A naturalist guide will take you for a hike into a protected forest corridor where reintroduced Scarlet Macaws and Spider Monkeys are successfully breeding and repopulating in their native environment. In addition, many other previously threatened wildlife species are flourishing within this refuge, including indigenous and migratory birds. While most of the reserve includes land-based ecosystems, it is also known for its restoration of coral reefs, expanding the diversity of marine life living within it’s protected bay waters and attracting shore birds. This hiking tour is an excellent viewing opportunity for anyone who would like to see an abundance of Costa Rica’s natural beauty.
Your tour will begin when you are picked up from your hotel and driven past rural villages until you arrive at the Curu National Wildlife Refuge and Hacienda. There are a variety of trails to explore and your guide will take you into different areas helping you to spot wildlife while explaining the significance of each creature you may encounter.
Have you ever seen a Three Toed Sloth? Yes, as the name implies these sloths have only three toes and use their 3 long, curved claws to curl around tree branches where they hang day and night for up to a week before coming down out of the tree.
There are many other wildlife species, equally as interesting as the Tree Toed Sloth living within the reserve. For example: White-faced and Howler monkeys, iguanas, anteaters, coatis, kinkajous and a variety of the nocturnal cat family including the puma, margay and mountain lion. Your guide will be instrumental in helping you find the wildlife visible on the day of your visit as well as pointing out tropical trees and exotic plants to you.
While the primary focus of this eco-reserve is to preserve and protect the endangered species and ecosystems, there is a lot of other activity going on down at the Hacienda. A small percentage of the property is dedicated to tropical fruit farming and limited cattle grazing to produce sustainability for the wildlife conservation efforts and to provide local employment.
Educational programs are offered locally to school groups and researchers from all over the world come here to gather data and conduct ecological studies.
Groups such as The Set Us Free Project, who successfully reintroduced Spider Monkeys after their extinction in this area; and the Amigos de las Aves’ “hatched to fly free” organization who pioneered the reintroduction of the Scarlet Macaws, have been essential to the return of the native populations once living here in abundance.
At the end of your hike, your guide will provide a refreshing beverage before you go hopping back into the van to be driven back to your hotel.
This tour includes bilingual guide, wildlife refuge entrance fee, drinks and transportation from Mal Pais, Montezuma, Santa Teresa, and Tambor. Transportation for clients staying in Ylang Ylang is not included, clients need to arrive at Sano Banano. One way transportation from your hotel to the refuge typically takes between 20 and 45 minutes depending on your pick-up location. Combined time of the hike and round trip transportation is usually between 3.5 and 4.5 hours.
Please wear fully enclosed hiking shoes and light protective clothing. You’ll also want to bring your camera, binoculars, insect repellent, sun block and rain gear. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to see how Nature can be restored! Note: this tour does NOT include the $15 per person park entrance fee.
The Curu Reserve Hike is available from Mal Pais, Montezuma, Santa Teresa, and Tambor
Latitude: N 9° 46' 49.32"
Longitude: W 84° 56' 42.93"