Forests · Curridabat, San José

Curridabat Pocket Forest Plants 1,540 Native Trees and Shrubs

On Aug. 21, 2026, about 200 volunteers planted roughly 1,540 native plants from 74 species on a 515-square-meter plot at the Aleste development in Curridabat, east of San José. Called Bosque Tacaco, it's a Miyawaki-style pocket forest led by developer Portafolio Inmobiliario with SUGi and Bosko, and it's billed as the first in Central America in SUGi's global network.

By Pura-Verde.com Editors · Published October 30, 2026
Original report: The Tico Times: Costa Rica Plants a Tiny Urban Forest in Curridabat (2026-08-21)

A patch of ground about the size of two tennis courts in Curridabat, on the east side of San José, is now planted as a dense young forest. On Aug. 21, 2026, about 200 volunteers put roughly 1,540 native plants into the soil at a site called Bosque Tacaco, a "pocket forest" designed to grow quickly in a small urban space.

What Bosque Tacaco is and where it grows

The forest covers 515 square meters next to Aleste, a mixed-use development in Guayabos de Curridabat, near a stream called Quebrada Tacaco. The name also nods to the tacaco, a squash-like Costa Rican fruit that turns up in home cooking such as olla de carne.

The project is led by Portafolio Inmobiliario, the company behind Aleste, working with SUGi Pocket Forest, an international group that backs small urban forests, and Bosko, a team that builds Miyawaki forests. The Tico Times previewed the planting on the morning it took place, describing Bosque Tacaco as the first pocket forest in Central America linked to SUGi.

The planting: 74 native species in one small plot

The planting went ahead as planned. El Observador reported later that day that about 1,540 individual plants from 74 native species went in, with company staff, neighbors and other volunteers doing the digging. The mix includes canopy trees, shrubs, palms, heliconias, vines and ground cover. Species named in coverage include guarumo (cecropia), burío, copey, pacaya palm, tirra, María and pavón amarillo.

An official launch on Aug. 18 drew environmental groups, local governments, embassies, universities and businesses, according to Revista Summa. Aleste director Diana Villareal told the magazine the project represents a new way of relating urban development to nature. She also said Bosque Tacaco will join SUGi's international network of pocket forests, which El Observador put at 266 sites.

One small discrepancy worth noting: one early announcement listed 75 species, while the planting-day reports and The Tico Times say 74.

How the Miyawaki method works

The approach is named after Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist who spent decades restoring native forests. As SUGi explains it, the steps are:

• Study the site's soil and the plants that naturally belong there.
• Improve the soil before planting.
• Plant only native species, very close together and in several layers, from canopy trees down to shrubs.
• Cover the ground with mulch to hold moisture and keep weeds down.

Packed tightly, the young plants compete for light and grow upward fast. SUGi describes the goal as a self-sustaining forest that needs little care once it's established, and the organizers say Bosque Tacaco should need little watering after its early years.

Big claims, and what the science says so far

Organizers say the method can restore an urban space up to 10 times faster than natural regrowth. That's a common claim for Miyawaki forests worldwide, and it deserves some caution. The Tico Times pointed to a 2026 scientific review that found some evidence of faster early growth but said long-term data aren't yet strong enough to back the boldest promises.

That's one reason the monitoring plan matters. The project says it'll track plant growth, temperature and biodiversity, with students and community members collecting data through citizen science. Over a few years, that record could show how well this kind of forest does in Costa Rica's Central Valley climate.

Why a tiny forest matters in the Central Valley

Pocket forests won't replace large protected areas, but they do things big parks can't do in a city, as our guide to urban forests and greener cities in Costa Rica explains. They give birds and insects stepping stones between green spaces, cool the ground around them, soak up rain and give people a patch of real forest within walking distance.

Portafolio Inmobiliario says Bosque Tacaco is part of a wider plan to restore vegetation around Aleste and protect habitat for local wildlife, including the Cabanis's ground sparrow, known in Spanish as pinzón costarricense. The bird is found only in Costa Rica and a small area of western Panama, and in the Central Valley it shares its scrubby habitat with a fast-growing city.

Can you visit Bosque Tacaco?

The organizers say the forest will be open to the public for environmental education and quiet recreation once it's established, and that it'll be available for academic studies on urban restoration. We couldn't find a published opening date for public visits.

If you're interested in how Costa Ricans are restoring habitat on a larger scale, see our guide to reforestation in Costa Rica, read about Nosara's voluntary biological corridor, or see how San José is rethinking public space in plans for three historic plazas.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pocket forest?

A pocket forest is a small, densely planted native forest, often built with the Miyawaki method. It can fit into spaces as small as a few square meters and is designed to grow faster than a conventional tree planting.

Where is the Curridabat pocket forest?

Bosque Tacaco is next to the Aleste development in Guayabos de Curridabat, in San José province, near the Quebrada Tacaco stream.

How many plants were planted in Bosque Tacaco?

About 1,540 plants from 74 native species were planted on 515 square meters on Aug. 21, 2026, by roughly 200 volunteers.

Do Miyawaki forests really grow 10 times faster?

Organizers make that claim, but a 2026 scientific review cited by The Tico Times found only some evidence of faster early growth and said long-term data are still lacking.

Sources and original reporting

1. The Tico Times: Costa Rica Plants a Tiny Urban Forest in Curridabat (2026-08-21)
2. El Observador: Un bosque en 515 m²: Aleste cuenta con 1.540 nuevos árboles, arbustos y plantas de 74 especies nativas (2026-08-21)
3. Revista Summa: Portafolio Inmobiliario presenta en Aleste el primer bosque de bolsillo de Centroamérica (2026-08)
4. SUGi: What Is the Miyawaki Method?

We wrote this story from the published reports and official sources above. We didn't interview the people named unless the story says so.