If you are visiting La Fortuna and want to see a sloth, then you must take a guided walk at the Bogarin Trail. The Bogarin Trail is a wonderful La Fortuna sloth tour and one of the best places to see sloths in Costa Rica.
If you want to see a sloth in La Fortuna, read about our experience below!
Location
The Bogarin Trail is in La Fortuna, 1 kilometer (.62 miles) west of the La Fortuna park and church.
La Fortuna Sloth Tour Trail History
This trail has a very interesting history. This unique property used to be 100% cattle farm a couple decades ago. No trees, no rainforest, no wildlife.
In 2000, a local Costa Rican, Giovanni, started restoring the forest. Now in 2018, it is impossible to tell the trail used to be a farm, it looks like a rainforest oasis filled with tropical birds, colorful frogs and sloths!
La Fortuna Sloth Tour
This is also one of the best, if not the best place to see sloths in La Fortuna. The lush forest is home to around 25 sloths which is astonishing because when Giovanni first started restoring the forest, he said there was only one!
On average, people see about 5-6 sloths in one hour which is incredible, especially knowing that just 18 years ago, this was a barren swamp! It truly is a sloth paradise.
Bogarin Trail
This relatively flat and even 2 kilometer (1.2 miles) trail is very close to downtown La Fortuna, making it an excellent option for those who have an open morning or afternoon.
As you’re walking through the trail, you’ll hear the sounds of cars and people outside but you’ll feel like you’re in a remote rainforest wonderland!
Animals We Saw on the Sloth Trail La Fortuna
Here are photos of the wildlife we saw on our guided hike of the Bogarin Trail. We saw 5 sloths including one with a baby, Black mandibled toucans, hummingbirds, Jacamars, Red-Eyed Tree Frogs, poison dart frogs, basilisks and lizards!
Additionally, there is also a pond with caimans (there used to be a caiman farm on the property) with babies. Giovanni also has a frog pond where you can see the red eyed tree frogs and poison dart frogs.
Video
Here is a short video of our time at the Bogarin Trail.
Guided vs Self Guided Walks
You must take a guided walk to get the best experience at this trail. We passed a couple who was leaving the trail when we got in. They did a self guided hike and said they saw just one sloth. We saw 6!
As you can see from the pictures, some of these sloths were far back in the trees and well camouflaged. Additionally, we also would have never seen the basilisk, frogs or jacamar birds. They were so deep in the trees hiding in the branches!
Another advantage is that our guide had a telescope so we were able to get photos with our phone. Not everyone has binoculars, telescopes or a zoom lens so it’s super nice that the guides have telescopes you can take pictures with.
To book a tour, you can contact them via their website or visit the trail to schedule your guided walk. They have limited guides so make reservations for guided walks. If you don’t want a guide, you can just pay for the entrance, without a reservation.
Check out these other fun things to do in La Fortuna and Arenal below!
La Fortuna Canyoning: Rappel down 4 waterfalls deep in the rainforest. So much fun!
La Fortuna horseback riding: Ride through valleys and forests for beautiful views of La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano.
Penas Blanas safari float: Float down the Penas Blancas river on a raft, great for seeing wildlife and nature.
La Fortuna night walk: See the creatures of the dark on a guided night walk
Jody Nayak says
We will be in La Fortuna area first week December ‘23.
Which tour do you suggest for possibility of seeing at least 4-5 sloths?
Also, we won’t have a car, so will it be easy enough to get a taxi?
Sammi says
Our partner offers a sloth walk with roundtrip transportation from La Fortuna hotels included, we have a small discount which you can get here: https://mytanfeet.com/special-deals/la-fortuna-arenal-tours-discount/
Ann says
Hello! I read on a different blog that the folks who own Bogarin Trail are under investigation for tampering with wildlife (illegally importing sloths onto their property). We want to go on this tour next month but don’t want to support a business that is tampering with wildlife. Then again, I am cognizant of how “rumors” can negatively impact a small business. Have you heard anything about this? Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Hi Ann, honestly I haven’t and we haven’t been to Bogarin since 2017, but our partner who used to go to to the Bogarin Trail for their sloth watching tour, doesn’t go there anymore and instead they go to another place (open field) where sloths are commonly seen so for the sloth and bird tour we offer on the website, they don’t go to Bogarin anymore
Destinee Schmitt says
Hey Sammi where is this field at? I’m currently staying in La Fortuna and would love to see them wild
Sammi says
it’s called Bogarin Trail very close to downtown
Norene says
I’m confused, I thought you mentioned in your post above, that your partner does not go to Bogarin Trail anymore but to another location. Can you share the other location? Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Norene, they no longer go to a private reserve, they go to a forest area
Kaylea Michaelis says
Hello, is there any other time I can take this tour? I am staying at arenal observatory and wanted to take this tour on my way out of La fortuna and headed to Rio Celeste hideaway. Making it there at 8am is not very feasible for that. Maybe I have to do a self guided tour just to work with my timeline?
Sammi says
You should visit the trail on your own if the time slots don’t work for you
Melissa says
Hello, Do you still recommend this as the best way to see a sloth in the La Fortuna area? We will be in La Fortuna/Arenal in mid April and seeing a sloth in the wild is on the list (and we have an 8 year old girl who will love it!). Is the rafting option a good one to pair with for this age? We will have our own car–what is best way to hire a guide for 3 people?
Sammi says
Yes this is a great tour to see sloths!
Elizabeth Wiley says
Hi, I toured in February of 2020 and loved it. Beautiful, marked trails, and the birds and sights were amazing. The flowers and plants coupled with the sounds were such a great immersive experience. Do the guided tour- as I didn’t see any sloths that day going solo.
🙂
Jessica Lawrence says
Is there parking nearby?
Sammi says
Yes they have a small parking area
Laura Girard says
It looks like you an just go to the trail and do a “guided tour” or a “private guided tour”, is that right? If we have our own transportation can we just arrive or do we need to reserve the tour?
yeison says
Hello Laura,
if you have your own transportation and you arrive at the trail, you can hire any of the guides that are in the trail or you can go without a guide, our recommendation is to get a guide so you will see and learn more.
Thank you for reading Mytanfeet
Anetta Campbell says
Hello.
Do they do the sloth tour in the afternoon?
We don’t need transportation, can we meet them at the trail head. And how can we make sure we ask for Jairo?
Thank you.
Anetta Campbell
Sammi says
Hi Anetta, it is possible to do a rent a guide service for half/full days, you will take the guide to where you want to do the guiding.
Lauren says
Love the photos! What camera/settings do you use?
Sammi says
Hi Lauren, thanks! This was with my Canon 5d mark III and 100-400 mm plus 1.4 extender. They’re not super sharp because I forgot my tripod so I was handholding it the whole time and my arms got tired haha.
ashfina says
Sloth tour sounds intriguing. reminds me of Sid from Ice Age 🙂 would certainly take this tour soon.
Onyi says
Another great discovery in Costa Rica, I had just discovered Manzanillo few days ago. Thanks for this post.