Top Wildlife Highlights of Costa Rica
Tour Introduction
Book this itinerary if you wish to experience the best of Costa Rica’s wildlife and diverse habitats while staying in quality accommodation. Starting off with the Caribbean jungle-fringed waterways of Tortuguero to spot three species of monkey, three-toed sloth, caiman and many bird species, we next climb into the mountains for misty cloud forest atmosphere, the resplendent quetzal and the high paramo. Back again to sea level, but this time the south west Pacific coast and the most pristine rainforests in Costa Rica. Wildlife-rich jungle walks, scarlet macaws and snorkelling off Cano Island will be a fitting finale to your wildlife trip of a lifetime.
Full Itinerary
Arrive San Jose, capital of Costa Rica in the late evening. Met and transfer to your hotel, not far from the airport
Staying at Bougainvillea Hotel. Includes Breakfast.
Morning pickup at your hotel and transfer through Braulio Carillo National Park to a Caribbean lowlands river dock to embark on a boat transfer to Tortuguero. Arrive at your lodge and settle in. In the afternoon, go on a guided visit to little Tortuguero Town.
Staying at Evergreen Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Morning boat trip through the jungle-fringed waterways and rivers of the Tortuguero region. It is possible to see howler, spider and white-faced capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloth, river turtle, caiman, iguana, basilisk lizard, freshwater turtles and many bird species. After lunch, venture out for a guided wildlife walk through the rainforest. Night- time turtle watching trips are arranged in season.
Staying at Evergreen Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Morning departure to the Tortuguero airstrip. Fly to San Jose. Met and transfer to the Cordillera de Talamanca mountains. Arrive at your lodge in a hidden cloud forest valley at 7000ft altitude.
Staying at Savegre Hotel. Includes All Meals.
Early morning guided birdwatching in the lodge’s private primary cloud forest reserve. You have an excellent chance of seeing the resplendent quetzal, as well as multiple other high altitude species such as three-wattled bellbird, and many trogon and hummingbird species. Afternoon at leisure, perhaps to walk the marked trail to a hidden waterfall and take in the atmospheric cloud forest.
Staying at Savegre Hotel. Includes All Meals.
Morning departure for a guided tour of the ‘paramo’ of Costa Rica’s newest national park, Los Quetzales, to experience the high elevation scenery, stunted vegetation and particular birdlife.
Staying at Savegre Hotel. Includes All Meals.
Drive down to the Pacific lowlands, then southeast to Sierpe. Connect with a boat transfer through miles of mangrove-lined river to the Pacific Ocean, then along the shoreline to your seaside lodge adjoining Corcovado National Park.
Staying at SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Today enjoy a guided tour (with box lunch) of Corcovado National Park which has the largest concentration of scarlet macaws, sloths, howler, spider and squirrel monkeys, crocodiles, jaguars, tapirs and reptiles in Costa Rica, and boasts eight different habitats including true wet primary rainforest. Corcovado is one of the most important wildlife regions in Central America.
Staying at SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge. Includes All Meals.
After breakfast, take a boat for a trip to Cano Island for snorkelling and swimming. Manta rays and plenty of fish can be seen when you snorkel offshore.
Staying at SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Enjoy the pristine environment of the Osa. Swim in the pool, walk the beach or explore the trails through the lodge’s private reserve.
Staying at SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Early morning transfer to Drake Bay airstrip for your flight to San Jose. Met and transfer to San Jose’s international airport. Catch your flight out.
Includes Breakfast.
Tour Accommodation
Bougainvillea Hotel
Overview
The Bougainvillea Hotel is situated in a quiet location in Santo Domingo de Heredia, about 20 minutes from central San Jose. The hotel has elegant and spacious rooms with private hot water bathrooms, two double beds, flat-screen cable TV, ceiling fan, tea and coffee facilities and a safety deposit box. The rooms have been well designed with wide windows affording pleasant garden views.
There is a good restaurant and bar that serves a la carte international cuisine and caters well for special dietary requirements.
Other facilities include a gift shop, business centre, swimming pool, gym, sauna, tennis court and large, attractive tropical gardens.
The hotel’s location makes it ideal for a stopover before and after your international flights but it is far enough from the city centre to provide a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, hot water, restaurant, bar, lounge, sauna, tennis court, safety deposit box, ceiling fan, cable TV, free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee making facilities, room service, massage service, laundry service, luggage storage and currency exchange.
Local Wildlife
An array of tropical birds and insects
Optional Activities
Tennis, gym and sauna on site and bird watching excursions can be arranged.
Evergreen Lodge
Overview
Evergreen Lodge is one of the newer properties in the Tortuguero area and just five minutes by boat from the entrance to Tortuguero National Park. The resort was built to blend in with the natural environment: it has neutral rustic furnishings and a friendly ambience.
The lodge has 55 attractive but quite basic rooms which include comfortable double or twin beds, private bathrooms and ceiling fans. The rooms are connected by a series of walkways through the forest where wildlife is often spotted. There is a large communal building which houses a restaurant serving tasty buffet meals – a bar and lounge is also available for relaxation. Other facilities include a turtle-shaped swimming pool plus a short canopy walkway through the lodge’s two hectares of gardens and forest.
Evergreen Lodge offers a range of spa treatments taken in the treatment room looking out on to the lush forest.
Kayaks are free for guest use plus the lodge offers guided river cruises through the rainforest canals.
The lodge runs its own eleven- platform, seven-cable zip-line tour through the rainforest canopy, including four suspension bridges, one Tarzan swing and a climbing wall.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, ceiling fan, restaurant, bar, lounge, swimming pool, spa,
Local Wildlife
Over 300 bird species, abundant three-toed and two- toed sloths, mantled howler and white faced capuchin monkeys, central American agouti and white-nosed coati. Colourful frogs and reptiles such as basilisk lizard, iguanas, spectacled caiman, American crocodile and exciting snakes are all frequently encountered. Between mid-July and October green and hawksbill turtles nest on the beaches.
Optional Activities
Guided boat trips, kayaking, hiking and canopy walkway tours. Turtle watching occurs between mid-July and October.
Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve and Spa
Overview
Owned by the same family for nearly 70 years, this small lodge protects over 500 hectares of precious cloud forest which is home to thousands of birds including many species of hummingbird plus the much sort after resplendent quetzal.
Set at an altitude of 7000ft, just outside the newly created Los Quetzales National Park near San Gerardo de Dota, this simple yet comfortable lodge is owned and well run by the original settler Chacon family, charming Costa Ricans who arrived back in 1954. Over the years the Chacon family have tasked themselves with protecting this beautiful cloud forest valley and showing its natural wonders to guests from all over the world. In fact, much of the family are still involved in guiding and the running of the lodge.
The 50 rooms and suites have private bathrooms with hot water (the suites have tubs), electric heating, safety deposit box, telephone, hair dryer and radio alarm clock and terrace on which to relax and watch birds.
The traditional restaurant serves local dishes as well as some international cuisine with a choice of buffet or a la carte dining. The hotel also has a communal bar and lounge where guests can watch hummingbirds at the feeders while enjoying a drink.
Guests walk the forest trails to spot quetzals, trogons and many other cloud forest bird species and visit nearby waterfalls. Day trips into the Los Quetzales National Park can also be arranged. The lodge has been awarded the fourth level Certification in Sustainable Tourism (CST).
NB: Please take some light warm clothing as evenings can get quite cool at the lodge.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, hot water, electric heaters, restaurant, lounge, bar, safety deposit box, in room telephone and hair dryer.
Local Wildlife
The cloud forest reserve is home to 170 species of bird including some range-restricted species and of course the dazzling resplendent quetzal. Other avian highlights include the volcano hummingbird, collared trogon and the golden-browed chlorophonia.
Optional Activities
Guided birdwatching and walking in the reserve and excursions into the high altitude paramo.
SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Overview
Situated right next to the Corcovado National Park on the Osa peninsula, within a short distance of endless uninhabited beaches and small, secluded bays, SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge is spectacularly set atop a small bluff just back from the rocky beach.
Surrounding the lodge are acres of rainforest and fruit trees that attract many birds and animals, including the regularly seen white-faced capuchin monkey and three-toed sloth. The lodge is currently certified in two sustainable tourism platforms and holds the maximum rating within Costa Rica’s programme.
Accommodation comes in the form of 20 individual villas of varying sizes and style in the ‘Rainforest Village’, or ten ocean view forest bungalows as the ‘Luxury Treehouse’ collection. The latter have an outdoor bath tub with fantastic ocean views.
The lodge sits in its own private forest reserve with trails, and has a swimming pool and wonderful ocean views. The main building consists of a restaurant and bar as well as a communal lounge area. The Four Elements Spa offers a range of quality treatments. Excursions to the park can begin at the ranger station and end at the lodge, making a very enjoyable natural history circuit.
There is no road access to the lodge and guests must take a boat journey from the village of Sierpe, down the meandering river of the same name and along the Pacific coast to reach the lodge.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, lounge, spa, yoga classes, two swimming pools, private boat transfers
All rooms have private bathrooms, air conditioning, mosquito-netted beds, ceiling fan, safety deposit box, hammock and ample wardrobe space.
Guests also have access to hiking and birding equipment, as well as rubber boots for exploring the trails.
Local Wildlife
Corcovado National Park has the greatest variety of wildlife to be found in Costa Rica, including the largest concentration of scarlet macaws, sloths, howler, spider and squirrel monkeys, crocodiles, jaguars, pumas, Baird’s tapirs and reptiles. It also boasts eight different habitats including true wet primary rainforest, montane forest, cloud forest and swamp forest. Because of its relatively unspoiled nature, it is one of the most important wildlife regions in all of Central America.
Optional Activities
Hiking, sea kayaking, horseback riding, San Josecito tour, birding excursions, mangrove tour, Sirena Park station, sport fishing, guided nocturnal walks, Claro Del Bosque expedition. In partnership with the marine conservation organisation, Innoceana, guided trips to the Caño Islands are offered for scuba diving and snorkelling as well as whale and dolphin monitoring experiences. The migrating humpback whales are usually best seen between January and March.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
December to April
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
John Melton
Area Specialist
Take warm clothing for Savegre, as it can get quite chilly there. Cano Island, off the Osa, receives more lightning strikes than anywhere else in Central America, and so was considered sacred to the native people, who used it as a burial ground. Take care if you are there in a thunderstorm.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Firstly may I say how greatly Peter and I appreciated all you did to give us such a wonderful holiday – it was truly memorable. Great wildlife watching, smooth organisation and a totally trouble-free trip – terrific! We would love to go back to Costa Rica…we had super views of quetzals at Monteverde and also there, two perfect appearances by the three-wattled bellbird. ..With all good wishes and again, our most grateful thanks.
