Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste

As people who love hiking, we are always on the lookout for the next great trek. When considering the possibilities in Guanacaste, the Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve piqued our interest. Not much information was available about this reserve, but we had heard that it featured a river and watering hole year-round. Anyone who has visited the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica during the dry season knows that water can be extremely sparse this time of year. After visiting for ourselves, we can say that Lomas Barbudal did, in fact, have lovely, flowing water and lush greenery even at the end of the dry season. In this post, we’ll share why our recent hike was one of our all-time favorites and let you know what to expect on the trails.

 

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste

Orientation

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve (Reserva Biologica Lomas Barbudal) is a relatively small, 2,646 hectare (6,538 acre) area of protected land in Guanacaste Province. Although most people have never heard of it, it shares a border with one of Costa Rica’s more well-known national parks, Palo Verde. The main entrance to Lomas Barbudal is located a short distance off the Interamericana (Highway 1), in between Bagaces and the city of Liberia.

Although the park is easy to get to, the road for the turnoff is not marked and easily missed. See the end of this post for detailed driving directions.

About the Reserve

Travel guides often describe Lomas Barbudal as being an area for scientific study. The reserve is indeed home to an impressive number of insects, including about 250 types of bees alone, as well as many birds and animals. Though no doubt research-worthy, we found the reserve to be a great stop for anyone looking for off-the-beaten-path hiking in Guanacaste. Not only were the trails easy to access, but the park offered so much to see for visitors.

Tip: Many of Costa Rica’s parks get very busy, but this is a great option if you’re looking for something lesser known. On our visit, we were the only people there. We asked the park ranger how many visitors they had per day, and he said three or four!

In addition to insects, the park is also known for its trees. Endangered Ron-Rons, Mahoganies, and Rosewoods all grow within the park. These species are hard to find elsewhere in Costa Rica due to logging and their use in furniture-making. Other interesting trees you might see include the Pochote (which has dangerous-looking spines), Guanacaste (Costa Rica’s national tree), and Naked Indian. If you happen to visit in March when the brilliant Corteza Amarillas are blooming, you’ll also get to see a showering of yellow flowers.

 

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste
Naked Indian Tree, also known as the Tourist Tree because of its red, peeling bark

Trails at Lomas Barbudal

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve has three public trails. Each is accessed from Casa Patramonio, the visitor’s center/ranger station that marks the entrance to the park. If you have a few minutes before you start hiking, take a quick walk through this rustic visitor’s center. There are a number of displays with artifacts that have been found in the reserve like pre-Columbian pottery and casts of different animal prints. There are also photos with information about the park. Much of it is in Spanish, but you can get still get a lot out of it even if you don’t speak Spanish.

Trail Map: The park ranger did not provide trail maps when we checked in, but they do have one on display. Click here for a picture we took of it.

Sendero Gigantes del Bosque

Sendero Gigantes del Bosque (Giants of the Forest Trail) is the shortest trail at Lomas Barbudal. The dirt path is flat and well maintained. After a quick 15 minute walk from Casa Patramonio, you will arrive at a nice pool surrounded by green forest (see cover photo, above). When we visited at the end of the dry season in April, it was still full of water and looked quite refreshing. We didn’t opt to swim, but you probably could. Just watch out for the little cichlid fish (yes, just like the ones you find at the pet store). Note: We did encounter some aggressive mosquitoes along this stretch so be sure to bring repellent.

 

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste
Trail conditions along Sendero Gigantes del Bosque

Sendero Catarata

Sendero Catarata (Waterfall Trail) also starts at Casa Patramonio, but intersects with Sendero Gigantes del Bosque later on, making for a nice loop. This is one of the longer trails, but is still fairly short at about 2.4 km (1.5 miles). We spent the most time on this trail and highly recommend it for wildlife viewing and the waterfall.

The trail follows the Rio Cabuyo (Cabuyo River). As we mentioned, Guanacaste gets extremely dry for part of the year and it is common for rivers to dry up completely. That is why we were so surprised to see a lovely flowing river. Interestingly, the river was keeping the foliage nice and green on the right side of the trail, closest to the water, but the left side was dry and barren.

 

Dry contrasting with lush green forest at Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve
Extremely dry forest on the left side of the trail

 

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste
Lush, green forest on the side closest to the river

 

Lomas Barbudal, like much of this region, consists of tropical dry forest, meaning that the trees lose their leaves during times of drought. The first picture above really shows this.

This river and the reserve’s many other streams, pools, and springs are so important to not only the trees and plants, but also to wildlife. Animals come here year-round to drink water, especially during the dry season when resources are limited. A sign inside the visitor’s museum says it best:

 

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste

 

Given this, it should be no surprise that wildlife was abundant on our visit. For animals, we saw howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, paca, and agouti. We also saw several kinds of lizards, including the brown basilisk and Jesus Christ.

 

Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve: An Oasis of Green in Guanacaste
An agouti alongside the trail

 

White-faced monkey in Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve
White-faced monkeys are harder to find in Guanacaste, but we saw quite a few in Lomas Barbudal

 

If you’re into birding, you’ll also be happy at what you can spot. Over 130 kinds of birds have been seen in Lomas Barbudal, including hard-to-find species like the Scarlet Macaw. On our visit, we saw two types of trogons (Elegant and Black-headed); a Turquoise-browed Mot-Mot; Long-tailed Manakin; Squirrel Cuckoo; Royal Flycatcher; Dusky-capped Flycatcher; Slate-headed Flycatcher; White-collared Seedeater; and Striped-headed Sparrow.

After following the trail for about a mile, you will reach the waterfall. This small cascade is only about 12 feet tall (3.7 meters), but very pretty. It is visible from the trail, but you’ll have to climb down to the riverbank for the best view. You can also swim here, and right at the base of the falls is a bench where you can sit and let the cool water shower you from above.

 

Waterfall in Lomas Barbudal Reserve in Guanacaste
Waterfall in Lomas Barbudal, flowing even at the end of dry season

 

Trail Conditions: Sendero Catarata was mostly flat, but did have some narrow, rocky areas that were more difficult to navigate. There were also a few parts that would cross water, depending on the season. Makeshift bridges made with old boards had been put down, but many of them were in disrepair. Although this wasn’t a difficult hike, sections of the trail were completely exposed to the sun. With temperatures in the 90s (32°C), walking even on flat ground can be a workout.

 

Off-the-beaten-path hiking in Guanacaste at Lomas Barbudal Reserve
Be careful crossing the bridges!

Sendero Carablanca

Sendero Carablanca is another trail off Sendero Catarata that is supposed to have a couple of scenic viewpoints. We didn’t do this one as it cut through the extremely dry part of the park where all the trees had lost their leaves and it was quite hot.

Park Hours

Open daily, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost

$10. Note: The park ranger did not charge us on our visit.

Tips for Visiting

  • Plan to spend about 3 hours to do Sendero Gigantes del Bosque and Sendero Catarata, and an additional hour or so if you plan to do the third trail. It doesn’t take that long to walk the park, but you’ll want to go slowly to see the most. We found the birds and animals here to be more skittish since they are not used to seeing people.
  • Bring plenty of water (at least 1 liter per person) as temperatures are often well into the 90s (32°C) and some snacks. The nearest small store is at the highway, several miles away.
  • Wear lightweight clothing that dries quickly and bring sunscreen, a hat, and insect repellent. Here is a link to our post on preventing mosquito bites, which includes some recommendations for repellents that work well in Costa Rica.
  • Hiking boots or sturdy sneakers are recommended so that you have solid footing on the makeshift bridges and rocky areas.
  • Rainy Season: The ranger said that the trails don’t get too muddy during the rainy season so visiting that time of year should be fine. He did warn about more mosquitoes, however, so be sure to use repellent. We would also recommend waterproof hiking sandals like Keens or hiking boots or sneakers you don’t mind getting wet/dirty in case you have to cross the small streams.

Directions to Lomas Barbudal

From Liberia, drive south along Highway 1 for about 14 km (8.7 miles). When you approach the small town of Pijije, look for the turnoff on the right immediately after the pedestrian walkway that crosses the highway. It is near a small store called Abastecedor Pijije. Take the dirt road and follow it for about 7 km (4.3 miles). The road is flat most of the way and passes open fields and a few houses. Towards the end, it becomes steep. 4×4 with higher clearance would probably be necessary during the rainy season.

 

We weren’t sure what to expect when visiting the Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve but had such a wonderful time. We have hiked throughout Costa Rica and are usually partial to the rainforest, but the tropical dry forest of this reserve was so rich with life. Not only did it have water at the end of the dry season, but it was also full of wildlife. If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path day hike around Guanacaste, we highly recommend Lomas Barbudal.

Have a question about the reserve? Leave us a comment below. (Email subscribers, click here to post a comment online.)

Looking for more information to help you plan your visit to Guanacaste? Check out these posts:

  • Playa Brasilito: An Authentic Costa Rican Beach Town – Guide to visiting the local fishing village of Brasilito. This town might be worth checking out if you’re looking for a more authentic experience but still want to be close to the amenities.
  • Diria National Park – Diria is another lesser-known place for hiking in Guanacaste with a different feel from Lomas Barbudal. Check out our tips for visiting.
  • Costa Rica Rental Car Discount – If you’re staying at one of the beach towns in Guanacaste, renting a car is the best way to do local hikes and see many of the attractions. Click here to learn more about our rental car discount.

 

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10 Comments

  1. This post takes me back to Costa Rica where I visited Guanacaste for a week and experienced Mother Nature in all her beauty. Although I stayed at a resort, I was able to go on many different excursions off the resort and I’m so happy with my choice of activities! I went on a safari adventure, zip lining, and even enjoyed myself in a natural hot spring after having a mud bath at the bottom of an inactive volcano. I couldn’t believe the colour in the trees, and the bright blue waters. I am definitely anticipating my next trip to Costa Rica so that I could visit the Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve. It sounds like my kind of hike!

    Next time I have Costa Rica in my sights, I am definitely referring back to this post to make the most out of my experience at Lomas Barbudal!

    Xo.*

    1. Hi Mercedez, Sounds like you had a great trip to Costa Rica. The hot springs and mud baths are a really unique experience and one of our favorites too. We will have to check out your blog. Hope you get back to CR soon!

  2. Hi Jen and Matt, We are leaving for our first trip to Costa Rica in less than 2 weeks and have loved perusing your website! We will be in Guanacaste, staying in Ocotal mainly checking out the beaches but will have time for 2 day trips. We are looking for fairly short hikes (we’re limited by our 6 year old) but want to see lots of wildlife and more of a jungle environment than most of Guanacaste. Would you recommend Diria, Llanos de Cortez waterfall, the Rincon Volcano or Lomas Barbudal Reserve? What would your top two be? Would it be possible to see the Cortez Waterfall and Lomas Barbudal in the same day trip? Any advice would be much appreciated!

    1. Hi Katee, Since you will be visiting towards the end of dry season when Guanacaste is very dry, we would definitely recommend Lomas Barbudal because it stays greener year-round. It’s still tropical dry forest, but will feel more like a jungle experience. The hike isn’t too long either. You could easily couple it with a visit to Llanos de Cortez too because they’re not far from one another.

      For a true jungle experience, you would have to drive 1.5-2 hrs to the Bijagua area. This is where the Rio Celeste Waterfall is (more info here). It would be a full day between driving there and hiking so not sure how doable it would be for you. Another idea is a boat tour at Palo Verde. These tours are more touristy and popular, but you would get to see a lot of wildlife and you wouldn’t have to hike. Hope that helps narrow your decision and you have a great trip!

        1. Just to let your readers know – do NOT use WAZE to try to find this park! We were just there and must have missed the turn you took but we followed what WAZE told us to do. After many miles of roads in VERY poor condition we were told that we had arrived! We drove around a maze of dirt roads for a few more hours (and Waze stopped working at that point) but could never find a ranger station or trail head. Finally a local farmer pointed us in the direction of Palo Verde so we went there instead, did a couple short hikes and then headed to Llanos de Cortez which was wonderful. Hopefully other readers will have an easier time finding Lomas Barbudal!

          1. Bummer that Waze led you astray, Katee. Thanks for letting us know. Waze isn’t great for things like national parks, because it doesn’t always know where the ranger station is. Everyone should print out or have this page handy on their phone for getting to the park. We give detailed directions above. If you follow those, you shouldn’t have a problem. We were there not too long along. The main landmark is the small town of Pijije (visible on Google Maps; also some of the buildings in town like the convenience store have the town name on signs).

  3. I was just here in January 2019.

    Followed the directions on Waze added by juankx and verified before on Google maps as per above and we got ourselves there.

    At the last turn off almost all the way in is the first sign to head right.

    Only the longest trail was open and it was in good condition (just leaves but bridges were broken, just walk across the dry stones.)

    Lots of howler monkeys, lizards and birds.

    Worth the quiet trip!

    Also the waterfalls you had to climb down and walk right in. Was very warm!

  4. We are going to be in this area the first 2 weeks of December and would like to visit Lomas Barbudal. Any updates to the conditions would be appreciated. especially abut the trails.

    1. Hi Becky, We haven’t been to Lomas Barbudal lately so don’t have any updates. If you go, let us know how it was if you have a chance. Hopefully we’ll get back there on our next trip to Guanacaste.

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