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Situated at 3200 feet in Costa Rica's Cordillera de Talamanca, Rancho Naturalista has long been regarded as one of the country's finest birding lodges. Comfortable rooms, personal service, and delicious home-cooked meals combined with great birding and easy access to other habitats make the lodge a wonderful place to stay.

One of the pleasures of being at Rancho is starting the day on the lodge's balcony, a hot cup of coffee in hand and a myriad tropical species parading below. Over the years, more than 200 species have been seen from the balcony, and hummingbird feeders and flowers in the garden attract a host of beauties, including the lovely Violet-headed Hummingbird and Snowcap. It's a memorable show that one never tires of watching.

Just behind the cabins, several trails and the property's long driveway allow access to the lodge's 120-acre private forest reserve, a mix of primary and secondary foothill forest habitats that host a variety of species. Specialties include Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Bicolored Hawk, Carmiol's Tanager, Zeledon's Antbird, and a trio of manakins.

We'll also bird at several other sites, from the mid-elevation cloudforest at Tapanti National Park to the Caribbean lowlands at Centro Manu, a small private rainforest reserve. And we'll visit Irazu Volcano National Park, home to the stunningly beautiful Resplendent Quetzal and high-elevation specialties such as Fiery-throated Hummingbird and Volcano Junco.

Note: If you'd like to visit Costa Rica at a different time of year, we offer other tours in January and March.

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.

Client comment
"Guide Jay VanderGaast was fantastic in his ability to hear and see birds, and explaining how to find them and get on them. He was fun to be with. I would definitely travel with him again." E.C., COSTA RICA

"This was my 4th trip with Jay VanderGaast as guide, which should be testament enough for how I feel about him personally and professionally. I not only consider him to be the quintessential birder but I also consider him a friend. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know him over the years." R.M., COSTA RICA