Carara is one of Costa Rica’s most popular National Parks, in large part due to its proximity to San José. This is also where many cruise ship’s passengers are bused for a day trip when the liners dock just up the coast at Puerto Caldera, and a common destination for field trips. One advantage of the relatively large numbers of people that visit Carara is that if you just stop by, you are likely have several quite competent guides at your disposal. Birders are a friendly lot, and they generally like interest from novices.