La Selva Biological Station

We did a night walk with Luis, it was great! You could really tell how passionate he is about nature and animals which made the experience really cool. We got to learn a lot about the animals and the forest and of course we managed to spot quite a few species. Would definitely recommend.

Thoroughly enjoyed the forest walk and the series of swinging bridges to see the wonderful forest in all its glory. To walk around so close to the canopy and see the forest from a new perspective is spectacular. The bridges do swing more than I thought and you have to have a head for heights but I coped quite well. We visited in the afternoon so there did not seem to be as much wildlife as I’d hoped but we saw a glimpse of the famous quetzal in all its glory for a brief moment. The howling monkeys were in nearby trees and a tarantula was nontienaly crawling along the path near the exit. Some of our group enjoyed the zip wire experience and bungee jump. The facility was good with clean modern toilets, a good gift shop and cafe. I would have to say the cooked food prices seemed steep for what there was. Ham and cheese sandwich with fries and a drink was over $20 dollars. However, the place is an excellent venue to get an adrenaline rush and see more incredible nature the region has to offer.

Great stay on La Selva Biological Station La Selva is a great place for nature lovers. Tropical rainforest with a lot of birds, monkeys etc just outside the window. Cabins are big, charming and clean but don’t expect luxury- you are sharing the place with scientist and other nature lovers. 3 great local meals were included in the room price as well as a guided rainforest walk - a very good surprise.

The forest and the wildlife are the reason for staying here so in that respect this place gets 10 out of 10. We did a birding tour and a night walk and took advantage of the free nature walk. The latter was conducted by Joel and I strongly encourage people not to pass on this even though they may have other tours booked. It was absolutely superb and held our interest for every minute of the 3 hours. The accommodation is simple. The beds were a little hard and the pillows win the prize for the worst in the world but the bed linen was clean and fresh and the fans were effective so overall we slept well. The bathroom was clean and well lit and the shower was probably the best we encountered throughout CR, even in some expensive places. The wifi worked well in the rooms and there was a pleasant balcony at the back of the cabin to sit and watch the birds. Laundry is cheap and efficient and there is a bag in the room for this purpose. Food was served in the canteen and was buffet style. It was pretty much the same every day and I think it was a bit over-priced for what we got. We had a car however so we ate in town for 2 of our 3 nights there. Breakfast was ample and there was free coffee and water all day. There are many trails here that you can follow without a guide and the beauty of being a resident means you have free access to them whenever you want. All the staff here were excellent. We would certainly return but might consider bringing our own pillows next time!

Staying at La Selva was a unique experience. The accommodations are very rustic, which fits a research station. The highlight was the 3-hour guided tour that was included in the stay. A great experience for nature lovers.

An outstanding research and educational center. It was a privilege to stay onsite and enjoy an example of Costa Rica’s stellar conservation example