Cloud Forest Hike - Water National Park: Juan Castro Blanco National Park

This tour is a great new alternative for bird watching enthusiasts. The trip to this rarely visited cloud forest will give you the opportunity to see a wide variety of flora and fauna including the spectacular Quetzal with its eye-catching plumage and many other bird species. When many people think of the Costa Rican cloud forest, Monteverde is the first name that comes to mind but those that take this tour will quickly find that Costa Rica has much more to offer than just Monteverde. To reach the Juan Castro Blanco National Park which is located only 1 ½ hours from La Fortuna, you will drive through the San Carlos lowlands, Costa Rica’s most productive agricultural region.   The small number of tourists that visit the park, the personalized nature of the tour and the area’s beauty make for an excellent combination.  Many of the San Carlos lowlands’ most prominent rivers have their origins in the park as do many of the most of the important aquifers in the area.  The total area of the park which was created by decree in 1992 is 14,250 hectares (approximately 35,600 acres). The most common species of fauna found in the park are birds such as the Quetzal, Crested Guan, Black Guan and Chachalaca and mammals such as the Red Brocket Deer, White Faced Capuchin Monkey, Armadillo, Paca, Tapir and several cat species.  The park has a very diverse array of flora with approximately 60% of the park’s total area being covered by primary forest and the remainder consisting of patches of secondary forest.  The tour will end with a delicious lunch with trout as the main course.