Esquipulas Rainforest - Private Birding - Fully Customizable Tour

Gorgeous birding adventure

This was an extraordinary adventure and I definitely recommend! At first I was a little surprised at the price (tho most birding trips in the area are priced this high) but it was worth it, we’ll never forget it. I booked the trip the day before and someone from the tour company called and asked what we wanted to see. We gave him our list, and the next day, the wonderful guide and driver went out of their way to drive to different areas to seek out what we were looking for - macaws, toucans, parrots, etc., and we saw it all! The guide was so knowledgeable. Once out of the car, the walk was gorgeous. The traditional Costa Rican breakfast was delicious! Def recommend! I did feel bad I didn’t have a tip for the woman who made us breakfast, I was saving it for the guide.

Birding paradise at Esquipulas Rainforest

A day of great birding from Manuel Antonio. We were two bird enthusiasts and our guide Dylan Serrano was excellent. He had known a few spots to look for some interesting birds on the way to Esquipulas rainforest. Enjoyed looking for birds at the reserve and photographing some colourful species at the feeder as well. Very much recommended for any nature and birdlovers visiting Manuel Antonio.

Knowledgeable tour in a beautiful park

We were scheduled for 5:00 am and at 5:30 he still hadn't shown up. We called and he was very honest and apologetic and said it just hadn't made it into the calendar. He scrambled and picked us up at 8. Other than that, we had a great experience. Manuel is extremely knowledgeable about birds, plants, and other animals. With his guidance we were able to say a large number of birds, including some really fascinating ones like the sickle-billed hummingbird. He took photos through his scope and sent them to him (the attached are his photos). Unfortunately he then promised a log of the names of the birds we had seen and despite repeated messages he never sent it.

Worth the early start!

It’s true that you have to get up early in the morning for this tour. Birds have their own timeline! This was an amazing tour, our guide was so knowledgeable, he had 20 years in the business and had swivel eyes. He could see and spot birds in an instant. He also uses a spotting scope and was the fastest at setting it up so that even the non-birder Could see and appreciate. Wonderful local breakfast in a home that was cozy and felt like you were in someone’s kitchen. So much fun, so informative, and so many birds! Our guide was so enthusiastic, we felt like we were all drawn along by his enthusiasm and knowledge. Highly recommend

Awesome Birding Experience

My husband, daughter and I really enjoyed the private birding tour in the Esquipulas Rainforest. Our guide Dylan was very knowledgeable about the birds we saw and shared a lot of interesting information. Our driver Carlos was also excellent at spotting birds even along the drive up and back down from the rain forest. We were picked up promptly at our hotel at the 5am pick-up time. Getting up early was totally worth it to get to see so many amazing birds. We saw so many cool birds and were able to view them through Dylan's telescope and also take close up photos using our phone's camera through the telescope. We also brought our own binoculars and regular cameras. The reserve was beautiful with a shaded viewing area to bird-watch while waiting for breakfast, which was delicious. The hike on the reserve was also amazing with beautiful views. There were steep areas so make sure to wear sturdy shoes. We really enjoyed the day and would highly recommend the experience to anyone wanting a personalized, private tour away from the more crowded attractions. Thank you Dylan and Carlos for a great adventure!

Unique experience at this beautiful rainforest reserve

We were recommended this tour by somebody else, and were very happy we went. The team was very accommodating and tailored our private tour to our needs. We enjoyed watching a very large number of amazing birds at Esquipulas in the morning, it was absolutely packed with beautiful birds like aracari, toucans, various tanagers, hummingbirds and dozens of others. We then saw some magnificent king vultures and also walked further in the forest with our guide to see and hear dozens more interesting birds, one of the most fascinating being red-capped manakin. On our way back we even had a bit of a bonus: seeing a common potoo! We really enjoyed Esquipulas and would definitely recommend it for nature lovers travelling to Costa Rica.

Great if you are a fully fledged twitcher

Our guide was really knowledgeable. Unfortunately we were not. I don't think he really understand the needs of beginners. We spent a lot of time getting to the reserve and were very hungry. Apart from eating there we did not explore the reserve. Disappointing as this trip could have been so much better.

Great birdwatching with Manuel

Ive had the best time birdwtaching with Manuel! He is so passionate about birds, knows all the good spots to see them. We went to a cool ecolodge, had delicious breakfast and coffee there and went onto various trails to look for birds! I got so many great pictures, learned a lot from him and overall very very happy with this experience! Pura vida!

Unforgettable

Manuel was AMAZING. We saw birds I never could have even hoped to see. We got up early, saw birds, had a fantastic breakfast at a paradise-like hotel/restaurant in a gorgeous campground, and then continued on seeing more birds in Esquipulas. If you are a birder, I cannot recommend this enough for some absolute GEMS (common potoo, turquoise cotinga!!!!! Insane!!! King vulture, hummingbirds, parrots, trogons, etc) but if you are new to birding it was amazing. Beautiful views the whole way, great conversation, a lovely time. Advice: keep your own list of species you see, wear close-toed shoes, bring water.

Amazing Bioethical Birding Tour

Amazing birdwatching tour. Manuel knows a lot about the wildlife and has an amazing respect for bioethics. We saw a lot of birds that I have never seen in my life, including a Potoo that Manuel showed us on the way to the tour (only because I asked him if we could find one). I would recommend Manuel to anyone who wants a unique nature-filled experience because of his dedication to the craft of guiding, as well as his ability to inspire future generations of nature guides (aka his son who I was so lucky to meet).

Worth every penny if you want to find birds

Manuel was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about finding the birds we were looking for. He took us all over. By the end of the morning we saw at least 58 different species. A shout out to his driver, Rodney, who is also a great spotter. The two of them were a great team.

Birds birds and more birds and more birds!

The best tour by far!! Gisele picked us up early in the morning and let me tell you, birds galore! Every color. Every size. Gisele is so helpful at pointing out what each type of bird each is. I have never seen so many birds in my life. We did this tour twice and I took over 13000 photos. No joke! Gisele took us on a tour of the property and it was so beautiful. Did I mention you get an incredible meal as well. I would put this tour as one of the best I’ve ever had. So much to see. The property is just beautiful. The mountains are lush and it’s a bit cooler as well. You get a very educated guide that not only tells you about the birds, but she also tells you where there at. The best part of the tour is that Gisele was in no hurry and literally made us feel like we could be there all day. We will be booking with them on our next trip as they have some pretty spectacular accommodations. This is a must people!! Don’t regret not booking this.

Fantastic day birding!

Well what a day! Both Manuel and Johann were delightfully interesting birding hosts. Can't even guess how many different species Johann located and identified. Several hours of birding fun and a delicious, traditional breakfast and fruit! So informative! Happy to see a scarlet macaw, several yellow throated toucans, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, hawks, and so many others!

Worth the super early morning start

Our guide, Johan, was extremely knowledgeable and dedicated to finding us all the birds possible. We hesitated to book because of the extremely early (5:30 am) start time. However, after other disappointing experiences where we thought we would see lots of birds but saw none, we bit the bullet. And, WOW, was it worth it! The reason I only gave it 3 stars was because the description on the tour said it was 6 hours long, included breakfast, and gave us access to the Equipulas rain forest reserve. Our tour, while amazing, was only 2.5 hours long, did not include breakfast, and we never actually went into the reserve. Johan found us lots of birds between Quepos (we stopped and got out of the car) and the reserve but he told us the tour was done about 2km from the entrance. Again, Johan was amazing but $135 per person is much to steep of a price for 2.5 hours and no entrance to the park

Excellent!

My tour with Manuel was excellent! He was extremely knowledgeable and took us to many beautiful locations where we were able to see many of the amazing birds in the area. We spotted hummingbirds, numerous tanagers, a bucket list Trogan, and even a King Vulture. We finished the tour with a lovely traditional Costa Rican breakfast. I highly recommend this tour. It was definitely a highlight of our Costa Rica trip.

Excellent experience with a passionate guide!

Manuel was a great guide! We chose the no transportation option and picked him up without a problem close by our hotel. We drove in the esquipilas rainforest and made stops to watch for birds. He is obviously very passionate about birding and we were able to see some fascinating birds we never would have seen without him and his scope. Very friendly and easy to talk to. We saw just as many birds at the feeders sitting for breakfast at the esquipulas rainforest lodge including a white-crested coquette hummingbird. Bring your own binoculars and get ready to drive on some gravely roads. All in all, definitely worth getting up early in the morning.

An amazing birding tour led by a professional

I was blown away at how Manuel tailored my tour specific to my needs. Before we began, he asked what I wanted to do, and he delivered beyond my wildest dreams. I photographed a total of 17 species with my Z9 and 800mm lens. If you're searching for a really good tour guide, look no further that Manuel's Tours. Thank you Manuel!

Best Birding of my life with Tour Guide Berny Sanchez

Our tour guide Berny Sanchez was so fantastic. He is knowledgeable and has a passion for birding and nature that is truly contagious. I got so many amazing pictures on the hike but unfortunately this site only lets you post ten pics. Observing the tiny Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and the Gartered Trogon were truly life sightings. We also saw a male and female black-throated Trogon and took a video of the male displaying himself to get the females attention which was an amazing site to see. You can see from the pics that we really had an incredible day. At the end of the best birding tour of my life, Berny took us for an authentic Costa Rican meal and I can honestly say it was the most delicious meal I had the entire trip and I did eat at some fantastic places. After the tour, we booked Berny for a private tour of Manuel Antonio. When you are with Berny, you really feel like you are with the best and you will get too see the most during your time with him. Definitely request him if you can.

Great Bird Tour

This was such a great tour! I was picked up from my Airbnb and had a private tour and got some amazing videos and pictures of the most amazing and beautiful birds. The guide was super friendly and knowledgeable and I would highly recommend it.

Absolutely Amazing Experience

An absolutely amazing experience with a guide who caters to every experience level. I am an outdoor enthusiast and educator and I could not have been more pleased with our tour. Andres was our guide & not only was he enthusiastic but extraordinarily experienced. Sharing such a wealth of information about what we saw and heard through the tour. Carlos, our driver, was also a birder and spotted several birds while we drove to and from the tour itself. This was absolutely the top experience I've had with tours in Costa Rica.

Amazing birding tour with a really competent and enthusiastic guide (Andres)

Did a local birding tour near our hotel (Parador) on privately maintained land outside the park. Unbelievable assortment of birds, so many that it was often difficult to differentiate the calls in the cacaphony. We are amateur enthusiasts, but it was clear to us that Andres would have been prefect for a beginner or seasoned vet. His love for nature and birds was infectious and kept us motivated for the approximately 4 hour jaunt. Guide had an amazing ear, and was able to spot nearly everything after hearing it call. The trip started a little earlier than others in the area 5:30 am, but I’m convinced the early start time was worth it. It’s also cooler and more comfortable. Would have been five stars, but it took a few days to get out bird list. Guide told us don’t worry about writing everything down, he was keeping track. But it took about 4 days to get the list, which was a little disappointing because we didn’t have the list with us for the majority of the rest of our trip. That being said, the tour was very apologetic and I actually believe the delay was caused by how busy they were at that time of year. Would 100% recommend. Was the highlight of our trip alongside white water rafting.

Great birdwatching with Berny

Berny Sanchez was our tour guide, filling in for a friend. He was excellent - young, enthusiastic, with a trained ear for birdsong (& frog song) and an obviously long-developed ability to identify the Costa Rican birds. Unfortunately for us, the rain started halfway through our afternoon tour (he was expecting it, and picked us up a bit early for this reason). Next time I will book the 5 am - with Berny; it will be worth the early rising, I have no doubt. Thanks, Berny!

A wheelchair guided tour through Manuel Antonio

We took a wheelchair tour through the Manuel Antonio Park. Manuel was TERRIFIC! He arranged for the wheelchair and when we got to the park we were let in right away in spite of the crowds. Our guide, Roberto, was excellent. He saw things we never would have found. Can’t thank Manuel enough for giving my husband the opportunity to visit this park. I would recommend this for anyone who has limited ability to walk. Beware, there are some places that you need to get out of the chair to do some walking.

Birding with a supreme expert, don't miss it

This was an incredible experience not only did we see a huge number of birds we were in the company of a guide (Andres) who's expertise was just mind blowing, you just couldn't do better, it was a complete privilege to be able to benefit from his capabilities as a guide, his depth of knowledge and his passion. If seeing a wide range of endemic and migratory birds with an expert who wants more than anything to share his passion would make you happy, just suck up the early start and don't hesitate. Andres even insists you just focus on enjoying the birds and leave the 'list admin' to him and he'll follow up with a complete list of everything you have seen. A joy.

A relaxed and amazing bird outting

A kind, attentive, highly informative guide. Highly recommend if you are a birder. Most knowledgeable ornothologist I've had in 20 years of birding, plus a wonderful sense of humor.

Private Sunrise tour

This tour is so amazing, beautiful birds, great hike and an awesome tour guide with great knowledge. A must do if you want to see the beautiful birds in their natural habitat.

Great tour

非常に良いツアーでした!マヌエルアントニオ国立公園は非常に有名ですが非常に多くの人がいます。このツアーはプライベートに野鳥を観察できます。ガイドは鳥の鳴き声を頼りに野鳳を探してくれ、珍しい野鳥も確認することができました。ぜひ時間を取って参加する価値があります! Very good tour! Manuel Antonio National Park is very famous but very crowded. This tour is a private bird watching experience. The guide searched for birds based on their songs and we were able to identify some rare birds. It's definitely worth taking the time to join!