What We See on the Esquipulas Birdwatching Tour

Esquipulas sits inland and uphill from Quepos, in the foothills behind the coast, and that change in elevation and habitat is the whole point of the tour: it is a different bird list from anything you find inside Manuel Antonio National Park or along the beach trails. Nothing here is guaranteed, but these are the species our ICT-certified guides work these trails for, with the honest odds we give guests before they book.

  • Bay-headed tanager (Tangara gyrola) and other mixed-flock tanagers — good chance in the forest edge and fruiting trees, often moving in loose groups with other species.
  • Black-throated trogon (Trogon rufus) — likely with a guide who knows the call; trogons sit still and are easy to walk past without one.
  • Streak-headed woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii) — a regular on trunks and larger branches, working bark from the base up.
  • Blue-crowned motmot (Momotus lessonii) — good chance on low, shaded perches, recognisable by the pendulum swing of its tail.
  • Keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) — variable; more likely at forest edge in the early hours when they call.
  • Antbirds and woodcreepers — better odds when an army ant swarm is moving through, which the guide checks for on arrival.

The tour runs as either a small group or a private departure, with your own ICT-certified guide and a Swarovski spotting scope for the whole group.

Esquipulas — who is it for?

Esquipulas is for the birder who already has the coastal and rainforest species from a Manuel Antonio park morning and wants a genuinely different habitat, not a repeat of the same trail. Being inland and in the foothills means a different list: tanagers, trogons, woodcreepers and forest-edge species that do not come down to the beach.

It is not the tour to pick if scarlet macaws or the resplendent quetzal are the one species on your list — those are different trips with different habitats. Esquipulas is the closer, shorter option for foothill variety without a long highland drive.

Do I need a passport or a park ticket for this tour?

No. Esquipulas is not a national park, so there is no SINAC entrance ticket to buy in advance and no passport or nationality check at a gate. You are birding private and community forest land, not a protected park, which also means no parking fee and no fixed meeting point to coordinate around.

What time does the tour start, and why so early?

Departure is 5:25 AM, with pickup at your accommodation in Quepos or Manuel Antonio. Birds are loudest and most active in the first hours after dawn — the same window that makes early starts work for mammal sightings inside the park — and that activity falls off sharply once the morning heat builds. The tour runs about five hours door to door, so you are back around mid-morning with the rest of your day free. A traditional Costa Rican breakfast — gallo pinto, plantain or tortillas, and eggs — is included on the drive or on arrival.

Is there a best season for birdwatching in Esquipulas?

The dry season, roughly December through April, gives the most comfortable mornings and the clearest visibility for spotting movement in the canopy. Rain gear is worth packing outside that window (mid-April to mid-December), since afternoon showers are normal in the green season — mornings are still workable, which is why the tour departs early regardless of the month.

What should I bring?

Binoculars if you own a pair you trust — the guide’s Swarovski scope covers the distance work for the group either way. Neutral-coloured clothing (greens, browns, greys) rather than bright white, which pushes birds away before you get close. Long trousers and closed-toe shoes, since trails can be muddy, plus a light jacket for the cool highland air before sunrise. Insect repellent, sunblock and a reusable water bottle — your guide carries drinking water and tops you up through the morning.

What else is included besides the guide?

Round-trip transportation from Quepos and Manuel Antonio, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast, and a personalized list of every species recorded on your tour, sent to you afterwards. Your guide also takes photos and videos through the Swarovski scope with a phone during the walk and hands them over at the end — by AirDrop on an iPhone, or as a Google Drive link on Android — at no extra cost. The only things not included are tips and personal expenses.

Why a Certified Naturalist Matters Here

A patient visitor will eventually spot a capuchin monkey inside Manuel Antonio without help. Foothill birding does not work that way — most of what moves through the canopy is identified by call before it is ever seen. A guide who knows the local mixed-flock patterns and where the fruiting trees are working this month is the difference between a quiet walk and a morning with thirty species on the list.

Book the Esquipulas Birdwatching Tour

Esquipulas runs as a group tour at $135 per person or a private departure at $155 per person, both from Quepos and Manuel Antonio, with an ICT-certified guide, round-trip transport, breakfast and a Swarovski scope included. Full details and dates are on the Esquipulas Birdwatching Group Tour page.

Travelling in December 2026 or January 2027? That is our busiest window of the year, and it is also when the Classic Manuel Antonio Group Tour — still $30 per person, guide and telescope included, park entrance separate — fills first. The park closes on Tuesdays, including nine of them across this December–January stretch, so dates go fast. Reserve your December 2026 – January 2027 Manuel Antonio tour here.

Questions before you book? WhatsApp us at 8514-1361 and a guide answers, not a bot.