Birding Costa Rica




Road Map of Costa Rica - From Toucan Maps


Web-based Maps from Anywhere Costa Rica

Facebook Link for Costa Rica Guide \ Toucan Maps Information on road conditions, national parks, restaurants, natural history, hotels, driving issues, seasonal weather, and general information. Excellent resource and good for Q&A.


This website is an outline of birding trips to many of Costa Rica's more popular birding destinations. It is also partially a personal narrative of trips to Costa Rica beginning in 1991. Nearly all of the information here is from experience and includes personal bird observations and summaries. Outside of a few trips that I did with group tours, all other trips were done using a rental car and an occasional shuttle.

There are several advantages to driving in Costa Rica. There are, however, times when a shuttle service is a far better way to go. This website deals directly with the regional bird life, the nuances of getting around with a rental car and shuttle service, and understanding the distances between locations so that you can best determine an overall itinerary.

Besides San Jose, it is now possible to fly non-stop into Liberia, Costa Rica, (in NW Costa Rica, Guanacaste region) from many U.S. cities. At present, New York, Miami, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston have non-stop commercial flights to the Liberia International Airport.

Prior to your flight, you can rent a car over the Internet or reserve a shuttle to take you to and from the airport to your hotel or lodge. If you are a birder and would prefer a shuttle (with or without a guide), I recommend Costa Rica Gateways as a shuttle service. 


Arenal Volcano Area
Braulio Carrillo National Park
Cano Negro Refuge
Carara National Park
Costa Rica Bird Route
Guanacaste National Park
Osa Peninsula
Palo Verde OTS
Poas Volcano
Rancho Naturalista
Santa Rosa National Park
Savegre Mountain Lodge
Tapanti National Park
Tortugero National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park
Hacienda Baru



Web Management by Jim Peterson, Images by Greg Lavaty, Lora Render, Kevin Easley, Sheridan Coffey, and Bruce Hallett