Wildlife Haven in Central Highlands: Biotopo del Quetzal

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

En el lugar no hay parqueo suficiente, debe dejar el vehículo a un costado de la vía. Es un lugar sobrevalorado. Si busca un lugar donde conectar con la naturaleza, este no es, ya que los senderos están al lado de una vía de tráfico pesado donde el ruido de los camiones no permite disfrutar del entorno, y dudo mucho que por la misma razón, el quetzal u otros animales habiten en el mismo. Lleve mucho repelente, lo va a necesitar. El primer tramo del sendero es en subida, requiere esfuerzo físico, para que lo tenga en cuenta si va con niños pequeños o personas mayores. No dudo que la reserva sea muy bella pero, la parte habilitada para visitar no la recomiendo. Hay lugares mucho más lindos que visitar en Guatemala y donde puede conectar verdaderamente con la naturaleza.

The biotopo is one of the best places in this area to experience the cloud forest. The preserve covers a large part of an extremely steep mountain covered in verdant old-growth forest. The biodiversity of the trees, moss, ferns, bromeliads, and air plants here is incredible. The preserve has two trails: the shorter one (“Los Helechos”) is 2 km or about 1 hour round-trip, and the longer (“Los Musgos”) is 4 km or 2 hours round-trip. Both trails start with a steep climb of numerous switchbacks before leveling off and then descending back down to the visitor center. The trails are well-designed and covered in gravel to keep them from getting too muddy, but proper shoes with some grip are still recommended. At the very end of both trails there are two large pools fed by a waterfall where you can swim, so pack a swimsuit (there are changing rooms and restrooms by the pools). The longer trail also features a short turnoff to a viewpoint with stunning views of the valley below, as well as a massive old tree called the “Grandfather Tree”. Staff informed us that the best place to see quetzales in the springtime is around this tree, at the highest part of the trail, since the quetzales spend more time high up on the mountain before breeding, raising their young, and then migrating down the mountain in the summer. You don’t have to go far to see birds, however - we saw dozens of warblers and other songbirds on the shorter trail closer to the visitor center. The reserve also features a display of local orchids, as well as secure parking on-site.