Having heard good things about Bosque de Paz Biological Preserve from fellow travelers we met in Monteverde, we made this our next Costa Rican destination. 

The Preserve is located along the flank of the Central Volcanic Range close to the continental divide, so it receives plenty of rainfall even during the “dry” season.  This creates the perfect atmosphere for a wide biodiversity of both plants and animals which we were eager to observe.

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The Lodge is at an elevation of about 1400m (about 4500 feet) and is about 7 km (about 4.4 miles) from Poás Volcano. With our questionable sense of direction, we approached it from the farther, higher elevation end of the road in our not-so-trusty, yet enduring, 150,000+ mile Geo Tracker.

What goes up must at some point come down and the winding, rutted, rocky road put a strain on our little car. As the smell of burning brakes increased we considered backing down the road, not that that would have helped.

In addition, our windshield wipers were taking a hiatus and it was beginning to rain. Thankfully, just before our vision was too obstructed and our brakes were sure to burst into flames, we arrived at the preserve entrance.

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A large, arched wrought iron gate barred our way, but an attached hand-lettered sign instructed us to “honk for admittance.” You guessed it…our horn was on the fritz too, so I leaned out the window and began to shout “beep, beep, beep.” This instigated raucous barking from the “guard” dog, which in turn brought the gate keeper who graciously ushered us in.

We were quickly processed and lead to our room on the hill above the main lodge. Large and comfortable it contained a bathroom with shower and two queen-size beds. Since nights can be very chilly (40°F) and the heat was off, we removed the 2 blankets and duvet from the second bed, combined them with our set, and, although we could hardly move beneath them, were quite toasty all night.

The preserve consists of primary and secondary rain forests and is dissected by several streams in the Rio Toro watershed, producing steep terrains and riparian and waterfall environments. Bosque de Paz [http://www.bosquedepaz.com] began as a center for scientific study and research in 1994, and was opened to the public in 1998 with a spacious lodge, 11 rooms and a dining facility. Federico González-Pinto, his wife, Vanessa and their son, Federico, founded the preserve in order to “protect the exuberant flora and fauna in the Central Volcanic Range of Costa Rica” and “create consciousness about the importance of conservation”.

Costa Rica is in the migratory path between North and South America, however the greatest percentage of birds nest there permanently. At Bosque de Paz, they have recorded more than 331 species of birds, including the Resplendent Quetzal, Scaled Antpitta, Black Guan, Emerald Toucanet, and Three-Wattled Bellbird.

Outside the main building are benches and chairs from which to view a gazillion hummingbirds, other native species of birds and fauna, such as the agouti, and photographers with lenses the size of a Volkswagens. Our first morning, after a tasty, lovingly prepared breakfast, we took large mugs of coffee and settled in to do just that for a couple of hours. However, there is so much to see we reluctantly roused ourselves knowing the option to do it again was always there.

We spent the next couple of days discovering the more than 240 varieties of orchids in the Orchid Research Center and gardens, and taking advantage of hiking the 5 trails.

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The short Botanic Trail (1km) is in the oldest and one of the most biodiverse parts of the mountain jungle. The lush vegetation includes Strangler Fig trees, and, surprising to me, several varieties of orchids. Here is you may — if you’re very lucky — spot the famed Quetzal. We spotted the Common Bush-Tanager, some sort of hawk, and the ever present Spider and Howler Monkeys. You need a careful eye to spot a variety of frogs — including the Blue Jean Poison Dart frog – and the interesting Leaf-Cutter Ants, but they can be seen.

The Gallery Trail (3km) winds among avocado trees, a favorite of the Quetzal, which we were extremely lucky to spot on our second walk through, both a male AND a female! Be sure to bring your bird book, or perhaps easier to tote, a note pad and pencil to write down the characteristics of the birds you see to look up when you return to the lodge. We also saw several Coatis and Agoutis — possibly related to those we saw lurking in the undergrowth by feeding bowls placed near the outdoor “lounge” at the lodge.

Another short walk is along the Valley Trail (1km) which was once dairy cattle pastureland, but has since been restored to its natural state. It connects to all the other trails and, as a secondary rain forest, it’s one of the best areas for bird watching. 

The 2.5km Jaulares Trail is a cross between the small primary and the larger secondary rainforests which creates an ideal home for capuchin monkeys, wild boars, armadillo, agouti, spotted paca, and coatimundi, all of which we saw except the boars and armadillo.

At 5km, the Waterfall Trail is the longest and possibly has the largest diversity of flora and fauna. Its peak at 1900 meters above sea level provides a splendid view of the Fatima Waterfall.

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When you’re ready for a diversion of hiking through the rain forest, take the time to visit the Orchid Research Center and gardens near the main lodge. I’d always considered orchids to be those pink or yellow artificial-looking flowers pinned on a prom dress or found in the lobby of an urban office building. How wrong I was.

The large collection of orchid species at the Preserve (www.orchidflorabdp.org) is diverse and contains everything from the showier species to those you need a magnifying glass to see — really! Not to be missed, because you won’t see what you see here in any regular botanical garden. It is important to note, the orchid is the national flower of Costa Rica and is even illustrated on a stamp.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Bosque de La Paz not only because of the diverse beauty, but also the relaxing, serene atmosphere and chilly evenings. Our next destination was Selva Verde, and believe me, we wished we could have bottled the cool air!

Written by VIP Members Thomas Lera and Sandra Fitzgerald.

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