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Macaw guide

Where to See Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica: Carara, Osa and the Pacific Coast

Scarlet macaws are back on much of the Pacific coast, from Carara to the Osa Peninsula. Here's where to see them, when they fly, and the local guides who know the roosts, compared and ranked.

By Lior, wildlife photographer and guide from Guanacaste

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Reserve with a 25% deposit on secure WeTravel checkout · Refundable up to 60 days before trips, 48 h before day tours

The short answer

Where
Carara, Osa Peninsula, Uvita, Jacó
Pacific lowlands, from Carara south to Osa
When
All year, at dawn and dusk
They fly to and from their roosts in the first and last hour of light
How many species?
2
The scarlet macaw on the Pacific, the great green macaw on the Caribbean
Are they endangered?
Recovering
Scarlet macaws are bouncing back on the Pacific. Great green macaws are still endangered.

Lyferr is a marketplace

We don’t run tours. Licensed local guides and operators list them, we rank them openly, and you reserve through Lyferr’s secure checkout on WeTravel.

How it works

Sighting odds

How likely you are to see macaws, spot by spot

On the south and central Pacific, macaws are hard to miss. Here's the honest picture for one morning with a local guide.

SpotChance
CararaCentral PacificScarlet macawVery likely
Puerto JiménezGolfo DulceScarlet macawVery likely
CorcovadoOsaScarlet macawVery likely
Drake BayOsaScarlet macawLikely
UvitaSouth PacificScarlet macawLikely
JacóCentral PacificScarlet macawGood chance
Punta IslitaNicoyaScarlet macawGood chance
Boca TapadaNorthern plainsGreat green macawGood chance

Our local guides' estimate. As guests report what they saw on Lyferr tours, these become measured rates.

Each tour page shows what guests actually saw, once reports come in.

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Town by town

Can you see macaws where you're staying?

Species expert program

Find a certified Macaw Expert

Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. A Macaw Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing macaws, which makes them your best odds for a good sighting and a good shot.

  1. 175+ logged macaw tripsCounted on Lyferr for this species only, not for wildlife tours in general.
  2. 290%+ composite scoreSighting success, cross-checked with public sighting records, weighted with traveller ratings of the guide's species knowledge.
  3. 3Earned species by speciesA guide can hold several badges. Each one is earned on its own and kept once earned.

How guides move up, one species at a time

  1. 01EmergingUnder 20 trips
  2. 02Skilled20+ trips · 60%+ score
  3. 03Specialist40+ trips · 75%+ score
  4. 04Species Expert75+ trips · 90%+ score
Founding experts

At launch, we award Founding Expert badges to guides with several years of premium tours focused on this species. Each one is confirmed or removed once the guide has logged 20 trips on Lyferr. After that, the badge is earned with logged trips and score.

No guide can promise a sighting. The badge shows the strongest track record for this species, not a guarantee.

See Macaw Expert guides

Day tours from local guides

Compare scarlet macaw tours from local guides

Day tours run by independent local guides, all held to the no-touch, no-feeding standard.

Ranked by sighting success, verified reviews and licence

Scarlet macaws tours from local guides are being added. Tell us your dates and where you’re staying, and we’ll match you with a guide.

Ask Lyferr

  • Clear refunds

    up to 60 days before trips, 48 h before day tours, on every booking made through Lyferr. Booking fee (11% of the price) excluded.

  • Reserve with 25%

    secure checkout on WeTravel, the rest paid before your tour

  • Group size, upfront

    every listing shows its maximum group size

  • Your guide, confirmed

    guide's name and WhatsApp arrive in your booking confirmation

  • Real reviews

    only travellers who booked can review

How booking works

  1. 1Pick a tour or trip on Lyferr
  2. 2Choose your date and pay the 25% deposit on WeTravel
  3. 3The guide confirms within 24 h. Their WhatsApp arrives with your confirmation

Prices are set by each guide. The 25% deposit includes Lyferr’s booking fee (11% of the price), shown before you pay. Each card opens the tour’s booking page on WeTravel.

When to go

When is the best time to see scarlet macaws?

All year. They fly between roosts and feeding trees in the first and last hour of light, and feed in beach almond trees through the day. The dry season, December to April, is nesting season.

Why a guide matters

How guides find more macaws

You'll hear macaws on your own. A good guide gets you closer by:

  • Knowing the roosts and the flyways they use every morning.
  • Knowing which almond and fig trees are fruiting this week.
  • Spotting nest cavities in the dry season, from a respectful distance.
  • Never feeding birds or playing calls to pull them in.

Not sure where to go? Send us your dates and where you're staying, and we'll suggest the right guide.

Ask Lyferr a question
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Best light is the first hour after sunrise, when pairs fly low over the coast.

Ethical wildlife watching

Wild first, photos second

Are scarlet macaws endangered?

Not in Costa Rica any more. Thanks to protection and release projects, numbers on the Pacific have grown a lot. The great green macaw is still endangered.

Never buy a macaw or a feather. Trade in wild birds is illegal.

Short answer: no

Is it OK to feed them?

No. Bread and seeds make them sick, and feeding wildlife is illegal in Costa Rica.

Never pay to hold a macaw for a photo. Real rescue centres don't offer it.

Book a macaw walk with a local guide

Find a no-touch guide

Myths and edge cases

Lapas, lifelong pairs and that noise

In Costa Rica they are called lapas. Pairs stay together for years and fly wing to wing, which is why you usually see them in twos.

Scarlet macaws were nearly gone from much of the Pacific. Protection, nest boxes and release projects have brought them back.

You'll hear them long before you see them.

See morning walks

Not booking yet?

Take the macaw spotting sheet with you

One printable page: where macaws roost and feed, the best times to watch, and how to tell scarlet from great green. Sent to your inbox.

No spam. One email with the PDF.

Macaw facts people ask about

  • 85 cmis how long a scarlet macaw is, tail included
  • 2wild macaw species live here
  • Pairsstay together for years
  • 2 eggsin a typical clutch
  • Lapa rojathe scarlet macaw's name in Costa Rica

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 spent years photographing Costa Rica's scarlet macaws, from the Carara flyways at dawn to the almond trees of Puerto Jiménez. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.

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

How we rank guides and operators

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best place to see scarlet macaws in Costa Rica?

Carara National Park and the Osa Peninsula, especially Puerto Jiménez and Corcovado. Jacó and Uvita see pairs flying over most days.

Does Lyferr run the tours?

No. Lyferr is a marketplace. Licensed local guides and tour operators list their tours here, and we rank them by sighting success, reviews and client experience (and photography expertise for photo tours). You book and pay the deposit through Lyferr, and the operator you choose runs the tour.

Are scarlet macaws endangered?

Not in Costa Rica now. Numbers on the Pacific have grown thanks to protection and release projects. Great green macaws are still endangered.

Can you see macaws in Corcovado?

In the first and last hour of light, when they fly between roosts and feeding trees.

Where can I see great green macaws?

In the Caribbean lowlands: Boca Tapada and Maquenque, Sarapiquí, and around Manzanillo, where released birds fly.

How much does a macaw tour cost?

Guided dawn walks in Carara cost about $45 to $80 per person. Every tour on Lyferr shows its price before you book.

Do scarlet macaws mate for life?

Pairs stay together for years and fly side by side. That is why you usually see them in twos.

How big is a scarlet macaw?

About 85 cm from beak to tail tip, and around 1 kg. Over half the length is tail.

Is it legal to feed or keep macaws?

No. Feeding wildlife and keeping wild birds are both illegal in Costa Rica.

What is a scarlet macaw called in Spanish?

Lapa roja in Costa Rica, and guacamaya roja in most other Spanish-speaking countries.

Keep exploring

More Costa Rica wildlife

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