Highland Birdwatching and Paramo

A chance of a lifetime for serious birders, this adventure will have you exploring the subalpine and alpine zones along the Continental Divide for beautiful tropical cloud forest birdlife. You’ll travel with a professional guide taking you into areas where the Resplendent Quetzal and other exotic birds make their home.

This amazing 6-hour outing, designed only for guests staying at the Savegre Hotel Natural Resort and Spa, will begin at the reception area. Here you will meet your naturalist guide who will share information with you about the unique geographical area and the wildlife living there.

Within just a few steps you’ll be on the Continental Divide reaching over 9,000 feet in elevation featuring spectacular views of the Talamanca Mountain Range, and a line of volcanoes running from one side of the country to the other. As you continue down the trail you’ll stop to explore any bird sightings along the way.

The Resplendent Quetzal, brilliantly colored with a striking 3-foot tail feather plumage, lives in this remarkable misty subtropical montane, shrouded in cloud forest found in the zone just below the timberline. Other members of the multi-hued Trogon family reside here as well, along with Tanagers, noisy Black Guans, and irrepressible Hummingbirds.

Always listening for tell-tale birdcalls, your guide will take you through the moss-covered forest terrain that provides lush vegetation attractive to reptiles and amphibians who supplement the Quetzal’s fruit diet. Carrying a high-tech spotting scope, your guide will offer each a turn to get an up-close glimpse at any birdlife you find.

You’ll venture up into the paramo, an area delineating the tree line, where the alpine region hosts tundra type plants, bushes, succulents, and grasslands. Interestingly, scientists attribute the conditions found here ideal for rapid evolutionary change.

The Continental Divide separates land masses according to which watershed they belong. The eastern side of Costa Rica belongs to the Atlantic watershed and the western side to the Pacific.

It is the confluence of wind currents from both oceans creating the cloud mist enveloping the upper reaches of the forest. This unique occurrence is further enhanced by the tropical location of these mountain elevations.

Animals living within the area of the trails you’ll be hiking include sloths, monkeys, tapirs, peccaries, and most notably two of Costa Rican’s largest cats, the Puma and the Jaguar. Typically, you would not encounter these big cats during the day as they are nocturnal, although infrequent sightings have been reported.

Next, you’ll be driven to the park office where you’ll be guided down a series of short trails to capture any additional bird sightings to mark off your list. Your guide will be able to help you identify all the wildlife you see on the day of your visit for your recordkeeping.

This rare birdwatching opportunity includes a bilingual naturalist guide and on-site transportation from one birdwatching area to another. This tour is only for those staying at the Savegre Hotel so outside transportation is NOT provided. Total time of the guided hike is approximately six hours and starts at 7 am.

Please wear enclosed hiking shoes and layered clothing for changes in temperature. Bring along rain gear, insect repellent, camera, binoculars, and spotting scope if you like.

No transportation is needed from Savegre Mountain Hotel. Transportation is not included from other area hotels.