Selva Verde is one of our lodges, and the forest is why. 204 hectares of primary forest, about 500 acres, with 15 kilometres of paths through it, and a certificate for sustainable tourism.
The river is the other half of it. The Sarapiquí runs at the bottom of the garden, and you can go down it by canoe, kayak or raft, or ride along it on horseback, which is a very different look at a riverbank from the one you get on a trail.
Because it is two hours from the San José airport, Selva Verde is often the first night of a trip. The first morning is a gentle one: a guided walk in the lodge's own reserve, the guide's scope on the canopy for trogons and hummingbirds.
This is Great Green Macaw country, the bigger and rarer of the two macaws. The river brings the Sunbittern to its edges, and at dusk the Great Potoo sits on a dead snag.
In the tall trees, the hanging nests of the Montezuma Oropendola, and the Great Jacamar.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Green Macaw | Ara ambiguus | Guacamayo Verde Mayor | |
| Sunbittern | Eurypyga helias | Garza del Sol | |
| Great Potoo | Nyctibius grandis | Nictibio Grande | |
| Montezuma Oropendola | Psarocolius montezuma | Oropéndola de Moctezuma | |
| Great Jacamar | Jacamerops aureus | Jacamar Grande | |
| Golden-hooded Tanager | Stilpnia larvata | Tangara Capuchidorada | |
| Scarlet-rumped Tanager | Ramphocelus passerinii | Tangara de Passerini | |
| Clay-colored Thrush | Turdus grayi | Mirlo Pardo |
Fly into San José. Selva Verde is two hours from the airport. Coming from Tortuguero, it is the boat out, lunch at Guápiles, then about an hour by van.
All year. It rains in every month on this side of the country, so pack the rain layer whatever your dates.
Two lodges: Selva Verde itself, with the river at the foot of its garden, and the research station at La Selva a few kilometres east, for the birder who wants the station's trails as well.
Photo: La Selva Biological Station
Sarapiquí
Visit a Research Center Working to Protect Nature's Diversity and Bounty
★★★
A working research station of the Organization for Tropical Studies, about 1,600 acres of lowland forest with a bird list over 450 species long. You walk it with their naturalist guides, early bird walk included, and eat with the scientists.
Photo: Selva Verde Lodge
Sarapiquí
A Great Jungle Eco-Retreat with a Wide Variety of Activities Just 2 Hours from San Jose
★★★
About 500 acres of Sarapiquí rainforest the lodge has looked after since 1986, 15 km of paths, and the river at the bottom of the garden. Two hours from San José, so it is often the first night of the trip.
A few minutes on the form, and one of our Costa Rica specialists comes back to you personally with a first itinerary: the lowlands in the right order with whatever else is on your list, and how many nights each stop really needs. That first version is just a place to start.
Or call us: 1 (800) 996-1139 from the US and Canada, +506 4052-2140 in Costa Rica.
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