The birding is amazing, every time we went out we found new species, it was fantastic. The guides are knowledgeable and there's a lot to explore. The food is ok and reliably vegetarian, which was unusual in Costa Rica as it happens. The rooms are small, boxy, with no A/C and single uncomfortable beds, which given the context and a... More

To be fair this property is not classed as a hotel. However, it is an internationally recognised Biological Station for research, surrounded by trails which are home to myriad birds, trees and plant life. Given the popularity of the station with international birdwatchers and researchers, and the income which they must be making from their guests it is a great... More

There are no particular surprises here, in that the emphasis is on research and there are few frills! But if what you want is expert guiding, never ending trails and a fascinating insight into the flora and fauna of the rainforest, then this is perfect. Our Dormitory cabin with 3x Bunk beds was spartan, but was clean. The meals are... More

La Selva deserves its accolades as a birder's paradise. We had great morning walks with experienced guides that knew the locations of many of the rare and interesting animals. The walk across the bridge was always an adventure and in the morning it was bird after bird! The service was great (we arrived late and they had our keys waiting... More

We were lucky enough to get 3 nights at La Selva Biological Station. I think I could easily stay an entire week. The station is located just a few kilometers from Pto. Viejo de Sarapiqui in a private rainforest reserve, primarily dedicated to research and conservation. The price of staying includes three hearty meals a day, a free guided hike,... More

This was one of the two most amazing places we visited in Costa Rica. We saw many toucans and other spectacular birds including the Crested Owl. A peccary came right up to us and we saw wooly opossum and a Mexican porcupine. We got very close to black guan and a pale-billed woodpecker. The night walk was amazing! Thanks to... More

I always wanted to visit La Selva for the wildlife and wasn't disappointed. It has a feel of being in the middle of nowhere and the research facility makes one feel as if we were in a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. The guide was great and knowledgeable and we saw poisonous snakes, frogs, spiders, sloths, peccarys, monkeys, caymans... More

We booked an early morning tour of La Selva through our hotel. We arrived about 5:45 a.m. to meet our guide, Lenin. He was absolutely excellent and started spotting various birds right away. He carries a high-powered scope, and you can take pictures through it to get up close photos of the wildlife. We saw a lot of wildlife here... More

La Selva is one of the top research stations in the world. The forest is beautiful and wildlife is abundant. Tourists can stay at the station overnight. The rooms are comfortable and the food is good. However, a terrible issue is safety. Specially tourists and students (but also researchers) are constantly robbed. Although rooms have locked boxes robbers seem to... More