We went to Trogon Lodge to find the Resplendent Quetzal. I always wanted to take nice pictures of it, and during our visit, and thanks to our guide there who helped us find it, I manage to get quite a few!
The resplendent quetzal
The Resplendent quetzal is a large trogon and it can be found in the highlands from Southern Mexico to Western Panama.
In Costa Rica, can be found in Tilarán, Central, and Talamanca cordilleras on both Pacific and Caribbean slopes.
The male has 4 extended upper-tail converts which they lose around July-August.
The females have a green head, gray belly, and red vent.
If you are very lucky you can spot the quetzal in areas such as Monteverde Cloud Forest, near Poás Volcano, and of course, along the way the Panamerican highway on the way to Trogón Lodge.
It’s a bit easier (normally) to spot them in San Gerardo de Dota, where Trogón Lodge is located.
So that is where we went and we were lucky enough to find 9! with the help of our local guide.
It’s extra hard to spot them in August, as they are not in mating season, which means in the case of the quetzal, that they are not singing.
Finding the Resplendent Quetzal
However, as with all animals, if you know what they eat, you have a bigger chance to find them. In the case of the quetzal, they love wild avocados, especially the ones called aguacatillo (little avocado).
At least 18 species of birds seek out these fruits.
The aguacatillo trees grow in Costa Rica and Panama, in the cloud forest, 1200-1400m altitude, in openings, and along the forest edge.
Luckily for us not deep inside the forest, because that would become even harder to spot the birds.
The other trick, of course, is to get up early, our birdwatching tour started at 5.15 am.
Staying at Trogon Lodge
Trogon Lodge is part of the Mawamba Group, family-owned hotels that we work with. For example, Mawamba Lodge, which is located in Tortuguero.
It was funny to stay here in the European summer months, while there was a real heatwave going on in the Netherlands, watching our family and friends sharing pictures in the heat was funny since it was contrasting with us staying up in the mountains of Costa Rica, next to a fireplace as it was around 10-15 degrees Celsius.
Which is cold, when you have been getting used to 20-30 degrees Celsius.
The reason why it’s colder is that Trogon Lodge is located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level (7,000 feet).
It’s one of the amazing experiences in Costa Rica because when we continued our trip we drove about 3 hours to Uvita where the temperature was 30+ degrees Celsius.
Our room was not big but has a small seating area/desk and bathroom.
The room also comes with small electric heating and the staff provides a hot water bottle to warm up your bed, which I think it’s a nice idea.
We loved the restaurant, the dishes are Costa Rican with a twist and international.
I especially enjoyed the fresh trout fish, soups filled with vegetables, and amazing desserts.
The fireplace and wooden tables make the restaurant very warm and cozy. Plus the service was great.
How to get there?
If you want to find the Resplendent Quetzal and enjoy this amazing lodge, you will need to put in the effort by traveling to this remote area.
San Gerardo de Dota is a small community of about 220 people, and part of the area known as “Los Santos” (The Saints, in English), towns named after the name of a Saint (just like Santa Maria, San Pablo de Leon Cortes, and others).
It is part of the Los Santos Forest Reserve, a biological corridor, and very close to the Quetzals National Park.
Trogon Lodge is located 87 km from San Jose, approximately 2- 2 ½ hours driving time, heading south-east of the capital city on the Pan-American highway.
As with all travel you need to make sure to enjoy the journey as much as the destination, which is not hard when driving over this highway with amazing views.
When we say this is a highway in Costa Rica, we mean a two-way, well-built road with many curves.
The maximum speeds are about 60/80km per hour. You could get stuck behind a slow truck or car for a while, but that is all part of the adventure.
When traveling to Trogon Lodge we suggest you rent a 4×4 car as the roads to the town are steep and sometimes muddy.
Don’t feel like the stress of driving? We are more than happy to add transfers to your trip instead of car rental or a combination of both.
