Boca Tapada

Boca Tapada

Between Ciudad Quesada and the Nicaraguan border, in the northern lowlands, Boca Tapada is loved by true eco-tourists for its natural beauty and tranquility. It is also an area of great agricultural importance. The Costa Rican government declared the area around Boca Tapada a Maquenque Game Reserve and Biological Corridor in 2005, permitting residents to maintain their properties, but special development restrictions were imposed to preserve the fragile ecosystems of the area. Inside the Maquenque Wildlife Refuge, the primary nesting site of the endangered Great Green Macaw is Boca Tapada. This area is one of the few where these magnificent birds can be seen frequently. The macaws are fed on almond trees, which are frequent in the area, but are almost as endangered as the birds that feed on their seeds. Besides macaws, more than 400 other bird species have been identified in Boca Tapada, including the Sunbittern, Roseate Spoonbill, Jabiru, Green Ibis, Muscovy Duck, Agami Heron, Keel-Billed Toucan and Great Curassow. The area is not just a birdwatching destination, you'll find many species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The rainforests around Boca Tapada are home to sloths, White Faced Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, White Nosed Coati and wild cat species like the Jaguar. Visitors to the territory walk past numerous farms in a true rural Costa Rican setting. Besides cattle, the farms also grow pineapples, bananas, palm trees, plantain and yucca.