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Contact:
Patricia Mejía Sirias
Manager - Marketing and Sales
P.O. Box 676-2050
San Pedro, Costa Rica
Tel: +506/2524-0607
Fax: +506/2524-0608
pmejia@ots.ac.cr
edu.travel@ots.ac.cr
www.threepaths.co.cr
www.ots.ac.cr
Recommended by:
La Tirimbina Reserve
Tel: +506/761-1579
Fax: +506/764-1576
www.tirimbina.org
tirimbin@racsa.co.cr
Type of accommodation:
Bed & breakfast, lodge, inn
Research station
Features:
Conference rooms
Hot water
Internet connection
Laundry facilities
Private bathroom
Restaurant
Wheelchair accessible
Other: Library, Gift shop
Year founded: 1963
Number of employees: 24
Percent of employees who are local residents: 90%
Type of destination:
Forest/rainforest
Able to accommodate:
Families
Handicapped
Seniors
Singles
Singles with children
Volunteers
Description of the area:
La Selva Biological Station:
Location: Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Distance from San José: 1.5 hr, 80km
La Selva Biological Station 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 1,614 hectares (3,988 acres) 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 leads daily nature walks and teach about the amazing natural history ( its 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 1/2hr from San José, in close proximity to Arenal, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Tortuguero National Park and Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge.
Available activities:
Adventure, sports
Bird watching
Eco/nature/wildlife
Educational, research, volunteering
Tours
Visits to conservation projects
Walking/hiking
How to get there:
Nearest international airport: Juan Santamaría Intl. Airport
Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: Distance from San José: 1.5 hr, 60 miles
Making a difference:
By promoting Eco-tourism, OTS seeks to benefit local communities, and we have kept this goal in sight since we purchased the 3 stations.
The Sarapiqui area’s commercial development began thanks to La Selva, due to the creation and further development of the station and the amount of researchers, students and natural history visitors. Nowadays, Sarapiqui is becoming a tourist region, with the aspiration to be as essential a tourist destination in Costa Rica as Monteverde and Volcán Arenal. Among the benefits OTS provides are: 1) hiring local employess 2) training local guides 3) offering educational opportunities and professional possibilities for the local population, under the supervision of some of the most well known researchers in the world 4) initiating the first training course for nature guides 5) doing volunteer work in the community 6) purchasing supplies from local producers 7) providing services for other hotels and members of the tourism sector.
Organization for Tropical Studies (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 and eco-tourism -- Promoting and supporting a scientific and environmental consciousness, more than 10,000 eco tourists visiting our three biological stations in Costa Rica through our Natural History Program (Three Paths) annually. 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.
General rates:
$$$ -- From $50 to $100
Rates include lodging and three meals per day. For more information about the rates visit www.threepaths.co.cr.
Date this information was provided: January, 2008.
