Costa Rica

10 – 26 January 2025
+ extra week 26 January – 1 February 2025

Costa Rica

10 – 26 January 2025
+ extra week 26 January – 1 February 2025

Price: 62,900 SEK per person in a double room (excluding airfare)
Single room supplement: 6,215 SEK
Price for extra week: 22,500 SEK (excluding airfare)

Quetzals / Sunbittern / Hummingbirds / Motmots / Owls / Monkeys

Costa Rica – Comfortable introduction to the high diversity birdlife of central America.

Our traditional Costa Rica trip has been organized since 2012, with a couple of departures each year in recent years. It’s easy to understand why this is such a popular trip. Costa Rica is a destination that has it all: a peaceful, friendly country, with a diversity of colorful, unique birds and animals that are often easy to see and photograph, excellent bird guides, comfortable accommodations at nature lodges, many with bird feeders, short distances between various beautiful natural environments, and pleasant weather. Winter, especially January and February, is the driest time of the year, and it is not as hot as later in the year. Additionally, it is the start of the breeding season for many birds. With its excellent infrastructure for birdwatching, Costa Rica is also a very good introduction to the bird fauna of Latin America.

Have a look at one of our trip reports!

Species

Bird species such as Snowcap, Sunbittern, Resplendent Quetzal, King Vulture, Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher, Emerald Toucanet, and Red-headed Barbet are some of the highlight species on the trip. Among Costa Rica’s many Hummingbirds, we will see the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald, the cheeky Black-crested Coquette, and several of the tiny, shimmering jewels from the highlands such as the Magenta-throated Woodstar, Volcano Hummingbird, and Fiery-throated Hummingbird, among others. In fact, many of the hummingbirds you see in the country have a very limited world distribution, and even if they are not endemic to Costa Rica, they are found only in a very small part of Central America.

Costa Rica is known as a great gateway to the bird species of South and Central America. The reason is not only the diversity but also that it is generally easy to birdwatch in the country. In many places (even at the lodges), birds are fed so they are accustomed to coming close to people and are easy to see and photograph. We will get to know a range of bird families that are typical for the region, such as Orioles, Tanagers, Toucans, Motmots, Barbets, Trogons, the paradisiacal small Manakins, the colorful Euphonias, and more. There are also many familiar birds such as various raptors, woodpeckers, owls, and along the coast, waders, gulls, and terns. In short, Costa Rica has a very dynamic and rich birdlife.

Other species

In Costa Rica, it is also relatively easy to see and photograph other animals. Among mammals, there are various types of monkeys, two species of sloths, coatis, agoutis, and more. Prosimians such as the Kinkajou and felines like the margay or ocelot are hard to spot but occasionally seen. Reptiles are represented by the commonly seen iguanas, while snakes are relatively difficult to spot; however, boa constrictors and fer-de-lance snakes are sometimes seen. Frogs are easier to find if desired, especially poison dart frogs, which are found in several species primarily in the Caribbean lowlands.

For whom?

This is a comfortable birdwatching trip with excellent photo opportunities, very good accommodations, food, and hospitality. Costa Rica is generally excellent for photographers, with plenty of bird feeders for both hummingbirds and fruit-eaters. Birds are generally unafraid of people (as hunting is prohibited), providing many chances for great shots even in the wild. In coastal mangrove swamps and wetlands, we will take several boat trips, which is an excellent way to get close to birds and photograph them. Overall, this is a very good trip for those who enjoy photography. Costa Rica is a destination so rich in experiences that it is appreciated regardless of skill level; couples and beginners often participate. Read more under Flexibility.

Freedom of choice

Our program includes a lot of options. At most places we visit, we stay for two nights. From there, we take excursions and walks that start from and return to the accommodation. If you prefer to stay at the lodge to photograph birds at the feeders, or just to relax, sunbathe, read a book, or anything else, that is perfectly fine. The group will return for the next meal, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, where everyone gathers again. The excursions are generally short and do not involve long or strenuous hikes.

Season and time

Visiting Costa Rica at the beginning of the year has several advantages. It is the driest time of the year (though it can still rain occasionally), and the oppressive heat hasn’t arrived yet. It is also the start of the breeding season for many native birds such as woodpeckers, owls, quetzals, and hummingbirds. This makes them more stationary and easier to find. Additionally, a large number of North American migratory birds are present, adding to the diversity. On a two-week trip, we typically see 400-450 bird species. During the extra week in the south, we can see up to an additional 50 species. January and February are also the blooming seasons for many trees that bloom on bare branches. The landscape in some areas is colored by numerous flowering trees in purple or yellow. These flowers also attract a variety of birds.

Climate

Costa Rica is a ”thermally variable” country where altitude differences determine the temperature. At elevations from 1,500 meters and above, it is often cool but pleasantly summery if the sun is shining, and chilly at night. The lowlands are much hotter, with the Caribbean side being warm and humid, and the Pacific side hot and dry. You will need both shorts, sandals, and the lightest possible shirts, as well as a fleece sweater and a shell jacket for the mountains. Packing tips are always sent out to participants before the trip.

Environments

On our round trip, you’ll get to see a majority of the country’s various environments and habitats, from Cerro de la Muerte at 4,000 meters altitude through rolling valleys with cloud forests, fruit orchards, pastures to lowland rainforests and beaches on the Pacific coast. In this part of the country – which is considerably drier – there are also deciduous forests, providing a stark contrast to the thick, green rainforest that we also experience in several places. Generally, we avoid the major tourist areas and do not visit cities or tourist beaches. On the Pacific coast, the beach often consists of mangrove swamps, but we always visit a sandy beach at some point to take a dip in the Pacific Ocean and enjoy the sunset. Note! During the extra week in the south, we stay and live near one of the most beautiful beaches in the country on the Osa Peninsula.

Traveling and route

We want to give our participants a substantial taste of Costa Rica. Therefore, we choose not to offer a shorter trip than 16 days in the country. The diversity of both species and environments clearly indicates that a shorter trip would not do justice to the country. Thus, we will see a vast majority of the birds that can be found in this geographic area.

Our round trip starts and ends in San Jose, in the heart of the country. We travel in a tourist bus with 20 seats. All window seats have opening windows. The transportation distances are not particularly long in this small country, but some of the transfer days are longer. However, they are broken up by strategic stops at bird feeders, as well as lunch stops. We visit the Caribbean lowlands with the La Selva area (although not the Caribbean coast), make a detour towards the Nicaraguan border with the wetland area of Cano Negro, visit the area around the Arenal volcano, up into the cloud forest at Monteverde, down to the hot Pacific coast, continue south along it (with Carara N.P), and then head up to the country’s highest mountain, Cerro de la Muerte, and the adjacent Savegre Valley. The first or last stop on the tour is Rancho Naturalista – a private reserve with a private lodge that is excellent for birdwatching. The direction of the round trip or the order in which the places are visited may vary depending on booking availability.

Local guides

We work with a local guide who leads us through the country for the entire trip. Sometimes we also have additional guides at specific locations who are experts in finding certain birds, such as the Resplendent Quetzal or Sunbittern. Costa Rica is known for having very dedicated and skilled bird guides. We have used the same main guide since the start in 2012, and the same applies to the driver. They are therefore very experienced in working with Swedish groups.

Food and accommodation

Costa Rica’s lodges are typically tailored for bird tourism and are often situated in nature with birds and animals right on the doorstep, which truly enhances the travel experience. There are both small and intimate lodges (such as Rancho Naturalista, Paraiso Quetzal, Ensenada Lodge, among others) as well as larger establishments like the Arenal Volcano Observatory Lodge. However, in some areas, visitor pressure is high, and we may have to choose different hotels each year depending on booking availability. This may apply to areas like Savegre Valley, Arenal, Carara, Monteverde, etc. Nevertheless, we still have the opportunity to birdwatch in the same area as always. Regarding the Arenal Observatory Lodge, we always schedule a lunch there with ample time for birdwatching on their trails and in their flower-rich gardens, even if we don’t stay overnight.

On the first and last nights of the trip (depending on flight times, of course), we typically stay at the Hotel Bougainvillea on the outskirts of San Jose. It’s a comfortable hotel with a large, park-like garden teeming with birdlife.

The food in Costa Rica is not particularly special or spicy but is rich and varied. There are usually several options to choose from at the table, with the base being rice and black beans (Gallo Pinto), accompanied by plenty of vegetables and smaller portions of chicken, meat, or fish. At small lodges, meals are homemade with table service, while larger ones often offer buffets. Beer and wine are usually available everywhere. Fruit juice is commonly served as a table drink. Wi-Fi is not available at all lodges yet, but it can be purchased for a certain time per hour and only in certain areas such as the reception or lounge.

Practical information

When: January 10th – 26th, 2025 + Extra Week January 26th – February 1st, 2025

Price: 62,900 SEK (excluding flight)
We offer to book the flight for you. It is important for us that we all travel on the same flight.

Single Room Supplement: 6,215 SEK

Price Extra Week: 22,500 SEK (excluding flight)
We offer to book the flight for you. It is important for us that we all travel on the same flight.

Note: We reserve the right to increase the price if local costs or currency changes justify it. Minor adjustments to the start and end time of the trip may sometimes be necessary.

What’s Included:
Full board accommodation in double rooms at hotels, Swedish tour leader, local guide throughout, all transportation, all entries to nature reserves and parks except for Hanging Bridges Trail in Arenal (approximate price 27 USD/person).

Not Included:
Flight ticket, transfer to the airport in home country, insurance (Note! European Health Insurance Card is not valid here. Participants are required to have travel insurance against accidents and illnesses), alcohol, souvenirs, and other personal expenses, tips for local guides/drivers.

Minimum Number of Participants: 6

Maximum Number of Participants: 15

Registration Fee:
Upon registration, we will send an invoice for 5000 SEK as a registration fee, guaranteeing you a spot on the trip.