Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve

Overview

Description

Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve is home to possibly the largest almendro tree in all of Central America; this enormous tree provides food and habitat for the endangered great green macaw. We offer daily guided hikes with local nature guides in the reserve. On the grounds of the lodge, there are self-guided trails and botanical gardens for visitors to explore. The Sarapiquí River flows right through the property and offers swimming and whitewater rafting on class I-V rapids.

At the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, located on the property of Selva Verde, you can learn about the center's mission and community development work. The La Selva Biological Research Station is located about 20 minutes away and allows visitors to observe tropical research in action and learn about the rainforest on their guided hikes. Other attractions include the Braulio Carrillo National Park, Heliconia Island, Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve, pineapple and banana plantation Tours, canopy zipline tours, and a serpentarium.

Rooms

45

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 30

Percentage of local employees: over 90%

Selva Verde Lodge was founded on the principals of environmental conservation and education. Selva Verde contributes to the health of the local and global environment by protecting 500 acres of primary lowland rainforest in the Sarapiquí region of Costa Rica. This intact, pristine rainforest provides wildlife habitat for migrating animals and helps to link large tracts of forest to the north and south creating the vital San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor, which is part of the greater Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Additionally, energy and water conservation, recycling, biodegradable laundry products, earth-friendly products for construction, recycled products for construction projects, and the use of certified wood products are some of the sustainable practices in place to conserve nature and protect the environment.

The Holbrook family and Selva Verde Lodge founded the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center in the mid 1990's to provide educational and community development support to the communities surrounding the reserve. Today the center is a fully independent nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a sustainable future for the people of Sarapiquí and is focused on four main areas -- environmental education, community development, conservation, and tourism -- in order to help form future environmental leaders, raise the organizational capacity of local communities, promote sustainable land use, and connect tourists to the local community.

The following are a few of the measurable successes the center has achieved with the support of Selva Verde:

• High school scholarships: There are currently 38 high school students in the high school scholarship program. These scholarships are granted based on a number of criteria including academic performance, need, and parental support. The scholarship provides students with roughly half of the $400 needed to attend school each year. The scholarship funding comes primarily from visitors to the center that are guests of Selva Verde Lodge. This program has been in operation for more than 5 years.
• Reforestation: The center's reforestation program focuses on planting in small (less than 120 acres or 50 hectares), nearby plots of land. Since the beginning of the reforestation work, the center has planted more than 3,000 native tree species such as almendro, sotacaballo, pilon, and fruta dorada.
• Educational outreach: The center has been providing English and environmental education classes to local schools for more than five years. The following schools have been receiving this support: Chilamate, Linda Vista, El Roble, Llanos Grande, and Calle La Lucha.

Overall, the center is in contact with more than 200 local residents on a monthly basis through all of its programs.

Selva Verde is a strong supporter of the center, particularly its Green Chilamate Project, an innovative, small-scale, native species reforestation program. The lodge has committed to contributing $2,000 annually to support this initiative, which benefits the entire community by creating reforested buffer zones around the reserve.

Selva Verde participates in the Pack for a Purpose program, where guests can bring school supplies, medical supplies, and other small items from home to donate to the local community. Guests simply drop off their donation at the hotel's front desk, and Selva Verde will deliver it for them.

Rates

$76 – 100

Rates listed are for one night and one person, and vary based on occupancy and season:

Peak season: December 15 - April 30 and June 1 - July 31:

• Single: $110
• Double: $90
• More than two people: $75

Low season: August 1 - December 14 and May 1 - 31:

• Single: $87
• Double: $75
• More than two people: $65

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.selvaverde.com/lang/en/rates2010.php (available in English, German and Spanish).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: San José (SJO)

Travel time to nearest airport: 1.5 - 2 hours

Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: ~46 miles (75 km).

There are no limitations to reaching our business year-round.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• www.eco-index.org/search/results.cfm?projectID=464 (available in English and Spanish). Information about the Bi-National Green Macaw Festival on the Rainforest Alliance's Eco-Index website. Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve is a supporter of the Green Macaw Festival. This page is also available in Spanish.

Date This Information Was Provided

November 2010.

Photos courtesy of Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve, Costa Rica, for SustainableTrip.org.