From thousands of hawks in the sky, to bustling tree frogs awaiting the rain.
May is a spectacular time to visit Costa Rica, with the spring raptor migration coming to an end and the sprinklings of the rainy season beginning. All the different types of animals that call Costa Rica home come out. An ideal time to see all manner of bird, reptile, amphibian and mammal diversity. If you have a lifer list, we can promise you will add over 200+ species easily.
Photographed by Nicholas Hess
Photographed by Marvin Biedermann
Photographed by Luke Griffiths
Photographed by Nicholas Hess
The Itinerary
Dates: May 2nd - 11th 2026
Price: £3500
Slots Available: 10
What's Included:
- Accommodation
- In-country Transport
- Food (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Professional Guiding by Wildlife Biologists
- Workshops
- Reserve Entry fee's
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Not Included:
- Flights
- Insurance
Make sure to let us know what specific destination expedition you are interested in on the contact form. Specify '2-11th May 2026'
Each day will be filled with a variety of different activities from birdwatching in the early mornings to night walks in the evenings. We will have workshops throughout the trip for people to pick up new skills whilst out in the field.
Day 1 - Arrive in San Jose and depart to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui.
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Day 2/3/4 - Staying at the Refugio Lapa Verde research base in Sarapiqui. Chance to see the end of the raptor migration and great diversity of wildlife in the Caribbean lowlands.
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Day 5 - Leave Sarapiqui and head to the Dota Valley, for target bird species.
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Day 6 - Leave the Dota Valley and head to San Gerardo de Rivas, in the Talamanca Mountain Range.
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Day 7/8 - Staying at the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, a great chance to see some higher elevation species and explore the montane cloud forests of this region.
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Day 9 - Leave Cloudbridge and head down to Uvita on the Pacific Coast.
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Day 10 - Leave Uvita and head back to San Jose.
Highlights
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A chance to explore different biomes; Caribbean lowland, Pacific Coast, Montane Cloud forest and more.
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A high chance of seeing some rare species such as the critically endangered Great Green Macaw, Variable Harlequin toad and many more.
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The chance to visit and explore research bases on the frontlines of conservation. A chance to see & learn about the amazing work they are doing.
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​A variety of workshops will be available, with some hands on learning in the field for those interested.​
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Witness the end of the spring hawk migration, thousands of predatory birds in the sky at once. You'll even get to learn about it from the experts.
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All of our expeditions are designed to ensure you get the best wildlife experience possible, we do this whilst also considering the welfare of the animals we see.
All expeditions led by ARK support our in-country partners, so by going on this wild tour you'll be supporting conservation efforts in Costa Rica.
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Curious as to what wildlife you might see?
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You can check out the ARK Expeditions iNaturalist project, you'll be able to see what previous clients & our guides have seen in locations you'll be visiting. Just click the button below.
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If you have any species specific questions, please reach out we are more than happy to help.