Costa Rica Wildlife Adventure

Costa Rica Wildlife Adventure

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Have you ever dreamed of visiting a tropical rainforest? walking underneath giant trees to the sound of howler monkeys and numerous tropical birds serenading you? Have you ever wanted to stand on top of a volcano, seeing the Pacific Ocean on one side, the Caribbean on the other? What about waking up as the sun rises over the mountains, fresh-brewed coffee at hand, and watching over twenty different kinds of hummingbirds just centimeters from your face?

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All of this and much much more is awaiting you if you go with us to Costa Rica! A friendly and safe country in Central America, Costa Rica has spearheaded the eco-tourism industry and continues to be a leader, with friendly locals, great eco-lodges and a very safe environment.

We will be staying at one of the finest lodges in the country, Rancho Naturalista. This beautiful lodge is situated right up on the cool Caribbean Foothills in the middle of the country, with the temperature always being in the mid-20’s, so no worrying about uncomfortable heat. The lodge has a wonderful balcony from which you can see two volcanoes, including the active Turrialba Volcano erupting smoke every day! There is always fresh coffee on hand, and you can watch the HUNDREDS of hummingbirds feeding from the feeders, right in front of you. Besides hummingbirds, toucans, parrots, colorful tanagers and a whole host of others come feed from the fruit feeders below. It is an experience all in itself!

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Guiding us will be Lev Frid, who has been living in Costa Rica on-and-off for three years, and knows the country and all it’s wildlife like the back of his hand. He has guided at Rancho for most of his time here and knows all the secret spots.

Day 1 – San Jose

We will arrive in San Jose and spend the night at beautiful Hotel Bougainvillea. Get your binoculars ready – in this space just outside the city, birds such as parakeets, woodpeckers and motmots abound! We will relax, meet and greet, and do some bird and wildlife watching at our own pace to get prepared for the next day.

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Blue-crowned Motmot is one of the common birds around Bourgainvillea!

Day 2 – Rancho Naturalista

We will have breakfast in San Jose and then take the 2.5 hour journey up into the hills at Rancho. We will check into our lovely rooms, enjoying the moderated temperatures and the beautiful views of two volcanoes.

We will have lunch at Rancho, alongside the hundreds of hummingbirds, tropical tanagers, parrots, toucans and other birds, in view just beside our lunch tables! We have tallied well over 150 species…just from the balcony alone!

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Collared Aracari, a small toucan, often has lunch with us!

After lunch we will explore the trails and gardens at Rancho, trying to find some of the special birds of the area, like the tiny Snowcap hummingbird and a variety of colorful trogons and toucans. We will visit a natural stream where hummingbirds and other birds come to bathe in the afternoon. It is a really magical experience watching these tiny birds dunk themselves fully in the water, sometimes twenty or more times in one session!!

We will have a gourmet dinner at Rancho and have some time to relax and enjoy the wine and other refreshments. If you’re not too tired just yet, Lev will lead us on a night walk where we can see armadillos, snakes and a huge assortment of frogs, including the marvelous, see-through Glass Frogs!

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Day 3 - Rancho Naturalista and CATIE

Today we will head higher into the pristine rainforest of Rancho’s high trails. It is here where we will be able to spot massive, roving flocks of beautiful tanagers, odd Woodcreepers, loud oropendolas and other exotic birds. In the morning we will visit an insect light that has attracted a variety of incredible moths, and, in turn, a usually large flock of several different birds that come to eat them. Get your camera ready, they come very close!

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The impressive Bay-headed Tanager is common in the flocks at Rancho.

Up in the trails at Rancho gives us a chance for more birds, as the fruiting trees will be full of tanagers, euphonias and other colorful species. On a warm, sunny day, birds of prey will begin to soar, and it is on these days when we are able to see the magnificent Black Hawk-Eagle. We will be higher up, enabling us to see usually treetop species like toucans up close and personal.

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After a gourmet lunch at Rancho, we will head to the CATIE Botanical Gardens, a short drive away. Here, alongside a small lake, we will watch the antics of a nesting colony of egrets and herons – a joy to watch as birds fly back and forth, building their nests, all within almost touching distance!

Here too we will see many birds we won’t at Rancho – waterbirds like gallinules and jacanas will grace us with their presence, and, with any luck, we will ferret out the impossibly cute, pop-can sized Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl.

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Northern Jacanas with chicks are a common sight at CATIE.

Day 4 – Caribbean Lowlands

Today we will eat an early breakfast and head out quickly. We are going to the steamy Caribbean lowlands, where once again we will experience a complete change of environment from Rancho’s cool foothill forests. Here, it gets hot. Quick. Howler and Capuchin Monkeys swing from the branches above us. Two and Three-toed Sloths move lazily in the canopy. A small colony of tiny white Honduran Tent Bats rest under a palm leaf. An Eyelash Viper sits motionless on a Heliconia blossom. And we are here to see it all!

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We will have a packed lunch as we will want to explore these forests thoroughly. We will bring plenty of water because it can sometimes be very hot and humid – but all a part of being in this incredible forest.

Here we will be able to see many birds not found at Rancho, a variety of new and wonderful reptiles and amphibians, and our first greetings with everyone’s favorite mammals – the playful New World monkeys, as well as sloths and perhaps peccaries.

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Day 5 - Irazu Volcano

Another early breakfast awaits us as we head up from Rancho this time, to the awe-inspiring treeline of this magnificent country. As we drive up the slope of the volcano, you will see rainforest turn into cloud forest (so named for it is almost always shrouded in thick fog) and eventually, the trees dwindle in size until we are on the crater – when the plants are only about chest height.

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From up here, on a clear day, it is possible to see both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Here, only the toughest animals and birds survive, and we will make an effort to spot them. White-nosed Coatis, relatives of the raccoon, roam the crater in search of handouts. Volcano Junco, a bird found only here and on one volcano in neighboring Panama, hops around in the ash. It is a magical, tiny forest, filled with flowers after rains.

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White-nosed Coatis frequently put on a show at the crater.

On our way up to the crater, we will stop at some sites to look at the cloud forest, an adventure in itself. These beautiful mist-shrouded woodlands hide such magnificent birds with wonderful names such as the Resplendent Quetzal, the Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher and the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, to name just a few. We will be graced by the bloom of several orchid species as well as massive, moss-covered cloud forest trees.

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We will have a packed lunch today, which we will eat at the crater. We will be making several stops along the way. The crater itself has a small gift store where you may purchase memorabilia for your trip to the top of the world!

Dinner will be at Rancho.

Day 6 – Braulio Carillo National Park

Another early start marks the beginning of this day, when we will venture into the pristine forests of Braulio Carillo. It is here that we will see some of Costa Rica’s oldest trees, giants that reach to the sky and are the width of several human beings.

In these old-growth, shady forests, we will once again be on the lookout for the inhabitants. We may see troops of agile Spider Monkeys swinging in the treetops, and once again observe the antics of Howler and White-faced Capuchin Monkeys.

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Ornate Hawk-Eagles and King Vultures may be overhead as we trek deeper into the immense woods, past meandering streams and eventually reaching a magnificent lookout over the forest. One cannot help but feel very small as these giant trees tower overhead.

We will have a packed lunch at the Ranger Station, and we will have dinner once again at Rancho.

Day 7 - Rancho & La Mina

Today will be a day to relax. We will have breakfast, and and optional bird walk to some other areas near Rancho to observe the local birds will be presented. Feel free to stroll the grounds yourself, have a nap or enjoy the coffee with the on the balcony.

There will be an optional trip in the morning to La Mina, a beautiful wooded canyon with a crystal clear river, to look for some river wildlife including Neotropical River Otters and the beautiful and bizarre Sunbittern.

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Another optional night walk will occur today. Basically, you can do as much or as little as you please!

All meals will be at Rancho today.

Day 8 - Rancho

We will relax in the morning, enjoying the hummingbirds and other birds on the patio at Rancho, and talking about the wonderful experiences we have had on our journey to this beautiful land. Our driver will take us back to the airport where we will catch our flight back home, remembering this incredible adventure of a lifetime forever.

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Included:

Accommodations at Rancho Naturalista and Hotel Bougainvillea

All Meals included at Rancho Naturalista

Dinner and Breakfast included at Hotel Bougainvillea Any alcohol purchased during trip is at your personal discretion

All entrance fees, all activities, ground transportation and guides provided. Airport Transfers included.

Important:

Airfare is not included to San Jose, Costa Rica. Expedia does not show the flight that we recommend for this trip. It is American Airlines via Miami, it's $727 return and can be purchased on the American Airlines website. You have to get up pretty early on this end, but the layover in Miami is quick and you will get to San Jose with enough time to enjoy the birds (about 3:00 PM) and get back home at at reasonable hour as well.

The tour begins in San Jose, Costa Rica with airport pickup and transfer to Hotel Bougainvillea.

Tour prices are listed per person, based on double occupancy. If you are coming as a single, we will match you up with a roommate of the same gender.

If you would like a single room for yourself, please let me know. There will be an added cost of 600 dollars.

The price is 1947.00 plus tax, for a total of 2200.00 per person based on double occupancy.

To reserve your spot, a non-refundable deposit of 500 dollars is required. Remainder of payment for the trip must be paid 60 days in advance.

For payment details and any questions, please contact me by email at torontonaturelovers@hotmail.com