Boca Tapada

Laguna de Lagarto Eco-Lodge, Boca Tapada. (54 m / 177 ft)

Laguna Lagarto Lodge lays in the remote area of Boca Tapada of San Carlos, near the Nicaraguan border, it is accessed from Pital de San Carlos from where you drive on a dirt road for about 2 hours.  The Laguna del Lagarto Eco-Lodge offers 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of virgin tropical rainforest with an incredible variety of fauna and flora. About 350 species of birds have been reported in the property.

The accommodations (20 rooms in total) in Laguna de Lagarto are simple but comfortable. Ceiling fans are available in the rooms, an open-air restaurant offers good meals as you watch parrots, toucans and oropendolas attend the fruit feeders. Lagoons near the lodge offer great habitat for many birds, caimans and turtles. You can explore some of these lagoons by canoe.  The lodge is quite famous for the regular sightings of the endangered Great Green Macaw, this is perhaps one of the best places in Costa Rica to see this magnificent species. A system of paths with about 10 km of well-marked rainforest trails make birding and exploring nature easy. But be aware they can be muddy like so good shoes or rubber boots would be ideal to have.

This lodge is operated in harmony with nature, under interesting ecological guidelines. A perfect place for passionate birders, rainforest lovers and professional or amateur nature-bird photographers. An extraordinary photo setup is offered for photographers, excellent perches and great assistance is provided by the staff when it comes to refreshing perches and adjusting the conditions for photography. An amazing blind to photograph the King Vulture is available, and needs to be booked in advance.

The bird feeders offer opportunities to observe and photograph Brown-hooded Parrot, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Yellow-throated Toucan, Montezuma Oropendola, Black-cowled Oriole, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Olive-backed Euphonia and Scarlet-rumped Tanager.

Some other target species that make this area special are Tawny-faced Quail, Agami Heron, Uniform Crake, Green Ibis, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Sungrebe, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Scarlet Macaw, Middle American Screech-Owl, Central American Pygmy-Owl, Common Potoo, Pied Puffbird, Scaly-throated Leaftosser, Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Long-tailed Woodcreeper, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Streak-crowned Antvireo, Checker-throated Antwren, White-flanked Antwren, Bare-crowned Antbird, Gray-headed Piprites, Speckled Mourner, Snowy Cotinga, Tawny-faced Gnatwren and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch.