Birding Costa Rica

BIRDATHON IN THE OSA PENINSULA MARCH 13 Days / 12 Nights San Jose / Turrialba / San Gerardo de Dota / Uvita / Peninsula de Osa Level of Action: Low

OSA Peninsula

Bird-a-Thon March

Day 1 ARRIVE SAN JOSE Arrival to San Jose. Your journey begins with a warm greeting at the airport from a local representative and a transfer to your hotel. Hotel Bougainvillea located at San Jose outskirts, the perfect place to start a Costa Rica birding tour, surrounded by a large garden full of trees, bushes, beautiful flowers, heliconias, gingers, bromelias and even orchids that attracts many butterflies and some of the more common birds of the Central Valley.

Overnight at Bougainvillea Hotel.

Meals: D Day 2 TURRIALBA Today we will depart to the beautiful area of Turrialba to Rancho Naturalista, a premium birding lodge in Costa Rica. Over 430 species of birds have been recorded in their private forest reserve and within the local area. You can hike and bird the trails guided by our specialist tour guide, he will maximize your birding experience.

Overnight at Rancho Naturalista Lodge.

Meals: B, D Day 3 TURRIALBA Enjoy the entire day birding around Turrialba region. Situated only a stones-throw from the lodge are several top birding sites locations such as Rio Tuis, Cerro Silencio and CATIE. Overnight at Rancho Naturalista Lodge Meals: B, L, D Day 4 SAN GERARDO DE DOTA Today we will depart to San Gerardo de Dota. San Gerardo is a natural habitat for many species of flora and fauna, and constitutes an ecological niche where the Resplendent Quetzal lives throughout the year. On the way we will visit the Tapanti National Park. This beautiful National Park is not only an excellent birding site but also has stunning views of water falls and over 100 rivers!

Overnight at Savegre Lodge.

Meals: B, D

• Private Forest Reserve Rancho Naturalista • Rio Tuis, Cerro Silencio and CATIE • Tapanti National Park • Quetzales National Park • Ballena Marine National Park • Finca Three Sisters of Cusinga Lodge

• 5 Days Birdathon including Different Birding Trails, Visit of Corcovado Nationalpark, Rancho Quemado, Laguna Chocuaco, Gold Mining Tour and Trapiche Don Carmen Tour

Day 5 UVITA Today we will visit Los Quetzales National Park, located in the Talamanca Mountain Range, in the Cerro de la Muerte area, actually in the high parts of this mountain, between 2,000 and 3,000 meter above sea level.

Later you will continue our journey to Uvita. Staying in La Cusinga, you’re nestled inside a private 600-acre reserve that borders the Ballena Marine National Park. There are many options to walk around and spot birds and wildlife in general. Expert ornithologists’ have concluded that the well-preserved Finca Tres Hermanas (Three Sisters, owned by the Cusinga Lodge) is home for more than four hundred species of birds.

Overnight at Cusinga Lodge.

Meals: B, D

Day 06 UVITA Today we will visit the Marine Ballena National Park. In a three hours walk, we can watch and listen to over 50 different species. When we go up the Coastal Mountains on horseback, as we enter the lush forests, the temperature drops. Nearby we hear the howler monkeys, the sound of clear water falling into natural pools; a funny white-nosed coati crosses our path, and then suddenly the view opens over the “Whale´s Tail.”

Overnight at La Cusinga Eco-Lodge Meals: B, L, D Day 07 PENINSULA DE OSA After breakfast we continue our way to Peninsula de Osa for the Birdathon. The next five nights we will stay at Casa Drake. In the afternoon you will receive an orientation and introduction talk about the birds of Osa Peninsula, Osa Birds (Research and Conservation) and Caminos de Osa. Discover the beautiful surroundings of Casa Drake.

Overnight at Lodge Casa Drake.

Meals: B, D Day 08 PENINSULA DE OSA Very early morning breakfast, followed by a morning Birdathon at “Descubre la Naturaleza”Trail, open garden areas, pastures, primary & secondary forest where you can see species like the Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager endemic to the Osa Peninsula, Summer Tanager, Golden-naped Woodpecker and Baltimore Oriole. After Birding we continue to Puerto Jimenez to the Bird Festival, be part of the 3rd Annual International Migratory Bird Day Festival.

Overnight at Lodge Casa Drake.

Meals: B, D Day 09 PENINSULA DE OSA Very early morning breakfast, followed by a morning Birdathon at “Madre Selva”Trail. Here you will encounter species like the Blue-crowned Manakin, Baird’s Trogon, Great Curassow and the lovely Blue-crowned Motmot and Purple-crowned Fairy. Afternoon at leisure and free time for birding.

Overnight at Lodge Casa Drake.

Meals: B, Box Lunch, D

Day 10 PENINSULA DE OSA After breakfast we will drive to Rancho Quemado and Laguna Chocuaco. At the Laguna we will have our morning birding. This incredible landscape is one of a small handful of inland lagoons surrounded by mountains of luxurious primary forest. Birds you may encounter will be such as the White-throated Crake, Northern Jacana, Purple Gallinule, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Boat-billed Heron and Southern Lapwing. You can also spot Anhinga and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in this unique corner of the Osa. After lunch in the afternoon you will participate in the Gold Mining Tour. This tour is part of an alternative sustainable activity for forest protection. The tour is a craftsman gold mining demonstration. You will see first-hand Caminos de Osa and rural entrepreneurship in action. Then we continue to Trapiche Don Carmen Tour where you will receive a view into traditional sugar cane production.

Overnight at Lodge Casa Drake.

Meals: B, L, D Day 11 PENINSULA DE OSA After early breakfast we will drive to Agujitas Beach, the launch off point for Corcovado National Park. From here we continue with a boat to the National Park for our hiking and birding. The National Park is the most protected landscape on the OSA with gold growth of primary and secondary forest a matrix of variety of habitats and tropical vegetation. Wildlife you may encounter during you visit The rare and beloved Tapir, 2 species of sloths, puma, the Turquoise Cotinga, the Pale-billed Woodpecker and the gorgeous honeycreepers that light up the forest with their striking colors!

Overnight at Lodge Casa Drake.

Meals: B, Box Lunch, D Day 12 PENINSULA DE OSA Today we will fly back to San Jose for our last night.

Overnight at Bougainvillea Hotel.

Meals: B, D Day 13 PENINSULA DE OSA This day you will be transferred to Juan Santa Maria International Airport to take your flight back home.

Meals: B

City San Jose Turrialba San Gerardo de Dota Uvita Casa Drake Lodge

Nights 2 2 1 2 5

Hotel Bougainvillea Rancho Naturalista Lodge Savegre Lodge La Cusinga Eco-Lodge Drake / Peninsula de Osa

P.O.Box 7-1970, ZP San Jos茅, Costa Rica. Tel.: (506) 2282-4898 路 Fax: (506) 2282-4890 For further information please contact: info@swisstravelcr.com 路 www.swisstravelcr.com