General Tour Information
TRAVEL TO COSTA RICA: WINGS and WorldTravel BTI would be pleased to assist with your travel arrangements to Costa Rica. If we can help, please contact WorldTravel BTI at 800/843-1110 or 520/797-1800. Please identify yourself as a WINGS client when you call.
ENTERING COSTA RICA: U.S. citizens entering by air need a tourist card (issued by your arriving airline) and proof of U.S. citizenship. We suggest bringing a valid U.S. passport. Your passport, as a general rule, should be valid for at least six months after the date the tour ends. Citizens of other countries may need a visa and should check their nearest Costa Rican embassy. If required by the embassy or visa-granting entity, WINGS can provide a letter for you to use regarding your participation in the tour.
COSTA RICA MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: Maps of Costa Rica from the University of Texas series can be found here. To adjust the map size, click on the lower right corner of the map. The U.S. State Department background notes on Costa Rica can be found here.
HEALTH: Medical services are good. Essential medicines are available. Drinking water is purified in San José hotels and restaurants. Costa Rica is an extremely sanitary country and it is our experience that water can be consumed throughout the country without ill effect. Still, we suggest bringing a bottle (or tablets) of Pepto Bismol or some other mild anti-diarrhea medication.
The more serious health hazards — amebic dysentery, malaria and typhoid — are rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mention a risk for malaria in some provinces of Costa Rica but our ground agent assures us that none of the places we visit during our tours have reported cases of the disease, and the reported cases in the country have not been of tourists. The ground agent’s position is that there are unpleasant side effects of the anti-malaria drug, while the chances of getting malaria in Costa Rica are slim. It’s better just to bring (and use liberally) a good insect repellent, and when hiking in the forest, wear light-weight long pants and light-weight long-sleeved shirts. Your best prevention is to avoid being bitten. You can view the CDC’s latest travel advisories here.
PACE OF THE TOUR: All days will begin with early breakfasts, usually around 5:30 a.m. Early mornings beg early bedtimes — most participants opt to turn in right after dinner. People in reasonably fit condition will not find the walking especially rigorous, though people with hip, knee, or balance problems may find parts of the trails difficult. Good footwear is necessary in any event, and for many, a hiking stick may be of great help. At Cerro de la Muerte we’ll walk up and down roads, some steep; at La Cusinga we will mostly be on often narrow trails with roots and rocks to walk over; at Braulio Carrillo National Park the trails can be muddy, eroded and steep and although we do not walk these trails much or at a strenuous pace they can be treacherous in spots. There will be several optional nightbird forays by foot and/or bus. We will be at an elevation of 9,000 ft briefly one day; otherwise our birding will be below 1,000 ft. Because of the the birding and butterflying, we’ll walk slowly.
CLIMATE: : Costa Rica’s climate varies with altitude. We’ll be here at the end of the driest and warmest part of the year, and while rain is unlikely, afternoon thunderstorms or a very late cold front are always a possibility. Temperatures will range from the 50s in the mountains to as high as the upper 90s at lower elevations. San José, at an altitude of 3800 ft., can be cool. Those of you arriving in the evening will want to wear a light sweater. We spend one full day at elevations between 9000-11,000 ft.; temperatures may be cool and mist and/or rain is possible. Some tours experience more rain than others, especially in the eastern lowlands. Note that in the warm, humid lowlands, raincoats may produce as much moisture inside as they protect you from the outside, where an umbrella is a useful birding accessory.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Currently all lodges have private baths with (nearly always) hot water. Bathrooms have tubs or showers or both. In all of our hotels, the tap water is safe to drink. Occasionally, small lizards, amphibians or unusual insects may visit a hotel room.
TRANSPORTATION: We will be traveling by comfortable, air-conditioned minibuses.
SMOKING: We request that you do not smoke in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group, if possible.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the (General Information & Conditions)[/about]. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Costa Rica will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Updated: July 2005