Rancho Naturalista "Home of the Snowcap"

Main building at Rancho

Snowcap

Introduction: Rancho Naturalista is considered to be one of the finest birding lodges in Central America. Rancho is known for its peaceful forest surroundings, comfortable well-kept rooms, excellent meals, family style atmosphere, knowledgeable resident bird guide(s), extensive trail system in pre-montane rainforest, banana and hummingbird feeders for the birds, bird bathing pools, and a bird list for the area of over 400 species, (see checklist). With all of that you can see why it is a favorite destination for birders and wildlife enthusiasts from around the world!

Location: Rancho Naturalista is SE of San Jose, 2 ½ hours by vehicle, (see map). Its location allows for birding day trips into the adjacent lowlands, middle elevations, and highlands thus providing an even greater diversity of habitats and wildlife.

Room Interior

Lounge at Rancho

Accommodations: Rancho Naturalista consists of 15 rooms, five in the main lodge, the other 10 in four cottages of two rooms each. All of the cottages have private bathrooms, two rooms in the main lodge have a shared bathroom, and one has a semi-private bathroom. Several of the rooms come with an amazing view of the valley. All of the rooms are comfortable and well maintained and have hot water. Balanced, nutritious meals are served family style in the dining room in the main lodge. The water at Rancho is safe to drink as well. A computer and internet access is available in the upstairs lobby of the main lodge. Please ask the resident guide for assistance if you need to check emails etc. International phone service is also available.

Climate: Rancho Naturalista is located at an elevation of 3,000 feet on the Caribbean slope allowing for mild temperatures in the day and perfect sleeping conditions at night. Rain can occur at anytime but it is expected in the afternoons from May through October, with a break sometime in July to mid August.

Rates: Low Season rates are good through Nov, 2008. High season rates are good through Dec, 2008.

Note: These rates include the resident bird guide throughout your stay at Rancho, something not included in the prices of nearly all other lodges. Low Season Rates: May, Jun, Aug- Nov $130.00 per person, per night, double occupancy. High Season Rates: July, Dec-Apr $175.00 per person, per night, double occupancy. Weekly Rates, 7 nights: Rates include weekly discount and one free day trip to alternate site. Low Season Rate for Week Package: $845.00 per person, double occupancy. High Season Rate for Week Package: $1,138.00 per person, double occupancy.

Montezuma Oropendola displaying

Single Supplement: The single supplement of $30 per night for April 16 through December and $50 per night for January through April 15 is waived when singles stay in certain designated rooms, some have private bathrooms, others have shared bathrooms.

Price Includes: Lodging in Lodge or Cottage. 3 delicious meals per nights stay. Coffee, tea, and fruit juice (sodas and alcoholic beverages are extra). Resident bird guide throughout your stay. Horseback riding. Maid service. Birding in nearby Tuis Valley. Birding in nearby Silent Mountain. Shopping in town of Turrialba. Note: Cost of transportation of last 3 activities not included.

Guests enjoying lunch

Other activities or services at an additional cost:

• Transportation to Tuis Valley and/or Silent Mountain.
• Day tour to Tapanti National Park.
• Day tour to Irazu Volcano National Park.
• Day tour to Indian ruins at Guayabo National Monument.
• Visit to Lankester Gardens in Paraiso (can be combined with Irazu or Tapanti).
• Whitewater rafting on the Reventazon or Pacuare Rivers.
• Laundry Service at reasonable rates.

Note: Except for guests staying a week, all birding trips in areas near Rancho and day tours listed under Other Activities will depend on availability of resident bird guide(s) and transport. The Rancho staff will do their best to accommodate you on these activities even without prior notice. Costa Rica Gateway can assist you in making these arrangements in advance to better ensure resident guide and vehicle availability.

Reservations: Rancho Naturalista reservations are made directly through Costa Rica Gateway. Rancho has contracted CRG exclusively for this service and they do not handle reservations directly. CRG does accept bookings from outside agencies. These outside agencies will in turn contact CRG as we organize all of the bookings and collection of funds for Rancho. For this reason and also the fact that CRG is authorized by Rancho to give better group rates, we recommend that you contact us directly.

Birding and Wildlife Attractions/Specialty Birds of Rancho Naturalista