This unique Bird Watching Tour takes place within the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve just outside of Puerto Viejo. The Reserve is a paradise for the bird watching adventurer. Roughly 600 species of birds are at home in Costa Rica all year long and another 200 migrate from milder zones. In the Puerto Viejo area, over 400 species of birds have been seen.
You will be picked up from your lodging and brought to the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve. Here you will meet your guide who will take you on a birdwatching hike through the Reserve. Birds living in this area include: Hawks, Red Headed buzzards, Stork herons, Toucans, Parrots, Manikins, Tanagers, an abundance of Hummingbirds, Poets, Reinitas (Honey Creepers), Mosqueros (Fly Catchers), Trogons, Magpie Pechinegra (Magpie Jay – endemic to the lower slope of the Caribbean) and the surprising Buco Barbon (White bearded Puffbird) to name a few.
During the tour you will make frequent stops along the way spotting birds until you reach a tower that is part of a research center for the observation of migratory birds. This area has been considered the third most important in the world for the sighting of raptors. Migrations occur from north to south between August and December, and from south to north between February and May, although there is a great diversity of local birds throughout the year.
The Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve is about 3 miles north of Puerto Viejo. Resting at sea level, the Reserve is over 12,000 acres at the base of the Talamanca mountains. The Kekoldi people are a small group who are part of the BriBri indigenous tribe. These peaceful people play a fundamental role in the ecosystem by practicing iguana farming. Due to dwindling numbers of iguanas caused by excessive hunting, a Kekoldi family now raise iguanas on a farm to bring back the population. For eleven years, these people have successfully raised and released thousands of iguanas back into the wild. The BriBri and Kekoldi cultures highly value the balance of the natural world which they work hard to maintain. That is why the bird life found on the Reserve is so abundant.
This half day guided tour includes a bilingual guide, bird watching hike plus transportation from Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Punta Uva. The hike is considered moderately difficult. One way transport to and from the Reserve typically takes less than 30 minutes, depending on the location of your hotel. This is the ideal place to observe a great variety of Costa Rican birds in their natural habitats.
Latitude: N 9° 38' 17.62"
Longitude: W 82° 47' 48.53"
01/19/2015
Alex was the best guide we had and he was able to help us take beautiful pictures. My biggest regret is that I lost my camera towards the end of the tour but at least my husband had many pictures on his.