Worldwide Escorted Tours

Day 1: UK to San José D On arrival, you’ll be taken to your hotel in Heredia. Day 2: Heredia to Arenal Volcano B/D Today you’ll be driven to the Arenal Volcano – one of the country’s natural wonders and famed ‘birding hotspots’ – where you’ll be hiking and snapping shots of the diverse avian populations, with the chance to spend time soaking in one of the many hot springs. You can trek the Mistico Hanging Bridges Hike which takes you up into the forest canopies for a richer view of the beauteous landscape. Day 3: Arenal Volcano to Monteverde B/D Be immersed in the Monteverde Cloud Forest where you’ll spend a full day birding on foot and by safari truck. Monteverde has one of the rarest and most unique habitats on the planet, not to mention an astonishing variety of flora and fauna. Once you’ve had a full day exploring this enchanting place, you’ll return to your lodge for dinner, then have the rare opportunity to go on a guided evening expedition to spot owls and other nocturnal birds after the sun has set. Day 4: Curi-Cancha Private Reserve B/D After breakfast at the magical Monteverde Country Lodge, you have a whole day with your guide to explore the Curi-Cancha Private Reserve where you’re likely to encounter such species as the slate- throated redstart, white-eared ground-sparrow, blue-crowned motmot, orange-bellied trogon, keel- billed toucan, and many more! Day 5: Monteverde to Nicoya B/D The Rancho Humo Estancia in the Nicoya peninsula presents itself as a model for sustainable development and is one of the last privately protected natural areas of Guanacaste. Explore this natural haven and see mangroves, wetlands, tropical dry forests, and green pastures and find wildlife such as the jaguarondi, congo monkeys, peccaries, herons, hawks, spoonbills, and the most exotic aquatic bird in Costa Rica: the jabirú. Day 6: Nicoya to Carara National Park B/D This morning, you’ll descend from the mountains to the warm coast of the Central Pacific. The Carara National Park (‘River of Lizards’ in indigenous Huetar language) is world-famous for birding and is a convergence point for the wildlife of the dry and humid forests. Join our Jungle River Boat Tour where you can catch a glimpse of the mighty scarlet macaw and American crocodile, along with numerous other avians and wetland mammals. Day 7: Carara National Park B/D Embark on a full day of bird watching on the Meandrica trail which runs through five different Embark on an expert-guided birdwatching tour, exploring the diverse Northern Plains around Arenal volcano. Hike the Mistico Hanging Bridges, cruise the ‘River of Lizards’ in Carara National Park for crocodile sightings, and experience the enchanting Monteverde cloud forest. What you’ll see  Join our knowledgeable birdwatching guide on this specialist tour in one of the birding hotspots of the world  Explore the famous Northern Plains surrounding the Arenal volcano, an area with a richly diverse ecosystem and a myriad of bird species  Spend time up high in the canopies during a hike along the Mistico Hanging Bridges  Look out for crocodiles as you sail the ‘River of Lizards’ on a Jungle River Boat Tour in Carara National Park  Combine expeditions on foot and by safari truck within the enchanting cloud forest of Monteverde NEW Birdwatching in Costa Rica Quetzal THIS TOUR EXPLORE Birdwatching tour 80  The Americas Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk