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| Adult male Resplendent Quetzal. |
Birding in Biotopo del Quetzal. ‘El Biotopo’ is a protected area founded by Mario Dary Rivera, former director of San Carlos University in 1977. The reserve covers 1,150 hectares of primary cloud forest, from 1,500- 2,300 meters (4,920-7,545 ft).
The reserve was especially established to preserve populations of the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), the national bird of Guatemala. The 'Biotopo is a valuable area for connecting the cloud forest of Sierra de las Minas with cloud forests in Alta Verapaz. The Biotopo del Quetzal is a popular spot for environmental education due to its education programs offered by local institutions and Guatemalan universities.
Your visit will give you a peek into what a typical cloud forest is like. It is full of tree ferns, epiphytic mosses, orchids and bromeliads forming an exuberant garden on top of tree branches. Within the reserve you may hear calls of Highland Guans (Penelopina nigra), Resplendent Quetzals and Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris), a relative of the Quetzal. Natural beauty is plentiful in the reserve with small waterfalls and lush vegetation. Well-maintained trails through the reserve allow an easy access. Your visit to the Biotopo del Quetzal will also provide you with an interesting baseline for comparison so that you can see the high variability of Guatemalan cloud forests (e.g. at Chelemhá in Alta Verapaz or Los Tarrales and Los Andes at Atitlán volcano).
Accommodation: Near the Biotopo del Quetzal are several otpions to stay.
For independent travelers:
Please fill this reservation form and we will send you information on rates and space availability as soon as possible.
When is the best time for birding at ‘Biotopo del Quetzal’? The best time to visit the reserve is between February and July, when it is not so cold and wet and when there is a better chance of seeing Quetzals.
How do you support conservation and development in 'Biotopo del Quetzal'? Simply by visiting the reserve and paying the entrance fee you are supporting the maintenance and vigilance of this protected area. The reserve has a complete team of rangers who provide nature interpretation and also patrol the borders of the reserve to avoid illegal use and/or extraction of natural resources, and help diminish the possibility of forest fire through community education programs in the area.
