| Birdwatching opportunities abound all over southern Costa Rica. Cusingas call in the morning and toucans frequent Las Aguas late in the afternoon. The scarlet macaw has made a dramatic comeback here in the Southern Zone. Guests can also consider birding in a cloud forest in search of the elusive resplendant quetzal. The town of San Gerardo de Dota, north of San Isidro on the Pan American Highway (marker 80 km) is prime quetzal country. It lies at over 2000m elevation and is almost perpetually shrouded in fog. The cloud forest here boasts many species of birds including the resplendent quetzal and other trogons. There are many fine lodges and nature reserves that focus on birding in this area. At kilometer marker #89 is, the highest point in this part of the Talamanca Mountains: Cerro de la Muerte (Peak of the Dead), elevation 3491 meters. |
Birdwatching and the
resplendant quetzal
