Explore Costa Rica
Monkeys and Macaws: A Biodiversity Tour
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National parks, wildlife refuges, biological reserves, and private facilities are found throughout the country. These protected reserves range from swamp to dry forest environments, and from lowland rainforests to high-mountain forests smothered in cloud—with enough diversity of terrain and wildlife to keep nature lovers enthralled for weeks. Many reserves are remote, with few services, and require often-arduous hiking. Others are visitor-friendly; many are mere minutes from major cities, and thereby easily accessed. If you’re here for the wildlife, plan to visit three or four diverse reserves to get the full range.
Be sure to sign up for guided natural history excursions and tours. If the group experience isn’t your thing, then hire your own local naturalist guide (most major tour operators can make arrangements). You’ll see many, many times more critters in the company of an eagle-eyed guide.
Day 1
Arrive at Juan SantamarÃa International Airport; transfer to a hotel in or near San José.
Day 2
Take an early-morning flight to Tortuguero National Park and spend the day viewing wildlife, such as river otters, caiman, and even manatees. This evening, take a guided turtle-viewing walk on the beach.
Day 3
Morning wildlife viewing is followed by an afternoon flight to San José. Time permitting, visit Flor de Mayo (by prior arrangement only) to view the macaw breeding program, and/or Zoo Ave, the nation’s largest zoo.
Days 4–5
Fly to Corcovado National Park and transfer to a nature lodge. Spend the following day hiking; An astonishing array of animals (including tapirs, scarlet macaws, and monkeys) can be viewed.
Day 6
Fly to San José, then transfer to Monteverde for two days and two nights, with visits to the Serpentarium (for snakes), Jewels of the Rainforest Bio-Art Exhibition (for insects), and other attractions.
Day 7
This morning, hire a guide for a visit to either Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve or the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve for quetzals and three-wattled bellbirds (Santa Elena also has spider monkeys). Later, you might want to go horseback riding.
Day 8
Be sure to explore the forest canopy at Monteverde before departing for Alajuela, in the Central Highlands. Consider a short excursion en route to enjoy a crocodile safari on the RÃo Tárcoles.
Day 9
The early bird catches the worm today for a visit to Poás Volcano National Park (good for spotting emerald toucanets, sooty robins, and the Poás squirrel), followed by hiking at La Paz Waterfall Gardens (with its snake, butterfly, hummingbird, and frog exhibits) or [node25671 link Selva Verde] private reserve, where the forests teem with all manner of wildlife. Return to your hotel near Alajuela.
Day 10
Transfer to San José for your departure flight.
© Christopher P. Baker from Moon Costa Rica, 6th Edition
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