Birdwatching by the Lake Arenal

Our tour guide, Santos, did a marvellous job on two tours. The first day, he took us out to the Lake Arenal dam area for a birding tour. He picked us up promptly as agreed and provided us with snacks and coffee. He guided us to see upwards of 30 birds, providing interesting information about each one. He used his scope to show us the birds clearly. His polite manner, knowledge and good sense of humour were much appreciated! On the second day, Santos once again drove us, this time to the Venado Caves. On the walk to the caves, he continued to point out birds and we even saw a poisonous dart frog. My friend and I were a bit apprehensive about this experience, but Santos encouraged us and didn’t pressure us to go beyond our comfort zones. We saw bats and scorpion spiders, but no tarantulas, thankfully!????The best part, however, happened on the way back to La Fortuna. We saw a sloth beside the road and Santos rescued it, taking it to a more forested area. What an experience riding in a van with a sloth! Thank you, Santos! You obviously care deeply for your country and the creatures that live in it.

Our guide, Francisco, took us on a walk along a path near the lake, pointing out various different birds along the way. We were very impressed with his ability to spot them and to line up his telescope for us so we could see them even more closely. We never would have seen quite the variety if we had tried to do this on our own. This was a highlight of our trip to Costa Rica.

DESAFIO.. Your #1 choice for Adventure, Birdwatching, Cooking Class and more! Hey folks, DESAFIO is a leader in adventure activity in Arenal / La Fortuna and all regions of Costa Rica.. White-water rafting, zip-lining, rappelling, combo trips. However, they also provide an entire array of soft-adventure and fun options: birding, birdwatching, cooking classes, salsa lessons. They have a top-notch staff, including female guides. Everyone was so very friendly and personable. Their fleet of vans are gorgeous. Their drivers are tops!. Their home-base is their new ‘Hunter Gatherer’ Restaurant. Your DESAFIO adventures end with an amazing breakfast or lunch or dinner here. We went birdwatching along Lake Arenal. Our guide, Sergio, spoke English and pointed out many species all morning long. He used his scope to point out an owl that was otherwise hidden from view. Plus, Sergio was so knowledgeable about volcanoes and volcanology.. we learned so much. This tour provides great vistas of Arenal too. Gracias!