Bird Watching

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Be an early bird and go watch some birds. The earlier you start, the more birds you will see.

Bird Watching in Black Beach

3-4 hours

Mauricio’s peaceful spirit seems to call the tropical songbirds to him. Spend a morning watching birds, take a stroll around his farm, hike through his private forest reserve, which acts as a buffer to the KèköLdi Indigenous Reserve, the long tour takes you into KèköLdi.

The farm and private reserve “Chimuri” is about 20 hectares bordering and buffering the KèköLdi Indigenous Reserve.

Here the Salazar family has planted a variety of tropical fruit trees, hardwoods necessary for the wildlife here, tubers, breadfruit, pejiballe, local banana, the plaintain which has lent it’s name to our Reserve, the “Chimuri” plaintain. (Chimuri is the BriBri word for the sweet ripe banana or plantain.)

Get to know this farm nestled in the jungle and hike through the other two-thirds of the property which is strictly protected primary and secondary forest.

Follow a ravine and a river that criss-crosses the land and offers a view of several small waterfalls.

See a traditional BriBri dwelling (ranchito) and learn about techniques of it’s construction and the BriBri daily life today and throughout history.

You your self can pick the different seasonal fruits right from the tree. See the tree that produces a fruit that we could not live without Chocolate! Depending on the season, you’ll have the opportunity to taste other tropical fruits that you may never have even heard of before mammon chino; a beautiful spiky red fruit, the Creole lime, the mangostan, the Columbian zapote, the custard-like biribá, and homegrown starfruit grapefruit, pineapple or Banana, ask your guide about the banana industry and you’ll never eat a commercially grown banana again.

Throughout the walk, you’ll encounter and learn about medicinal plants used traditionally by indigenous folks and fruits, plants and wild edible fruits that have been part of the indigenous diet since ancient times.

This visit also allows you the chance to get to know some of Talamanca’s favorite birds: Toucans, parrots, hawks, mannequins, tanagers, hummingbirds, magpies, woodpeckers, as well as birds endemic to Talamanca and so much more.

On the Chimuri Reserve, over 400 different species of birds have been recorded and your guide knows the songs and habits of them all!

This tour can have a focus on the traditional Talamancan Farm, on bird watching, on Indigenous medicinal plants, on local developments, stainable and otherwise--BriBri folklore and history.

This guide is one of ATEC’s founding members, an active participant in protection and conservation of Talamanca’s culture and nature, a fabulous story-teller and a treasure to our community.
Cost: $25 ~3 hours
$35 ~6 hour tour
For Round Trip Transportaion from Puerto Viejo add $5 per person

Bird Watching in Manzanillo

About 4 hours
Get up with the sun and head down to the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge and add a bunch more birds to your life list with one of Manzanillo’s excellent guides. 3 species of toucan, manikins, warblers, tanagers, raptors, humming birds and so much more.
Cost: $45 ~4 hours
For Round Trip Transportaion from Puerto Viejo add $20 per person

Raptor Migration in KèköLdi Indigenous Reserve:

5-8 hours
Enjoy the KèköLdi hike even more during the raptor migration from September to November and February to May. Hike to the highest point in the reserve, to the bird watching tower and observe the raptor migration. It’s possible to count thousands of birds of prey in a single day.
Cost: $75
For Round Trip Transportaion from Puerto Viejo add $10 per person

Bird watching at Casas Calateas:

New and experienced birder will love spending a few days in the heart of nature.
Duration: 2 days
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $105
For Round Trip Transportaion from Puerto Viejo add $24 per person