29/10/2022 – 31/10/2023 Chilamate Rainforest Eco Resort
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
Nestled amongst trees at the edge of the forest we found ourselves at our final Costa Rican destination for this trip, Chilamate Rainforest Eco Resort. This family-run sustainable eco-lodge is located just off the highway in Sarapiqui about two hours north of San Jose. It is a private reserve consisting of 20 hectares of rainforest with monkeys, many species each of frogs, birds and insects.
Saturday 29/10/2022
Max elevation: 109 m
Total climbing: 209 m
Total descent: -191 m
Average speed: 4.15 km/h
Total time: 01:46:26
As with most of our previous accommodations, Chilamate Rainforest Eco Resort has plenty of covered outdoor areas providing plenty of fresh air, shade and shelter from the rain. The most significant advantage though was the opportunity to sit around quenching your thirst with a freshly blended, iced Guanoabana (soursop) juice (or other) and watch the wildlife come and go. Here, our prize was multiple sightings of a Rufous Motmot who seemed to fancy this area.
During our three nights stay we were able to get out and complete multiple hikes through the short network of trails. With only two other guests, birders from Texas, we largely had the whole resort and forest to ourselves, occasionally catching them out observing near the lodge.
The trails were basic compared with most of our earlier locations and in places seemed to end or fade away abruptly. It would be a huge challenge to maintain the lodge and trails. The canopy also seemed a little thinner than elsewhere, which allowed more sunlight to reach the forest floor, making it very hot as there was rarely any breeze.
Throughout our stay it was quite dry with barely a drop of rain, we did however, enjoy the slight cooling provided by the regular afternoon cloud buildup. There was also an option for a dip in the Sarapiqui River just in front of the lodge.
William, our guide for our first-night walk, said that the drier than normal conditions had resulted in fewer snakes being about, but did warn us to watch closely where we placed our feet as vipers tended to hide under any loose ground cover.
Forest Racers (Genus Dendrophidion), Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat
Our night hikes were a highlight, as William was able to quickly find lots of subjects to show us, describe and effortlessly answer questions about. It was only the four of us on the tour, so really a private tour for us! His insights were invaluable for our solo night walk the next evening, as he had imparted us with a few new observational skills. It also helped that some of the animals were to be found in the same locations as the previous night, for example, we found four red-eyed green tree frogs in the same location.
During night hours we learned there were plenty of insects and frogs about and they were largely unperturbed by us shining lights on them to view and photograph. Some even adjusted their pose for us to show us their better side. The red-eyed, green frogs, however, didn’t much appreciate the glare of our lights and after about a minute would slowly close their eyes, revealing the most amazing, lattice-like eyelids.
Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat
Daylight hours produced a completely different cast of characters, mostly birds and butterflies with a few mammals and lizards. Amongst others species, we sighted a pair of beautiful Scarlet Crested Macaw flying low in tight formation directly above us with the setting sun illuminating their brilliant colours again a clear blue sky. I couldn’t get my focus to change from its close distance range fast enough to catch them, an epic fail!
Mantled Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliata), Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat
As well as the birds, a troop of howler monkeys made regular visits to a tree near the front gate, here we were able to sit back and watch all their antics. We watched them hanging upside down by their tails collecting tasty treats below, suckling their babies, staring straight at us, climbing with their young on their backs and jumping from tree to tree.
Whilst here, amongst other unidentified species, we saw:
Insects: Water Striders, Postman butterfly, Banded Peacock butterfly, Stick Insect, Millipede, Orbweaver spider, Wolf Spider, Spot-legged Bromeliad Spider, Bullet Ant, Conehead, Hanging-Thieve, Leaf Katydids, Leaf mimic Katydid, Household Cockroach, Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae)
Amphibians: Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog, Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Blue Jean frog), Golden-groined Robber Frog, Drab Tree Frog, Beaked Toad, Fitzinger’s Robber Frog, American Red-eyed Tree Frog, Northern Rainfrog
Reptiles: Green Iguana, Forest Racer snake, Border Anole lizard, Middle American Ameiva lizard, Green Basilisk lizard
Birds: Pale-billed Woodpecker, Olive-backed Euphonia, Boat-billed flycatcher, Summer Tanager, Squirrel Cuckoo, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Black Phoebe, Keel-billed Toucan, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Collared Aracari, Hummingbird, Rufous Motmot, Gartered Trogon, Montezuma oropendola, Craugastor gollmeri, Amazon Kingfisher, Little Blue Heron, Neotropic Cormorant, Spotted Sandpiper, Rufous Motmot, Spotted Sandpiper
Mammals: Mantled Howler Monkey, Squirrel
The resort and staff were wonderful and helpful in pointing out the wildlife when it arrived. There are options for day trips from this accommodation, one being the Poas Azul (blue pool) which all bare Steve visited on the second day. Best not to follow the directions on Google or Waze as we did, instead check with the resort staff as it’s only a 15 to 20-minute drive. Paas Azul is on private property, $US5 to visit and well worth the 1 km walk to a stunning waterfall and huge waterhole that beckons you to have a swim.
Clickable icons on a world map which open the related trip report
A detailed, searchable trip list with links to reports, photo galleries and other content
