Hacienda Baru Bird Watching and Hike
This wildlife refuge is a bird watcher's paradise! Specializing in ecological tours and bird watching, Hacienda Baru encompasses a variety of different wildlife habitats on 330 hectares (815 acres) of protected land. They also offer rainforest hiking trails, butterfly gardens and canopy (zip line) tours. Founder and manager, Jack Ewing has over 20 years of experience in ecotourism. Hacienda Barú’s 330 hectares (815 acres) have a fantastic variety of Habitats, from wetlands and secondary rainforests in the lowlands to primary rainforest on the highland coastal ridge. Seven kilometers of walking trails and three kilometers of pristine beach are here to be explored as well as our orchid garden and butterfly garden. Bird Watching, Canopy Exploration and Ecological Tours are our specialty. Our bilingual grass roots naturalist guides will help you discover the wonders of the tropical rainforest, such as leaf cutter ants, the sleepy sloths and the nesting site of the Common Pootoo. On our tours you can experience everything from the Rainforest Canopy to Mangrove Swamps or the Jungle at Night. Our Mission is to protect the wildlife habitats of Hacienda Barú, while educating our visitors about its biological wealth. Learn more about the history of Hacienda Baru’s evolution from a working cattle ranch to a National Wildlife Refuge & Lodge.
Rainforest Bird Watching Hike in Costa Rica
As of January 2006 more than 350 species of birds have been identified at Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge. This is mostly due to the wide diversity of habitats found on the 330 hectare (815 acre) reserve. These include: primary rainforest, secondary forest, swamp forest, mangrove forest, river bank, wetlands, seashore, old cacao plantations and open pastures. The primary rainforest is found in the highlands and all the rest are in the lowland portions of the hacienda. The Rainforest Bird Watching Hike begins before daybreak. Your expert guide will take you through old cacao plantations and up into the rainforest. After about an hour of hiking and experiencing the early morning jungle, you will arrive at the campsite where you may observe birds at your leisure while your guide fixes coffee and sweet rolls, granola and milk. After breakfast you will hike through primary forest in search for the birds that forage in this particular habitat. The dense forest provides unlimited hiding places, and birding here is definitely hard work. With a little luck, you will be rewarded with sightings of some of the more illusive birds such as: trogons, motmots, antshrikes, manakins, tinamous, curasows and others.
Duration of the tour: 6-7 hours
Price: $35 per person
Time: 5:00 A.M. to 5:30 PM, Requires prior reservation
Limit: 8 persons, Minimum: 2 persons
