March 2025 Coasta Rica: Birding and Photography Tour Coasta Rica: Birding and Photography Tour

Join Archaeopteryx Birding & Nature Tours as we explore the pacific slope, cloud forest, and mangrove wetlands of Costa Rica. Each change in habitat welcomes a new change in biodiversity as well.
We'll be staying 3 nights in the Pacific lowlands at Playa Hermosa, Puntarenas, 2 nights in the cloud forest of the Quetzal Valley, and 2 nights in Vara Blanca, Alajuela. Our accommodations will be natural, but comfortable ecolodges off the beaten path of most tourism. I have added bird species that will likely be seen in each location, but we'll also be looking for mammals, butterflies, or any other wildlife we encounter. Some of the mammals of the country include the Brown-throated Sloth, Coatimundi, and the Central American White-faced Capuchin. Here is the tentative itinerary for the tour:

Day 1: Arrive in San Jose and travel to Playa Hermosa that evening. We'll have dinner and light birding around the property of our lodge and begin birding early the next morning

Day 2: Calle Conga Hill. Here we will be looking for Scarlet Macaws, Fiery-billed Aracari, and Bare-throated Tiger Heron.

Day 3: Jaco Mamedales Quebrada Bonita Wetlands- Red-breasted Meadowlark, Gartered Trogon, and American Pygmy Kingfisher.

Day 4: Mangrove boat tour- We will see crocodiles, kingfishers, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-naped Parrot, Mangrove subspecies of the Yellow Warbler, Mangrove Vireo, and Double-striped Thick-knee. We will then drive out to the Quetzal Valley and check into a new hotel.

Day 5: Batsu Gardens for Volcano Hummingbird, Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Spotted Wood-Quail, Lesser Violetear, Flame-colored Tanager, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, and Talamanca Hummingbird

Day 6: Spend the morning looking for the Resplendent Quetzal if we didn’t get to see him the morning before. We might also find Black Guan, Torrent Tyrannulet, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Yellow-thighed Brushfinch, or Mountain Thrush. Then we’ll drive to Alejela province and check into Tiquicia Lodge

Day 7: La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Bananaquit, Brown-headed Parrot, Green-crowned Brilliant, Black-bellied, Scintillant, and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Violet Sabrewing, Common Chlorospingus, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Sooty-faced Finch, Melodious Blackbird, and Slate-throated Redstart.

Day 8: Birding from the Mirador Cinchona cafe. We’ll have breakfast and beverages with the birds before our flights home. This area is known for the Prong-billed and Red-headed Barbets, as well as Green Honeycreeper, Buff-throated Saltator, and Crimson-collared Tanager. Flights home should be scheduled no earlier than noon to provide time to drive to the airport.

Tour fees include all park entry fees, professional birding guide, shared checklists, all transportation costs within Costa Rica, and water & snacks.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.