La Selva Biological Station

Overview

Description

La Selva Biological Station, located in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica, is one of the most important sites for tropical ecosystem research in the world, and is located in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. It is comprised of 3,988 acres (1,614 hectares) of old growth and disturbed tropical wet forest.

La Selva has also been a pioneer site in education, research, conservation, and ecotourism in Costa Rica since 1963 and one of the first private protected areas in the country, and together La Selva and the Braulio Carrillo National Park are part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Species diversity is spectacular, including more than 1,850 species of vascular plant flora, 350 species of trees, more than half of the 886 species of birds in Costa Rica, five of the six species of felines in the country, more than 70 species of bats, approximately 500 species of ants and thousands of reptiles, amphibians, and other insects.

Visitors to La Selva will have an educational, high-quality experience with our knowledgeable, bilingual naturalist guides who lead daily nature walks and teach about the amazing natural history (flora and fauna) of the tropical forest. There are 35 miles of well-maintained trails, some of which are accessible to the physically challenged, through activities such as: guided natural history walks, bird-watching, night hikes, short-term projects and hands-on science activities, volunteer projects, river boat tours, and lectures.

Sarapiquí is a popular tourist destination, just 1.5 hours from San José, in close proximity to Arenal, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Tortuguero National Park, and Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge.

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 92

Percentage of local employees: 90%

The commercial development of the Sarapiqui area began thanks to La Selva. The great number of researchers, students, and tourists that we receive is helping Sarapiqui become a tourist region, with the goal of becoming as essential a tourist destination in Costa Rica as Monteverde and Arenal. Among the benefits OTS provides are:

• Hiring local employess.
• Training local guides.
• Offering educational and professional opportunities for the local community, under the supervision of some of the most well-known researchers in the world.
• Initiating the first training course for nature guides.
• Doing volunteer work in the community.
• Purchasing supplies from local producers.
• Providing services for other hotels and members of the tourism sector.

Rates

$51 – $75

From $50 - $100.

Rate includes accommodations, three meals, and a half-day guided tour.

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.threepaths.co.cr/laselva_rates_reservation.shtml (available in English).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: San José (SJO)

Travel time to nearest airport: 1.5 hours

Additional Information

OTS is a non-profit consortium that includes around 65 universities and research institutions around the world. OTS was founded in 1963 to provide leadership in education, research and the responsible use of natural resources in the tropics.

To address this mission, OTS conducts graduate and undergraduate education, facilitates research, actively participates in tropical forest conservation, and manages three biological stations in Costa Rica: La Selva, Las Cruces and Palo Verde.

OTS is dedicated to ecotourism and promoting scientific and environmental consciousness. With more than 10,000 tourists visiting our three biological stations in Costa Rica, through our annual Three Paths natural history program, OTS works to ensure that natural history visitors have a high-quality experience and learn about the amazing natural history of the tropical forest and its flora and fauna through activities such as: guided natural history walks, bird-watching, night hikes, short term projects and hands-on science activities, volunteer projects, river boat tours, and lectures. These activities are just part of the experiential learning that our biological stations can offer, which fulfills our mission of enhancing the appreciation of nature and ecology, the understanding of the need for preservation and support of conservation measures.

Part of the Organization for Tropical Studies' (OTS) goal in promoting ecotourism is to provide benefits to local communities. We have kept this goal in mind with the purchase of our three biological stations.

Files

• Rates 2013
• Tarifas para nacionales - 2013 - Rates for national tourists - 2013 (in Spanish).

Date This Information Was Provided

May 2012.

Photos courtesy of La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, for SustainableTrip.org.