A cattle and cacao farm turned back into forest: beach, mangrove and rainforest trails where scarlet macaws fly overhead, three kilometres north of Dominical.
Hacienda Barú was once a cattle ranch and cacao plantation. Today it's a 330-hectare national wildlife refuge running from the beach through mangrove to regrown rainforest on the ridge.
About seven kilometres of mostly flat trails cross beach forest, mangrove and the forest to a lookout, and this is one of the strongholds of scarlet macaws on the coast. Agoutis forage in the leaf litter, and monkeys, sloths and coatis are often seen.
It's the best self-guided bird walk between Manuel Antonio and Uvita. For more, there's a canopy zip-line, guided tree climbing, night walks and a simple lodge.
A morning on the trails.
Get there early, when the birds are most active.
Walk through the forest behind the beach and watch for macaws.
Follow the trail along the mangrove edge.
Climb gently through regrown rainforest to the ridge viewpoint.
Add the zip-line, or head to the beach at Dominical.
About an hour south of Manuel Antonio on the coastal highway; buses to Dominical stop at the gate.
Book guided walks, night tours and the zip-line at the office or ahead.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
