My most memorable experience during last year's trip to Costa Rica was a visit to the Bogarin Trail. The place is lovely, but what makes it so special is a chance to meet and interact with the man who created it all, and who remains the driving force behind its growth and popularity today.
The Bogarin Trail in La Fortuna is near the active Arenal Volcano. This garden is the creation of Mr. Giovani Bogarin, who had always dreamed of crafting such a place since he was a child. For many years as an adult he worked doing measurements on the nearby Arenal volcanic eruptions. When that job ended, he approached a farmer in La Fortuna and shared his dream of creating a garden. Somehow he talked the farmer into it (I guess the land was a little swampy and not that good for farming), and what we visit today is the fruition of his labors. It's much more than a garden or a hiking trail as it has become home to dozens of species of birds, sloths, lizards, frogs and snakes who have moved in over the years. The trees aren't quite tall enough for monkeys, but Mr. Bogarin expects that in time monkeys will be there as well.
(Mr. Bogarin, putting fresh fruit out for the birds. Note the ponds created for wading birds)
(A (A variety of colorful birds flocking to the fresh fruit)
We arrived at the Bogarin Trail early in the morning, shortly after sunrise, the best time for viewing wildlife. The Trail is at the outskirts of La Fortuna, up a side road, a little hard to spot but worth the effort to find.
(the Bogarin Trail)
We waited for all members of our group to arrive and spent the time watching a variety of birds in the viewing area near the reception counter. Mr. Bogarin made us each a cup of Costa Rica's fine coffee and then took us through his garden on a trail he had personally constructed. We spent about 3 hours doing a 2 km trail, stopping frequently to see birds and animals, and to a lesser degree some of the plants and insects. Mr. Bogarin provided us with superb lessons on the natural history of this region, including the story about most everything we saw.
(Mr. Bogarin carrying his spotting scope, which we used often
to see birds and sloths)
This is obviously a secondary forest, but it is thoughtfully laid out and already contains trees large enough to make sloths feel at home. The atmosphere is certainly that of being in a forest. The trail itself is a loop, with a few side paths. It's fairly flat and is well maintained, so you safely can walk and gaze up at the birds as you go. After a heavy rain, it can be a bit muddy so wear the right type of shoes.
Giovanni is a larger than life character. He's a master bird caller and literally has conversations with the birds. They sing to him, he sings back, they respond, and so on. Fascinating to see. When he spotted sloths high up in the trees he mimicked the cry of an eagle, one of their only predators, to get them to move. Worked like a charm, and we saw about 6 three-toed sloths during our time with him. Sloths are not easy to spot because they're usually sleeping high up in the branches, obscured by leaves and in the shadows, so having this experience was really priceless.
(Heliconia in the Bogarin Trail)
(Leaf cutter ants had, through repeated journeys, worn down part of the path)
I enjoy birds, although I'm far from an expert. We saw dozens of species while exploring the trail, most too far away for a decent photos. But there were a few names that I remember which I'll include with the following photos:
Rufous Motmot, with insect in its beak (top photo)...
Another MotMot. This might be a Keel-Billed MotMot...note the distinctive two feather tail appendage that characterize motmots.
A Russet Naped Wood Rail, which are commonly seen in the reception area....
These might be Grey-Headed Chacahalaca....
A Great Kiskadee (a common bird in Costa Rica)...
Scarlet Rumped Tanager....
A Blue Gray Tanager.....
One of dozens of species of hummingbirds that live in Costa Rica -- not sure which specific type this is...
Green ibis....
A Brown Basilisk Lizard....
Some of the three-toed sloths we saw....
And finally my favorite of the day was this red-eyed tree frog. More on him in the future.
I can't recommend a visit to this garden highly enough. It's a fascinating place, made all the more interesting by the passion and knowledge of the man who created it. I think he provides an example of how farm land can be reclaimed for the animals and nature elsewhere in the country.
Mr. Bogarin has further dreams of expanding his garden by another 50 acres or so. Hopefully that would be a large enough environment for all of Costa Rica's species to sustain themselves.
Don't miss this the opportunity to visit the Bogarin Trail when in the Arenal volcano area.
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