Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park
Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park, La Virgen: Hours, Address, Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park Reviews: 5/5
Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park
Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park
5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Enjoy the world famous Colibrà Experience and Toucan and Frog experience 100% in the wild. No cages and no enclosures. The tour is offered at 8am 10am 1pm and 3pm everyday. Reservation recommended but not required. Tour is also offered during non-scheduled tour hours based on availability. Please email or message via WhatsApp to inquire about tour availability. This BBC Wildlife Magazine and National Geographic published destination offers a 2 hour guided tour by the owners. $40 per person.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
577 reviews
Excellent
534
Very good
34
Average
7
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Oliver L
2 contributions
Couples
Actually, I rarely write reviews, but in this case I like to make an exception: Very interesting project, which is worth every dollar and also flows into the project. The two owners are very friendly and they have realized a dream. With a lot of passion they lead the visitors over their small, renaturalized property. You can see all kinds of animals and plants, I don't want to give too much information, but we saw many birds, toucans, hummingbirds, frogs and much more. If you are in the area, you should definitely plan a visit. The tour is in very small groups, is very personal and you can ask a lot of questions . Thank you Dave & Dave!
Written November 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Oliver thanks for your visit yesterday and for taking the time to write this excellent review! It was a pleasure sharing our reforestation project with the both of you. Simply by visiting you make it possible for us to plant more trees and increase the habitat for the wildlife. We wish the both of you safe travels and a beautiful future together. Muchas gracias from your amigos D&D .
Written November 17, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Chris H
Caceres, Spain2 contributions
I had a tour with Dave Jr in early February 2020. We spent some time in his garden area learning about his reserve and the birds and animals that live there. Great views of many beautiful birds and hummingbird garden really interesting.
We had a walk down to the river and saw Trogons, Poison dart frogs etc in the forest. Cormorants and Egrets along the river.
Dave Jr is someone that genuinely cares about the willdlife and sustainability of nature in Costa Rica, and is eithical in his approach to guiding, which we couldn't say for every guide we met!
Some people have said that 40 dollars is expensive but it is important to remember that these guys turned a barren palm plantation into a thriving tropical habitat, which is now full of animals.. Any contribution to that, from my point of view, is made gladly.
Also note that there is no rush here.. Dave was happy for us to hang around and observe/photograph the birds after the tour had ended. he also keeps the groups small on purpose to maxamise the experience and reduce disturbance to the wildlife.
If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. Highly recommended.
We had a walk down to the river and saw Trogons, Poison dart frogs etc in the forest. Cormorants and Egrets along the river.
Dave Jr is someone that genuinely cares about the willdlife and sustainability of nature in Costa Rica, and is eithical in his approach to guiding, which we couldn't say for every guide we met!
Some people have said that 40 dollars is expensive but it is important to remember that these guys turned a barren palm plantation into a thriving tropical habitat, which is now full of animals.. Any contribution to that, from my point of view, is made gladly.
Also note that there is no rush here.. Dave was happy for us to hang around and observe/photograph the birds after the tour had ended. he also keeps the groups small on purpose to maxamise the experience and reduce disturbance to the wildlife.
If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. Highly recommended.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks so much for this excellent and thorough review. It was a pleasure meeting you and sharing our nature park. Your visit makes it possible for us to continue our reforestation project and increase habitat for the wildlife of Costa Rica. Thank you again for helping us to spread the word. Your amigos D&D.
Written February 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Debora
Vevey, Switzerland1 contribution
Friends
We had an amazing time with Dave & Dave! This is a beautiful project, we can hear how passionate they are to increase wild life. We learned so many things about flora and fauna from David Jr. It was so nice to observe birds and especially colibris, but also green macaws.
Thank you so much for everything! 😊 We will definitely visit you again if we come back to Costa Rica and highly recommend you!
Debora & Tatiana
Thank you so much for everything! 😊 We will definitely visit you again if we come back to Costa Rica and highly recommend you!
Debora & Tatiana
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mis amigas Débora & Tatiana thanks for this excellent review! It was a real pleasure meeting the both of you yesterday afternoon. Thank you for visiting and supporting our project. We truly appreciate you taking the time to help us spread the word. We wish you an enjoyable 15 days in CR and a safe flight home. Your amigos D&D.
Written July 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ingeborg v
7 contributions
Couples
Wonderfully relaxed tour where father and son tell a lot about nature. After many walks, this tour was a relief for us at that time. You can take beautiful pictures of the beautiful birds. They take care of the nature and respect the nature. Keep up the good work!
Written February 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks for this excellent review of our reforestation project. We are excited to read that you thoroughly enjoyed the tempo of the tour and the wonderful wildlife. We wish you safe travels. Your amigos D&D.
Written February 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Alison K
Isle of Arran, UK10 contributions
Couples
We would very highly recommend this superb bird tour. Dave & Dave have created a paradise for a huge variety of birds of which you get a brilliant view from the platforms. Young Dave was our principal guide, and he was amazingly knowledgeable, helpful and extremely friendly and patient. We were worried we would see very little in the heavy rain. However, just before the tour began, the rain magically ceased, and we had perfect conditions. Amongst many other birds, we saw toucans, green honeycreepers, and blue-gray and golden-hooded tanagers. Then we went to the hummingbird area, planted with their favourite flower, the helicona, and we watched, fascinated at their wing control and speed, as they delved into the flowers for nectar and mosquitoes. Dave then took us down the path to the river, showing us the tiny bright red and green poison arrow frogs, a column of hard working leafcutter ants and termite nests hanging in the trees. Howler monkeys swinging through the trees added to the thrill. Apart from the amazing wildlife and the fascinating information we were told, this is a most beautiful place to visit. A brilliant experience!
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! What a wonderful review! We are excited to read that you thoroughly enjoyed the experience and highly recommend it to everyone. The rainy days as you found out are some.of our best bird days. It was a pleasure and a joy to meet and have the opportunity to share our project with you. A sincere thanks from your friends Dave & Dave for supporting our project.
Written February 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
shanfi
Wakefield, UK7 contributions
Couples
My husband and I turned up without a reservation yesterday and thought we’d just missed a tour but Dave Snr came down the path to welcome us and invite us in. Dave was so informative and enthusiastic telling us about his ethos, the flora and fauna and ecology. His knowledge of bird life was fantastic, we got closer than I imagined possible to humming birds, we also saw a large number of other birds including the rarer white collared manakin which we heard before we saw it and the Montezuma with a white beak.
We did not feel rushed or that we were on a strict time deadline and we would definitely suggest to anyone thinking about booking this to just do it; you will be glad you did. Thank you Dave.
We did not feel rushed or that we were on a strict time deadline and we would definitely suggest to anyone thinking about booking this to just do it; you will be glad you did. Thank you Dave.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks for your kind words and for this excellent review! We appreciate your support for our project and are excited to hear you thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you. Safe travels from your friends Dave & Dave.
Written February 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
_r_staveren
Heenvliet, The Netherlands34 contributions
Dave and Dave’s Nature Park is a must visit!. It is well worth the money. We enjoyed our visit so much, that we returned the next day. Father and son are both very friendly, enthusiastic and they have a lot of knowledge of nature and birds and also a lot of respect for nature and birds. They transformed an oil palm plantation into thriving rainforest. It is truly a paradise. Dave Jr. did his utmost to make us as happy as possible and with success. We made great pictures of several birds, such as keel-billed toucan, yellow-throated toucan and collared aracari. We even took pictures of a curious juvenile tayra (mammal) and the great green macaw (endangered). We definitely recommend it. We wouldn’t have missed this. It was the best place we visited during our 20 days round trip through Costa Rica!
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Wow! Thanks for this high praise and excellent recommendation! It was great fun meeting the both of you and watching the beautiful birds fly in. We are glad to hear you completely enjoyed your visit. The baby Tayra and the Keel-billed toucan were the "cherrie on top". Great photos!!
We are happy to hear you made it home safe. We wish you success, safe travels and great health for years to come. A sincere thank you from your amigos D&D.
Written February 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Beryl140
Frimley Green, UK1 contribution
We had a free afternoon during our stay in Serepiqui and visited this wonderful nature park on Christmas day. We were unsurprisingly the only ones there. Dave Sr met us at the gate and guided us to the feeding station and later down through the grounds to the river. He told us about their re-foresting project on this old palm oil plantation and identified the huge variety of birds that came to feed. We saw toucans, many varieties of tanagers and other colourful small birds, a woodpecker, and several types of hummingbirds on the heliconia flowers. We took so many photos as the birds were easily spotted and quite nearby - just great. It was raining on and off but we were sheltered on the covered deck and stayed enthralled until dark.
Finally at the end, in the dark, Dave kindly walked us back to our lodge half a mile up the road. It was magical
Finally at the end, in the dark, Dave kindly walked us back to our lodge half a mile up the road. It was magical
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
"Magical"...what a great way to describe your experience in our park. It was a pleasure meeting the two of you and sharing the park. Simply by visiting you make it possible for us to continue our efforts to educate and excite visitors from around the world about the importance of appreciating nature. Thanks for your kind words and we wish you safe travels. Your amigos D&D.
Written January 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
stephane v
1 contribution
Dave has got a beautiful reserve, with many birds (colibris, toucans etc.) that we could observe very closely. We also saw some frogs (poisonous dart frogs, and two blue jeans). A very nice and peaceful spot to take beautiful pictures. We received a warm welcome from Dave Sr who gave so accurate and interesting explanations. Thank you so much. We spent a wonderful day and highly recommend the visit. It's worth the quite high price which supports the work done in the reserve.
Written July 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
We are excited to read that all of you enjoyed viewing wildlife 100% in the wild here at the park. Thanks for taking the time to recommend a visit to Dave & Dave's to everyone planning a trip to the Arenal and Tortuguero area.
We wish all of you safe travels and an enjoyable rest of your holiday here in CR.
A big thanks from your friends Dave & Dave.
Written August 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbara R
Ocean Pines, MD90 contributions
While on a Photography Tour to Costa Rica, our small group of six spent an entire morning at Dave & Dave's Nature Park clicking away. Young Dave greeted us and had lots of information about the wild birds that flew in from the rainforest to the feeders. Our instructor set up a Multi-Flash and we captured great photos of hummingbirds. I could have spent all day there.
Written May 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbara,
Thanks so much for this excellent review! We are excited to hear you completely enjoyed your visit and could have spent the entire day here. Excellent photos! Thanks for sharing. It was a pleasure meeting you. We appreciate your support.
Stay safe.
Your friends Dave & Dave
Written May 22, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Scott S
4 contributions
We are staying at the vanilla jungle lodge in a few weeks. Can you tell me how far you are from them? We will have our own car.
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Good morning Scott,
Where is this lodge located? The nature park is located in Sarapiquà in the North Eastern lowlands. Traveling from the Juan SantamarÃa Airport it is about a 1 hour and 45 minute drive. You can do a Google Maps search for Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park and this will give you our exact location.
Melissa B
Melbourne, Australia18 contributions
Hi how many species of bird have been spotted at Dave and Dave’s? For the 40 dollar entry fee, can I walk around by myself, at my own pace, taking pictures?
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Good afternoon from paradise. Thanks for this question and for your interest in visiting the park. Our 2 hour guided tour by the owners is ideal for birdwatchers, photographers and everyone interested in nature. We do not offer a self guided option.
Feel free to contact us directly with any other questions you may have via email or telephone.
We look forward to meeting you and sharing the sights and sounds of our Nature Park.
Thanks again for your interest.
-Dave
Jacana54
Shreveport, LA75 contributions
Is transportation available between Timbirina Chocolate tour area and Dave and Dave’s?
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
We are located less than 1/2 a mile from Tirimbina. You can have a local taxi drive you over. The walk is about 15mins. Look for our large blue signs and water fountain.
Dream324026
1 contribution
Hello, we will be staying in the area on May 8th. Is the morning or afternoon better for a tour? Looking forward to visiting! Thank you.
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Hello,
Thanks for your message. The mornings are great as are the afternoons. Please send us an email and we will confirm your reservation. Thanks again for your interest in visiting the park.
volcanogirl
Texas13,436 contributions
Hi, how far are you from Selva Verde Lodge? How much would a taxi cost each way? Thanks!
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Hello. We are just 10 mins from the lodge. A local taxi "pirata" will cost about $7 each way. Check with the lodge reception desk as they take care of arranging transport for the guests. Please make sure to make a reservation when you have selected a day and tour time. Looking forward to your visit.
-Dave
Dave,
Still planning on visiting you starting February 4th along with two other photographers. On your website, you mention a "4 day Wildlife Photography Package". Can you describe what this is and how it differs from spending four consecutive days at your location?
Thanks,
Jeff Johnston
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Greetings from paradise Jeff,
Great to hear you will be visiting us next month. We are looking forward to meeting the three of you. Our 4 day package differs from 4 consecutive days as we include a pizza lunch on each day of your visit. The bird activity has been amazing this month and should be just as great in February. The largest toucans in Costa Rica have been frequenting the nearby trees everyday for the last month and many visitors have taken excellent close up photos of this beautiful bird. The hummingbirds are also incredibly active and perch on the heliconia flowers which we have planted for them. All this makes for some amazing wildlife viewing and photographing. See you soon down here in our tropical paradise.
Lichale
Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile4 contributions
cuanto cuesta la entrada y si se puede llegar en auto particular desde San JOse y cual es la distancia y tiempo que demora desde San JOse, gracias
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Buenos dÃas! Gracias por su interés en visitar Dave & Dave's Nature Park. La entrada cuesta $20 por persona por 1.5 horas. Estamos ubicados en la carretera principal y se puede llegar en auto particular sin ningún problema. Desde San Jose se dura 1 hora y 45 minutos. Aquà te esperamos!
Would you please list some of the closest hotels and/or lodges to your facility?
Thanks.
Jeff Johnston
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Good morning from paradise Jeff,
There is another hotel named La Quinta Lodge. There is public transport via local bus from Selva Verde Lodge. Tirimbina is withing walking distance. Transport from La Quinta is best via taxi.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Hope to see you out here soon!
Best,
Dave
Charlie D
Atenas, Costa Rica462 contributions
Is there a hotel/lodge adjacent or near Nature Pavilion?
David L
La Virgen, Costa Rica22 contributions
Hi Charlie, sorry for the long wait on this response...I just saw your question this morning. There is a lodge just 500 meters from us named Tirimbina. There is also another lodge named Selva Verde Lodge just 10 mins away by car. Hope this helps and hope to see you soon! Best
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park
- Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hotels near Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park:
- (0.31 mi) Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge
- (0.41 mi) Sarapiquis Rainforest Lodge
- (4.97 mi) Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat
- (1.00 mi) Pozo Azul Tent Suites & Ecolodge
- (9.28 mi) Yatama Ecolodge Sarapiqui
- Restaurants near Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park:
- (0.45 mi) Soda El Kora
- (0.67 mi) Restaurante y Cabinas Ranchero
- (0.57 mi) Restaurante Mi Tiquicia
- (0.64 mi) Soda Artesanal AREPAS Mindy
- (0.76 mi) El Tronco