The reserve’s daily visitor limit makes advance booking essential. Opt for a guided tour in order to learn about the reserve’s natural history, biodiversity, and conservation efforts, and to increase your chances of spotting elusive wildlife. For a chance to see nocturnal wildlife and hear the evening chorus of frogs and insects, visit as part of a night tour. Birdwatchers can also join a guided birding walk.
Curi-Cancha Reserve is a must-visit for birdwatchers and nature lovers.
This private reserve provides a less-crowded alternative to other nearby cloud forest reserves.
All tours of the reserve require advanced reservations—even self-guided walks.
Bring binoculars to help identify birds in the forest canopy.
The Curi-Cancha Reserve is located in Montverde near the popular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. You can reach Curi-Cancha by taking the main road toward Monteverde from Santa Elena, or simplify your trip by booking a tour that offers hotel pickup and drop-off.
If you want to explore the reserve on a self-guided walk, visit between 7am and 3pm. Otherwise, birdwatching tours are every day at 6:30am, natural history tours are offered at 8am and 1pm. Night tours depart at 5:30pm.
The biodiverse Curi-Cancha Reserve is home to around 200 different bird species, making it a top draw for birdwatchers. Birds include the resplendent quetzal, three-wattled bellbird, blue-crowned motmot, and orange-bellied trogon. To increase your chances of seeing these birds and other species throughout the park, book a tour and let a guide help you spot and identify the birds. Plus, keep track of the birds you spot on the reserve’s bird checklist.