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Home / costa-rica / savegre

Highland cloud forest · Costa Rica

savegre

The Talamanca highlands — the most reliable place on earth to see the resplendent quetzal.

Getting there

~3 hr from San José, high in the Talamanca mountains

Best for

Resplendent quetzal, highland hummingbirds, oak cloud forest, trout streams, endemic birds

The land

A high oak-forest valley in the Talamanca mountains

Good to know

Savegre is famous as the most dependable quetzal site anywhere

What it is

The Savegre Valley, high in the Talamanca mountains, is the world's most reliable place to see the resplendent quetzal.

A cool, high valley of oak cloud forest and trout streams, Savegre is legendary among birders as the surest place to find the resplendent quetzal, especially when the wild avocados fruit. Its feeders draw highland endemics — fiery-throated hummingbirds, flowerpiercers and the black guan — in crisp mountain air.

The reason to come

Quetzal country

Savegre is the quetzal capital, with rich highland endemics besides.

The resplendent quetzal

The most reliable quetzal viewing anywhere, with local guides.

Highland hummingbirds

Fiery-throated hummingbirds and endemics at the feeders.

Oak cloud forest

Trails and trout streams in cool mountain forest.

Worth knowing

The quetzal's stronghold

No bird in the Americas is more sought-after than the quetzal — and Savegre is the surest place to find it.

A resplendent quetzal in the Savegre oak forest.

When to come — honestly

A highland quetzal base.

December – April

Best

The dry season — comfortable trails and active quetzals.

February – May

Best

Quetzal breeding season, when sightings peak.

Year-round

Good

Quetzals are resident; the wild-avocado fruiting boosts sightings.

It is cool and can be misty at altitude; early mornings give the best quetzal chances.

Context

The highland jewel

Savegre is the highland heart of any birding trip — the quetzal capital of the world.

It pairs with the cloud forests of Monteverde and the lowlands below.

We base Savegre for the quetzal, with dawn outings and the local guides who know the territories.

Beyond the obvious

More to Savegre Valley.

Quetzal search

Dawn outings with local guides.

Hummingbird feeders

Highland endemics up close.

Cloud-forest trails

Oak forest and trout streams.

Why Wild Voyager

We pack the wildlife in.

Costa Rica's habitats sit close together but each needs the right base and guide. We sequence them so you see the most — quetzals, macaws, tapirs — with no wasted miles.

Handpicked lodges

We choose the lodge and guides that fit your goals, not whatever is left.

We time it right

We build your visit around the season and the wildlife that delivers.

Journeys

Trips through savegre

8 Days · 7 Nights

photography-expedition

Where to stay

Where you’ll stay in savegre

Classic Collection

PhotoParaíso del Quetzal

Classic

Paraíso del Quetzal

A rustic highland lodge built around reliable quetzal viewing and feeders.

Wildlife you may see

Birds

Plan your Savegre Valley trip.

Find the resplendent quetzal in the highland forest. Tell us your dates and we will build the route around it.

Plan a Savegre Valley trip

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season