Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s stunning landscapes are still largely carpeted in virgin forest and no less than one-quarter of the country is now within national parks or private reserves. The diversity of fauna and flora is in large part due to physical geography of the country with a central ridge of mountains separating the Caribbean Slopes from the Pacific Slopes with the result that each side has a markedly different set of habitats and species.

Just three locations – one on the Pacific side, one on the Caribbean, and one
on the mountain ridge – and three lovely comfortable lodges set amidst unspoilt
and protected habitats. This will give you a very rich experience of Costa
Rica’s famed biodiversity without having to waste time on the road.

Hacienda Baru is a lovely little lodge nestling against coastal rainforest that
backs on to a sweeping expanse of unspoilt sandy beach. The garden is full of
birds and butterflies. Inside the forest Collared Peccaries saunter past,
Agoutis crack nuts in plain sight and White-nosed Coatis are abundant. Both
Three-toed Sloths and Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloths are common. The birdlife is
mesmerizing. Small groups of Collared Aracaris and noisy Yellow-throated
Toucans attract attention. Mornings and late afternoons parrots fly overhead
including White-crowned, Red-lored and Mealy Parrots. Along the trail are
Motmots and Manakins.

Moving into the mountains the Sueños del Bosque is surrounded by magnificent
oak woodlands where Aguacatillo trees are favoured by Costa Rica’s most famous
bird, the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal, thought by many to be the world’s
most beautiful bird. Flame-throated Warbler, Collared Whitestart and the lovely
Golden-browed Chlorophonia might argue the accolade though. But perhaps the
quetzal’s biggest competition might come from the hummingbird feeders where the
amazing Fiery-throated Hummingbird with its improbably iridescent throat leads
a throng of glorious creature that include Talamanca Hummingbird, Volcano
Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird and White-throated Mountain Gem. The high
paramo has a bizarre flora of strange umbellifers and Hypericums as well as
lovely orange-flowered Bomareas, vivid magenta Salvias and fine Calceolarias.
The dwarfed cloudforest is home to some really special birds such as Timberline
Wren and Volcano Junco, whilst the magical silhouette of American Swallow-
tailed Kites dance overhead.

The excellent Tapirus Lodge provides a superb base to explore the magnificent
tract of primary premontane forest that stretches from the Caribbean lowlands
to San Jose and is protected by the Braulio Carillio National Park. Butterflies
such as the lovely clearwing Cithaereas pireta, flashing blue Mesosemia species
and the pink-winged beauty Pierella helvetica flit amongst the remarkably
verdant understorey of palms, ferns and heliconias. The trees, wrapped in
mosses and laden with bromeliads and anthuriums, are home to beautiful birds such
as the Collared Trogon, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Broad-billed Motmot, extraordinary
Umbrellabird, and immaculate Snowy Cotinga. Trees are bedecked with the
impressive hanging nests of both Chestnut-headed & Montezuma Oropendulas.
There’s a very good chance of seeing Tapir here!

The species richness at the World-famous La Selva Biological Station is
outstanding, with more than two thousand species of plants; 125 species of
mammal, 470 species of bird, 48 amphibian species, 87 species of reptile, and
tens of thousands of insects, arachnids, and other arthropods. Spider Monkeys
and Howler Monkeys carouse through the trees. A highlight will be the very rare
Great Green Macaw. There’s Great Tinamous, Green and Black Poison Dart Frogs,
Hog-nosed Pit-vipers, Norops lizards, Blue, black and white Heliconius cydno
and the spectacular Helicopter Damselfly Megaloprepus caerulea with its
overlong abdomen and long blue-tipped wings.