Esteban Méndez

Esteban Méndez is a lifelong Monteverde resident who runs Monteverde Birding Tours as an owner-operator. He focuses on the cloud-forest reserves above Santa Elena — Curi-Cancha (widely considered the best birding reserve in the area), the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and the Tapir Valley Nature Reserve — and is known for accurate bird-call mimicry and a high success rate on Resplendent Quetzal during nesting season. His guiding work mixes half-day and full-day birding walks within Monteverde with multi-day custom packages elsewhere in Costa Rica. Tours include a high-quality spotting scope, and he handles bookings directly through his website rather than through a larger agency.