Bogarin Trail Sloth Guided Tour: La Fortuna Rainforest Hike

A two-hour walk where the guide finds the wildlife instead of you searching for it.

The Bogarin Trail Sloth Guided Tour is a two-hour rainforest hike in La Fortuna led by a live guide who uses a telescope to locate and photograph sloths, toucans, basilisks, agoutis and owls. The trail winds through a reforested property that has recovered into native habitat since 2000, and the guide shares facts about the animals and plants as you encounter them. The hike is easy and flat, ending with fresh local pineapple and time to rest in rocking chairs while listening to the forest.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided hike and wildlife observation

• Start hike at Bogarin Trail front desk
• Learn about local flora and fauna
• Observe wildlife with telescope
• Take photos and videos
• Enjoy refreshing local pineapple fruit
• Rest on rocking chairs listening to nature

The experience

The hike starts at Bogarin Trail's front desk and moves into the rainforest at a relaxed pace. Your guide carries a telescope and scans the canopy and forest floor for movement, pointing out animals you would walk past without one: sloths hanging in branches, toucans perched overhead, basilisks darting across the trail. The guide helps you frame shots on your phone through the telescope so you leave with clear photos and video instead of blurred shapes in the distance.

The trail itself is very easy and accessible to all fitness levels. The property started as cattle farms and has been reforested over two decades into a functioning rainforest ecosystem, so the habitat is dense but the path is manageable. As you walk, the guide explains what you're seeing, which plants the animals eat, why certain birds call at certain times, how the forest recovered. The experience is built around respect for the environment rather than rushing through it.

At the end of the hike, you rest in rocking chairs on the property while eating fresh local pineapple and absorbing the sounds of the forest around you. The guide is available in English or Spanish. The trail is wheelchair accessible, and strollers work on the path if you're traveling with infants or small children.

What’s included

• Live guide in English or Spanish.
• telescope for spotting and photographing wildlife.
• guidance on using the telescope to capture images on your phone.
• fresh local pineapple at the end of the hike.
• time to rest in rocking chairs while enjoying the forest sounds.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 16:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (19 and older) · Youth (13 to 18 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 40

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Sloth Tours - Bogarin Trail

Is this one for you?You get a guide who finds the animals for you instead of a self-guided walk where you might miss them entirely: the telescope and the guide's knowledge are what turn a rainforest walk into actual wildlife observation.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 18 years); Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What animals will I actually see on the Bogarin Trail hike?

Sloths, toucans, basilisks, agoutis and owls are the main species your guide looks for on the trail. The guide uses a telescope to spot them in the canopy and on the forest floor, and helps you photograph them through the lens so you capture clear images instead of distant shapes.

How difficult is the Bogarin Trail hike?

The hike is very easy and relaxing, suitable for all fitness levels. The path is flat and manageable, and the pace is slow enough to stop and observe animals without rushing. The trail is also fully wheelchair accessible.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes the guide's expertise and telescope use for wildlife spotting, guidance on photographing animals through the telescope with your phone, and fresh local pineapple at the end. You bring your own phone or camera.

How long does the Bogarin Trail tour take?

The tour lasts two hours from start to finish, including the hike through the forest and time resting in rocking chairs at the end with pineapple.

Why is the Bogarin Trail property special for wildlife?

The land was reforested starting in 2000 from cattle farms into native rainforest habitat. Over two decades it has recovered into a functioning ecosystem with diverse flora and fauna, making it an important site for wildlife preservation in the La Fortuna area.