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Wildlife in Bijagua and Río Celeste
TOWN GUIDE

Wildlife Tours in Bijagua and Río Celeste

A farming town between two volcanoes and the best place in Costa Rica to see a wild tapir at night. Add red-eyed tree frogs, sloths and the turquoise Río Celeste.

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Reserve with a 25% deposit on Lyferr's secure checkout · Full refund up to 48 h before day tours, except Lyferr's commission

THE SHORT ANSWER

  • WHAT YOU'LL SEE

    Baird's tapir, red-eyed tree frogs, sloths

    Plus toucans, motmots and, with luck, a kinkajou

  • BEST TIME

    Night for tapirs, morning for Río Celeste

    Tapir walks start around 6 pm. The river is bluest after a few dry days

  • WHY GO WITH A GUIDE

    They track the tapirs every night

    They know which streams and feeding trails the tapirs use this week

  • BRING

    Rubber boots and a rain jacket

    Trails are muddy most of the year

LYFERR IS A MARKETPLACE

We don't run tours. Independent local guides and operators list them, we vet every one and show each record openly, and you reserve through Lyferr's secure checkout.

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TOURS IN BIJAGUA AND RÍO CELESTE

Trips and day tours in Bijagua and Río Celeste

Multi-day trips that stop in Bijagua and Río Celeste, and day tours from guides who live here.

No trips through Bijagua and Río Celeste listed yet

Multi-day trips appear here as guides list them. Every trip on Lyferr shows its route, dates and group size before you book.

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  • No paid ranking
How it works and guarantees

Prices are set by each guide. The price you see is final. Lyferr's commission comes out of the guide's price, not on top. Each card opens the tour's page on Lyferr.

GUIDES IN BIJAGUA AND RÍO CELESTE

Guides in Bijagua and Río Celeste

No guides in Bijagua and Río Celeste on Lyferr yet

Local guides are joining Lyferr town by town. Each one is vetted, and their record is shown openly.

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PLAN YOUR STAY

If you have 1, 2 or 3 days in Bijagua and Río Celeste

Plans built around the animals' hours. Swap any stop for a tour from the list above.

  • 1 DAY

    Turquoise river, tapir night

    • 8 am · Río Celeste waterfall and the Teñideros
    • 3 pm · Frog and sloth garden walk
    • 6 pm · Tapir night walk

  • 2 DAYS

    Two chances at a tapir

    • Day 1 · Río Celeste, then a tapir night walk
    • Day 2 · Birding morning, second tapir walk if the first missed
    • Evening · Farm dinner in town

  • 3 DAYS

    Volcanoes on both sides

    • Day 1 · Tapir night walk
    • Day 2 · Río Celeste and Tenorio
    • Day 3 · Drive 1.5 h to La Fortuna or Rincón de la Vieja

WHAT LIVES HERE

Species you can see in Bijagua and Río Celeste

Odds for one guided outing in October. Birds from eBird checklists near town; other animals from published studies, or a Lyferr estimate where no rate exists. Not a promise.

NOT IN BIJAGUA AND RÍO CELESTE, AND WHERE TO GO INSTEAD

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WHEN TO COME

Bijagua and Río Celeste, month by month

Tapirs live here all year. Rain changes the trails more than the odds.

Season

  1. Jan: Drier months
  2. Feb: Drier months
  3. Mar: Drier months
  4. Apr: Drier months
  5. May: Wetter months
  6. Jun: Wetter months
  7. Jul: Wetter months
  8. Aug: Wetter months
  9. Sep: Drier months
  10. Oct: Drier months
  11. Nov: Wetter months
  12. Dec: Wetter months

Toucans

  1. Jan: Likely
  2. Feb: Likely
  3. Mar: Likely
  4. Apr: Likely
  5. May: Likely
  6. Jun: Likely
  7. Jul: Likely
  8. Aug: Likely
  9. Sep: Likely
  10. Oct: Likely
  11. Nov: Likely
  12. Dec: Likely

Tapirs *

  1. Jan: Rare
  2. Feb: Rare
  3. Mar: Rare
  4. Apr: Rare
  5. May: Rare
  6. Jun: Rare
  7. Jul: Rare
  8. Aug: Rare
  9. Sep: Rare
  10. Oct: Rare
  11. Nov: Rare
  12. Dec: Rare
  • Very likely
  • Likely
  • Good chance
  • Rare
  • Drier months
  • Wetter months

Bird rows: share of eBird checklists near town that report the bird, by month (approximate). Other rows come from published studies, or are a Lyferr estimate where marked *. Not a promise. Shaded months are the drier ones.

BIJAGUA AND RÍO CELESTE AT A GLANCE

FROM LA FORTUNA
About 1.5 h
Around Lake Arenal or through Upala
FROM LIBERIA
About 1.5 h
North on Route 1, then Route 6 at Cañas
ELEVATION
About 400 to 700 m
Between the Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes
WEATHER
Mild, 18 to 28 °C
Cooler nights than the coast. Rain is possible any month

Swimming in Río Celeste is not allowed inside Tenorio Volcano National Park. The colour is strongest after dry days and fades after heavy rain.

WHAT'S NEAR YOU

What you can reach from Bijagua

Times are by road from the centre of Bijagua. The first ring works for a half day or a night walk, the outer rings are day trips.

Travel time from Bijagua and Río Celeste, by road. 1 Tapir Valley, 10 min. 2 Río Celeste, 15 min. 3 Heliconias bridges, 20 min. 4 Miravalles, 45 min. 5 Caño Negro, 1 h 30

  1. 1. Tapir Valley

    10 min
    Private reserveTapir tracks, frogs

    A 220 ha reserve on the road to Tenorio. Twilight walks of about three hours often find tapir tracks. A sighting is never certain.

  2. 2. Río Celeste

    15 min
    Tenorio Volcano NPWaterfall and birds

    El Pilón station is 9.8 km from Bijagua; the trail is 3 km each way to where the river turns blue. Open 8 am to 4 pm, tickets online through SINAC.

  3. 3. Heliconias bridges

    20 min
    Private reserveCanopy birds

    Three hanging bridges and about 2.5 km of trail in old forest next to Tenorio Volcano NP.

  4. 4. Miravalles

    45 min
    Volcano and hot springsTrogons and toucans

    Mud pots, steam vents and hot springs on the slopes of Miravalles. The crater is closed to visitors.

  5. 5. Caño Negro

    1 h 30
    Wetland refugeWetland birds

    A large lowland wetland refuge. It is a full day trip from town.

  • Do a twilight walk

    Tapirs move most at dusk and after dark. Walks at Tapir Valley start late in the afternoon.

  • Reach Río Celeste early

    El Pilón opens at 8 am and the trail is muddy. The river is bluest after a few dry days.

  • Bring rain gear

    Bijagua sits between two volcanoes and it rains often, even in the dry season.

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Every day tour on Lyferr shows its start time, pickup and group size before you book.

See Bijagua day tours

FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photographing wildlife in Bijagua and Río Celeste

Blue water by day, frogs by night. Here is when the light works, where to stand and what to pack.

SHOT LIST · ODDS FOR OCTOBER

PLAN THE SHOT

Sunrise is between about 5:15 and 6 am and sunset between about 5:15 and 6 pm, depending on the month.

The river is bluest in the dry months, roughly January to April. Heavy rain can turn it cloudy for a while. Night walks start from about 4 pm to 5:30 pm.

See photo tours here

FIELD TIP FROM LYFERR

Tapirs follow the same streams at night. Walk slowly with red light and wait where the trail meets the water.

Lyferr field guide · based on park rules and local practice

WHAT TRAVELLERS SAY

Reviews of guides in Bijagua and Río Celeste

No reviews yet. Verified Lyferr reviews appear here as travellers complete tours, and only travellers who booked can leave one.

NOT BOOKING YET?

Take the Bijagua and Río Celeste wildlife checklist with you

One printable page: the 10 spots, the best time of day, what to look for in the trees, and the photo settings that work. Sent to your inbox.

No spam. One email with the PDF.

Lior Berman Fernandez, founder of Lyferr

WHO WROTE THIS

Lior, founder of Lyferr

Wildlife photographer and guide who grew up in Guanacaste, and a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards and Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Lior has guided and photographed wildlife across Costa Rica, from Arenal's rainforest to the dry forest at home. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.

  • Sony World Photography Awards finalist
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalist
  • Born in Guanacaste

Fact-checked by founder Lior Berman Fernandez · Data: iNaturalist public records · How listings work →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Bijagua is the most reliable place in Costa Rica to see a wild tapir, on a night walk with a guide who tracks them. Guides rate it likely on most nights.

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KEEP EXPLORING

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Most trips combine two or three towns. Each town page shows what you can see there, when to go and who guides it.

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