Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans

This was my fourth Road Scholar trip to Costa Rica and they all have been wonderful!

I have wanted to take a birding tour of Costa Rica for years but I didn't know how to pick one. Road Scholar was recommended to us by a relative, so we decided to go for it. I am so glad we did. It seemed expensive at first, but after two days on the tour I thought it was good value. I hope to take another birding trip with Road Scholar soon.

A superb program which enriched my life.

On this birding trip we saw 272 bird species. I adde 64 birds to my life list. My favorite birds were a sun grebe, great potoo, green ibis and a speckled tanager. The accommodations were all in natural settings and the food was great. If you are an avid birder, I recommend it. Also, last March I did the Southern CR birding trip that was equally as good.

Very well organized program; great guide and fellow participants; gained an understanding of Costa Rica's history, culture, climate and its influence on crops and vegetation, not to mention the country's economy. Not used to birding at 5:30AM, but managed. Not ideal for someone who craves a lot of regular vigorous activity, but there indeed was a reasonable amount of walking at a birder's pace. Highly recommend this trip to those wanting to see and hear some amazing birds, regardless of one's level of experience.

Wonderful Guide & Driver, varied ecosystem explorations, great birding, new friends, nice accommodations, terrific meals, AWESOME TRIP!!

Well planned and executed program lead by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who inspired us all with his passions for birds.

I had a wonderful trip. Everyday was unique and fun. We saw over 250 species of birds even though it poured rain for two straight days in the rain forest! We had a friendly group of people who got along well. I came home with so many good memories of the everything!

Birding in Northern Costa Rica was fantastic. Roger Menendez was an outstanding guide, pleasant, and always professional. I was especially pleased with how he handled the group by setting the expectations of this birding trip on the first day, describing how people should behave so we could have the best birding experience. And we did. The trip was so well planned. He led us through many varied habitats and elevations and helped us see over 300 bird species. I'm slow at spotting birds. Roger was great at spotting and directing us to the birds and finding them in his scope. He worked hard to attend to all members of the group. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. Louis, our driver, was also outstanding. Always pleasant, always greeted us with a smile and helped me get on and off the bus. He was a safe careful driver. I loved that we had so much variety in the activities: 3 boat rides, a tractor pull, a beautiful sunset watch from an overlook, a full day of slowly floating on a river and a lagoon, walking in wading boots in the mud, crossing several hanging bridges, eating meals overlooking bird feeders, and of course lots of hiking and standing. The food and accommodations for the most part were very good. I loved eating all the fresh fruit and vegetables and Costa Rica cuisine. They saved the best place for last, the Arenal Observatory, which had great food and plush accommodations. Just two complaints. I loved birding at La Ensenada Lodge on days 2 & 3. I was disappointed in the accommodations because there were ants in the cabin, both the bathroom and sleeping area. The towels were also very rough. Otherwise it was a lovely place to stay. The staff were excellent, pleasant, and very accommodating. My only other complaint was with Wyndham San Jose. The accommodations were nice except for the lack of hot water in the shower. The plumbing needs attention. The bathroom sink needed a new filter. The filter was clogged so water flowed very slowly.

It was a great 10 days with a knowledgeable and personable leader, great accommodations, and great fellow-travelers to make for a very enriching and fun experience

This s a really great program - the small group size stimulates interaction with the other participants - the leader (our's anyway) was excellent - the birds are incredible - incredible. The exposure to different zones of foliage, moisture, altitude etc and the people of Costa Rica that we were met - these all together made for a totally enjoyable and enlightening trip.

Birding in Northern Costa Rica offers the adventure of a lifetime. It invited our intrepid birding group made to greet each day with a child's sense of wonder. Call it eco-therapy! Warm, fun participants, expert presenters, an amazing driver, and a passionate, skilled, congenial guide/naturalist. Did I mention approximately 300 bird species?!!!

Fantastic trip which thrilled new bird-watchers like me and also very experienced birders.

The trip exceeded all my expectations. Our guide Lenin Duarte was outstanding and seem to have superhuman bird-finding skills. What a wonderful tour!

I am new to birding and I had never been to Costa Rica, so I didn't know what to expect. I was beyond pleased with everything about the trip. Our guide was excellent and the birds and countryside were beautiful. Our guide was always helpful and accommodating and made sure we saw so many of the birds on our list. This was also my first trip with Road Scholar, but it will not be the last. Wonderful trip!!

I highly recommend this trip, and don’t let your lack of knowledge about birding keep you from trying it. Everyone helped everyone else, as is so common with Road Scholar participants.

This program exceeded my expectations for birding and acquiring local knowledge of the people and areas we visited. Thanks to the Road Scholar program and particularly the group leader, Jorge Monge, I came back a better person for it.

If you are a birder or aspiring birder, this is an ideal program for you. It covers multiple habitats in delightful places, provides opportunities to see birds you will see nowhere else, and is fun and inspiring. Along the way, you will have chances to learn a lot about Costa Rica and its culture and meet delightful people.

It was a true vacation with wonderful people and a wonderful experience every day of our birding adventure! I went to dinner every night and slept like a baby each night to wake in the morning excited to get out and find the birds.

The Road Scholar birding trip to Northern Costa Rica was perfect! Everyday went beyond expectations. Our Group Leader, Lenin, was amazing in his abilities to spot and point out the birds. Our group of seven saw a total of 264 species. This trip was very well organized and all of the accommodations were special. The meals at the lodges were great. The country of Costa Rica is beautiful and should be visited by everyone.

Saw lots of new birds, though not all of the ones that others saw, and a fair number I had seen in the US. Small group size was great!

An outstanding birding experience.

This was my first Road Scholar program and I went with a friend who had more birding experience than myself and we both had a great time. Our final bird count was 292 different bird species. The birding by boat in mangroves and wetlands was excellent as were the presentations on Tropical Birding, the Cano Negro Wetlands and The Great Green Macaw. Our Group Leader was an experienced naturalist and birder and was persistent in his pursuit of finding birds specific to the habitat we were in at each different location. The lodges were excellent and by chance our group was all women. We enjoyed our program together so much we decided to come back to do Birding in Southern Costa Rica the following Spring.

This was a trip of a life time! Covered over 500 miles and saw 290 birds, most of them new to me! Very active and time is full of searching for birds! Beautiful country-side, beautiful birds, beautiful country!

The Northern Costa Rica bird tour is a wonderful journey into varied ecological zones providing myriad opportunities to discover birds while learning about unique ecosystems. Lodging and food were fantastic. Our guide Luis Vargas kept us hopping and entertained while he maximized our birding opportunities. Fantastic trip!

This is an excellent program for anyone interested in Costa Rica birds, Central American Biology, and beautiful scenery.

This is a wonderful crash course on tropical birds in northern Costa Rica. If you aren’t a birder and want to learn fast, here you go.

Excellent program: well designed and well led.

First bird trip on my own, saw 19 birds Second trip with Road Scholar and Roger 251 birds Next trip-Road Scholar, Roger, no brainer

We had Roger Melendez as our guide for birding Northern Costa Rica. With his incredible keen eyes and his kind and all inclusive personality, the number and diversity of bird species I saw far exceeded my expectations. Look for him with a Road Scholar program and go!

Highly recommend. Natural beauty, an abundance of unique birds and wildlife. Started a new passion for me.

This was our first 'post-pandemic' international trip, and we were a bit concerned about all the COVID rules and precautions. The Costa Ricans are very welcoming of tourists and do everything they can to keep us safe. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and this program covers four different,major eco-systems. If you're looking for an intense birding experience, this is the program for you! Jorge is a good spotter, very knowledgeable, and worked diligently to get everyone in the group on the birds.

Fantastic experience. Excellent for serious birders and those of us who just enjoy seeing beautiful birds.

A Wonderful trip! Our guide, Jorge was excellent, as was our delightful driver, Antonio. We got outstanding looks at birds, which our guide skillfully located AND--best of all he knew what we were looking at, often giving our interesting details about these feathered friends. Loved staying in local lodges, and enjoyed visiting a Costa Rican family. Our small group was very compatible, which enhanced our experience. We often got up at 5:00AM to start birding at 5:45AM and some evenings were out looking for birds (owls) at night. There was no pressure to do all the excursions (several during each day), and instead one could relax or bird a couple hours on your own. ~ Barbara O

We had a fantastic overall experience on this trip to Northern Costa Rica. The trip exceeded all our expectations. The accommodations and the restaurants were excellent, the lectures were very interesting, the group of our co-travelers was delightful and we can't say enough good things about our guide, Erick, who is a great overall leader and an excellent birding guide. We saw many more different birds than we had expected and added about 120 birds to our life list, which was very exciting for us. We are very much considering doing the Southern Costa Rica trip in the near future.

This program was a whirlwind birding adventure of northern Costa Rica. If you have always wanted to see the birds of one of the most diverse birding locales in the world this is for you!

This is a great company to work with from start to finish! We did a birding trip to Costa Rica and had an incredible time. Our guide and driver were top notch birders and extremely entertaining. We went thinking it would be a one time trip and we left planning our next trip!

I had a wonderful birding trip to Costa Rica. I loved how everything is all planned out--RS made it so easy from start to finish. CR is beautiful, the people on the program and the program leader were nice, and we saw lots of birds! Can't wait to go on another trip.

This was an excellent birding experience. We saw 254 species of birds in 10 days. The ability of the guide to spot birds and get them in the scope was outstanding. I especially enjoyed his ability to mimic many bird songs,

A lifetime trip that delights; filled with new information about birds, economy and geography of northern Costa Rica. Our guide, Ivan and his love, enthusiasm and knowledge of birds, their habitats and songs was infectious! My birding interests have increased! Ivan was always prompt, prepared, knowledgeable, patient and kind. Our transportation and accommodations were top notch. We made new friends! So glad we took the tour!

Every element of the program was at least excellent, many simply outstanding. The trip itinerary, locations, lectures, transportation and accommodations were well planned and executed. Food was good and plentiful; the fruit fantastic. Our guide, Ivan's expert qualifications, knowledge and passion for birds and nature, and all of us, was the greatest part of the tour. He is a wonderful person who knew local birders and special, almost secret, locations at every stop and in between. Ivan (I can't praise him enough) made the tour a very meaningful trip for all of us. Xavier, bus driver and great bird spotter, kept the bus clean and drove well. The bus was not full so seating was comfortable. Tour members were great colleagues. This was our (my wife and me) first RS trip and I can highly recommend it and will be on many more to come. Oh, and we saw 312 species including all the kingfishers, Jabirus on the nest, king vulture, great & common potoo, mangrove swallow, warbler & vireo, great green & scarlet macaws, pied puffbird, Nicaraguan grackle, black-collared hawk flying with a snake, white-necked puffbird eating a giant red-winged grasshopper,and more. Bird heaven.

Excellent. Upgrade individual program goals and primary intentions Thank you. My first road scholar event. Learned much about CR,birds, and self.

This program exceeded my expectations. Our guide was EXCELLENT- a good birder and very good at getting information across. The locations we birded allowed us to see a great variety of birds, and our guide made sure we got to some additional areas along our route. I also loved the variety of lodging we had at the sites, often giving us great views of the area.

We were looking for a nicely paced, affordable birding tour and found this one (plus the South tour - we did a back-to-back) worked perfectly for us. Our tour leader/guide was excellent, the accommodations varied and interesting (all good), the food good and the overall experience great! You should definitely bring insect repellent (bugs weren't that bad) and rain gear (not much rain but be prepared). We consider ourselves middle of the road birders and were happy with the itinerary and the great birds we saw. We rarely walked more than 1 1/2 miles a day but did spend a lot of our time standing (more standing than walking) so you should be in reasonably good shape to handle the activity level. We loved the variety of the locations - saw a volcano, rain forests, mangrove wetlands and more. The experience was outstanding - but you need to be a birder (beginner to advanced) to really appreciate the tour.

Jorge Monge is the BEST GUIDE ever! And this trip was spectacular! I am only a casual birder and I could not have enjoyed the trip more. Seeing 265 species of birds over a few short days was nothing less than miraculous. I loved all the non-feathered critters too. I can not recommend this program highly enough.

This trip was great, a perfect pace and good companions. We visited a nice selection of locations. Good birding, around 260+ species including 13 endemics. We were so pleased that we decided to do the southern trip next year.

We just finished the Birding in Northern COsta Rica 11 day trip and it was perfect. Our guide , Gilbert Molina was the best of the best. If you're looking for quiet, out of the way lodges in a natural setting away from the touristy spots, this trip is a must. We had 261 total bird species for the 11 days.

We saw 300 species of birds. Birding guide (Roger) was amazing. Early morning bird excursions every day. Be prepared for a lot of rain in the wetlands and very hot weather on the west coast.

This was a great trip. We saw lots of beautiful scenery and over 250 species of birds, including 110 new life birds.

The Birding in Northern Costa Rica program provides a nice opportunity to see various geographical areas of Costa Rica and therefore to view a great many species of birds. We thoroughly enjoyed this program and all the exceptionally kind and knowledgeable Costa Ricans we met especially our leader.

Birds of Northern Costa Rica is a great birding experience. The diverse locales offer bird specialties from the Caribbean slope, Central Valley, mountain forests and the Pacific coast. A great trip.

I would highly recommend Road Scholar to anyone that is willing to go on an adventure and step out of his/her comfort zone.

Our tour had birders and those who were beginners.We still were able to see about 270 species including Jacanas,Toucanets and The Jabiru Stork.We also saw numerous animals like The Tamandua Three Toed Sloth and The coatis.

This program was focussed on bird-watching, and thanks to our outstanding guides, we saw an amazing 273 species. But equally enjoyable for me were the visits to diverse ecosystems. We ate most of our meals on outdoor verandas with views of the rainforest. We enjoyed boat rides into a mangrove swamp at dawn and along a tropical river at dusk. We walked on the slopes of a volcano, across two hanging bridges 23 stories above the forest floor. We saw 3-toed sloths, growler monkeys, caiman and crocodiles. Lodgings included fancy hotels but also modest accommodations in small rural area. I liked that diversity as well. This trip exceeded my expectations.

Birding experience in Costa Rica was outstanding -- our group saw 277 different species while we were there. We were all amazed and charmed every day by the beauty of the country and how kind, welcoming and helpful everyone was. Thanks, Road Scholar!

Everything about this trip was wonderful. We would highly recommend it. The country was beautiful, the people were friendly and our guide was incredible. We saw over 200 bird species and other wildlife. We loved the uncrowded locations and accommodations. We are going back next year.

This program was my introduction to birding. I was with seasoned birders who were helpful and patient with me. I felt relaxed and safe and enjoyed the countryside and coach travel. Our guide and leader was very interesting and Knowledgeable. The small group got along very well.

As a novice birdwatcher going into this program, I felt welcome, included, and I learned so very much from our outstanding guide Luis as well as our driver Ronaldo and the Copearte guide. I benefitted from the knowledge of other more experienced participants. Fun!!!

Wonderful program with exposure to four world-class birding site. Expert guiding and mentoring made for a seamless and extraordinary experience. I recommend this program to serious birders.