We wanted a trip focusing on "birds in Costa Rica", and we were pleased at what a wonderful itinerary we had. First hotel: We loved Hotel Bougainvillea - it is clear that this is a birders paradise in San Jose. It is far from the city center, but the gardens were fantastic. The hotel is a bit old fashioned, but the service was great. Lovely restaurant with an excellent breakfast. We loved stopping at the La Paz waterfalls. Amazing hummingbirds, very educational, and the hikes were fantastic!!! Next we stayed at Lomas de Volcan. This might have been my favorite of the places we stayed in terms of the actual room and amenities. Comfortable individual "cabin" - very modern bathroom, fantastic restaurant and bar, and a great location. I would gladly stay there again. My husband really enjoyed the thermal pools, and the restaurant was "traditional" food and just fine. We loved visiting Arenal Observatory Lodge - and saw lots of birds. It was super rainy, but we got a nice hike in. We next stayed at Natural Lodge Cana Negro. We loved this place - the owner and family were awesome, the staff were very interactive and helpful, and it was a fantastic place to birdwatch. The guide who took us out on the river was very knowledgeable, which made it quite exciting. The restaurant at the lodge is quite good. I will recommend everyone visiting Costa Rica and interested in rain forest and flora and fauna should take the time to get up to this part of Costa Rica. We also loved the Cloud Forest Lodge. We were literally in a cloud the entire time. It was wet and windy, but being able to see Curi Cancha and Monteverde reserves was AWESOME. It gives one a great understanding of "rain forest"! Our guide, David, at Curi Cancha was absolutely one of the best. He was enthusiastic, and we saw a lot of birds because of his knowledge of the area. While we didn't see any birds in Monteverde reserve, we did get a real "rain forest" experience.
While Hotel Villa Caletas was fine, an Italianate hotel in Costa Rica seemed a bit odd. It also had a million steps, and we had to ask to have our room changed. There was no way the two of could manage all those stairs multiple times/day. It has a great view and the restaurant is fine. Our guide into Carara National Park was our only real disappointment. She really knew nothing about birds, although she did know her plants. The only birds we identified was through interacting the guides helping other people. I suggest you not use her again for a birding trip.
Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was an experience! The cabins are rustic, just screens, and it was rather hot and rainy, but nevertheless we loved visiting this part of Costa Rica. The staff here was great. I think we also appreciated the variety in the places we stayed, which on top of the amazing diversity of flora and fauna in Costa Rica made this trip amazing!!
Our final stay was at Savegre National Reserve Hotel. This is a great place. We loved our room, and we had another amazing guide - absolutely the best. We went out twice with him! He has so much local knowledge. It was inspiring.
Altogether, we had an amazing trip - and we ended up seeing 190 new species of birds, including scarlet macaws and the resplendent quetzal. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in wildlife, birds, and getting to see different aspects of Costa Rica. Olman did a great job of putting this together, although I wouldn't go back to Hotel Villa Caletas and Carara National Park.
Hotel Reviews
Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton
San José
This is a Hilton, and Hiltons have a certain level of dependability. It is located downtown, so it nicely placed if you want to go to the gold museum or the central market. Our room was on the small side. The bed was very comfortable, and the bathroom fixtures modern.
You have to valet park your car, which was $27. This quite a hefty charge. You are also a bit of drive from the San Jose airport, so give yourself plenty of time to get there.
Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa
Páramo
This is the place to go if you are interested in seeing a resplendent quetzal. The guide the hotel arranged was stellar!!
The room was spacious, and including a porch where you could look out over the gardens or the stream that runs nearby. The bathrooms were very modern, and the place was modern and comfortable.
The breakfast here was excellent, but we did not have the best of luck with having supper there.
Esquinas Rainforest Lodge
Golfito
This part of Costa Rica is hot and humid. You are in essentially a cabin with only screens. The showerhead actually heats the water for your shower. The place lost power during a torrential rainstorm - so no shower that day.
However, the beds were comfortable, and the meals (you really have to eat here) were very good. They used local fruits to make pitchers of juice they served at the meals. I found this quite fun.
The staff is great, and our bird-watching guide was excellent.
Hotel Villa Caletas
Tárcoles
This is a fine hotel in an Italianate style. The staff were excellent and very helpful. Our room was comfortable, and the place has a lot of old-fashioned charm. My only complaint is that there are a lot of stairs. If you have any mobility issues, this is NOT the place for you. They were kind enough to change our room, because to get to our original room was quite a trek up and down multiple stair cases. From the restaurant area, you have a great view looking out over the Pacific Ocean, and watching the sunset from there was amazing.
Cloud Forest Lodge
Monteverde
This may be the most famous rain forest area of Costa Rica. It is well known because it is amazing. We drove up through the clouds to get here. While it was windy and rainy while we were there, it did not keep us from heading to Curi Cancha and Monteverde Reserves. The guide the hotel arranged was fantastic. I don't think you can understand a rain forest until you hiked through one! This lodge is perfectly positioned to visit both these reserves. Our room was quite spacious, the bed very comfortable, and the bathroom modern.
The restaurant is good, and they do a very nice breakfast.
I think people don't often head up this way on a visit to Costa Rica, but it is a mistake. This area is fantastic, and the National Cano Nego Lodge is great!! The staff was sensational, and the food at their restaurant quite good. Great bartenders too!! The owners are quite gracious. They arranged our birding trip down the river, and it was excellent. They have a bird feeding station that you can look out on while eating breakfast or other meal, and it makes it all the more fun! The Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cano Negro is amazing, and it is definitely worth heading up to this region.
The beds are very comfortable, and the bathroom was modern! I highly recommend this lodge as well as visiting this part of Costa Rica. The roads in are a bit rough, so be prepared to bounce around a bit.
Authenticity & Character
The owners are amazing, and the staff very helpful and knowledgeable.
The location of this hotel near Arenal Volcano is fantastic. We had our own little "house", and it was well furnished. The bathrooms were modern, and the property beautifully landscaped and maintained. The restaurant here is excellent, but they have a nice bar with original cocktails. Their breakfast is first-rate. They had many hot and cold options, including an omelet station and waffle maker. The location is great if you are interested in the area around Arenal National Park. We had a flat tire, and the staff was amazingly helpful in putting in enough air and then recommending a great place to get the tire fixed in the nearby town.
I highly recommend this lovely hotel. There is a great view of Arenal Volano when it is not socked in by clouds!
Hotel Bougainvillea San José
Heredia
This is a lovely hotel away from the center of San Jose. There gardens are fantastic. If you are a birdwatcher, this is the place to stay, as the gardens attract many local birds. The rooms are comfortable, and the restaurant and bar were good. The owner must love rocks, because the lobby has many cases of rocks collected from all over Costa Rica. It was quite interesting.
Authenticity & Character
This is a slightly older hotel, but full of charm. The gardens are wonderful, and the beds comfortable, and the bathrooms are modern.
Activity Reviews
Early Birdwatching Walk
La Gamba
We had a great guide, and the area is really diverse biologically. It is quite worth visiting this part of Costa Rica!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Quetzal Safari Quest
San Gerardo de Dota
Our quetzal quest was successful, plus there are so many other places to birdwatcher. We went out with our sensational guide twice - amazing!! What a beautiful place.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Carara National Park Guided Tour
Costa Rica
The park is not worth the visit. It is a transitional forest, and we saw very few birds or wildlife. Plus the cicadas were so loud and there were so many of them it was kind of gross.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Early Birdwatching Tour at Curi-Cancha Reserve
Monteverde
By far, the best birding experience in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful place, with a number of different habitats. Our guide David was fantastic! We were even lucky enough to see a resplendent quetzal! This is a "DON"T MISS THIS" type of place!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Bird Watching Tour
Caño Negro
This is a fantastic area to bird. Our lodge provided us with a great guide, and we went down the river seeing iguanas in trees, caiman, and a fantastic assortment of birds. FANTASTIC!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was quite excellent.
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