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Hills of Portalón Wildlife Refuge

Fila Brujo, Nubes and Mata de Café form a wall of mountains north of playa Matapalo creating a basin that catches rain to fill Quebrada Salto and the Río Portalón building them from trickling streams to tumbling rivers in just a few short kilometers.

The Rio Portalon near where it's joined by Quebrada Salto
The Río Portalón near where it’s joined by Quebrada Salto

On the south side of the Coastal highway the Portalón slows, widens and joins the mangrove forests and lagoons backing Playas Matapalo and Savegre creating one of the largest and most beautiful estuary reserves in Costa Rica.  The northwestern end starting at the Río Naranjo is protected by a little known segment of Manuel Antonio National Park and the southeastern part by the Portalón National Wildlife Refuge.

mangrove forests at the Rio Portalon
Kayaking past the mangrove forests towards the mouth of the Río Portalón

Trails, Waterfalls & Adventures

We spent a couple of nights in the rustic cabins on stilts above the river and spent our days hiking to the waterfalls and swimming holes on the river.  We got lucky with a particularly hot sunny day in mid-rainy season and decided to skip the trail and do a bit of canyoning walking, swimming and tumbling down the river about 3 km.

It rained nearly all night each night but that didn’t stop us from frog hunting.

white, black and yellow throat tree frog
There were probably hundreds of different varieties of frogs and we managed to see a couple dozen like this white, black and yellow throat tree frog spotted on a night walk along one of the roads.

Getting There and Staying There

25 km south of Quepos (Manuel Antonio) and 18 km north of Dominical on the central Pacific coast the rainforested hills of Portalón are protected by a wildlife refuge established in part as a tax shelter for the Portasol housing development.  The easiest way to visit is to rent one of the vacation homes or stay in the cabinas operated by the real estate group.

You may be able to get permission to enter the reserve for a day hike if you stop at the office near the entrance.

Pictures from Portalón

Squirrel monkey
Squirrel monkey eating from a maranon pod
Digiscoping a northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus)
Digiscoping a northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) – rare and declining in population they prefer caves and rock crevices to roost in groups of a few dozen but also roost singly under palm leaves
Gartered trogon (Trogon caligatus) or northern violaceous trogon male. They were once considered a sub-species of violaceous trogon (Trogon violaceus) or Guianan trogon but have been recognized as a separate species in Costa Rica
Katydid munching on an anole lizard
Female green kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana septentrionalis) has the deep green necklace on a white breast while the male has a rufous (burnt orange) chest.
rare green granular poison dart frog
The granular poison dart frog (Oophaga granulifera) is only found in a small part of Costa Rica and Panama. Typically the head and upper body are bright reddish orange but we spotted the rare green variety.
katydid stalking a rain forest frog
river swimming
Swimming downstream. We hiked up a trail for about an hour and then decided we’d follow the river down…cross your fingers that there are no big waterfalls!
salamander
I looked in Savage’s amphibian book but couldn’t find this salamander. Maybe it’s a new species?
Northern royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus mexicanus). This rather non-descript little brown bird is one of the most sought after species in Costa Rica because when it pops up it’s brilliant sunburst crown it dramatically transforms into a jewel of the rainforest. This little guy in Carara National park displayed several times but I was never quick enough to get the photo.
Female black-headed trogon (Trogon melanocephalus)
Juvenile Giant Red winged Grasshopper (Tropidacris cristata) will grow to over 4 inches long and a wingspan over half a foot
Adult Red Legged Grasshopper’s look dramatically different than the tiger striped juveniles.
Portalon wlildlife refuge is ideal sloth habitat
Central American banded gecko (Coleonyx mitratus)
Central American banded gecko (Coleonyx mitratus) is an eyelid gecko which means unlike most geckos it can blink
a cluster of frogs eggs haning over the Río Portalon. When the tadpoles hatch they wriggle out of the gel and drop into the water.
rio portalon
Female black-throated trogon (Trogon rufus) looks very different than the male which has an irridescent deep blue-green head and back
Bringing the groceries home
Snagging an ice cream at the abastecedor (pulperia) before heading to our cabins in the Portalon wildlife refuge
endangered green granular poison frog
endangered green granular poison frog
The granular poison frog (Oophaga granulifera previously Dendrobates granuliferus) is threatened and disappearing along with its tropical lowland rain forests habitat
Clear wing moth
Clear wing moth
Giant Red winged Grasshopper (Tropidacris cristata)

 

Ray & Sue

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Wildlife Refuges & Reserves

Wildlife Refuges & Reserves
  • Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve
  • Portalón Estero Rey National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Rainmaker Biological Reserve Photos
  • Hills of Portalón Wildlife Refuge
  • Bahía Junquillal National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Transition Dry to Rain Forest
  • Caño Negro Photos
  • Gandoca Manzanillo Photos



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