ESTACION BIOLOGICA LA SELVA

It is an ecological station with an educational and scientific vocation, founded by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) which, since 1963, has brought together forty-six universities and two natural history museums from the United States, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. La Selva is located at the northern end of Braulio Carrillo National Park, south of Puerto Viejo. The 1,400-hectare reserve corresponds roughly to the hunting territory of pumas or jaguars, and is home to an incredible number of tree species, migratory and non-migratory birds, reptiles and mammals. At the research center, in addition to the courses and lectures given to students and researchers, business leaders from all over the world are invited several times a year to learn about tropical ecology in the context of their industrial activities. Some 50 km of marked trails are available for birdwatching, but when it rains, the already damp ground becomes totally impassable. That's why some trails are lined with a sort of sidewalk. In any case, bring rubber boots, light clothing (the average temperature is 24°C, but seems higher in an atmosphere saturated with humidity) and good insectrepellent. Tropical forests are not very bright, so don't expect to see more than a dozen animals. Watch out for snakes, so don't stray from the marked trails!