Costa Rica animal watching and nature immersion
Some of the local fauna will privilege you with a cuddle if you treat it with respect.
Naturalists are lured to Costa Rica by our reputation for jungle animals and exotic birds. But truly wild animals are too wily to be found when trying to seek them out from noisy, intrusive vehicles or on the busy trails of the well known destinations, like Manuel Antonio and Monteverde. Serendipity whisks you away from the hustle and bustle to the more remote and less trampled parts of Costa Rica, where you will be surrounded by opportunities to learn about the local birds, plants, frogs, snakes, and mammals, as well as the ecology, and agricultural history of the area. You'll always be accompanied by your guide, who will be able to point many of these out to you. Your trip can also include activities specifically oriented around nature viewing, when you will be accompanied by a naturalist guide who is a specialist in the area. Our naturalist guides will help you expose tree frogs and count eyelash vipers that you would have walked right past without seeing. You will taste plants and guess what they're used for, and discover that our modern world has its roots in the rainforest.
Nature viewing river float trip
Serendipity learned from the wonderful nature films of National Geographic and the BBC that the watering hole is the optimum viewing location, and that stealth allows you to gain access to animal habitat.
And so we offer you our ridiculous little boats and take you to the most nature-filled rivers in the country, without the crowds and noisy motors and tour buses.
The boats are funny to look at, but extraordinarily comfortable to ride in. Dangle feet in the river. Snack on fresh fruit. Lay back and put your feet up, hold a bottle of fruit juice (or whatever you like to drink), and let nature open its tapestry to you.
Our boats travel so peacefully that you can paint birds, monkeys, and caymans as you drift along surrounded by them.
We can slip under the overhanging branches to see Trogon nests. Or catch glimpses of the hatchlings of Cayman making their first entry into the water. Or see a Basilica Lizard leap from branch to water. And the monkeys — they hardly acknowledge you are there, until you ask them a question.
Only Serendipity provides this intimacy with nature. In only a few hours you too will believe the natural world is more fragile, more splendid, more valuable than anything mankind can create. It is a real lesson in the importance of preserving this habitat, this ecosystem, for its own sake, not just for the enjoyment or brief pleasure of spectators.
Bird watching
With over 600 permanent residents and 200 migrant species, Costa Rica is a bird watcher's paradise. Birds with bright colors and loud calls abound, and you'll have ample opportunity to see Oro Pendulas and Great Kiskidees. But all nature watching requires a keen eye, and bird watchers are in a league of their own. Serendipity has found specialist bird watching guides in many of the best bird watching regions who can help even casual bird watchers to find a Resplendent Quetzal and a Rufous Motmot, to see the difference between a Collared Aracari and a Fiery-billed Aracari, to hear the distinct click of a White-collared Manakin.For examples of how bird watching and nature immersion can be integrated into your custom Costa Rican vacation, see our sample itineraries of private holidays.
The first step to enjoying Costa Rica's nature with Serendipity is to contact us.
