Costa Rica may the epicenter of modern-day ecotourism, but many people forget that it had one of the highest rates of deforestation in Central America in the late 1980s. What did Costa Rica do to turn things around so drastically and become a world leader in sustainable tourism? Join Birding Man Adventures on a 10-day adventure exploring biodiversity conservation, Costa Rican culture and governance, and ecotourism.  

Birding Man Adventures (BMA) is passionate about supporting conservation through sustainable travel. Having spent time living and doing research in Costa Rica, BMA founder and guide Ryan Dibala has remained in close contact with several different communities in Costa Rica. He has professional working relationships and friendships with several of the guides who will be leading this tour. You can feel great about your dollars directly supporting local "Ticos" and the projects they are working on.

The lodging used on this trip is second to none in class and ambiance. In San Jose, we will stay in what has been called an oasis of calm at Hotel Robledal only a half hour from the airport. We will transfer to a birdwatcher's paradise, the Villa Lapas Jungle Village at the intersection between dry and wet tropical forest on the coast. There, we will explore Carara National Park and the Tarcoles River after which we will relocate to BelCruz B & B in the cloud forests of Monteverde. From there, we will transfer to the famous town of La Fortuna where we will stay at the beautiful Arenal Observatory Lodge. Two days later, we will reach our most remote destination in the lowland Caribbean jungles of Sarapiqui at Yatama Eco Lodge. Finally, we will come full circle and spend our last night once again at Hotel Robledal. At each location, we will eat great food prepared with care while enjoying first class service and unrivaled natural beauty.    

Meet group at the Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose. Transfer to Hotel Robledal. Welcome dinner and orientation. 

Birding and breakfast on the hotel grounds. Transfer to the Rio Tarcoles bridge where we can observe American Crocodiles basking in the sun. Birding in Carara National Park followed by our check-in to Villa Lapas Jungle Village. Dinner at Villa Lapas.

Wake early for breakfast and transfer to the Rio Tarcoles to board our boat for a river cruise. We will likely get up-close views of American Crocodiles and have a chance to see birds like Scarlet Macaw, Double-striped Thick-knee, American Pygmy-Kingfisher, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, and Crested Carara. We will have lunch back at Villa Lapas and then transfer to our hotel in Monteverde.

Today we will wake early and head to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Our main target will be the Resplendent Quetzal, a bird of unparalleled beauty in the trogon family. It is breeding season and therefore the Quetzals should be easier to find. You will have free time in the afternoon to explore nearby trails and the town of Monteverde. We will have dinner together in town.

This morning we will have breakfast and head to the Curi-Cancha Reserve. Our main target here will be the Three-wattled Bellbird, but we will have the chance to see other cloud forest species like Coppery-headed Emerald, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, and Black Guan. We will chat with reserve managers to learn about ongoing conservation at the reserve and the challenges that people in Monteverde have faced over the years as it relates to forest conservation. In the afternoon, we will transfer to the town of La Fortuna where we will check into our hotel and have time to relax in the afternoon.  

Today we will bird around the trails of our hotel, the Arenal Observatory Lodge and enjoy a slower-paced morning. In the afternoon, we will head to the Tabacon Hot Springs and soak in a geothermally heated river. We will return to our hotel and have dinner there. 

This morning we will thoroughly explore the canopy of the tropical rainforest. We will keep our eyes peeled for birds like Glittering Tanager, Crested Guan, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Yellow-eared Toucanet, and Sharpbill. We will have lunch afterwards and transfer to Sarapiqui where we will check into our hotel and have dinner. 

Today we will enjoy a guided tour along the trails of Yatama Eco Lodge. This is by far the most remote place we will visit and it will give us the best chance to find more elusive wildlife. Our guide will talk to us about the history of Yatama and what it has taken for them to preserve this fragile ecosystem. Parrots, toucans, currassows, monkeys, snakes, frogs, anteaters, coatis, and tapir are all possible here. After dinner, we will set out on a night hike to discover nocturnal species of birds, insects, frogs, and snakes.

Today we will wake early and leave our jungle retreat. We will enter another jungle: one that is famous for research and species diversity. Our guided tour at La Selva Biological Station will be educational and exciting, as we'll have the chance of seeing Great Green Macaws, toucans, monkey, sloths, anteaters, peccaries, frogs, and snakes. After our tour, we will transfer to Soda Cinchona for lunch, where we can feast our eyes on the many hummingbird feeders that draw in dozens of species. In the afternoon, we will make our way back to San Jose and check into our hotel for our farewell dinner.  

Today we will have breakfast and transfer to the airport. We will say goodbye to the group and depart to our respective homes.