Costa Rica

Highlights

• Explore Carara National Park and to see the endangered American Crocodile as well as some shore birds.
• Drive to Cerro Lodge and Savegre Valley and visit the highest mountains of the Talamanca Mountain Range, with elevations ranging between 7200 and 11,000 feet above sea level.
• Enjoy Birding in La Selva Biological Station which is one of the most important locations for the study of tropical ecosystems in the world.
• Enjoy Birding the trails at Braulio Carrillo National Park
• Visit Tortuguero National Park is the third-most visited park in Costa Rica.

What's this trip about?

Although most people think the best time to visit Costa Rica is December-May, Costa Rica is actually a year-round destination.  Even in the green (aka rainy) season, days usually start out warm and sunny. As in many tropical destinations worldwide, 23 hours of a given day may be dry and pleasant, and during the 24th, the rain can come down with the force of a waterfall.  In the highlands, rainy season typically brings an hour or two of rain midafternoon, allowing for great morning outings, a midday rest, and more birding in the afternoon.  With green season comes nesting activity and the opportunity to see breeding behavior and birds tending their nests.  We have scheduled our trip to coincide with veranillo (little summer), a relatively dry period that usually occurs mid-July to mid-August, particularly along the Pacific coast. The best of both worlds - green season bird activity with less rainfall to interfere with our birding, all at a lower price!

What's excluded

• International airfare to San Jose, Costa Rica
• Tourist card (if required - this may be included in your airfare; if not it may be purchased at your departure gate)
• Airport departure tax (if required - this is supposed to be included in airfare after December 2014, according to reports)
• Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, extra drinks and snacks, souvenirs, etc.
• Gratuities (optional)

Accommodation