Jul 12, 2024
If you want world-class service and the best experience: HIRE ESTEBAN!!! - I asked GOD to see one quetzal at Monteverde; He gave me 8!!! Additionally, He provided Esteban, an exceptional guide.
In THREE hours, despite strong winds, we saw: 6 male quetzals with long and short plumes, 2 female quetzals, toucanets (small toucans), the large, colorful keel-billed toucan mama with her two babies, coatis, capuchin monkeys, motmots, 7 varieties of hummingbirds, a tree porcupine, an agouti eating a baby bird, quail birds, wrens, sparrows, tanagers, yellow-throats, flycatchers, brown jays, black guan, and numerous other bird species whose names I cannot recall.
Esteban is a fantastic guide—great with the scope, patient, and very friendly.
If you want world-class service and the best experience: HIRE ESTEBAN!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 16, 2024
Phenomenal Birding Experience with Esteban!!! - Esteban was an absolute delight. He has so much enthusiasm and is truly so passionate about birds, wildlife, and his hometown of Monteverde. He is the best of the best in his field. He went above and beyond to make the most of our experience. We booked 3 hours with him but went almost 4 to ensure we saw a toucan coming back to feed its babies that were nesting in Curi Cancha. The tips and advice he gave us during our time together was utilized the rest of the trip and really amplified our experience birding in Costa Rica. He even gave us some tips to see the resplendent Quetzal in the cloud forest --- we followed his advice and ended up seeing THREE! This birding tour with Esteban was our favorite part of our trip to Costa Rica, and we'll certainly be looking him up again if we ever come back. 10/10 recommend Esteban if you're in Monteverde!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 3, 2024
Amazing! - My boys and I are still talking about our birding tour months later because of Esteban. My oldest son is 12 and loves bird watching and continues to ask when we can go back to Costa Rica. Esteban took a different unplanned path at the Request of my 9 yr old and we saw a very rare bird, the golden crowned chlorophonia. The binoculars lent to us were amazing as our pair had just broken. Esteban is kind, attentive and very knowledgeable and full of energy. He had so much excitement with every bird we saw which was around 46. After the tour, he sent us photos he captured and also a link that listed every bird we saw. He also used a speaker and bird calling app that brought the squirrel cuckoo to us. He even arranged a last minute night walk tour with another guide he recommended and we were not disappointed. Highly recommend Esteban! Thank you for an unforgettable first time bird watching experience!
Review provided by Viator
May 29, 2024
Great guide, great park, highly recommended - We loved our bird tour with Esteban, he was very knowledgeable and knew the park very well. This was our first visit to the area and we felt that while Monteverde reserve was beautiful also, Curi Cancha had more species in a smaller area. Bird list was 58 for the day.
Review provided by Viator
May 13, 2024
Fantastic birding experience, incredibly knowledgeable guide who helped us see many new birds - We had an incredible time birding with Esteban around Curi Cancha. Across the morning we saw over 70 species with more than half being brand new birds to us. Esteban was hugely knowledgeable, and fantastic at spotting birds. We loved his enthusiasm and passion, as well as his tenacity when certain birds were difficult to see! Some of our highlights included excellent clear sightings of the streak-breasted treehunter, long-tailed manakin, silver throated tanager, rufous browed pepper shrike, and the scarlet thighed dacnis. We also got a fleeting glimpse of an azure hooded jay, a very interesting bird!
As we had been in Sarapiqui and seen many birds there, Esteban was good at tailoring the walk to see more birds we might not have seen there. He was also an expert on hummingbirds and we enjoyed being able to identify a number of new ones to us and even get them in the scope to see the beautiful colours.
He spoke perfect English, was a clear communicator on Whatsapp and picked us up from our hotel in Santa Elena. A perfect person to bird with if you are in the Monteverde area!
Thanks so much - Joe & Heidi
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 11, 2024
Outstanding! - What an excellent tour! We were impressed with his encyclopedic knowledge, and we learned so much. Our favorite sightings included keel-billed toucans and mottled owls.
Review provided by Viator
Mar 16, 2024
Esteban is the best birding guide in Monteverde and possibly Costa Rica! - We would highly recommend the birding tour with Esteban. He was fantastic. He picked us up at our hotel and took us to Curicancha around 6 AM (make sure to bring your passport and $20/pp entry fee). Esteban is an expert birding guide, friendly and accomodating. We saw 71 bird species in 4 hours including 3 male and 1 female Resplendent Quetzal, Keel-billed Toucans, Guans to name a few. A must do for those birding in Monteverde!
Review provided by Viator
Mar 13, 2024
Wonderful experience and highly recommended - Wonderful experience. Esteban is so knowledgeable about the birds. We leant a lot from him. He is also a good communicator and sent the reminder 2 days before the trip. He tells good stories too.
Review provided by Viator
Mar 9, 2024
Amazing experience - Esteban was a 10/10 guide! We're not birders ourselves but his passion for birding was infectious and always had us excited for the next sighting. We saw tons of species, even a male and female Quetzal! He is incredibly talented and his knowledge was truly impressive. It was wonderful learning about all the different species here in Monteverde, and just hearing stories from his personal experience.
He seriously was the best guide we had in all of Costa Rica, we highly recommend!!
Review provided by Viator
Feb 19, 2024
This is it! - Esteban is very knowledgeable and passionate about birdwatching, he is definitely the one you need to get your dosage of wildlife in Monte Verde! overall an amazing guide!
Review provided by Viator