In 1970 the Lowther family purchased the property and named it Curi-Cancha, the name derived from “Golden Enclosure” in Inca. At that time the property was approximately 1/2 pasture and 1/2 virgin rain forest. In the ensuing 45 years the Lowthers cleared no areas and allowed the majority of the pastured areas to re-grow into forest. In 1997 the property was legally designated a Refugio de Vida Silvestre and in 2011 Curi-Cancha Reserve opened to tourists.
We arrived about 8:30 and hoped to get a private tour, and we did. The admission is $14 US per person, and we paid $20 US per person for our guide, Jose.
Curi-Cancha is a birdwatcher’s paradise with over 200 species of birds in the park. My goal was to see the Quetzal – and we did! Jose did an excellent job spotting the quetzel and we were able to see it through his scope, as well as with the naked eye. These are the male and they are quite colorful!
Quetzel video
We were also lucky to see the Three-Waddled Bellbird and a Toucan flying, but weren’t able to get pictures. There are many species of hummingbirds in the reserve and they have set up feeders in one area to attract them. It was great to sit and watch the different ones.
We spent almost 3 hours with Jose learning about the flora and fauna, as well as the birds and mammals in Curi-Cancha. The tiny orchid was smaller than my fingernail!
Cloud forest canopy
Fern palm
There are many ficus in the forest and they are an interesting tree. Sometimes they are known as a strangler fig because they grow on the outside of another tree and eventually the inside tree dies and rots away.
We also spotted a coati which is a member of the raccoon family.
Further along the trail we came to a HUGE number of army ants. It was pretty interesting to watch them. Army ants video It was a great tour and a wonderful experience!
It was almost noon when we finished so we stopped in Santa Elena and had lunch at Don Jose’s Coffee and Chocolate Restaurant. We met a girl who is from Windsor, Colorado – just about 15 miles from where we live – who is spending 2 months here! She is volunteering at the Butterfly Gardens so we may try to go there tomorrow!
After lunch we rested before heading back to town to eat again! We ate at Taco Taco and shared the fish tacos! They were pretty tasty. We also ran into a couple that we met in San Jose on our coffee plantation tour! Costa Rica is a small place!
At 8pm we went on a night tour at the Refugio Vida Silvestre Monteverde which was only about 5 minutes from our hotel. It was $25US per person and well worth the price. Our guide was Antonio and he did a great job, also.
In the tree at the beginning of the trail we saw a viper! They are poisonous and he was pretty big!
Almost immediately following that, we spotted a 2-toed sloth up in the trees. He had spotted a second one earlier on the 6pm tour, so we got to see two!
We continued along the trail, searching for birds, insects, and snakes. How he was able to spot these things in the darkness is beyond me!
Tiny frogs
We spent almost 3 hours with Jose learning about the flora and fauna, as well as the birds and mammals in Curi-Cancha. The tiny orchid was smaller than my fingernail!
Cloud forest canopy
Fern palm
There are many ficus in the forest and they are an interesting tree. Sometimes they are known as a strangler fig because they grow on the outside of another tree and eventually the inside tree dies and rots away.
We also spotted a coati which is a member of the raccoon family.
Further along the trail we came to a HUGE number of army ants. It was pretty interesting to watch them. Army ants video It was a great tour and a wonderful experience!
It was almost noon when we finished so we stopped in Santa Elena and had lunch at Don Jose’s Coffee and Chocolate Restaurant. We met a girl who is from Windsor, Colorado – just about 15 miles from where we live – who is spending 2 months here! She is volunteering at the Butterfly Gardens so we may try to go there tomorrow!
After lunch we rested before heading back to town to eat again! We ate at Taco Taco and shared the fish tacos! They were pretty tasty. We also ran into a couple that we met in San Jose on our coffee plantation tour! Costa Rica is a small place!
At 8pm we went on a night tour at the Refugio Vida Silvestre Monteverde which was only about 5 minutes from our hotel. It was $25US per person and well worth the price. Our guide was Antonio and he did a great job, also.
In the tree at the beginning of the trail we saw a viper! They are poisonous and he was pretty big!
Almost immediately following that, we spotted a 2-toed sloth up in the trees. He had spotted a second one earlier on the 6pm tour, so we got to see two!
We continued along the trail, searching for birds, insects, and snakes. How he was able to spot these things in the darkness is beyond me!
Tiny frogs
Horned Katydid
Leaf-Cutter ants
Red-kneedTarantula
We finished about 9:45 and were dropped off back at our hotel. Great tour, great experience, really a highlight! Tomorrow there will be more to see – we just have the hard job of deciding what it will be!
2 comments:
Jealous! Thanks for the wonderful posts and pics.
I would not like to drive our RV here - the Mexican roads look like super highways compared to most of the roads we have been on! The countryside is beautiful!
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