Where to go birding in Costa Rica? When planning a birding trip to Costa Rica, essentially, that is the eternal question. It’s a question for any birding trip anywhere but, in Costa Rica’s case, the right answer is compounded by the best type of quandary. Irony tastes great when there are too many good birding spots to choose from.
Costa Rica has so many birding hotspots in such a small area, it’s sort of like the whole country is a hotspot. Seriously. You don’t have to move far to run into quetzal territory, tanager flocks, and getting buzzed by Fiery-throated Hummingbirds. This close proximity of hotspots is reflected by the odd lists of potential species generated by eBird; tinamous and other rainforest birds appear as possibilities for San Jose because they occur just on the other side of the mountains.
Even so, no matter how small Costa Rica is, no matter how many rainforest birds live just 20 minutes from my house as the frigatebird flies, it’s still worth knowing where they can be accessed. Despite recent, localized reforestation, Costa Rica continues to be fairly deforested, at least along many roadsides. It’s worth knowing where you can go birding in Costa Rica and what the visit entails. In other words; the sites where you are better off spending your birding time.
Two of many such possible sites are El Copal and Hotel Quelitales. Located in or near the Orosi Valley, both sites are rather close to each other and both are also fantastic sites with a wealth of uncommon, “quality” species. Should you visit one or the other or both? Read on to find out.
Accommodation at El Copal compared to Quelitales
If anything, this is probably the biggest concrete difference. El Copal is pretty rustic while Quelitales is absolutely comfortable. If you don’t like staying in a cabin-like room with minimal (or no) amenities, do not stay the night at El Copal. You might also have to share a bathroom in this fairly remote, basic site. The food is also basic but still good and if you don’t mind forgoing some comfort, you won’t mind staying overnight at El Copal.
Hotel Quelitales is pretty much the opposite. Rooms are in beautiful, very cozy and clean bungalows. It’s the sort of place that one enters and doesn’t want to leave, especially when you also enjoy excellent cuisine and delicious, bird friendly coffee from Cafe Cristina.
Both sites also have great, friendly service and staff who will do what they can to accommodate you. Needless to say, Quelitales costs more but the value of the accommodation, service, cuisine, and birding is excellent.
Access
A birding site might look next door on a satellite map but ground logistics are always another matter, especially in tectonically rearranged Costa Rica. Look on a map and we see El Copal sort of next to Tapanti National Park and, it sort of is. However, you can’t get there from Tapanti. Maybe some day but, don’t count on that bit of road going over the mountains being passable any time soon.
Hey, it might happen but, in the meantime, you’ll need to take the longer route, one that goes around the base of a low mountain. That translates to an hour’s drive or so from Orosi or, probably two and a half hours from the San Jose area (sans traffic). There are also a few spots that typically require high clearance and/or four wheel drive. Most days, a two wheel drive could also probably make it but I wouldn’t count on it.
Hotel Quelitales is more accessible and a bit closer to San Jose but the final stretch of the road in can be a bit tricky. Two-wheel drive will make it but a four-wheel drive vehicle will still be easier.
As far as birding on site goes, both offer great birding at or close to rooms while Quelitales also has a hide for photographers. Both also have moderately rough trails that can be steep and slippery in some places, the one at Quelitales being more difficult (if you want to reach the upper part of the trail).
Birding Information/ Local Gen
In this respect, both sites are about the same in having on-site birders happy to tell you where they see whatever species and how often they see them. You’ll get the best in up to date gen; on a recent visit, Beto at El Copal told me exactly where he had been seeing Ochre-breasted Antpitta, quail-doves, and other tough birds while Quelitales owner Jose did the same while also checking Crested Owl roosts and giving us other tips. We couldn’t have asked for more at either site!
El Copal is foothills, Quelitales is middle elevations
Accommodation and price aside, this is the main difference between this pair of fantastic birding hotspots. One is more in the foothill zone and the other is a bit higher in elevation. In other words, El Copal is slightly warmer but still cool at night and offers a chance at more foothill species. On the other side of the coin, Quelitales is cooler overall, especially at night, and has more middle elevation species.
Key species at El Copal
Among the hundreds of species possible at El Copal, some of the stand outs not generally seen at Quelitales include Snowcap, Tawny-chested Flycatcher, White-crowned Manakin, Black-capped Antthrush, Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Ashy-throated Chloropsingus, Blue-and-gold Tanager and some other tanagers, antbirds, Yellow-eared Toucanet, and Lattice-tailed Trogon.
Key species at Hotel Quelitales
Quelitales also has a fantastic list, including these gems not often seen at El Copal or, much easier to see at Quelitales: Sunbittern, Crested Owl, Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountain-gem, Green-fronted Lancebill, White-eared Ground-sparrow, Sooty-faced Finch, Black-breasted Wood-Quail, and Rufous-breasted Antthrush.
Some cool species shared by each site
Quality birds at both sites include Bicolored Hawk and other raptors, Ochre-breasted Antpitta (still not easy), Sharpbill (rare), White-winged Tanager, Violet Sabrewing, Middle American Leaftosser, Zeledon’s Antbird and much more.
Which place to choose? Your answer depends on budget, availability, and how you like your accommodation but “both” would be a good bet especially since you can visit El Copal as a day trip from Quelitales (many guests do this). I will say that Quelitales is certainly a better place to base yourself for birding as it is closer to various other sites in the area including Irazu Volcano, Rio Macho, and Tapanti.
To further complicate the good birding matter, these sites are also near other excellent birding destinations; Rancho Naturalista, La Marta, and Vista de Aves! To learn more about these and decide which of the other hundreds of birding sites in Costa Rica are worth your while, you’ll find answers in “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to see you here!