Top 3 Itineraries on a Wildlife Holiday in Costa Rica

Planning a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica is not easy: as one of the world’s most biodiverse nations, it is difficult to decide where exactly to go. The answer depends partly on the interests of the nature enthusiast in question. Birds abound throughout the country, making any itinerary a rewarding one for a birder, but there are particular jewels in the country's ample crown. These include timing a tour to coincide with the nesting Green Turtles in Tortuguero National Park, journeying to the country’s south and its flagship wildlife reserve Corcovado National Park, or touring some of the best birding sites in the country.

To Tortuguero: Birds and Nesting Turtles

The route to Tortuguero Park takes enthusiasts to lowland and upland forests on both of its coastlines. In the cloudforests of the Talamanca Mountains, birders can look for the Resplendent Quetzal: one of the country's uncontested gems and widely considered one of the world’s most beautiful birds. Next, the lowland Carara National Park on the Pacific coast offers mangrove and rainforest habitats to explore. Crossing the country’s mountainous spine, enthusiasts may be able to see a minor eruption in Arenal Volcano, before descending to the Caribbean coast and Tortuguero National Park. There, on black-sand beaches, the endangered Green Turtle comes ashore from June to October to lay its eggs. Groups on a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica late in the nesting season may also witness newly hatched young emerge from the earlier nests and make their dramatic dash for the relative safety of the sea.

To Corcovado in the South

Corcovado National Park protects the greatest surviving tract of primary rainforest on the Pacific coast, making it one of the nation’s top parks – and top of many nature enthusiasts’ itineraries for a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica. Journeying to it takes groups through the Talamanca Mountains, the pre-montane wet forest of Wilson Botanical Gardens (with 350 bird species and a formidable 2,000 plant species), the lowland rainforests in Piedras Blancas National Park, and finally on a two-hour cruise along the Sierpe River to Corcovado Park. There, highlights include the country’s greatest population of Scarlet Macaws, the rare White-crested Coquette and the memorable Baird’s Tapir.

The Best Birding

With over 850 recorded species of birds to date, the country is a haven for birders looking for a rewarding and exciting wildlife holiday. In Costa Rica’s varied habitats, many rare wonders await. Any itinerary will be rich in bird life, but taking a tour through as many of the habitats as possible will ensure a broad glimpse into the country’s biodiversity. The route ranges from the cloudforests of the Talamanca Mountains to the lowland rainforest of Carara National Park, the wetlands and dry forests of La Ensenada Wildlife Refuge, the cloudforests of Monteverde, the mountains and lakes of Arenal Volcano National Park, and the lowland evergreen forest at Selva Verde Lodge, from where tropical forest and middle elevation forests are also reachable.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re looking for a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica Naturetrek specialises in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.

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