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| I have birded Costa Rica in one-week increments for several years mostly without guides. The following information is the accumulation of birding trips to a variety of parks and refuges - all by car. Because of the summer weather, we have usually, but not always, operated out of western Costa Rica where it's drier. |
Bird Checklist
(cumulative, all years)
Photos of a few areas
My wife and I started vacationing in Costa Rica in 2000. I had done a couple of trips to Costa Rica prior to that time, but it wasn't until that year that we decided to travel Costa Rica entirely by rental car. We quickly realized all the advantages, and from that point on we rented a vehicle every year prior to our arrival. Almost all rental car people speak English (behind the desk anyway), and it's usually quick and painless. This website deals directly with understanding the distances between locations so that you can best determine an overall itinerary.
In terms of roads and traffic, Liberia is simply less complicated than San Jose. This web site will be useful for anyone driving around Costa Rica and birdwatching, and it will be especially useful for those people who stay in northwestern Costa Rica.
Northwest
Costa Rica Maps
Simple
Geographical Map of Guanacaste
Road Map of
Guanacaste
General Costa Rica Map
Best road map of all of Costa Rica in my opinion
For many years, all International flights flew into San Jose, Costa Rica. It is now possible to fly non-stop into Liberia, Costa Rica, Daniel Oduber airport, (in NW Costa Rica, Guanacaste region) from many U.S. cities.
At present, I believe Miami, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston have non-stop commercial flights to the Liberia International Airport. These cities and several others will also operate out of San Jose. Public airlines now dominate in both airports. The Liberia airport likely will continue to expand, so keep checking commercial airline possibilities.
Consider Liberia as your jumping off point if:
1. You can only go in summer and want to
stay in a dry location
2. You have a spouse who wants to recreate in a sunny environment near the ocean
(Guanacaste is the sunniest and driest area in CR)
3. You have limited time and need the extra time a Liberia flight might give you
over a San Jose flight
4. You think it would lower expenses flying from your particular city into
Liberia rather than into San Jose
All of these are good reasons.
Consider San Jose as your jumping off point if:
1. Your coming from an airport which makes the
Liberia option more difficult
2. You have no interest or time in birding Guanacaste
3. You have no interest in a little R&R by the beach
4. Your bird list just needs some Caribbean tweaking