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Costa Rica vs. Panama (1 Viewer)

K

kilianwasmer

Well-known member
Hello.

We are going to visit Central America for the first time (having visited Ecuador recently). The decision is whether to head for Costa Rica or for Panama.

Main aspects are:

  • quality of birding and quantity of birds to be seen
  • best season (two weeks in Feb/Mar)
  • birding infrastructure (information on birding spots, trails, Feeders, field guides, local guides)
  • ease of travelling (independent birding by rental car or public transports and camionetas/taxis).
  • safety
  • costs
  • variety of landscapes

Any recommendations?
 
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I have been both places and have difficulty recommending one over the other. You may get more of a northern influence in CR (species overlapping up to Mexico).

Niels
 
I think they are fairly equal in every aspect you mention although I think CR has a bit more in terms of variety of landscapes than Panama because of more extensive dry forest and easier access to high elevations. The birding will be wonderful no matter which one you pick.
 
Another undecided opinion here. Like choosing between cake or ice cream!
Though I've been to Costa Rica more, I really enjoyed our one trip to Panama, with time spent in Gamboa (next to the canal) and El Valle (in the mountains). Panama's highway system is less developed, with eastern Panama having just a few access points but with a bit of South America influence. Which may be a negative if you are trying to get as far away from what you've already experienced. Bus systems are pretty good and cheap in both countries.
As vegetarians, my wife and I found that we like Costa Rican food much more but on the whole, Panamas was easier on the wallet.
No safety issues in either country yet for us.

Steve
 
kilianwasmer said:
Hello.

We are going to visit Central America for the first time (having visited Ecuador recently). The decision is whether to head for Costa Rica or for Panama.

Main aspects are:

  • quality of birding and quantity of birds to be seen
  • best season (two weeks in Feb/Mar)
  • birding infrastructure (information on birding spots, trails, Feeders, field guides, local guides)
  • ease of travelling (independent birding by rental car or public transports and camionetas/taxis).
  • safety
  • costs
  • variety of landscapes

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Hi kilianwasmer,

Spent 8 weeks birding central america this summer, and it really is an amazing area. With regards to quality of birding, either destination should provide more than enough opportunity for some very memorable moments. Both countries are pretty safe (obviously don't flash expensive optics in public spaces) and everybody we met was very friendly and helpful. Travelling in both countries is easy (we backpacked and negotiated 3 countries via public transport) and relatively cheap. The cost of living in CR is more equal to Europe, so maybe Panama offers better value if you were on a budget (as we were). I recommend Boquete custom tours (John Tornbolm) if you are in the Boquete district, nice chap and knew his birds and patch really well. If you follow the link to my blog I posted a long trip report which is available as a pdf.
Have an amazing time, you won't forget it!
Dan :t:
 
One additional item: there are really good guides to finding the birding spots in both countries, and a relatively new field guide with the same artist to both countries. The area around El Valle (Panama) mentioned by Steve is for medium elevation but high elevation can be found in both east and west Panama. El Cocle grasslands should be mentioned.

But I could mention several locations in CR giving an equally impressive birdlife!

Niels
 
Thanks a lot for all your resposes so far!

Hamhed said:
[...] Panama having just a few access points but with a bit of South America influence. Which may be a negative if you are trying to get as far away from what you've already experienced.
Click to expand...

Do the avifaunas of CR and Panama differ that much and is there a big overlap between the birds of Panama and Ecuador (as opposed to CR)?

Which kind of transport would you recommend in CR and Panama resp. (rental car or public)?
 
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I don't have personal experience with eastern Panama but what I've read of the area seems to hold a good number of Columbian "crossovers". As I mentioned, the problem would be the access. Patrick is better qualified to answer about the species drift in northern Costa Rica but there are at least a variety of access points.

IMHO, ease of traveling by rental car in Costa Rica is in a large part determined by whether you have to go through the morass of San Jose and your defensive driving abilities. If you want to see certain areas of the country, that trouble spot would be difficult to avoid. With full insurance, extra driver costs and a GPS, the expense can be a major part of a trip cost, unless somehow shared. If you plan on staying at one place for several days or longer, having that overhead sitting in a parking lot would be hard for a budget-minded traveler to ignore.
Public transportation can be awkward, frustrating and time consuming but cheap. Bus schedules are often just suggestions, waiting times for the right bus of 1-2 hours are common and you are not likely to be within reasonable walking distance to your destination when you get off. However, the buses are comfortable, if you get a seat, and the price can't be beat.
I only have experience with bus and taxi service in Panama and it was similar to Costa Rica but maybe a little more hair-raising. The bus trip to and from El Valle was a bit stressful.

Steve
 
I went to Panama first and Costa Rica later -- and I had been to Mexico even earlier. I still got 95 new species in Costa Rica. Regarding the northern influence: I think Panama has 2 Myiarchus species, CR has 6, of which some overlap to Mexico (and probably US).

I have never been to northern South America, but there is some species overlapping between N SA and Panama that do not overlap with CR. However, I do not know how many of them only reach into Colombia and how many reach as far south as Ecuador.

In the Panama book I used (Ridgely and Tudor) there were specialty pages covering Western Panama, and those pages overlap a lot more with CR than those in the rest of the book.

I have rented cars (4wd preferred) both places and virtually everywhere else I have been. Yes, you need to be prepared for alternative driving, but I have experienced it more as a nuisance than as dangerous. Some big cities in both Europe and US are more dangerous for the stranger because everybody expects one specific behavior and if you don't conform it will be worst for yourself. In Central America everyone is driving a little different so there is a little more forgiveness if you are different.

Niels

PS: I did not go for high elevation in CR, so I could have gotten more new species is a little bit more effort and luck
 
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This one is difficult... it depends on what you're looking for. For example, if you want to see as many birds as possible, central Panama is a good choice (many different habitats within 1-hour drive range, from dry and humid forest to coasts and mudflats, and so on...), if you want photographic chances, then there are many places in Costa Rica with nice feeders and colorful birds visiting them. For regional endemics, the highlands of the Talamanca range are exceptional (reached both from Panama and Costa Rica). Also you need to take into consideration what kind of birds you want: northern birds like those extending from northern Central America and Mexico (plus NA migrants) or birds with more SA influence?
 
Hamhed said:
I don't have personal experience with eastern Panama but what I've read of the area seems to hold a good number of Columbian "crossovers". As I mentioned, the problem would be the access. Patrick is better qualified to answer about the species drift in northern Costa Rica but there are at least a variety of access points.

IMHO, ease of traveling by rental car in Costa Rica is in a large part determined by whether you have to go through the morass of San Jose and your defensive driving abilities. If you want to see certain areas of the country, that trouble spot would be difficult to avoid. With full insurance, extra driver costs and a GPS, the expense can be a major part of a trip cost, unless somehow shared. If you plan on staying at one place for several days or longer, having that overhead sitting in a parking lot would be hard for a budget-minded traveler to ignore.
Public transportation can be awkward, frustrating and time consuming but cheap. Bus schedules are often just suggestions, waiting times for the right bus of 1-2 hours are common and you are not likely to be within reasonable walking distance to your destination when you get off. However, the buses are comfortable, if you get a seat, and the price can't be beat.
I only have experience with bus and taxi service in Panama and it was similar to Costa Rica but maybe a little more hair-raising. The bus trip to and from El Valle was a bit stressful.

Steve
Click to expand...

I am vegetarian as well and I found Costa Rica to be more veggie friendly than Panama. But I found that folks in Panama are quickly catching up to Costa Rica's tourist savvy.
 
To decide please consider these birding ecoregions:

Costa Rica:
-------------
1. Dry forest with more Northern Central America affinity: North western coast in Costa Rica.
2. Cordillera Guanacaste, Cordillera Tilaran & Cordillera Central
3. Caribbean coast lowlands (Caribbean slope is shared by the cordilleras above).
3. Cordillera Talamanca (Chiriqui).
4. South and central pacific coast lowlands - Carara & Osa.

Panama:
-----------
1. Eastern highlands (Talamanca/Chiriqui) - I would do this in Costa Rica because of seamless linkages with other birding ecoregions. In Panama it requires a flight to David (if constrained by time) but easier access to the UNESCO WHS of La Amistad.
2. Central Panama including El Valle, Canal Zone & Cerro Azul.
3. Darien highlands and lowlands.
Both 2 & 3 in can be done comprehensively in a two week trip.

In terms of importance, imo the 3 most important areas are:
1. Talamanca (either in CR or Panama. I prefer Costa Rica for reason above).
2. Darien (Panama)
3. Carribean slope and lowlands (do in CR imo).

As for birds that are likely to be encountered - for a trip of any given length one can easily come up with itineraries in both countries that offer similar in terms of quality and quantity.
 
Harpy Eagle Nest in Punta Patino National Park

kilianwasmer said:
Thanks for all your answers and opinions. We are going to head for Panama!
Click to expand...

Hi,
I just wanted to share with you that in case you are interested to visit Punta Patino National Park in the Darien province, we have a really nice tour. About 3 months ago our guides found a nest of the Harpy Eagle, the chick will be around 5/6 months now. If you are interested to visit the nest, please have a look at our website: http://anconexpeditions.com/tours/short-adventures/realm-of-the-harpy-eagle.

We also organize day tours to Soberania National Park and Pipeline road.
Have a great time in Panama.
 
kilianwasmer said:
Thanks for all your answers and opinions. We are going to head for Panama!
Click to expand...

We liked the Rainforest Discovery Center and walked to it several times from Gamboa. I never got tired of watching the hummingbird feeders and took several videos, including this one on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sStASXLc49I
It has a large, deep covered porch with a small concession stand and close views of the forest for birds like Broad-billed Motmot, Purple-throated Fruitcrow and Cinnamon Woodpecker.
Not to mention Pipeline Road! We could have stayed in Gamboa for a month...

Steve
 
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