- Group 4–6 · private
- Breakfast & lunch daily · dinners free
- Naturalist with spotting scope
- Private transport · fuel & tolls
- Scarlet Macaw
- Turquoise-browed Motmot
- Orange-collared Manakin
- Baird's Trogon
- Mangrove Hummingbird
- Boat-billed Heron
- Sapphire-throated Hummingbird
- Veraguan Mango
- Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager
- Yellow-billed and Turquoise Cotingas
- Fiery-billed Aracari
- Wetland birds
- Southern Lapwing
- White-crested Coquette
- euphonias
- tanagers
From the Tárcoles mangroves to the cotingas of the Rincón bridge, the Wilson Botanical Garden, Savegre's quetzals and the Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow in Cachí.
- San José · start
- Tárcoles / Carara
- La Gamba
- Las Cruces
- San Gerardo de Dota
- Cachí
- San José · end
Price per person
USD · all fees included · shared double rooms. For 1–3 or 7+ travelers we quote on request.
Superior hotels are not available on this route.
| Style · season | 4 travelers | 5 travelers | 6 travelers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort · green | $3,285 | $3,285 | $3,285 |
| Comfort · peak | $3,545 | $3,545 | $3,545 |
Day by day
Day 1 · San José → Tárcoles
Down to the Pacific
Pickup and drive to the coast; afternoon on the La Barca trail.
Private transport
Target species: Scarlet Macaw, Turquoise-browed Motmot
Breakfast: — · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 2 · Tárcoles
Carara NP and a Tárcoles boat
Transitional forest in the morning; mangroves by boat in the afternoon.
Park entrance · Tárcoles boat
Target species: Orange-collared Manakin, Baird's Trogon, Mangrove Hummingbird, Boat-billed Heron
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 3 · Tárcoles → La Gamba
South along the coast
Strategic stops on the Costanera.
Route guide
Target species: Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Veraguan Mango, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 4 · La Gamba
Rincón bridge and La Gamba
At the bridge at first light for the cotingas, then Piedras Blancas forest.
Route guide
Target species: Yellow-billed and Turquoise Cotingas, Fiery-billed Aracari
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 5 · La Gamba → San Vito
Coto 47 to Las Cruces
Coto 47 wetlands, then up to San Vito.
Route guide
Target species: Wetland birds, Southern Lapwing
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 6 · Las Cruces
Wilson Garden and Cerro Paraguas
Garden at dawn; montane birds in the afternoon.
Garden entrance
Target species: White-crested Coquette, euphonias, tanagers
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 7 · San Vito → San Gerardo
Las Cruces to San Gerardo de Dota
Along the Interamericana with stops in the Skutch Corridor.
Route guide
Target species: Ant-tanagers, jacamars, woodcreepers
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 8 · San Gerardo de Dota
Quetzals and Los Quetzales NP
Quetzal at dawn and highland specialties.
Park entrance
Target species: Resplendent Quetzal, Volcano Junco, Timberline Wren
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 9 · San Gerardo → Cachí
San Gerardo to Cachí
Search for the Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow on the way; Quelitales feeders.
Route guide
Target species: Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow, Coppery-headed Emerald, Sunbittern
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: Lodge or local soda · Dinner: Free
Day 10 · Cachí → San José
Departure
Morning at Quelitales (Mottled Owl possible) and transfer to SJO.
Private transfer
Target species: Mottled Owl (possible)
Breakfast: At the hotel · Lunch: — · Dinner: —
Breakfast & lunch every day
- Breakfast: at the hotel when it is included; served on the route on early starts or where the hotel does not include it; in the tour when the outing includes it.
- Lunch & on the road: lunch every day at a lodge or local soda (or in the tour), plus coffee, water and snacks in the vehicle.
- Dinner: free, so you choose where and when.
How this price is built
Per person · 4 travellers · Comfort · green season · all fees included
- Tours & entrances$154
- Transport & route guideestimate · shared by the group$1,841
- Lodgingestimate · shared by the group$1,038
- Mealsestimate · shared by the group$251
- Price per person$3,285
Best months
December–April: dry season on the PacificSeptember–October: wettest months; southern roads can be difficultMigrants: September/October to March/April
Hotels by region
Tárcoles · Carara · 2 nights
Comfort
Cerro Lodge
La Gamba · Golfito · 2 nights
Comfort
Esquinas Rainforest Lodge
Las Cruces · San Vito · 2 nights
Comfort
Las Cruces Biological Station (OTS)
San Gerardo de Dota · 2 nights
Comfort
Trogon Lodge
Superior
Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa
Comfort
Quetzals Paradise (km 70)
Cachí · Orosi Valley · 1 nights
Comfort
Hotel Quelitales
Included
- •Private naturalist guide with a spotting scope on every outing, who helps you photograph through it
- •Private transport with fuel, tolls and parking, plus airport transfers
- •Lodging in your chosen style (Comfort or Superior), shared double rooms
- •Breakfast every day: at the hotel, or served on the route on early starts and where the hotel does not include it
- •Lunch every day at a lodge or local soda, plus coffee, water and snacks on the road
- •All entrances, boats, hides and feeders in the program
- •Small group of 4 to 6 travelers
Not included
- •Dinner not included: we recommend places near each hotel
- •International flights
- •Travel and medical insurance
- •Alcohol, tips and personal expenses
- •Activities outside the program
Conditions
- •Departures for 4 to 6 travelers. For 7 or more, or for 1–3 travelers, we quote on request
- •50% non-refundable deposit to book; balance due 60 days before departure
- •Photography sessions are always private to your group
- •Children 5–10 pay 70% of tours and entrances, and the same as adults for lodging, meals and transport; infants 0–4 pay 20% of tours and entrances plus the full transport amount; infant lodging follows each hotel's policy and is not charged upfront
- •Hotels are references: the final property is the one shown or similar, subject to availability
- •Peak season (Dec 15–Apr 30 and July): drives can take up to 30 minutes longer
Frequently asked questions
How big is the group?
Standard departures are for 4 to 6 travellers. For 1–3 or 7 or more travellers we prepare a custom quote.
Which meals are included?
Breakfast every day, at the hotel or served on the route on early starts, and lunch every day at a lodge or local soda. Dinner not included.
Are the photography sessions private?
Yes. Photography sessions are always private to your group.
When is the best season?
The best months for this expedition are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.
What is the deposit?
50% non-refundable to book, and the balance 60 days before departure. Nothing is charged until we confirm availability.