Cloud Forest · Bajo La Paz, San Ramón, Costa Rica

Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón: Birding & Bird Photography

Bird photography on two cloud-forest levels, fifteen minutes apart: covered decks and hummingbird gardens at about 1,200 m, quetzal trails at about 1,500 m. A small private reserve above San Ramón, run by two brothers who grew up there, for a private day or an overnight from Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Plan Your Stay →For Photographers →

Quick answer

The Reserva Natural Valle de Los Quetzales, in Bajo La Paz, San Ramón, Alajuela, Costa Rica, gives birders and photographers two cloud forests about fifteen minutes apart. At Romain Arias’s lodge, about 1,200 m, you shoot from covered decks over flower gardens and feeders, with an upper feeder that looks out over the open valley. In the reserve, about 1,500 m, local guides know the quetzal’s fruiting trees: the Resplendent Quetzal is on 77% of eBird checklists in March and 85% in May, the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald on 36% to 60% in every month with enough data, and the Three-wattled Bellbird calls from February to August. Recorded, not promised. Come for a private full day from the Guanacaste, Costa Rica coast, or spend a night at the lodge.

Not the “Valley of the Quetzals” in Dota. That name usually means San Gerardo de Dota, south of San José, at about 2,200 m. Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón is a different reserve, at about 1,200 to 1,500 m and much closer to Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Cloud forestQuetzal nests Feb – MayBellbird Feb – AugCabins for 19 guestsNight tour, optionalDay trip or overnight

Last verified October 2026 by Miller Contreras, naturalist guide and wildlife photographer

30+Years in Tourism

20+Years Guiding

85%Quetzal in May

19Guests at the Lodge

Ignacio “Nacho” Arias on a ridge above the valley at Valle de los Quetzales — Ignacio “Nacho” Arias on a ridge above the valley.

The people

The Brothers Behind the Valley

Valle de los Quetzales is the work of two brothers born in Bajo La Paz, Ignacio “Nacho” Arias and Jesús Romain Arias. As a boy, Romain loved birds so much that he was up at four every morning, waiting for daylight to go out and catch them, and he kept them in cages so he could look at them. That was decades ago.

As young men the brothers farmed the land and cut trees without thinking about it, until they saw they were clearing away the birds they loved. They stopped cutting, began replanting the forest around their homes and opened it to birdwatchers when almost no one came to Bajo La Paz for birds.

Today they put up nest boxes for the quetzal with a local association and guard the active nests, and that care is what made the valley known among birders.

They also open the reserve to science. In 2023 they let researchers onto the reserve to catch Golden-winged Warblers for a radio-tracking study; this songbird flies down from North America every winter. The study followed 69 warblers from Costa Rica and was published in Ornithological Applications in 2025.

Bajo La Paz

The brothers began replanting the forest and opened it to birdwatchers when almost no one came to Bajo La Paz for birds.

Why Valle de los Quetzales

The Quetzal, in One Place

Most quetzal days in Costa Rica mean driving between several sites. Valle de los Quetzales is one small reserve where the local guides know the quetzal nests and the trees it feeds in, and where, fifteen minutes away at Romain’s lodge, the hummingbird feeders are busy from first light. Twenty-five hummingbird species have been recorded here, nine of them on more than 10% of eBird checklists, so a photographer can fill the day with a single short drive. Miller first came up here to find the one bird the Guanacaste coast had never shown him; it was not nesting season, and after two hours of walking a male perched for two minutes.

Female Resplendent Quetzal bringing food to her nest in a tree trunk at Valle de los Quetzales

Male Resplendent Quetzal holding a katydid to feed its chick at Valle de los Quetzales

Male Resplendent Quetzal at the entrance of its nest hole at Valle de los Quetzales

A pair raising their chicks at the reserve: the female bringing food to the nest, the male with a katydid for the chick, and the male at the nest hole. Photos: Lisa Robertson.

Male Three-wattled Bellbird calling, its three black wattles hanging from the bill, at Valle de los Quetzales — Adult males calling, then a female and a young male still turning chestnut. All photographed at the reserve.

Male Three-wattled Bellbird calling with its bill wide open, Valle de los Quetzales — Adult males calling, then a female and a young male still turning chestnut. All photographed at the reserve.

The other star

The Bellbird, the Sound of the Valley

From February to August the reserve guides hear the Three-wattled Bellbird, the pájaro campana, calling across the valley. The male is chestnut with a white head, and three thin black wattles hang from the base of his bill. His call is a loud, metallic “bonk” that carries more than half a mile, so you usually hear him long before you see him.

Like the quetzal, the bellbird depends on the fruit of the laurel family, the wild avocados called aguacatillo here, so the same fruiting trees can bring in both birds. After nesting it moves down the mountains, following ripe fruit.

We follow the call and find him in the canopy with the spotting scope. We never play recordings to call him in.

Feb – AugIn the valley, from the reserve guides

31%Of eBird checklists here in June

VulnerableOn the IUCN Red List

The lodge and the reserve

Two Places, Fifteen Minutes Apart

Romain’s lodge is where you sleep and where the cameras come out: the cabins, the gardens, the feeders and the covered photo decks that look out over the valley, full of hummingbirds and tanagers. For the quetzal, the Ornate Hawk-Eagle, the Sunbittern and the trogons we drive about fifteen minutes to the reserve itself, in the cloud forest.

Male Long-tailed Manakin on a perch at the upper feeder, against a soft green background, Valle de los Quetzales

For photographers

The Upper Feeder: an Endless Background

At the lodge, up a trail above the cabins, the brothers set a feeding station on the edge of the slope, facing open air. A Long-tailed Manakin or a hummingbird lands there with nothing behind it but soft, distant green, so the bird stands alone in the frame.

The reserve guides say the manakins are around all year, and that November to February are the best months to photograph them.

Photographers with long lenses on the covered deck at the upper feeder, facing the open valley at Valle de los Quetzales — The covered deck at the upper feeder

Photographers under a covered porch photographing the hummingbird garden in the mist at Valle de los Quetzales

The Lodge: Gardens and Feeders

At Romain’s lodge every cabin faces a garden planted with flowers that hummingbirds feed on, and the feeders bring in hummingbirds and tanagers all day. The feeders are kept by the lodge.

Photographers with long lenses walking a forest trail at Valle de los Quetzales

The Reserve: Cloud-Forest Trails

Fifteen minutes from the lodge, the reserve’s trails lead to the trees where the quetzal feeds on aguacatillo, a wild avocado, and to the eagle, the Sunbittern and the trogons. The guides know which trees are fruiting each week.

Striped Owl on a branch at night, lit by the guide's flashlight, at Valle de los Quetzales

A Night Tour for Owls

After dark, the brothers run their own night tour, looking for owls and other night birds by flashlight. It is not part of the standard stay; we can add it to your package.

For photographers

Two Elevations, One Short Drive

Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón gives you two elevations and two ways of working in one day. At Romain’s lodge, about 1,200 m, you sit under a roof and let hummingbirds, tanagers and manakins come to the gardens and feeders. At the reserve, about 1,500 m, you walk slowly with the local guides who know where the quetzals feed. This is our working spec sheet; every eBird figure is recorded, not promised.

Photographer’s spec sheet for Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón, Costa Rica. eBird counts the Valle as one hotspot (318 species, 224 complete checklists); we list each bird where we usually work it. Compiled by Miller Contreras, Naturalist Guide and Wildlife Photographer, with Nacho and Romain Arias.
	Romain’s lodge · about 1,200 m	The reserve · about 1,500 m
What you photograph	Hummingbirds at the flower gardens and feeders, tanagers and other fruit-eaters, and the Long-tailed Manakin at the upper feeder, a short trail above the cabins.	The Resplendent Quetzal at the wild-avocado (aguacatillo) trees the guides know, the Ornate Hawk-Eagle perched or soaring, the Sunbittern on the stream, trogons and the Black Guan.
Signature birds (share of eBird checklists)	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird 56% · Purple-throated Mountain-gem 47% · Green Hermit 41% · Coppery-headed Emerald, found only in Costa Rica, 36% to 60% in every month with enough data · Violet Sabrewing 32% · Stripe-tailed Hummingbird 32%. Twenty-five hummingbird species recorded, nine of them above 10%.	Resplendent Quetzal 48% in February, 77% in March, 69% in April, 85% in May and 38% in June · Ornate Hawk-Eagle 26% to 51% from January to June, peak in March · Collared Trogon 36% · Black-faced Solitaire 34% · Three-wattled Bellbird up to 31%, in June.
Light and best hours	First light to mid-morning, and again in the late afternoon. Under the deck roof the light is soft and even, and the upper feeder faces open air, so the bird stands against distant green.	Dim under the canopy even at midday, and fog can roll up the valley. Ornate Hawk-Eagles soar on sunny mornings once the air warms, roughly from 8 to 11. Mornings are usually the driest part of the day.
Distance and lens	Close. Feeder perches can sit inside a long lens’s minimum focus distance, so a 100–400 mm zoom is the workhorse here; a 70–200 mm frames flower-and-bird scenes with the valley behind.	Variable and often far: a quetzal may feed low on an aguacatillo branch or sit high in the canopy. Bring 500–600 mm, such as a 150–600 or 200–600 zoom, or a 400 mm with a 1.4x converter. The guides spot, you shoot.
Starting exposure, natural light	Perched hummingbirds: about 1/1000 s, f/5.6 to f/8, auto ISO. Freezing the wings needs 1/2500 s or faster, which cloud-forest light rarely allows, so most photographers accept a little wing blur.	A perched quetzal in shade: 1/250 to 1/500 s, wide open, auto ISO up to 6400 or more. A soaring hawk-eagle against a bright sky needs about +1 to +1.7 EV. Starting points only; adjust on site.
Background	At the upper feeder the background falls away to a clean blur over the open valley. In the gardens, flowers and leaves sit close behind the perch.	Mossy branches, epiphytes and shade; fog softens and flattens the background. Soaring birds: sky.
Rain plan	Covered photo decks, and the two-bedroom cabin’s covered terrace faces its own hummingbird garden, so you keep shooting in the rain.	Light rain: keep walking with rain covers. Heavy rain: back to the lodge decks, fifteen minutes away. Let your gear warm up after the air-conditioned car so the lens does not fog.
How you work	Sit and wait under the roof while the birds come to the gardens and feeders. Easy for a partner who does not hike.	Walk slowly with the Arias brothers and the local guides from Bajo La Paz, handheld or on a monopod. The trails are narrow, so a tripod is hard to use.

Good to know

The nest boxes you may see in the reserve belong to a conservation programme: the Arias brothers and a Bajo La Paz association put them up for the quetzal and protect the nests from predators. They are not a photo set-up and not a guaranteed nest; in any season a box may stand empty.

Ornate Hawk-Eagle pairs often breed only every other year, so a nest that is busy one season may be quiet the next. When a pair is nesting, the guides decide whether a short viewing from a respectful distance is possible, and we never share nest locations.

A photographer’s order of the day

First light: the reserve, while the quetzals feed and before fog builds.
Mid-morning: watch the sky for soaring hawk-eagles on sunny days.
Late morning: fifteen minutes down to the lodge decks and gardens.
Afternoon: the upper feeder and its open-valley background; the decks if it rains.
Overnight guests: a second dawn at the decks, coffee in hand.

Romain’s lodge

You sit under a roof and let hummingbirds, tanagers and manakins come to the gardens and feeders.

Overnight · part of our itineraries

Sleep Where the Birds Are

On our private multi-day itineraries, Valle de los Quetzales is a night between the Guanacaste, Costa Rica coast and La Fortuna. You sleep at Romain’s lodge, with cabins for 19 guests in all, and at first light the quetzal trees are a fifteen-minute drive away, not hours in the dark.

Guests photographing from the covered porch of a log cabin that faces its hummingbird garden, Valle de los Quetzales

A Two-Bedroom Cabin for Four

Two bedrooms, each with a king-size bed
Two bathrooms with hot showers
Coffee maker, fridge and a sitting area
A covered porch or terrace facing a hummingbird garden

The porch roof covers you from rain and from the midday sun, so on a drizzly afternoon you can keep photographing the hummingbirds in the garden without leaving your cabin.

Private · Overnight at the reserve

Two Days, Two Dawns

1Afternoon · Settle in. Hummingbirds in your cabin’s garden, photographed from the covered porch.
2After dark · Night tour, optional. With the brothers, for owls and other night birds. It can be added to your package.
3First light · The reserve. Fifteen minutes to the cloud forest, for the quetzal where it is feeding or nesting, in season, and the eagle, the Sunbittern and the trogons.
4Late morning · Back at the lodge. Manakins and hummingbirds at the upper feeder, against the endless background.
5Midday · Lunch and onward. On to La Fortuna, or back to your hotel in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Priced as one package · cabin, guided birding and the trail and garden walks included · night tour optional

The birds

Which birds can you see at Valle de los Quetzales?

You will see birds on every visit. What we can’t promise is which ones, so here they are sorted honestly.

The season’s stars

Quetzal, bellbird and eagle, February to August.

Resplendent Quetzal · nests February to May; 85% in May, 77% in March
Three-wattled Bellbird · February to August; 31% in June
Ornate Hawk-Eagle · nests January to June; 51% in March
Collared Trogon · 36%

The hummingbirds

At the feeders and the flowers, most visits.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird · 56%
Purple-throated Mountain-gem · 47%
Coppery-headed Emerald · 36% to 60%, December to June
Green Hermit · 41%
Violet Sabrewing · 32%

From the reserve guides

What the brothers see here through the year.

Long-tailed Manakin · all year; best for photos November to February
Sunbittern · all year

Possible, never promised

We will look hard. We will not promise.

White-eared Ground-Sparrow · 11%
King Vulture · 3% in April

Figures are the share of complete eBird checklists that report each species at the Reserva Natural Valle de Los Quetzales hotspot, by month. Source: eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, read October 2026. Nesting months come from the reserve guides.

Photographed at the Reserve

Adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle with its crest raised on a mossy branch, Valle de los Quetzales — Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Sunbittern opening its wings to show the sunburst pattern, Valle de los Quetzales — Sunbittern, wings open

Male Long-tailed Manakin feeding on pokeweed fruit, Valle de los Quetzales — Long-tailed Manakin on pokeweed

Sunbittern standing on a mossy rock by the stream, Valle de los Quetzales — Sunbittern by the stream

Sunbittern sitting on its nest, Valle de los Quetzales — Sunbittern on its nest

Crimson-collared Tanager perched on a stump, Valle de los Quetzales — Crimson-collared Tanager

White Hawk perched on a bare branch, Valle de los Quetzales — White Hawk

Blue-gray Tanagers and a Baltimore Oriole on a bare perch in the mist, Valle de los Quetzales — Tanagers and a Baltimore Oriole in the mist

Photos taken at Valle de los Quetzales, courtesy of the reserve.

When to come

The Quetzal at Valle de los Quetzales, Month by Month

Share of complete eBird checklists at Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón that recorded the Resplendent Quetzal. Recorded, not promised. July to November has very few checklists, so we make no claim for those months.

Share of checklists with the quetzal, December to June

Resplendent Quetzal: best in May, on 85% of checklists.

See all the numbers as a table

Source: eBird bar chart for the Reserva Natural Valle de Los Quetzales hotspot (318 species, 224 complete checklists), Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
5%	48%	77%	69%	85%	38%	Few checklists · no claim					4%

Ornate Hawk-Eagle: 26% to 51% of checklists from January to June, peak in March.

Three-wattled Bellbird: 23% in March and 31% in June; the reserve guides hear it from February to August.

Coppery-headed Emerald: 36% to 60% in every month with enough data, so the hummingbird decks work all year.

Thinking of coming outside February to June? In December and January the quetzal was on only 4% to 5% of checklists here, and males lose their long tail feathers after breeding. Ask us before you book, and we will tell you honestly what is realistic for your dates.

Field note

A Story from the Eagle Nest

Nacho and Romain see the reserve’s Ornate Hawk-Eagles almost every day and can tell each bird apart. In 2026, about two weeks after the chick hatched, the male went out for food and did not come back. After two days the female had to leave the chick alone for two days to hunt.

When she returned she brought a daughter from an earlier brood, hatched three years before, and the daughter stayed with her young brother while the mother hunted. About two weeks later the male reappeared, and the daughter left.

Around August she was back at the same nest with a chick of her own, already flying a little. Now the mother is about to nest there again, so the young pair will have to move on.

This is what the brothers have watched, told as they told it to Miller in October 2026. The nest is watched from a distance and visits are kept short.

Adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle feeding its white-headed chick at the nest, Valle de los Quetzales — An adult feeding its chick at the nest in the reserve.

The eagles of the valley

Adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle bending over its chick at the nest, Valle de los Quetzales — An adult with its chick at the nest

Adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle perched above the valley, Valle de los Quetzales — An adult on watch above the valley

Young Ornate Hawk-Eagle with a white head on a mossy branch, Valle de los Quetzales — A young eagle, still white-headed

Young Ornate Hawk-Eagle perched in the cloud forest, Valle de los Quetzales — A young eagle in the forest

One day from Guanacaste

A Private Full Day at the Reserve

100% private and planned around your hotel, the season and your target birds. We leave before dawn so you are at the reserve for first light, and drive you back the same afternoon. This day is part of our Cloud Forest birding.

Bird photographers with long lenses on tripods in the reserve garden, Valle de los Quetzales

Photographers resting on the covered deck with the valley behind them, Valle de los Quetzales

Birders watching the feeders from a covered deck, Valle de los Quetzales

Private · Full day

A Day at Valle de los Quetzales

1Before dawn · Pickup. Between about 2:00 and 3:15, depending on your hotel, so we reach the reserve between 6:30 and 7:00.
2First light · The quetzal. With the reserve guides, at the trees where the quetzal is feeding or nesting, in season.
3Mid-morning · Forest, then the lodge. A cloud-forest walk at the reserve, then fifteen minutes to Romain’s lodge for the hummingbirds and tanagers at the feeders and covered decks, with snacks in the field.
4Midday · Lunch. Lunch is included.
5Afternoon · The drive back. A last look at the feeders if the light is good, then the drive back to your hotel.

From $1,000 per private group of 2

Included

A private naturalist guide specialized in birds, private transportation, the reserve entrance, binoculars and a spotting scope, bottled water, snacks and lunch. Taxes included.

Not included

Gratuities.

Bring

Warm layers and a rain jacket: the cloud forest is cool and damp, even when the coast is hot.

Cancellation

Seventy-two hours before your birding day begins, counted from your pickup time and not the day: cancel before that for a full refund.

Getting there

How Far Is Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón?

Private vehicle, from your hotel or the airport. Hotel times are how long before a 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. arrival we leave.
From	Time
Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Playa Panamá and the RIU hotels, Guanacaste, Costa Rica	3 h 45
Tamarindo	4 h
Las Catalinas	4 h 30
Liberia airport (LIR)	About 3 h 30
San José airport (SJO)	About 1 h 30
La Fortuna (Arenal)	About 1 h 30 to 2 h

Staying in La Fortuna? There are no quetzals there. Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón is about 1 h 30 to 2 h away by road, and at about 1 h 30 from San José airport it also works as a last night before you fly out.

More Birding

More birding sites near Guanacaste

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Volcano foothills

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Wetland

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Common Questions

Birding Valle de los Quetzales,
San Ramón, Costa Rica

When is the best time to see the quetzal at Valle de los Quetzales?+

February to June. The quetzal is on 48% of eBird checklists in February, 77% in March, 69% in April and 85% in May, its best month, then 38% in June. In December and January it drops to about 5%.

Can you photograph a quetzal on a day trip from Guanacaste, Costa Rica?+

Yes, on a long private day. From Playas del Coco we leave about 3 h 45 before a 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. arrival. In season the odds are good: the quetzal is on 77% of eBird checklists in March and 85% in May, but only 4% to 5% in December and January. Recorded, not promised.

How far is Valle de los Quetzales from Guanacaste?+

It is in La Paz de San Ramón, Alajuela. To reach it between 6:30 and 7:00 we leave about 3¾ hours before from Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Playa Panamá and the RIU hotels, 4 hours from Tamarindo and 4½ hours from Las Catalinas, or plan it as a stop on the way to La Fortuna.

Is Valle de los Quetzales the same as the “Valley of the Quetzals” in San Gerardo de Dota?+

No. In English, “Valley of the Quetzals” usually means San Gerardo de Dota, in the Talamanca highlands south of San José, where the lodges sit at about 2,200 m. Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón is a private cloud-forest reserve in La Paz de San Ramón, Alajuela, at about 1,200 to 1,500 m, and much closer to Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Are there quetzals in La Fortuna?+

Not around La Fortuna or Arenal Volcano; quetzals live higher up, in cloud forest. Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón is about 1 h 30 to 2 h from La Fortuna by road, and there the quetzal is on 85% of eBird checklists in May. It works as a day out, or as an overnight on the way to San José airport.

What is the difference between the 1,200 m lodge and the 1,500 m reserve?+

The lodge, at about 1,200 m, is for gardens: flower beds, feeders, covered photo decks and, up a trail, an upper feeder with an open-valley background for the Long-tailed Manakin and hummingbirds. The reserve forest, at about 1,500 m and fifteen minutes’ drive away, is for the Resplendent Quetzal, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Sunbittern, trogons and Black Guan.

What lens do I need to photograph quetzals at Valle de los Quetzales?+

Bring reach: 500 to 600 mm full-frame equivalent is ideal, such as a 150–600 or 200–600 zoom, or a 400 mm with a 1.4x converter. A zoom is safer than a fixed 600 mm, which may not focus on a bird close to the trail. Keep a 100–400 mm for the hummingbird decks, and use a monopod rather than a tripod on the trails.

Which hummingbirds can you see at Valle de los Quetzales?+

Twenty-five hummingbird species are recorded on eBird, nine of them on more than 10% of checklists, including the Coppery-headed Emerald, found only in Costa Rica, the Purple-throated Mountain-gem and the Violet Sabrewing.

Can you photograph hummingbirds at Valle de los Quetzales when it rains?+

Yes. The lodge, at about 1,200 m, has covered photo decks, and the two-bedroom cabin’s covered terrace faces a hummingbird garden, so you can keep shooting through a shower. In San Ramón, mornings are usually dry and, from June to October, rain often starts around 2 p.m. Twenty-five hummingbird species are recorded on eBird here.

Can you photograph an Ornate Hawk-Eagle at Valle de los Quetzales?+

Sometimes. The Ornate Hawk-Eagle is on 26% to 51% of eBird checklists from January to June, peaking in March, and it soars on sunny mornings. When a pair is nesting, the guides decide whether a short viewing from a respectful distance is possible, and we never share nest locations. Pairs often breed only every other year.

When can you hear the Three-wattled Bellbird at Valle de los Quetzales?+

From February to August, according to the reserve guides. On eBird it is on 31% of checklists here in June and 23% in March. Its call carries more than half a mile, so you usually hear it before you see it.

Is the quetzal guaranteed?+

No. In May it is on 85% of eBird checklists, which is very good odds but not a promise, and outside February to June it is rare here.

Can you stay overnight at Valle de los Quetzales?+

Yes. Romain Arias’s lodge, fifteen minutes from the reserve, has cabins for up to 19 guests, and we book yours with your trip. A two-bedroom cabin for four has two king beds, two bathrooms with hot showers, a coffee maker, a fridge and a covered porch over a hummingbird garden. We price it together with your birding and the rest of your itinerary, as one package.

Is there a night tour at Valle de los Quetzales?+

Yes. The brothers who run the reserve lead their own night tour to look for owls and other night birds. It is not part of the standard overnight, and we can add it to your package.

What is the cancellation policy?+

Seventy-two hours before your birding day begins, counted from your pickup time and not the day. Cancel before that and you get a full refund. We ask for three days because the reserve, your private guide and lunch are booked for your group alone. If we cancel for safety or weather, you get one hundred percent back.

How much does a private birding day at Valle de los Quetzales cost?+

From $1,000 per private group of 2 guests, taxes included. It is a full day and 100% private, and the price includes a private naturalist guide specialized in birds, private transportation, the reserve entrance, binoculars and a spotting scope, bottled water, snacks and lunch.

Plan Your Birding

Send Us Your Dates
and Your Target Birds

Tell us when you are coming and which birds you are after. We will tell you honestly what is realistic for your dates and plan the day around it.

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Private groups only · Hotel and LIR pickup · Based in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

By the Guanadreams team, led by Miller Contreras — naturalist guide and wildlife photographer, born and raised in Guanacaste.

Valle de los Quetzales, San Ramón: Birding & Bird Photography

The Brothers Behind the Valley

The Quetzal, in One Place

The Bellbird, the Sound of the Valley