Animals and bird watching in Costa Rica

Costa Rica bird watching, animal watching and nature immersion.

Nature watching
Some of the local fauna will privilege you with a cuddle if you treat it with respect.

The optimum location for bird watching…

Naturalists from all over the world are lured to vacation in Costa Rica because of our reputation for jungle animals, exotic birds, and other types of wildlife. 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 well-known destinations, such as 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 have superior bird-watching opportunities, and you will also learn about plants, frogs, snakes, and mammals, as well as the ecology, and agricultural history of the area.

You’ll always be accompanied by your dedicated guide, who will be able to point out many of the species to you. Our naturalist guides will help you spot 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

We offer you our little boats and we’ll 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 your 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.

bird watching on a river

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 that you are there, until you ask them a question.

Only Serendipity Adventures provides this intimacy with nature. In only a few hours, you will believe the natural world is more fragile, more splendid, and 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 in Costa Rica

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 oropéndolas (golden oriole) 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, or give us a call and tell us what your priorities area and we will design a customized vacation for you.

The first step to enjoying Costa Rica’s nature with Serendipity is to contact us.