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Esquipulas Rainforest Private Birding Tour
4.8
27 Ratings
Quepos
Experience a private birding tour in Costa Rica’s less-crowded sanctuary, the Esquipulas Rainforest Reserve. Observe and photograph iconic colorful birds without the overwhelming crowds of other tourist places.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Esquipulas Rainforest - The Esquipulas Rainforest property (133.5 acres) is geographically located at the base of the Talamanca mountain range, all surrounded by patches of primary and secondary forests, immersed among evergreen trees covered in large and colorful vines, lianas and aerial roots, various fruits local trees, coffee fields, grazing lands and forest edges and gardens with tropical plants that flower throughout the year (Heliconias, Calatheas, Lantanas, Bromeliads) as a result, a variety of species can be observed or photographed such as, tanagers, euphonias, honeycreepers, trogons, hummingbirds, and occasionally falcons and hawk-eagles.
Some of the best frequently seen species are: Turquoise Cotinga (endemic), Fiery-billed Araçari (endemic), White-crested Coquette, White-tipped Sicklebill, Baird’s Trogon, Red-capped Manakin, Common Potto and the amazing King Vulture.
As bird guides, we will describe to you the most relevant and important characteristics of all the species observed or heard throughout our 4-hour tour, emphasizing the orientation of the tour according to your previous lineage request (bird watching, birding or bird photography).
What's Included
- Swarovski Optik: Get a closer, HD detailed view, videos/photographs of the species spotted on tour.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from your selected accommodation (Manuel Antonio and Quepos hotels ONLY)
- One-day entrance pass to Esquipulas Private Reserve (use of its facilities, bird feeders and trails)
- Breakfast: A delicious Costa Rican breakfast, tropical fruits and premium coffee included.
- Local bilingual guide, birding specialized (Certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute)
What's Not Included
- Bottled water
- Binoculars
- Transportation from accommodations outside Quepos and Manuel Antonio areas.
- Gratuities
Additional Information
As stated in the tour title, this activity can be personally customized to suit any lineage of tour preference based on your birding experience, knowledge, priority target species request, bird photography or just to have an excellent day of organic bird watching in Costa Rica.
You are free to spend more or less time photographing birds at the bird feeders (breakfast area), spend the full 4 hours bird watching to create a “large numerous” list of observed species, or spend time searching for any missing personal target species.
Today, we are proud to operate a birding tour geared toward satisfied travelers with any level of birdwatching experience, for those simply looking to see their first macaws and toucans in the wild. Ornithophiles looking to observe and complete any personal record of missing species “LIFERS”, or to develop a professional tour for the intense bird watcher with solid and vast knowledge in the field of ornithology and tropical biology.
- A light cotton t-shirt, tanktop, leggings or shorts are ideal to wear during the walk, comfortable clothing is recommended (long-sleeved shirts and long pants are not necessary) Dress in muted colors (brown, green, etc.) Think blending in!
- Closed-toe footwear (sneakers, hiking boots, Keens or Tevas) is required to participate in the tour (No beach sandals or flip flops allowed)
- Pack sunscreen, and bug repellent, (try to find an organic one)
- Please bring rain protective gear for your camera and optics, rain jacket, and umbrella (early May to late December)
Location
Manuel's Tours. Costa Rica.
If you are staying in Manuel Antonio or Quepos, we recommend our main office as a meeting point, but if you are driving from outside of Quepos (Jaco or Dominical) we recommend meeting us at the Delta La Managua gas station, as it appears on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AaTwib9kj4J3SsVBA
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(27 Ratings)
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X7905qljessicas
Aug 18, 2024
Gorgeous birding adventure - This was an extraordinary adventure and I definitely recommend! At first I was a little surprised at the price (tho most birding trips in the area are priced this high) but it was worth it, we’ll never forget it. I booked the trip the day before and someone from the tour company called and asked what we wanted to see. We gave him our list, and the next day, the wonderful guide and driver went out of their way to drive to different areas to seek out what we were looking for - macaws, toucans, parrots, etc., and we saw it all! The guide was so knowledgeable. Once out of the car, the walk was gorgeous. The traditional Costa Rican breakfast was delicious! Def recommend! I did feel bad I didn’t have a tip for the woman who made us breakfast, I was saving it for the guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Channa_j
Aug 14, 2024
Birding paradise at Esquipulas Rainforest - A day of great birding from Manuel Antonio. We were two bird enthusiasts and our guide Dylan Serrano was excellent. He had known a few spots to look for some interesting birds on the way to Esquipulas rainforest. Enjoyed looking for birds at the reserve and photographing some colourful species at the feeder as well. Very much recommended for any nature and birdlovers visiting Manuel Antonio.
Review provided by Viator
Sarah_r
Aug 3, 2024
Knowledgeable tour in a beautiful park - We were scheduled for 5:00 am and at 5:30 he still hadn't shown up. We called and he was very honest and apologetic and said it just hadn't made it into the calendar. He scrambled and picked us up at 8. Other than that, we had a great experience. Manuel is extremely knowledgeable about birds, plants, and other animals. With his guidance we were able to say a large number of birds, including some really fascinating ones like the sickle-billed hummingbird. He took photos through his scope and sent them to him (the attached are his photos). Unfortunately he then promised a log of the names of the birds we had seen and despite repeated messages he never sent it.
Review provided by Viator
Ltartof
Jul 21, 2024
Worth the early start! - It’s true that you have to get up early in the morning for this tour. Birds have their own timeline! This was an amazing tour, our guide was so knowledgeable, he had 20 years in the business and had swivel eyes. He could see and spot birds in an instant. He also uses a spotting scope and was the fastest at setting it up so that even the non-birder Could see and appreciate. Wonderful local breakfast in a home that was cozy and felt like you were in someone’s kitchen. So much fun, so informative, and so many birds! Our guide was so enthusiastic, we felt like we were all drawn along by his enthusiasm and knowledge. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angela_k
Apr 5, 2024
Awesome Birding Experience - My husband, daughter and I really enjoyed the private birding tour in the Esquipulas Rainforest. Our guide Dylan was very knowledgeable about the birds we saw and shared a lot of interesting information. Our driver Carlos was also excellent at spotting birds even along the drive up and back down from the rain forest. We were picked up promptly at our hotel at the 5am pick-up time. Getting up early was totally worth it to get to see so many amazing birds. We saw so many cool birds and were able to view them through Dylan's telescope and also take close up photos using our phone's camera through the telescope. We also brought our own binoculars and regular cameras. The reserve was beautiful with a shaded viewing area to bird-watch while waiting for breakfast, which was delicious. The hike on the reserve was also amazing with beautiful views. There were steep areas so make sure to wear sturdy shoes. We really enjoyed the day and would highly recommend the experience to anyone wanting a personalized, private tour away from the more crowded attractions. Thank you Dylan and Carlos for a great adventure!
Review provided by Viator
Evahn562ym
Mar 11, 2024
Unique experience at this beautiful rainforest reserve - We were recommended this tour by somebody else, and were very happy we went. The team was very accommodating and tailored our private tour to our needs. We enjoyed watching a very large number of amazing birds at Esquipulas in the morning, it was absolutely packed with beautiful birds like aracari, toucans, various tanagers, hummingbirds and dozens of others. We then saw some magnificent king vultures and also walked further in the forest with our guide to see and hear dozens more interesting birds, one of the most fascinating being red-capped manakin.
On our way back we even had a bit of a bonus: seeing a common potoo!
We really enjoyed Esquipulas and would definitely recommend it for nature lovers travelling to Costa Rica.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna_p
Jan 16, 2024
Great birdwatching with Manuel - Ive had the best time birdwtaching with Manuel! He is so passionate about birds, knows all the good spots to see them. We went to a cool ecolodge, had delicious breakfast and coffee there and went onto various trails to look for birds! I got so many great pictures, learned a lot from him and overall very very happy with this experience! Pura vida!
Review provided by Viator
Celie_k
Jan 1, 2024
Unforgettable - Manuel was AMAZING. We saw birds I never could have even hoped to see. We got up early, saw birds, had a fantastic breakfast at a paradise-like hotel/restaurant in a gorgeous campground, and then continued on seeing more birds in Esquipulas. If you are a birder, I cannot recommend this enough for some absolute GEMS (common potoo, turquoise cotinga!!!!! Insane!!! King vulture, hummingbirds, parrots, trogons, etc) but if you are new to birding it was amazing. Beautiful views the whole way, great conversation, a lovely time. Advice: keep your own list of species you see, wear close-toed shoes, bring water.
Review provided by Viator
Rcalaimo
Dec 31, 2023
Amazing Bioethical Birding Tour - Amazing birdwatching tour. Manuel knows a lot about the wildlife and has an amazing respect for bioethics. We saw a lot of birds that I have never seen in my life, including a Potoo that Manuel showed us on the way to the tour (only because I asked him if we could find one). I would recommend Manuel to anyone who wants a unique nature-filled experience because of his dedication to the craft of guiding, as well as his ability to inspire future generations of nature guides (aka his son who I was so lucky to meet).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simoncj1169fd
Feb 14, 2024
Great if you are a fully fledged twitcher - Our guide was really knowledgeable. Unfortunately we were not. I don't think he really understand the needs of beginners.
We spent a lot of time getting to the reserve and were very hungry. Apart from eating there we did not explore the reserve.
Disappointing as this trip could have been so much better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
