Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands
The garden of the Organization for Tropical Studies' research station at Las Cruces, near the village of San Vito de Coto Brus and close to the Panama border. The station's 472 hectares are part of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, and more than 400 species of birds have been spotted there, with 800 species of butterflies.
The gardens were designed by the Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and hold more than 650 species of palms. The guided walks through them are led by the station's biologists and naturalists.
It is one of our lodges, and an unusual one. You sleep at the station, eat at set times with the scientists and students, and watch the garden from a private deck.
That is the place for a birder who would rather talk to a biologist at dinner than sit by a pool.
More than 400 species have been spotted at the station. Among the birds its own researchers name at Las Cruces are the White-throated Thrush, the White-breasted Wood-Wren and the Chestnut-capped Warbler, with the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and the Scaly-breasted Hummingbird.
| English | Scientific | Spanish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-throated Thrush | Turdus assimilis | Mirlo Gorgiblanco | |
| White-breasted Wood-Wren | Henicorhina leucosticta | Soterré de Selva Pechiblanco | |
| Chestnut-capped Warbler | Basileuterus delattrii | Reinita Cabecicastaña | |
| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | Amazilia tzacatl | Colibrí Rabirrufo | |
| Scaly-breasted Hummingbird | Phaeochroa cuvierii | Colibrí Pechiescamado | |
| 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. The station is about four and a half hours' drive from San José, far enough south that it is a stop of its own rather than a detour.
All year. Tell us your dates and we will say what the garden is doing that month.
One lodge: the research station itself, with the garden at the door.
Photo: Las Cruces Biological Station
San Vito
A 4.5 hours drive away from San Jose
★★★
The Organization for Tropical Studies' research station near San Vito, close to the Panama border and home to the Wilson Botanical Garden, where the guides are biologists or naturalists. Meals are at set times with the scientists and students, a private deck looks over the gardens, and it is four and a half hours' drive from San José.
No fixed trip stops here yet; we add it to a custom trip.
A few minutes on the form, and one of our Costa Rica specialists comes back to you personally with a first itinerary: the Pacific 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.
Keep going: add more birds, lodges or tours, then turn your Wishlist into a trip.
