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Home  /  Costa Rica  /  Carara National Park
Scarlet macaw forest · Costa Rica

Carara National Park

Pacific transition forest and the country's best scarlet macaws — a riot of red, blue and gold.
Getting there
~1.5 hr from San José, on the central Pacific coast
Best for
Scarlet macaws, transition forest, trogons, leaf-cutter ants, lowland birding
The land
A transitional forest between dry north and humid south on the Pacific
Good to know
Carara holds Costa Rica's healthiest scarlet macaw population, seen daily
What it is
Carara is the home of Costa Rica's scarlet macaws — a Pacific transition forest where flocks of red, blue and gold cross the sky.
Where the dry north meets the humid south, Carara National Park shelters the country's strongest population of scarlet macaws, seen and heard daily as they fly between forest and coast. Its trails are rich in trogons, motmots, leaf-cutter ant columns and lowland forest birds.
PhotoCarara National Park — scarlet macaw forest.
The reason to come

Macaw country

Carara is the place for scarlet macaws and rich Pacific-forest birding.

Scarlet macaws

Daily flights of the country's healthiest macaw population.

Transition forest

Trogons, motmots and lowland species on the trails.

Forest floor

Leaf-cutter ant columns and understorey wildlife.

Worth knowing

A sky of macaws

Carara's daily scarlet-macaw flights are among the great wildlife sights of the Pacific coast.
PhotoScarlet macaws over Carara National Park.
When to come — honestly

A year-round macaw forest.

December – April
Best
The dry season — easy trails and very active macaws.
May – November
Good
The green season — lush, with strong birding.
Year-round
Good
Macaws are resident and seen throughout the year.
It is hot and humid on the Pacific lowlands; macaws are most active early and late in the day.
Context

The Pacific forest

Carara delivers the country's best scarlet macaws and rich Pacific-forest birding.

It pairs with the Tárcoles river boat safari next door.

We pair Carara's macaws with the Tárcoles crocodile boat safari, a short distance away.

Beyond the obvious

More to Carara National Park.

PhotoMacaw watching

Macaw watching

Scarlet macaws over the forest.

PhotoForest trails

Forest trails

Trogons and motmots.

PhotoLeaf-cutter ants

Leaf-cutter ants

The forest-floor columns.

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 Carara National Park

14 Days · 13 Nights

Complete Wildlife
Where to stay

Where you’ll stay in Carara National Park

Classic Collection
PhotoVilla Lapas
Classic

Villa Lapas

A rainforest hotel between Carara and the Tárcoles river, central to both.
Wildlife you may see
Birds

Plan your Carara National Park trip.

Watch scarlet macaws in the Pacific forest. Tell us your dates and we will build the route around it.

Plan a Carara National Park trip

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season

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