BEST OF COSTA RICA – The most rewarding 2-week itinerary in this beautiful, bird-filled country

PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers and accommodation/restaurant staff.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.

BEST OF COSTA RICA BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Best of Costa Rica: Day 1  Our tour begins this evening at San José, Costa Rica’s capital city situated in the Central Valley, where we will stay overnight. An airport transfer will be provided for those arriving today.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 2  We will start the day in the attractive grounds of our hotel where, amongst the White-tipped Doves, Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Tropical Kingbirds, Great Kiskadees, Blue-and-white Swallows, Clay-colored Thrushes, Great-tailed Grackles and Palm and Blue-grey Tanagers, we will seek out more interesting species such as the noisy Finsch’s Parakeet, Lesson’s Motmot, the smart Rufous-backed Wren and Greyish Saltator.

(During the northern winter, North American visitors, such as Tennessee and American Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Oriole, are also likely.)

After breakfast, we will make our way into the Cordillera de Talamanca just to the south of the city, where we will stay for two nights at a lodge in the Cerro de la Muerte (‘Mountain of Death’) area. The massif is so named because of the many people who, in earlier times, died of cold or from falls whilst crossing it en route between the Central Valley and the Valle del General and the Pacific lowlands. Nowadays the Pan American Highway crosses the mountain at over 3300m, allowing for easy access to this endemic-rich area.

We will spend much of the day exploring the Cerro de la Muerte area.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 3  At Cerro de la Muerte we will be exploring the temperate oak forests with their thick bamboo understory, open pastures and the chaparral-like paramo above the treeline.

At these altitudes, many of the birds seem remarkably tame and here lives one of the world’s most spectacular birds, the Resplendent Quetzal. This is one of the few places where these wonderful birds can be seen without much difficulty, particularly if their favoured wild avocado trees are fruiting, and we should be able to watch in fascination as the males fly from tree to tree with their incredibly elongated uppertail coverts dancing along behind them.

Hummingbird feeders at our lodge and elsewhere in the area attract several local specialities such as Talamanca, Volcano, Fiery-throated and Scintillant Hummingbirds and Grey-tailed Mountaingem. Sooty and Mountain Thrushes, Ruddy-capped and Black-billed Nightingale-Thrushes, and Yellow-thighed and Large-footed Finches forage at the edge of shrubbery that attracts the spectacular Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Black-and-yellow Phainoptila, Mountain Elaenia, Black-capped Flycatcher, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Sooty-capped Bush Tanager, Flame-colored and Silver-throated Tanagers, and Rufous-collared Sparrow.

(Seasonally-present winter migrants from North America include Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Wilson’s and Black-throated Green Warblers, and Summer Tanager.)

The mossy forest itself is home to Band-tailed and Ruddy Pigeons, Red-headed Barbet, Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Ruddy Treerunner, Mistletoe Tyrannulet, Northern Tufted Flycatcher, Dark Pewee, Yellow-winged and Brown-capped Vireos, Ochraceous Wren, Grey-breasted Wood Wren, the curious Wrenthrush (also known as Zeledonia, this unusual species is treated as a monotypic bird family), the delightful Collared Whitestart, the superb Flame-throated Warbler, Black-cheeked Warbler and Spangle-cheeked Tanager.

Overhead, amongst the numerous Turkey and Black Vultures, we will be on the lookout for the local race of Red-tailed Hawk and Swallow-tailed Kite, plus White-collared, Vaux’s and perhaps Chestnut-collared Swifts.v Along the streams and rivers, Torrent Tyrannulets and sometimes American Dippers are to be found, while after dusk or before dawn, the near-endemic Dusky Nightjar can be observed.

Sulphur-winged Parakeets can often be seen in flight, though finding them perched is seldom easy. Should the bamboo be in seed, we could also encounter Barred Parakeet and the strange Peg-billed Finch, although these species are often very hard to find.

We will also encounter some of the other scarce inhabitants of the forests and pastures, which include Spotted Wood Quail, Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ochraceous Pewee, Barred Becard, Silvery-throated Jay, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Elegant Euphonia, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, White-naped Brushfinch or even a covey of Buffy-crowned Wood Partridges.

Above the treeline, at Cerro de la Muerte itself, we will seek out the extremely localized Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 4  After spending much of the day in the Cerro de la Muerte area, we shall descend to the San Isidro area for an overnight stay. Tropical Screech Owl is usually straightforward to find at our lodge.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 5  Now that we are at a much lower elevation on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica, a host of new species is to be expected. Most of the morning will be spent at the famous private reserve of the late Dr Alexander Skutch, who was one of the world’s leading authorities on Neotropical birds.

A wide variety of birds can be seen in his ‘garden’ and adjacent forest and we will be particularly on the lookout for the likes of Great Tinamou, Grey-headed Chachalaca, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Charming Hummingbird, the near-endemic Garden Emerald, Purple-crowned Fairy, Baird’s Trogon, the near-endemic Fiery-necked Aracari, Olivaceous Piculet, Red-crowned and Lineated Woodpeckers, Plain-brown, and Tawny-winged Woodcreepers, Russet Antshrike, Dusky and Bicolored Antbirds, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Boat-billed, Piratic, Grey-capped, Social and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Rufous Piha, Blue-crowned Manakin, Tawny-crowned and Lesser Greenlets, Rufous-breasted Wren, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scarlet-rumped Tanager of the form costaricensis (sometimes split as Cherrie’s Tanager), White-shouldered, Speckled and Grey-headed Tanagers, Shining Honeycreeper, Blue Dacnis, Streaked Saltator and Blue-black Grosbeak.

If the Vochysia trees are flowering, we may find the elusive, near-endemic and spectacular White-crested Coquette. We may also encounter include Golden-naped Woodpecker, Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner and White-winged Becard.

In addition, we have a good chance of seeing the splendid but threatened Turquoise Cotinga in the San Isidro area.

Afterwards, we will drive northwards to the Carara area for a two nights stay.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 6  Before the Carara National Park was opened up to visitors, ornithologists were compelled to organise full-scale expeditions in order to reach lowland rainforest along the Pacific Coast. Now it is possible to walk into this endangered Central American habitat from a paved road!

Many of the region’s special birds can be found here including the magnificent Scarlet Macaw. These raucous, gaudy, long-tailed parrots are one of the park’s star attractions as they fly effortlessly amongst the large fruiting trees or flap slowly across to the nearby mangroves where they roost.

By slowly walking along the excellent trails, we may well find birds such as Great Tinamou, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Blue-throated Sapphire, Slaty-tailed Trogon, White-whiskered Puffbird, Northern Mealy Amazon, Northern Barred, Long-tailed and Wedge-billed Woodcreepers, Plain Xenops, Dot-winged Antwren, Black-hooded and Barred Antshrikes, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Black-faced Antthrush, the lovely Streak-chested Antpitta, Greenish Elaenia, Northern Bentbill, Stub-tailed Spadebill, the strange Northern Royal Flycatcher, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, the smart Red-capped Manakin, the near-endemic Orange-collared Manakin, Rufous-and-white, Riverside and Black-bellied Wrens, Trilling Gnatwren and Orange-billed Sparrow.

If we are very fortunate we will even see the stunning Yellow-billed Cotinga or one of the other more elusive inhabitants of this forest such as Double-toothed Kite, Collared Forest Falcon, Blue Ground Dove or Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher.

Mammals are not conspicuous, but we should encounter Mantled Howler and Central American Agouti and perhaps White-faced Capuchin.

Along the forest edge, or in nearby open country, we expect to encounter Roadside Hawk, Ruddy Ground Dove, Pale-vented Pigeon, Red-lored Amazon, Scaly-breasted and Blue-vented Hummingbirds, Yellow-throated (or Chestnut-mandibled) Toucan, Hoffman’s and Pale-billed Woodpeckers, Streaked Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Rufous Mourner, Masked Tityra, Rose-throated Becard, Grey-breasted Martin, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Buff-rumped Warbler, Variable Seedeater and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

(Seasonally-present wintering species from further north include Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireos, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler and Painted Bunting.)

Overhead may be seen the localized Costa Rican Swift as well as King Vulture and Grey and Short-tailed Hawks.

We will also explore the mangrove-fringed Tárcoles estuary which attracts many waterbirds and other species, typically including Brown Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Magnificent Frigatebird, Western Cattle, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue, Little Blue, Tricolored and Green Herons, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Wood Stork, American White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Western Osprey, Yellow-headed and Crested Caracaras, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Lesser Nighthawk, Ringed, Belted, Amazon and Green Kingfishers, and Mangrove Swallow. One of the main attractions is the strange Boat-billed Heron, whose huge eyes and massive, ridged bill create a strange, almost prehistoric appearance.

A search of the mangroves should reveal Common Black Hawk, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Northern Scrub and Panamanian (or Panama) Flycatchers, Tropical Pewee, Mangrove Vireo and Mangrove and Prothonotary Warblers.

Scarcer species of the area such as Plumbeous Kite, Black Skimmer, Rufous-necked Wood Rail and the threatened endemic Mangrove Hummingbird are also possible.

One evening we will take a drive to look for Striped Owl as well as the much easier Pauraque.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 7  After a final session in the Carara area, we will travel into the central highlands of Costa Rica for a two nights stay in the Monteverde area.

Before we return to the highlands we will visit an area of saltpans that usually holds many waterbirds, often including Black-necked Stilt, Grey (or Black-bellied), Semipalmated and Wilson’s Plovers, Western, Semipalmated, Least and Spotted Sandpipers, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs and Willet. Many of these species are present all year as young birds often oversummer in the tropics.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 8  During the 1950s a group of Quakers, disillusioned with some aspects of life in the United States, came to Costa Rica. They settled at Monteverde, initiating the dairy farming that is a prominent feature of the area today. Realizing the importance of a stable watershed for the local economy, they ensured that the forests on the surrounding hills remained intact. We owe these far-sighted pioneers a great debt of gratitude, for today this magnificent area is protected by two major reserves, the world-renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve and the Santa Elena Reserve, and now also a host of smaller private reserves.

A large and varied bird community inhabits the epiphyte-laden cloudforests in these protected areas, which straddle the continental divide. Lower down on the Pacific slope there is a more pronounced dry season and here the cloudforest is replaced by semi-humid evergreen forest, home to a different set of birds.

Sometimes the mornings at Monteverde are gloriously clear and one can see the forested ridges extending away into the distance. Lineated Foliage-gleaners, Red-faced Spinetails and Spotted Barbtails search the moss and bromeliad-encrusted branches, whilst at some strategically positioned feeders we will have wonderful opportunities for prolonged views of a multitude of iridescent hummingbirds including Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant, Coppery-headed Emerald (endemic to Costa Rica), Purple-throated Mountaingem, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Lesser Violetear and Stripe-tailed Hummingbird.

Monteverde offers cloud forest bird watching at its best, although we shall doubtless have to work hard to find some of the more retiring inhabitants of the area, and the local Resplendent Quetzals are no longer as easy to see as they once were.

By quietly walking along the maze of trails, or at the forest edge, we may well find Black Guan, Chiriqui Quail-Dove, Canivet’s Emerald, Collared Trogon, Blue-throated Toucanet, Prong-billed Barbet, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, White-crowned and Brown-hooded Parrots, Spotted and Ruddy Woodcreepers, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, Brown-billed Scythebill, Slaty Antwren, the secretive Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Olive-striped, Yellow-bellied and Yellowish Flycatchers, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, White-throated Spadebill, Eye-ringed Flatbill, the superb Long-tailed Manakin, Black-faced Solitaire, White-throated and Swainson’s Thrushes, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush, Plain, House and Cabanis’s Wrens, Yellow-throated Euphonia, the smart White-eared Ground Sparrow, Ovenbird, Worm-eatimng, Black-eared, Golden-winged and Golden-crowned Warblers, Slate-throated Whitestart and Common Bush Tanager.

Less frequently encountered species, of which we may see several, include Highland Tinamou, Barred Forest Falcon, Black-breasted Wood Quail, Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, Bare-shanked Screech Owl, Green-fronted Lancebill, the secretive Grey-throated Leaftosser, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Azure-hooded Jay, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch and Red-crowned Ant Tanager.

If any have returned early from their lowland wintering areas, we could encounter a Three-wattled Bellbird uttering its deafening calls from a perch in the canopy.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 9  After some final birding at Monteverde we will  Guanacaste Province for an overnight stay at La Pacifica. We will stop along the way to look for species typical of this more arid region of Costa Rica.

This large cattle ranch is sensitively managed and so La Pacifica also serves as an effective reserve for a wide variety of wildlife. The dry forest landscape of rolling hills highlighted by the brilliant colours of flowering trees will provide a marked contrast to the rainforest.

The park-like landscape of the ranch holds the restricted-range Turquoise-browed Motmot and White-throated Magpie-Jay as well as Harris’s Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Laughing Falcon, Double-striped Thick-knee, Southern Lapwing, Inca, Mourning and White-winged Doves, Common and Plain-breasted Ground Doves, Groove-billed Ani, Green-breasted Mango, Cinnamon and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Plain-capped Starthroat, Black-headed Trogon, Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-fronted and Yellow-naped Amazons, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Scrub Greenlet, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Stripe-headed and Olive Sparrows,  Scrub Euphonia, Grey-crowned Yellowthroat, Eastern Meadowlark, Streak-backed and Spot-breasted Orioles, Red-winged Blackbird and White-collared Seedeater. With patience, we should also see the shy Lesser Ground Cuckoo either here or elsewhere in this region.

Pacific Screech Owl and Spectacled Owl are regular here while diurnal Ferruginous Pygmy Owls are often mobbed by groups of angry small birds.

We should also see one or more of the scarcer species such as Zone-tailed Hawk, Spot-bellied Bobwhite, Mangrove Cuckoo, White-necked Puffbird, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet and Banded Wren.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 10  After some early morning birding at La Pacifica we will be heading into ornithologically little-known territory not far from the border with Nicaragua. Our destination is a remote but comfortable lodge at Caño Negro, where we shall overnight.

Late this afternoon we will take a very enjoyable boat trip into a large marsh haunted by Snail Kites and numerous waterbirds including Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Muscovy Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Purple and Common Gallinules, Limpkin and Northern Jacana. Highlights here are likely to include the cryptic Pinnated Bittern and the uncommon Yellow-breasted Crake. The latter is regularly present here and we will make a special effort to try and see one. If we are fortunate this tiny bird will come quite close to us. This evening we will likely see Great Potoo near our lodge.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 11  This morning we will travel by boat along the Río Frío and into the marshy expanses of Lago Caño Negro. Our prime target will be the Nicaraguan Grackle, which inhabits the reedy vegetation and is only found in southern Nicaragua and northernmost Costa Rica.

Large numbers of Spectacled Caimans are to be found here, as are no fewer than five species of kingfisher, including Green-and-rufous Kingfisher. This is also a great trip for seeing the strange Sungrebe, either resting on a sloping riverside branch or swimming stealthily along the river margins, as well as Green Ibis.

Back on land, we will be looking in particular for the restricted-range Nicaraguan Seed Finch, while other new birds may well include Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Grey-headed Dove and Spot-breasted and Canebrake Wrens. we will transfer to Volcán Arenal for a two nights stay.

On the way there, we will make a stop at a place where both Uniform and White-throated Crakes are pretty reliable and often show well.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 12  Volcán Arenal, Costa Rica’s most active volcano, has a perfect conical shape and if the weather permits there will be breathtaking views. In certain years, ash columns and underground rumbling occur with nightly spectacles of glowing rocks tumbling down the slope from the volcano’s explosive eruptions.

The protected forests surrounding Volcán Arenal are widely known for their abundant birdlife and other wildlife. Our lodge offers the most stunning views of the volcano and its birdy gardens and forest trails hold an enticing collection of specialities. Flowering hedges around the lodge attract a variety of hummers including Violet-headed Hummingbird, Green Hermit, Brown Violetear, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, the amazing Black-crested Coquette and Green Thorntail, whilst fruit feeders are visited by Montezuma Oropendola, Buff-throated Saltator, Bananaquit, attractive Tooth-billed, Emerald and Crimson-collared Tanagers, Red-legged and Green Honeycreepers and Olive-backed Euphonia.

After dark, Black-and-white Owls are sometimes active close to the lodge. There is also a pond where at night frog and snake aficionados have some serious treats in store!

Along the lodge’s forest trails, we should find such species as the awe-inspiring Great Curassow, White-crowned Parrot, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Slaty Spinetail, Western Woodhaunter, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Dull-mantled Antbird, White-ruffed Manakin, Black-crowned Tityra, Sulphur-rumped Myiobius, Song and Stripe-breasted Wrens and, White-breasted Wood Wren, Northern Nightingale-Wren, the shy Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Black-striped Sparrow, Chestnut-capped Warbler, White-throated Shrike-Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Golden-hooded, Bay-headed, Carmiol’s and White-lined Tanagers, Black-headed Saltator and Yellow-faced and Blue-black Grassquits.

More uncommon possibilities include Purplish-backed Quail-Dove and Streak-crowned Antvireo.

During our time here we will be keenly observant for the growls of Spotted Antbirds that may lead us to a swarm of raiding army ants that could, in turn, attract the spectacular Ocellated Antbird. With some patience and luck, we will also see the shy and aptly named Thicket Antpitta.

Among the mammals here, the White-nosed Coatis are so tame that one can approach to within a couple of metres, while there is also a real chance of encountering a Northern Tamandua.

The usually productive road that skirts the scenic lake at the foot of the volcano may well turn up such species as Fasciated Tiger Heron, Plain Antvireo, Long-tailed Tyrant, Black Phoebe, Northern and Southern Rough-winged Swallows, Bay Wren, Tropical Parula and Black-cowled Oriole. We also have a good chance here for the restricted-range Keel-billed Motmot as well as Double-toothed Kite, White Hawk, Rufous-tailed Jacamar and the retiring Bare-crowned Antbird.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 13  Afterward some final birding at Arenal, we will head to La Selva for a two nights stay. We may arrive in time for some initial exploration of this excellent area.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 14  La Selva is the most accessible tract of humid lowland rainforest on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica. Most of this superb reserve is primary forest; whilst other parts consist of secondary growth, swamp forest, river margins, former plantations and abandoned pasture.

The area is now maintained as a natural laboratory by the Organization for Tropical Studies and an excellent network of trails allows access to every habitat. Nowadays, the guest accommodation at the biological station is comfortable and staying at this thriving research facility allows us to be right in the middle of prime habitat at all times of day and night, in contrast to the restricted access hours allowed to those who stay outside the reserve. One feels privileged to have unrestricted access to this unique place, something that comparatively few visitors experience.

Over 400 species have been recorded at La Selva and many of the birds we will encounter will not have been seen earlier in our travels. Rainforest birding is always extremely rewarding, but one must cultivate patience and keep a vigilant watch from ground level to the canopy high above our heads. The easiest birding is to be had around the clearing where the research station is situated. Here the flowering and fruiting trees act as a magnet for many different species of hummingbird and tanagers. As we walk the trails we will hear the plaintive whistles of ground-dwelling tinamous, while after a quiet period, we may suddenly be surrounded by strange calls and have to play hide and seek with an antbird flock amongst the tangled vegetation. Overhead in the canopy, gaudy tanagers, honeycreepers and cotingas are attracted to flowering and fruiting trees.

Amongst the superb selection of birds we expect to find here is the awesome but endangered Great Green Macaw as well as Little and Slaty-breasted Tinamous (both hard to see as opposed to hear), Crested Guan, Bat Falcon, Red-billed and Short-billed Pigeons, Grey-chested Dove, Olive-throated Parakeet, Vermiculated Screech Owl, White-collared and Grey-rumped Swifts, Stripe-throated and Long-billed Hermits, the restricted-range Blue-chested Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Crowned Woodnymph, Gartered and Black-throated Trogons, Rufous and Broad-billed Motmots, Collared Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, and Black-cheeked and Chestnut-colored Woodpeckers.

Likely passerines include Cocoa and Streak-headed Woodcreepers, Fasciated and Black-crowned Antshrikes, the handsome Snowy Cotinga,  Long-tailed Tyrant, Ochre-bellied, White-ringed and Great Crested Flycatchers, Yellow-margined Flatbill, the retiring Bright-rumped Attila, White-collared Manakin, Cinnamon Becard, Barn Swallow, Band-backed and Black-throated Wrens, Wood Thrush, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Giant and Bronzed Cowbirds, Melodious Blackbird (a recent invader from Nicaragua), Black-faced Grosbeak, Red-throated Ant Tanager, Scarlet-rumped Tanager of the form passerinii (sometimes split as Passerini’s Tanager), Plain-colored and Dusky-faced Tanagers, Morelet’s Seedeater and Thick-billed Seed Finch.

Uncommon possibilities include the shy Agami Heron, Grey-headed Kite, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Crested Owl, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, the scarce Spot-fronted Swift, Pied Puffbird, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant and Purple-throated Fruitcrow.

We should see Collared Peccary and Central American Agouti and may be lucky enough to see a sloth or a noisy troupe of Geoffroy’s Spider Monkeys, whilst caimans sometimes bask on the riverbanks.

Best of Costa Rica: Day 15  After some final birding at La Selva we will have time to wash change and pack at our lodge. Afterwards, we return to San José, where our tour ends this afternoon at the international airport.