La Selva Biological Station

I loved my stay at La Selva and ended up extended it by an extra day. You feel fully immersed in wildlife and free to explore. A memorable moment was being on the hanging bridge in the dark with bats flying everywhere, my torch picked out the eyes of a caiman in the river and a great potoo flew overheard and along the river. Breathtaking!

Come here for the wildlife and the birds, they are incredible. The food is good, and the facilities are more than adequate.

This is not a typical hotel or cabin stay. If you want luxury, keep looking. The food and accommodations are quite basic but serve the purpose. The real bonus about staying here is the great access to being very close to the nature of Costa Rica. The purpose of my trip was birding, so please be advised that I speak from this perspective, and fancy accommodations and other excursions were not important to me during this stay. You can do some great birding right around the cabin houses and have an easy stroll to the reception area. There are many kms of marked trails and I’ve probably walked 10 (km) of them in my two stays, and have very rarely run into other people other than near the researchers’ compound. If you stay on site there is a 2-3 hr nature tour with a knowledgeable guide which is good. Morning birding and night tours can be arranged as well. I hope to return one day.

La Selva is a great place for nature lovers. Tropical rainforest with a lot of birds, monkeys etc just outside the window.
Cabins are big, charming and clean but don’t expect luxury- you are sharing the place with scientist and other nature lovers.
3 great local meals were included in the room price as well as a guided rainforest walk - a very good surprise.

The forest and the wildlife are the reason for staying here so in that respect this place gets 10 out of 10. We did a birding tour and a night walk and took advantage of the free nature walk. The latter was conducted by Joel and I strongly encourage people not to pass on this even though they may have other tours booked. It was absolutely superb and held our interest for every minute of the 3 hours.
The accommodation is simple. The beds were a little hard and the pillows win the prize for the worst in the world but the bed linen was clean and fresh and the fans were effective so overall we slept well. The bathroom was clean and well lit and the shower was probably the best we encountered throughout CR, even in some expensive places. The wifi worked well in the rooms and there was a pleasant balcony at the back of the cabin to sit and watch the birds. Laundry is cheap and efficient and there is a bag in the room for this purpose.
Food was served in the canteen and was buffet style. It was pretty much the same every day and I think it was a bit over-priced for what we got. We had a car however so we ate in town for 2 of our 3 nights there. Breakfast was ample and there was free coffee and water all day.
There are many trails here that you can follow without a guide and the beauty of being a resident means you have free access to them whenever you want.
All the staff here were excellent.
We would certainly return but might consider bringing our own pillows next time!

True and non-comercialized Costa Rican nature. A wonderful place to experience native flora and fauna.

Staying at La Selva was a unique experience. The accommodations are very rustic, which fits a research station. The highlight was the 3-hour guided tour that was included in the stay. A great experience for nature lovers.

Super sejour. La visite de 3h du parc avec guide etait super. Logement simple mais propre. Environnement exceptionnel

An outstanding research and educational center. It was a privilege to stay onsite and enjoy an example of Costa Rica’s stellar conservation example

Die Unterkunft ähnelt einer Jugendherberge. Was jedoch negativ auffiel, war die inkludierte Tour: Unser Guide hatte kein Teleskop, weil er es „nicht mochte“. Wir waren die einzige Gruppe ohne Teleskope, wodurch es sehr schwierig war, einige Vögel zu beobachten. Wahrscheinlich würde ich hier nicht wieder übernachten und auch keine Tour buchen. Der Guide war außerdem sehr desinteressiert.

The accommodation is basic . It’s designed as shared student rooms . While the food too is fairly basic - served in student canteen fashion - it is perfectly edible and satisfying.
But you don’t come here for either . You come to be close to the biological reserve and the wonderful birds and wildlife . So you can be up at dawn to catch the chorus and do the night walk after dark with the knowledgeable guides

Excellent birdwatching and a great vibe with plenty of young people enjoying nature.
The only problem was Google Maps kept directing us in the wrong direction down tiny little country lanes. This led to severe frustration because we wasted our limited time before even arriving.

Lovely place to stay for those interested in wild life and nature. Accommodation is basic but that’s not what you come here for. Maps of trails could do with being better

This was an amazing area for birding, either on a tour or just sitting on the patio. Staff was very accommodating and especially helpful when constant rains caused flooding in the river. Our living quarters were roomy although beds were quite firm. The property is several miles from Puerto Viejo, the nearest town so transportation is a little difficult without a car (but taxis are available). All roads n all, our stay here was great!

Peacefulness. Birdlife.

This is a unique place of natural wonders and that makes it difficult to review or compare to other accommodations. This is not your regular hotel with a/c, maid service, restaurant and bar. No, this is a cabin with resident gecko and without a/c. If you eat on site, the meals are cafeteria style, good and hearty. In return, you wake to the sound of Howler Monkeys, toucans and macaws. You walk from your cabin into the forest and you are immersed in the natural world. We love this place. It was our second visit and we will return.

The counter staff were very patient and helpful. They made our stay stress free. The kitchen staff also very hardworking. Food is reasonably good . The park staff and workers are all very friendlly and helpful. Had a very good time staying there for more than 2 week. The room service was not average . Had to remind them to clean the room thrice.

One should be careful about the ' Auto latches ' which may lock automatically behind us. ( So we should ensure to carry the keys always with us !!)

2. The reception desk/restaurant are in
25minutes walking distance from the room..

We had a great stay but wished there was air conditioning

La Selva is no frills accommodations with no air conditioning, but it is a working biological station with animals and plants that you won’t see anywhere else. The guides were amazing, especially Chris on the night tour. It was a unique experience that I will always remember as a highlight of my time in Costa Rica!