Advice for 4 Days in Costa Rica (1 Viewer)

[HeadWest]

Dear All,

Thanks for all you input into this forum, it's been a great help in my preliminary research, and has been wonderful for trips past.

We are doing a rather quick visit to Costa Rica around New Years. We'd love to head to the coast (somewhere), and stay at a nice beach spot, or any spot with views of the ocean. The daytime will be spent birding. We will probably hire a guide for at least two of the days.

So my question is: where would be a good place to make our coastal home base? Our trip is short, so we need it to be within a few hours of the airport (probably SJO?). Then all we want are great birding and those classic Costa Rica settings and views. No particular target birds, as most all of them will be new.

Thinking of perhaps somewhere near Carara National Park. What about Manuel Antonio? We'd also be up for heading East.

If you had four days in Costa Rica, where would you go to bird and beach?

Thanks for any input you have!
Conor

 

[njlarsen]

If you are landing in SJO my preference would be Carara, but I do not know the quality of the beaches around there. If landing in Liberia, there are many resort type hotels close by, from what I have read.

Niels

 

[Andy Adcock]

We stayed here for Carara, accommodation is superb, you get a small apartment with kitchen and fridge and theres even a small pool. The old French guy who owns it, will even get up to do you an early breakfast if you want to go out early.


https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=e.../22f9247cf34215ae125172ac369eb2f6f96745aa.jpg



A

 

[Birdingcraft]

That Mango Lodge looks nice.
Cerro Lodge is great for birds but not for beach although with your own vehicle you could drive to some.
Punta Leona is another option- good birding on grounds, nice beach but you will share it with a lot of local people.

 

[HeadWest]

Thanks for the input everyone. One of those classic trips where we initially intended to go to just relax and enjoy the beach, but we know we are just going to end up entirely focused on birding.

 

[njlarsen]

Thanks for the input everyone. One of those classic trips where we initially intended to go to just relax and enjoy the beach, but we know we are just going to end up entirely focused on birding.

Good for you! Costa Rica is one of the countries where I would like to return ... But mainly for birdwatching, beaches can be found in so many locations

Niels

 

[HeadWest]

Oh yes! Does anyone have any recommendations on field guides? From what I've gathered, this one is pretty good: "The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide." Any other thoughts?

 

[gdhunter]

Oh yes! Does anyone have any recommendations on field guides? From what I've gathered, this one is pretty good: "The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide." Any other thoughts?

I can't imagine a better alternative in the field than the current Zona Tropical guide. Stiles & Skutch for reference.