A garden designed specifically for birdwatching and photography. Feeders and fruits attract the birds to viewing platforms, while trails wind through the blooming gardens. The name comes from the Bribri word for 'small bird' and certainly there are many hummingbirds, parakeets, flycatchers and tanagers fluttering among the wonderfully natural backdrops. Check in and pay admission at Alma de Árbol.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Parque Nacional Los Quetzales

4.11 MILES

Spread along both banks of the Río Savegre, Parque Nacional Los Quetzales covers 50 sq km of rainforest, cloud forest and premontane forest lying along…

2. Queso Pacheco

8.68 MILES

Queso is not Costa Rica’s strong suit, but this little cheese operation, run by a former president’s son, is one example to the contrary. Abel Pacheco has…

3. El Mirador

12.66 MILES

Around 70 steps (approx 10 to 15 minutes up) lead to a viewing platform overlooking the vast verdant hillsides, with a trickling waterfall in the distance…

4. Cathedral

14.34 MILES

Love it or hate it, San Isidro's modernist, concrete cathedral dominates the main square and is the town's most interesting architectural feature. That…

6. Jardines Secretos

15.45 MILES

These not-so-secret gardens make for a tranquil pre- or post-Chirripó pastime as the owners talk you through their collection of orchids and other…

7. Talamanca Reserve

16.1 MILES

With over 1600 hectares of primary and secondary cloud forest, this private reserve has miles of hiking trails to explore. Visitors will be rewarded with…

8. Cloudbridge Nature Reserve

16.75 MILES

About 2km past the trailhead to Cerro Chirripó you will find the entrance to the mystical, magical Cloudbridge Nature Reserve. Covering 283 hectares on…