DH and I have been to Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula twice and absolutely love it -- and really enjoyed both Lapa Rios and Bosque del Cabo (the latter a bit more than the former, but both were terrific experiences). We love all of the different species of monkeys, the scarlet macaws, the morpho butterflies, the toucans, the coatis, and the spectacular hikes to waterfalls and tide pools. We don't need luxuries like AC (definitely don't care about TV) but appreciate comforts like good food and ceiling fans. A swimming pool is nice but not an absolute must. We like outdoor showers and great views. We are tempted to go back to the Osa again but would also like to try someplace different, but really want it to have great wildlife viewing and hiking and photographic opportunities. This would be for an 8-night trip in April. Since we have to fly from DC and only have a little over a week we don't want to go any farther than Central America or the Caribbean this time (as it is, it will be a full day of travel each way which will eat up a lot of our trip). We have been to Arenal and Manuel Antonio but are open to other parts of CR although I'm skeptical the wildlife would be as great as what we've seen in the Osa -- and are there places in Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala we should consider? (We have been to Belize and weren't as enamored of it. We've also been to Mexico and enjoyed it for other reasons but it doesn't have nearly as much wildlife.) Budget is not nearly as much of a constraint for this trip as time is, although good value for money is always appreciated -- we are willing to spend more for a truly outstanding experience. Ideally we would like to stay in one place for the whole time, or possibly move once during the trip but no more than that. We are pretty exhausted from work and looking forward to really unplugging, relaxing, and reconnecting with the natural world -- watching the sunset with a glass of wine with the sights and sounds of the rainforest or the surf. Any suggestions appreciated.
Anywhere else in Central America with as much wildlife as the Osa in CR?
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Did you check out Chan Chich in Belize? I know you said you weren't a Belize fan, but the wildlife pics I've seen from there are amazing, and it get rave reviews. Tortuguero in CR has amazing wildlife. Tortuga Lodge is beautiful with great service, excellent food, and comfy rooms. You would have to travel mostly by canal though since it's primarily waterbased. I agree - the Osa is hard to beat.
You may not be able to surpass the Osa, but both The Lamanai Outpost Lodge in Belize and the Tikal national in Guatemala offer great archaeological sights with great wildlife-- the boat ride to the former is spectacular and the sheer number of birds and monkeys you can see unguided at the latter is great.
I meant to post links for you. Good luck finding your spot!
http://chanchich.com/sightings.php
http://costaricaexpeditions.com/Gallery/virtual-360/kayaks.html
Belize
www.cavesbranch.com
www.chanchich.com
in Orange Walk area
and
www.visitpanama.com
Gamboa Rainforest Lodge
also Kuna Yala very exotic with great wildlife
but honestly www.corcovado.org
has the densest wildlife concentration north of the Amazon
if you are willing to fly the 4 hours from Miami
to Quito Ecuador a truly amazing country you could do
www.huaorani.com IN the Amazon truly amazing for wildlife
but a bit too rugged and exotic for some...
Happy Hunting,
Indio Maiz Reserve and the reseve near Solentiname Islands in Nicaragua beat Osa, I`ve been to both!
http://nicaragua.typepad.com/rio_san_juan/
We stayed at Lapa Rios in the Osa in 07 and I am looking for same things as you. Jungle meets sea.... Was looking into Bocas Del Toro Panama... the La Loma jungle lodge looks cool but we have decided on the LOdge at Pico Bonito in Honduras!
What did you decide on?
Hi,
We visited Tikal few yrs ago and it was really good with wildlife.
Should try that
TIKAL in Guatemala has amazing biodiversity. When visited with my family I got to see tons of wildlife, something I didnt excpect.
Panama just because is the true natural bridge of the Americas were species meet, example:
CR Pma
Macaws species: 2 5
Monkeys species 3 8
Sloths 2 3
Birds 800+ 900+
The thing with Costa Rica is that they are far superior in service to their neighbors. You live the country thinking: Pura Vida !
there are 4 species of monkeys in costa rica, approx 50 bird species more in panama, thing is many have very, very small territories. you must do your research first to find best location. have you tried googling "wildlife in central america"? you will come up with a lot of good info.
This post is from last year. They may already be back!