This blog may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy for more info.
Looking to go bird-watching in Jaco?
It may be known as a party town, but we lived in Jaco for a while, so trust us when we say that there are plenty of fantastic opportunities to go bird-watching. We’ve also learned that it’s definitely better to go with a guide because you’ll spot far more birds this way. It’s not every day that you get to go bird-watching in Costa Rica, so do it right!
Don’t worry about navigating or bringing your own binoculars, because we’ve got 3 incredible tours for you. If you’re looking to go beyond the beaches and bars, then booking one of these tours is a must.
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our personal FAVORITE tour is this small group bird-watching tour in Carara National Park! With the keen eye of our expert guide, we saw the rare scarlet macaws and other wildlife over 3 hours of jungle exploring.
Check all the 5-star reviews and book this tour here!
Tip: This is a popular tour, so reserve it early to guarantee your spot with free cancellation!
1. Small Group Guided Tour of Carara National Park
- Price: $45 USD
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Time: 8 – 10 am
- Highlights: Scarlet macaws, lots of wildlife, guided walk through the rainforest
- Inclusions: Naturalist guide, telescope, national park entry fee
- Pickup from: Self-drive
- Rating: 5 Stars (check 100+ reviews here!)
- Free cancellation: Yes
Carara National Park has the best wildlife within easy reach of Jaco, so don’t miss the chance to explore on this guided tour. It’s great for those who already have their own wheels in Jaco but are looking to learn a lot about the park and its wildlife.
What we love about this tour is that, although the focus is birds, you get to see so much more! Our guide, Giovana, was so lovely and taught us lots about all of the creatures we saw, including poison dart frogs, tarantulas, and white-faced monkeys.
Gioavana also took us to crocodile bridge – eek! – and we learned about how the birds play a crucial part in the rainforest ecosystem, which was so interesting. This is also a small group tour with a maximum group size of 10, although if you book during the off-season you may end up landing a private experience.
The highlight, though, was getting to see the stunning scarlet macaws. Scarlet macaws have made a comeback in recent years but are still quite rare to spot. However, Carara National Park happens to have one of the country’s largest populations of these beautiful birds. So if you want the best chance of spotting this iconic bird, make sure to book this tour before it sells out!
Book this top-rated tour here and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before you go.
Related Read: You’ll see the crocodile bridge on this tour – check out our guide to visiting the crocodile bridge here so you have all the details!
2. Private Jaco Bird-watching and Photography Tour in Carara National Park
- Price: $102 USD
- Duration: 3 hours
- Time: 6:30 am
- Highlights: Private tour, knowledgeable guide, photography instruction, spotting tons of birds and other wildlife
- Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, private guide, national park entry fee
- Pickup from: Jaco
- Rating: 5 Stars (check 45+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
If we had to describe this private tour in one word, it would be “wow!”
Costa Ricans are known for their warm and friendly nature, but Sergio takes tour guiding to the next level. He’s absolutely lovely, and his knowledge of wildlife would put most professors to shame! Not only does he have an incredible talent for spotting wildlife, but his photography instruction also makes this tour well worth the money. So if you want to learn how to capture next-level wildlife photos, do not hesitate to book this tour!
From the iconic scarlet macaws and jewel-colored motmots to toucans and dancing manakins, this tour is like a one-stop shop for Costa Rica’s best bird life. Sergio knows all of the best hidden spots in Carara National Park, that tourists and even most locals usually miss.
Honestly, I think you’d be very hard-pressed to ever see more birds on this tour with Sergio! We’re blown away by how fantastic this experience is, and you don’t need to take our word for it either. The tour has tons of 5-star reviews, many of which mention that they plan on booking tours with Sergio again. So make sure that you snag your spot before someone else does!
Check out the dozens of 5-star reviews and reserve this tour in advance here.
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
3. Carara National Park Bird-Watching Tour
- Price: $31 – $52 USD
- Duration: 3 – 5 hours
- Time: Between 6 am and 4 pm
- Highlights: Scarlet macaws, toucans, lots of animals, guided hike, option to extend the experience by 2 hours
- Inclusions: Expert guide, use of guide’s telescope, photos taken for you
- Pickup from: Self-drive
- Rating: 4.5 Stars (check 30+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
Watch out, budget travelers, because this bird-watching tour cannot be beaten in terms of price!
This guided tour of Carara National Park can either be done as a group tour or turned into an affordable private tour. Either way, we highly recommend this one for budget travelers. It offers unbeatable value without compromising on quality – what more could you ask for?
Our guide, Mauricio, was so kind to us and his passion for birds was infectious. We loved hiking in the park with him, and he made sure to keep the pace at a level that all of the participants in our group were comfortable with. For that reason, we think that this is a great choice for older travelers or families with young kids who might need a more relaxed pace.
Of course, we saw tons of birds, from colorful parrots and toucans to cute little antbirds. Bird life was the focus of the tour and Mauricio took some fantastic photos for everyone using his telescope. However, he also helped us to spot plenty of other creatures. We saw capuchin monkeys, poison dart frogs, and even a viper, so booking this tour is a real must for wildlife lovers.
This tour is such a great deal at just $31 USD for the group option, so don’t wait too long to book or all of the spots might get snapped up by fellow budget-savvy travelers. It’s honestly a steal for such an epic adventure in one of Costa Rica’s best birding areas. And if you’d like to add on another 2-hour adventure spotting crocodiles along the Tarcoles River, Mauricio can also arrange that for you!
Check availability and book this tour with FREE cancellation options here!
Other Things to do While You’re in Jaco
Jaco is such a fun destination, so be sure to do more than just bird-watching while you’re here. Below are a few of the best things to see and do in Jaco:
- Go ATVing – ATV tours in Jaco are extremely popular, and for good reason! This two-hour ATV tour starts with a drive out of the city and into rugged mountain terrain, through knee-deep water, past a small waterfall, and then ends with a stop to appreciate the panoramic view. It is also a steal at only $75 USD!
- Surf – Jaco is the perfect place to ride a few waves in Costa Rica! You can easily rent a board in town and go out on your own, or choose to join a surf lesson like this one! It is a two-hour lesson that’ll have you standing up on the board in no time.
- Go ziplining – Zipline tours in Jaco are extremely popular, and for good reason! This two-hour zipline tour starts with a long-long tram ride up above the jungle. Your guides will help you spot wildlife on the way! Then, it’s time to zipline back down over 10 different cables.
- Eat incredible food – There are some really tasty restaurants in Jaco that you don’t want to miss! For a HUGE burger, be sure to head to Ridiculous Burgers. For a seaside meal, check out El Point. They offer a huge menu and everything we tried there was delicious (we have eaten there several times), and the ocean views and tasty cocktails are a bonus!
- Day trip to Tortuga Island – Tortuga Island is one of the most beautiful places to visit! A day tour from Jaco is one of the easiest ways to experience this beauty for yourself. This particular tour from Jaco includes transport with a stop at the Tarcoles River to see the crocodiles. Then it’s off to catch your speed boat to Tortuga Island where you will eat lunch, enjoy drinks, and do plenty of snorkeling and relaxing on the beach.
Where to Stay in Jaco, Costa Rica
As you can imagine, Jaco is a tourist city filled with beautiful hotels, holiday apartments, and even backpacker hostels. In fact, the hardest part about finding a great place to stay in Jaco is choosing from all the options – trust me, I’ve been there before!
Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort – $$$
Luxury travelers have tons of great options depending on what you’re looking for. If you don’t mind staying out of town, Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort is beautiful. This beachside resort is like something out of a fairytale.
Located on Herradura Beach, the resort grounds include a huge pool, restaurant, fitness center, and spa. Room rates begin at $269 USD/night. You can check availability and book a room here on Booking.com.
Apartotel Flamboyant – $$
If your backpacking days are over and you can spend a little more, Apartotel Flamboyant is a top choice in the medium budget range. The hotel is centrally located, and you can see the beach from the pool. The rooms are a more typical Costa Rica design, but it’s one of the best for location and amenities.
All of the rooms have a private bathroom, and the property’s gardens are beautiful. Rates for a room begin at $100 USD/night. You can check availability and book a room online here on Booking.com.
Room2Board Hostel – $
For budget travelers and backpackers, I love Room2Board Hostel. The hostel is on the pricier side of budget hostels, but it has a beautiful pool, surf camp, yoga, and modern facilities. The atmosphere is also great for meeting other travelers.
Rates for beds in a dorm begin at $18 USD/night, and rates for private rooms with private bathrooms begin at $70 USD/night. You can book Room2Board here on HostelWorld or here on Booking.com.
For more info, check out our where to stay in Jaco guide.
Getting Around Costa Rica
How you choose to get around Costa Rica is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your holiday here! How you do it depends on your budget, travel style, and comfort level.
Renting a Car
Without a doubt, the number one way to explore Costa Rica is in a rental car. We book rental cars on the Discover Cars website as we have had good experiences with them in the past.
One of the things you need to watch for when renting a car in Costa Rica is the mandatory insurance that the government requires you to have. There are a lot of very cheap rentals that don’t include this mandatory insurance (TPL) in the original booking price, but there are also ones that do. To avoid additional surprise charges when you pick up your rental car, be sure to rent a car that includes the mandatory insurance when you book.
Thankfully, on Discover Cars it’s easy to tell apart the companies that include the mandatory insurance and those that don’t. The trick is you can’t pick any car on their website. In the picture below, you can see this rental car, with pick up in Jaco, includes the TPL. That means the mandatory insurance is included in the price. Any cover you get above that is extra.
Of course, I still suggest getting the full coverage offered by Discover Cars, which covers you even more.
You can browse cars on Discover Cars here.
Book Shuttles
If renting a car isn’t in your budget, you don’t feel comfortable driving in Costa Rica, or you just don’t like driving, shuttles are the next best option. There are hundreds of shuttle routes available all over the country, and they are very affordable.
Shuttles in Costa Rica are specifically for tourists and often include pick up and drop off at your selected hotels and airports. The drivers also speak some English, and the vehicles have air conditioning. You’ll also be guaranteed a seat when you book a shuttle (which isn’t the case with the public bus system.)
To get the best price, use the website Bookaway. They compare all the offers and prices of shuttle companies in Costa Rica so you get the best price! Honestly, we have saved so much money using Bookaway!
You can search for shuttles online on Bookaway here.
Public Bus
Lastly, you can use the public bus system. On short journeys, such as from San Jose to La Fortuna or Uvita to Manuel Antonio, this system is great. However, the longer the journey the more hassle and time spent on a bus. It’s undoubtedly best to save the public bus in Costa Rica for short and straightforward trips!
The public buses are definitely the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica, but they are not always very reliable and schedules often change without notice and delays are to be expected. The buses can also be very crowded and hot – so just be prepared!
It’s also good to speak some Spanish if you plan on riding the public bus since most drivers and ticket booth operators don’t speak English.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind.
Pura Vida!
Bird-watching is one of the most iconic Costa Rica experiences you can have! We were blown away by the amount of wildlife we saw, all thanks to our expert guide. Regardless of which tour you choose, I know you’ll have a memorable bird-watching experience!
Be sure to check out our other blogs about Costa Rica as you plan your travels! After living here and traveling all over the country, we’ve put together quite a collection of travel tips and resources. Here are a few blogs to get you started:
3 Best Whitewater Rafting Tours in Manuel Antonio
15 BEST Jaco Tours & Excursions in Jaco
15 Things to KNOW Before Visiting Tortuga Island, Costa Rica