Mi Pedacito de Cielo (1 Viewer)

[Les Shulman]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of Mi Pedacito de Cielo?
Along with Laguna del Lagarto and Maquenque Eco-Lodge it is on the Costa Rican Birding Route and is located near Boca Tapada close to the Nicaraguan border.

Their room, guided tours (primarily Spanish speaking) and transfer rates are more than reasonable and the food is supposed to be excellent.
There aren't many posts on ebird but what is there looks encouraging.
The best birding information I could find out about the lodge is that their Christmas Bird Counts have been very similar to those of Laguna and Maquenque-there seems to be a birdy access road, good trails on their reserve which is two kilometers from the lodge, an accessible laguna, and feeders that attract an array of birds while providing good photo opportunities.

I was hoping if anyone could provide further feedback, especially about the birding and what may or may not (Agami heron, green ibis, great curassows, King vultures?) be seen there.

Thanks,
Les

 

[ebwilderae]

Hi Les,

My wife and I stayed there one night last month while birding at nearby (2 km) Laguna del Lagarta. The cabins overlook the river and are very well done. Alas we joined our new friends at L d L for 2 nights and while their company was great, the food and lodging were a real let-down. Both places have feeders and we were quoted $85/night double with breakfast for both. I did not bird their nearby bosque but the entire area is great. Despite having 14 good sets of eyes no Agami's, Green Ibis, Currasow were seen but we had great looks at King Vultures from the dining porch at L d L along with fly-overs of Great Green McCaw which were spectacular. You could always go over there for a meal to bird. The food at MPdC is fabulous! Hope this helps.

 

[Les Shulman]

Thanks Mike for the most helpful feedback.

For a two week stay at Mi Pedacito de Cielo I was quoted a non-rack reduced price for a bungalow for a single with breakfast and dinner that was $21 per day less than Laguna del Lagarto (a $294 differential) for the same meals plus their RT transfer fee from/to the San Jose airport for one person is currently $100 less than LdL. What you said reinforces what I had read about the lodging and food at MPdC seeming to being far superior to that of LdL. Plus their guided tours are only $15 and LdL's are $30.

I was under the impression that while the feeders at MPdC were very good the ones at LdL were perhaps better while attracting pretty much the same species including three types of toucans, tanagers, honeycreepers, dacnis. oropendulas, plus brown-hooded parrots, but while I would definitely take advantage of them at MPdC that is not a top priority for me.

While there, I could always try to arrange to bird as a non-guest at LdL (as you wrote) and/or Maquenque Eco-Lodge.

Now it's just a matter of deciding if I want to go to MPdC for intensive lowland birding or go to Las Cruces Biological Station/Wilson Botanical Gardens (ironically Mike, I just had read your recent post about it) for a mixture of lowland and mid-elevation birding(maybe some Panamanian species?) since I have been given an excellent rate for a cottage plus choice of one meal per day($55)-I'm waiting to hear back from The Organization for Tropical Studies as to what the cost for the RT transfer will be.

 

[Les Shulman]

Finalized my plans today as the private transfer fees to Las Cruces were beyond astronomical and the price for lodging and a meal originally given to me turned out to be somewhat of a "mistake."

Will be staying at Mi Pedacito de Cielo for 14 days in March, 2017.
Between the lodge's reserve, its laguna, its grounds including feeders, and its access road along with the nearby access roads to Maquenque Eco-lodge and Laguna del Lagarto I hope to have plenty of quality birding experiences. If I can arrange for the transportation I may try to go to Boca San Carlos also.

Additionally as the rates at MPdC were significantly under my budgeted amount I will then spend three nights at La Selva and will bird some of their trails/areas and access road primarily on my own. There is an included 3 hour general nature tour so I doubt if I'll sign-up for their $50 early AM birding tour. Also, depending on the photo opportunities I get or don't get at MPdC I may or may not go to the Nature Pavilion.

 

[Les Shulman]

Should be purchasing the plane tickets next week.
Decided to extend the trip to 20 nights all in the Caribbean Lowlands by adding 3 nights more in Sarapiqui by staying at the Chilamate Eco-Resort. Anybody stay or visit Chilamate?

 

[Dan Miller]

My wife and I stayed at Chilimate Eco-Resort this past February. We stayed three nights, and quite enjoyed it. The property is right along the Sarapaqui River (rafting opps if you choose), and the lodge is right at the junction of the river, the rainforest, and some open pastureland. They do not put out feeders, but there were a lot of trees fruiting when we were there, which attracted many birds.

Be sure to take the morning naturalist walk with William. Well worth it. There is good birding along the road as well. If the river isn't too high, there is a great swimming hole also.

We also spent a day in Tirimbina, which is just up the road a piece. If you are up for taking the long-loop trail, you'll see less people, if not more wildlife. They also have guided options, but we typically do not use guides.

Food at Chilimate is good. It is buffet-style. There is also a soda and small market within walking distance, and out by Tirimbina is a place with great chicken dinners (one was enough for both of us).

It was a true rainforest experience - short bursts of heavy rain quite frequently. I had a job interview via Skype from Chilimate, which was fun with heavy bursts of rain on the metal roof a couple times during the duration. :-O

The owners are very nice, and the staff quite helpful - you should have an enjoyable stay.

Dan

 

[Les Shulman]

Thanks Dan for the feedback.

When at Chilamate in addition to their property and the morning tour I plan to bird on the rural roads nearby the bridge and village.

One morning I'll go to Tirimbina so thanks for the heads up about the long loop trail-afterwards will probably go to the very close by Nature Pavilion.

 

[Birdingcraft]

Chilamate- habitat isn't so great on roads near there (pasture and some second growth) although one road does eventually pass through good forest maybe 2 ks from Chilamate (?). If you follow the road straight back, I think east, from the entrance to the lodge and stay right, you reach it. This road also curves around the back of Selva Verde. It requires 4 wheel drive in parts and probably impassible at certain times.

Tirimbina- really good option for forest birding. The bridges offer nice looks into canopy, waterways can have Agami. Nunbirds are uncommon but can show in various spots. I have seen them from the bridges (along with close feeding parrots, Snowy Cotinga, Black-capped P Tyrant, Brown-capped Tyrannulet, and other canopy species), on the Ceiba trail, and the back part of that long loop trail.

 

[Les Shulman]

Thanks Patrick for the information.
I'll try to locate the road near Selva Verde and will be going to Tirimbina to bird on my own one early morning.