Self-Guided Tours – Hacienda Baru

In addition to the guided tours Hacienda Barú offers a number of attractionsyou can enjoy by yourself at your own pace. Both the guided tours the self guided attractions are open to everyone including lodge guests and day trippers.

Butterfly Garden — In the Hacienda Barú butterfly garden you will see a representative sample of local butterflies along with some basic information about them. You will walk through the lush tropical vegetation that provides food for the butterflies and the medium on which each species deposits its eggs. In the laboratory you will see how the eggs hatch, the larvae eat and grow, and the pupas transform into butterflies.

Bird Watching Tower – On top of a small hill sits a seven meter tower. The combined height of the hill and the tower puts the top floor at tree top level, a perfect place for the observation of birds. For the best birding we recommend visiting the tower before 7:00 AM or after 3:00 PM.

Nature Trails in the Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge – The nature trails at Hacienda Barú pass through a wide variety of habitat including primary forest, secondary forest, swamp forest, wetlands, pastures and tree plantations. Some of the trails are short and some long. Some go to the beach and some to the mountain. All of the trails have informative signs with information about the flora and fauna. They will show you a wide diversity of tropical nature.

The self guided attractions at Hacienda Barú are free for lodge guests. For outside visitors the rate is $8 for the whole day. The trails are open from daylight to dark. Special permission is needed for nocturnal hiking.