Difficulty:  Moderate – two shallow stream crossings, some steep up and downs

Departs:  7:00 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Returns: 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Includes:  transportation, bilingual guide, snack, water, entrance fee to the private reserve

Price:  US $ 35 p.p.

This private reserve is the best example of primary forest we can visit in the vicinity of Arenal Volcano, only 5 minutes from La Fortuna.  Owned by the Association of Neighbors from the nearby village of El Bosque, this land was almost lost when squatters illegally tried to turn it into a banana plantation a decade ago.  Today it preserves over 300 hectares of forest where we can find many 50 meter high Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra) and Javillo (Hura crepitans) trees as well as other species of endangered hardwood trees. 

We hike on a narrow but well maintained trail that starts on the flat land but soon ascends to the area where the oldest trees are found.  We’ll need to cross a small stream twice before looping back to the trail head.

On this tour we’ll appreciate what an old undisturbed forest looks like and we’ll learn about the balance of life found in it.