lodge. Here we will be entertained by the hummingbird, fruit, and corn meal feeders, as well as mixed flocks of cloud forest species. From here we continue to the best Caribbean wetland in Costa Rica, Lake Caño Negro National Park, staying at the very comfortable Caño Negro Natural Lodge. Birds are seemingly everywhere and the boat ride on Lake Caño Negro is one of the highlights of any tropical birding tour. Caño Negro is also an excellent area for nocturnal birds, including many species of impressive owls and both Great and Common Potoos. We will finish the tour with two nights in the most scenic area in all of Costa Rica, Arenal Volcano. Our home base will be the exquisite Arenal Observatory Lodge located safely near this active volcano, offering amazing views of this spectacular volcano. The entire area is enveloped by beautiful Caribbean foothill rainforest. While here we will enjoy the hummingbirds in the gardens, tanagers and oropendolas at the feeders, the many trails leading into the rainforest, and the Arenal Hanging Bridges, with its suspension bridges through the canopy. Our final night will be near the airport at the Orquideas Inn with its gardens and good food. Whether it is an impressive bird list, comfortable lodging, or stunning scenery you are looking for, this tour has them all. Steven Easley will be your leader. We are happy to be able to keep the tour fee the same as in 2011!
Price: $2355.00 from San Jose, Costa Rica
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. . . . . 2014 TOUR SCHEDULE . . . . .
COSTA RICA
A Wonderful Variety of Birds & Habitats, and Spectacular ARENAL VOLCANO
1 March 2014 - 14 March 2014, 14 days & 13 nightsAfter a night at the Hotel Bougainvillea near the airport in San Jose, our first destination is Rancho Naturalista Lodge in the Caribbean rainforest. Rancho is famous for its beauty, diversity of birds and wildlife, and the hummingbird ponds that you have to see to believe. It has an incredible birding veranda and we will make good use of it. We'll visit the Rio Tuis Valley for a change of habitats and birds and possibly a Sunbittern. Next, Savegre Mountain Lodge is located at 7200 feet in the Costa Rican highlands. It is one of the most reliable spots in the country to see Resplendent Quetzal, plus Dusky Nightjar, Ochraceous Pewee, Streaked-breasted Treehunter, and Golden-browed Chlorophonia. The hummingbird feeders are alive with Green Violetear, Gray-tailed Mountain-gem, Volcano Hummingbird, and Scintillant Hummingbird, Costa Rica's smallest bird. Hikes along the river are likely to produce American Dipper, Tufted Flycatcher, and Torrent Tyrannulet. It will be a wonderful stay in the cool mountain air. Our next lodge is Villa Lapas on the Pacific Coast, near the entrance to Carara National Park. Past rarities have included the spectacular Yellow-billed Cotinga, Spotted Rail, and flocks of Scarlet Macaws. Our mangrove boat ride and cruise up the Rio Carara will be an afternoon to remember. Arenal Volcano will be beautifully visible from our next location, Hotel San Bosco in Fortuna. Our boat ride on the Rio Frio will be excellent, with Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Sungrebe, and usually a Great Potoo. Our final destination is Arenal Observatory Lodge. We have found the rare and elusive Bare-necked Umbrellabird twice along Arenal's trails, along with flocks of tanagers and warblers and the occasional Great Currasow and Ornate Hawk-Eagle. Their feeding stations are nothing short of spectacular! This is a perfect ending to a wonderful tour, led by Bob Schutsky.
Price: $4595.00 from San Jose, Costa Rica
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Previous Tours
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