Birding the Monteverde Cloud Forest

Jean is an amazing, educational and knowledgeable guide! I met him years ago and every time I return I try to book him as my guide ☺️ this year I got to take my family with me to Monteverde and the three kids under 6 years old LOVED his energy. Not only did we get to see so many birds, we also got to learn about the forest and the history of Monteverde too. I highly recommend him for your next adventure, he’s the best of the best.

We contacted Jean to book 2 bird watching tours and 1 night tour with Wildlife Journey in Monteverde. We had these tours with his talented birder colleague who works with him, Diego, and we had a wonderful time. We saw so many different birds and animals, it was a fantastic experience. Jean is responsive and answers every question you have. I really recommend :)

The original guide I booked couldn’t make it, so Jean stepped in and I couldn’t have imagined a better outcome. He's knowledge of local wildlife was incredible, and he was also communicating with other guides to make sure we wouldn’t miss anything special. Thanks to one of those tips, we even got to see a snake up close - something I never expected on a birding tour! Additionally Jean is an amazing wildlife photographer! Since I also love wildlife photography he gave me some practical advice throughout the tour. He also used bird calls and sounds to bring certain species closer, and we got amazing looks at a tiny Costa Rican endemic hummingbird that I never would have spotted without him. It ended up being one of the best tours of my life. If you’re into birds, photography, or just want to experience Monteverde’s wildlife with someone who truly knows what they’re doing, I can’t recommend Jean enough.

I'm a hobbyist photographer and only had a day to spare on my recent vacation to Monteverde so I was looking for a guide that could help me find birds but also had an eye for photography. I was referred to Jean via a friend, and I'm so glad I was! First and foremost, he was an amazing guide, helping to find birds and working with the network of guides in the reserves to try to ensure we didn't miss anything. But he was also very friendly and accommodating. Not only that, but thanks to him, I'm finally shooting in manual! I typically shoot in aperture priority but have been wanting to make the switch to manual for a long time. It was hard to do without direct instruction, and Jean was there to help me. Learning that was the second most exciting part of the day - the first was getting to see the Resplendent Quetzal! As with any wildlife outing, seeing what you want is huge parts luck, but Jean made sure that we went to the right places and talked to the right people to ensure that we'd get to see this magnificent bird. Though I booked him for a full day up to a certain time, we ended up staying out much later because we found a pair of these birds and ended up spending more time than expected with them. Throughout the day, he also ensured that I was in the best spots to take the best photos. He even let me use his tripod for those moments when hand-holding a heavy camera and lens for an extended time would have been tough. Highly recommend Jean, especially if you're looking to improve your photography while getting great looks at birds!

We were with guide Juan Bonilla. Great guide!! Highly recommended. He knew exactly where we could spot beautiful birds. Without a guide, this is impossible. He sees more anyway and knows the best places. In addition, he knew how to tell a lot about nature and he managed to take beautiful photos with our device. We recommend him

Jean is an amazing birding guide. Knowleable amd friendly. He got us seeing amazing birds immediately and helped us take some amazing photos. The Real Deal!

Jean is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. We learned so much about the flora and fauna of Monteverde. I highly recommend.

Excellent guide, very experienced, a great photographer too. Would recommended Jean for everyone. We did a day tour at Monteverde Reserve and one Night tour too

Wonderful experience! Our guide Jean was extremely knowledgeable and his enthusiasm was positively infectious. We spent more than 2.5 hours and he was very responsive to our questions and wishes, it was a treat to have such expert guidance. The absolute highlight was spotting two male quetzals competing for the attention of a female, with lots of aerial acrobatics. But we also spotted a tarantula, stick bug, nesting hummingbirds, and plenty of songbirds. Jean’s lens captured it all, making it possible to also capture on our phones. The highlight of our trip!

Jean is a fantastic naturalist guide! He has a depth of knowledge regarding the forest and all its inhabitants. He is a passionate birder. He was also great with our two girls (12 & 14). And we saw 5 Quetzals!!