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Contact:
Gabriel González Guzmán
General Manager
Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica
Tel: +800/451-7111 (US)
Tel: +506/2766-6800 (CR)
gabriel@selvaverde.com
www.selvaverde.com
Certified by:
CST July 2004
Features:
Hot water
Private bathroom
Air conditioning (only 5 bungalow rooms)
Conference rooms
Laundry facilities
Pool
Restaurant
Internet connection for guest use
Telephone
Wheelchair accessible
Other: Gift Shop
Type of accommodation:
Bed & breakfast, lodge, inn
Number of rooms: 45
Year founded: 1984
Number of employees: 30
Percent of employees who are local residents: over 90%
Type of destination:
Forest/rainforest
River, lake, wetland
Able to accommodate:
Families
Gay/lesbian
Seniors
Singles
Singles with children
Volunteers
Description of the area:
Selva Verde’s rainforest reserve is home to possibly the largest almendro tree in all of Central America and this enormous tree provides food and habitat for the endangered great green macaw. We offer daily guided hikes with local naturalist 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.
Available activities:
Eco / nature / wildlife
Bird watching
Adventure, sports
Walking / hiking
Horseback riding
Canopy exploration
Educational, research, volunteering
Tours
River rafting
Visits to conservation projects
How to get there:
Nearest airport: Juan Santamaria International Airport (Alajuela)
Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: ~46 miles(75 km, 1.5 - 2 hrs)
There are no limitations to reaching our operation year-round.
Making a difference:
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 segment, which is part of the greater Mesoamerican Biological Corridor Initiative. Additionally, energy and water conservation, recycling, biodegradable laundry products, earth-friendly products for construction, recycled products for construction projects and 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 parent support. The scholarship provides students with roughly half of the $400 needed annually needed to attend school. The scholarship funding comes primarily from visitors to the Center that are guests of Selva Verde Lodge. This program has been in operation for over 5 years.
Reforestation: The center’s reforestation program focuses on planting in small (less than 120 acres or 50 hectares) nearby plots of land within range of the physical location of the center. Since the beginning of the reforestation work, the Center has planted over 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 over 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 over 200 local residents on a monthly basis throughout all of its programs.
Selva Verde is a strong supporter of the center, particularly its the Center’s Green Chilamate Project, an innovative small-scale native species reforestation program. The lodge has committed to contributing $2,000 annually to support this initiative that benefits the entire community by creating reforested buffer zones around the reserve.
General rates:
Peak season:
Months of Dec 15-April 30, June 1-July 31
Single $110
Double $90
More than two people $75
Low Season:
Months of Aug 1-Dec 14, May 1-31
Single $87
Double $75
More than two people $65
Date this information was provided: May 2008
