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Tour to Cano Negro

The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge and the Rio Frio are biological humid areas considered to be one of the richest in biological diversity in Costa Rica. Here you can find a great variety of resident and migratory birds plus three different species of monkeys, also iguanas, sloth, turtles and caimans.

The tour starts at 7: 30 a.m. from the Arenal Volcano area when we pick up all Nature Lovers from their hotels in a very comfortable bus for the 1-½ hour Transfer to Los Chiles, a culturally mixed village only 4-km from the Nicaraguan border. Here your boat waits for your river adventure, at that time we begin our 4-hour floating safari through Tropical Rain Forest and pastures until we arrive at the marsh.  An experienced English - Spanish speaking guide leads the tour. We bring you back at your hotel at 4h30 pm.

Some birds are residents in the area and it is possible to see hundreds of them especially during the dry season.  Some of them are Anhinga or Snake - bird (Anhinga anhinga), Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja), it is possible to see little groups of this bird eating in the surroundings of the river.  Wood Storks (Mycteria americana), the Jabirus (Jabiru mycteria), the largest bird in Central America and very endangered.  Also the Olivaceous Cormorant (Palacrocorax olivaceus), that makes its nest in the area, it is also the most popular bird in the refuge.  Caño Negro has the largest colony of cormorants in Costa Rica.
Along the river we can see howler monkeys (Alouata palliata), spider monkeys (Ateles geoffrogi), white-faced monkeys (Cebus capuccinus), also the three-toed sloth (Bradipus variegatus) and some reptiles like caimans (Caiman crocodilos), Jesus Christ lizard (Basiliscus basiliscus) and turtles.
The Cano Negro Arenal Tour includes a home made box lunch, regional fruits, canned drinks, natural juices, beers, bottled water and cookies.  All this is served in the surroundings of this green country side.  Don’t forget to bring light clothing, camera, binoculars, sun cream and insect repellent

Bird watching:
During the summer green season water from the mountains is plentiful and the Rio Frio overflows its banks at Cano Negro. The entire reserve turns into a shallow lake that serves as a wintering site for migrant American birds. During the winter dry season from November until April, the water level is continually falling, and by the beginning of the summer, all that is left is the main channel of the Rio Frio. Among the many birds usually present in the winter are: Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, Anhinga, American Widgeon, Northern Shoveler, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Snail Kite, Green Backed Heron, and Blue-winged Teal. This is one of the best places to see the Nicaraguan Grackle, whose only Costa Rican habitat is Cano Negro and other marshy areas just south of Lake Nicaragua.
Wildlife: A boat ride down the Rio Frio is also an excellent opportunity to spot any or all of three species of monkeys, and hundreds of amphibians and reptiles that frequent the banks.    aerial photo: Raul Cole

An area of lakes and swampy land formed form alluvial sedimentation make up this wildlife refuge, which has been included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. The seasonal lake of Caño Negro, some 800 ha in area and 3 m deep, is a damned part of the Frío River. In the dry season, between February and May, the lake almost completely disappears.The birdlife is rich and varied. Some of the most abundant or noteworthy aquatic birds are: anhinga, roseate spoonbill, white ibis, jacana, woodstork, black-bellied tree duck and the jabiru. You are mostly to see caymans, howler and white-throated capuchin monkeys, sloths, green basilisk, fresh water turtles, iguanas and others

Although the name of the tour is origined from the Wildlife Refuge which encompasses the lagoon, this boat tour is entirely done in the Frio River ( Río Frío ). Although the vegetation is a gallery forest found mostly on the river edges you can see a great variety of fauna during the boat ride. Recommended specially for people who have not being in Tortuguero. It is not easy to take pictures of the wildlife without a powerful zoom in you camera.

Lunch is included.

Warm weather.

Please bring sunscreen, binoculars, cameras, raingear. There is no walking involved so you can bring just comfortable shoes. For good pictures is definitely neccesary a powerful zoom.