SAN
GERARDO DE DOTA
Optional trip to Savegre Valley
As a child I remember reading James Hilton's The Lost Horizon
and being enchanted with Shangri-la. Visiting the steeply forested Savegre
Valley wherein lies the remote gathering of buildings known as San Gerardo de
Dota is finding the imaginary paradise on earth, a remote and exotic Shangri-la.
In fact, the valley was only discovered as late as 1952 when a hunting party
came down from the steep mountains known as Cerro de la Muerte. Later, two
from the party, Efraín Chacón
and his brother Federico, settled there and subsequently established Savegre
Hotel de Montaña, the lovely resort where we will have our meals and spend the
evening.
Nowhere
else in our Central America trip are we more likely to find Resplendent Quetzal
than in this valley. Can you imagine a gorgeous green and red trogon with
a white tail including kite-like green streamers that nearly triple its length,
to a full 39 inches! Here they are resident throughout the year, moving up
and down the valley in search of prized avocadoes. Here also will be an
excellent site to find the high altitude birds, such as Sooty and Mountain
robins, Yellow-thighed and Large-footed finches.
Dozens of hummingbirds - Green Violetears, Gray-tailed
Mountain-gems and Scintillant Hummingbirds are common - are drawn to the feeders
within sight of the dining room. They completely ignore photographers
standing only inches away so you can capture some of your best photos ever of
these colorful creatures.
Birds of San
Gerardo de Dota area
| Black Guan |
Spotted-crowned Woodcreeper |
| Spotted Wood-Quail |
Buffy Tuftedcheek |
| Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge |
Lineated Foliage-gleaner |
| Barred Forest Falcon |
Barred Becard |
| Red-tailed Hawk (non-migrant) |
Golden-bellied Flycatcher |
| Band-tailed Pigeon |
Gray-capped Flycatcher |
| Chiriqui Quail-Dove |
Dark Pewee |
| Buff-fronted Quail-Dove |
Black-capped Flycatcher |
| Sulfur-winged Parakeet |
Yellowish Flycatcher |
| Barred Parakeet |
Olive-stripped Flycatcher |
| Bare-shanked Screech-Owl |
Mistletoe Tyrannulet |
| Dusky Nightjar |
Mountain Elaenia |
| Green Violet-ear |
Black-billed
Nightingale-Thrush |
| Green-fronted Lancebill |
Sooty Robin |
| Gray-tailed Mountain-gem |
Black-and-yellow
Silky-flycatcher |
| White-tailed Emerald |
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher |
| Coppery-headed Emerald |
Collared Redstart |
| Volcano Hummingbird |
Golden-browed Chlorophonia |
| Scintillant Hummingbird |
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager |
| Resplendent Quetzal |
Black-thighed Grosbeak |
| Emerald Toucanet |
Large-footed Finch |
| Red-headed Barbet |
Slaty Flowerpiercer |
| Ruddy Treerunner |
Yellow-billed Siskin |
Accommodations
You'll like the ample-sized rooms at Savegre
Hotel with modern amenities.
Great meals, a nice gift shop, and windows that look out
to floral gardens and fountains enhance the beauty and pleasure of your stay.
Package Features
-
access to trails for birding at Savegre
private refuge.
-
birding in Savegre Valley.
-
birding at Cerro de la Muerte.
-
resident bird guides for two half-day
tours.
-
1 night accommodation at Savegre Hotel de
Montaña.
-
3 meals at Savegre Hotel de Montaña.
-
services of caravan birding guide and social director.
-
Package Pricing in 2008
$98 per person (double occupancy), $127 (single
occupancy)
This web site is designed by Bert Frenz.
Copyright © 2006 Bert Frenz. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 16, 2006.