Reviews of La Selva Biological Station

Every single thing. Magnificent forest with easy access. Plenty of wildlife sightings. Food and accommodation excellent.

Nothing

If you like adventure, wildlife, Science and feeling like you’re in the middle of the rainforest, this is the place. I wish I could do another PhD and come to this place for months. The research station was FULL of wildlife. It was by far the most abundant and diverse place we visited and we even went to the Osa Peninsula. The wildlife was also the closest we saw. You can walk the trails both day and night which was perfect for photography of birds and insects. They ask you not to leave the paths (obvious reasons - snakes, bullet ants, spiders etc!) but there was enough wildlife either side of the path that it was fine. We saw so many insects, monkeys, crocodiles, birds, snakes, frogs, poison dart frogs, armadillo, ocelot eyes shining back in the torch light and so, so much more. The diversity was incredible. Even the plants and fungus were fantastic. We even saw several species of slime moulds which were probably new to science. There’s a light trap they run most nights for insects (you can switch it on yourself if it’s not turned on). The stay comes with a free morning guided walk which was great - there’s no way we would have spotted the birds without the guide. You can also book other tours from them too. The accommodation is about a 20 minute walk from the research / food area which , for us, was great as we got to spot the wildlife along the way (you MUST take torches). It did get a little annoying having to walk it three times a day for meals though, esp in the rain, so you can drive. It felt very safe (people wise) at the accommodation as there’s a guard there most of the time at the gate (I don’t know our guards name but he was lovely and so reassuring to have him around). The food was basic but good. No choices other than veggie / meat but it was nice to experience different local dishes and we enjoyed the simplicity of it. There’s a basic shop by the food area selling snacks, crisps and lollies. That’s also where you can access the WiFi.

The rooms were very basic. No wifi in the accommodation area. Cellular reception was poor too. The mattress felt like a piece of foam. We came in the rainy season and it was still quite hot and sticky. There’s no aircon but there were fans above the bed (they need a bit of cleaning!) which actually worked well. Because of the humidity, nothing dried. We used the same wet towels for 4 days and our clothes remained damp. There was a fridge in the room which was welcome, if a little noisy. But, you don’t book somewhere like this for the rooms, you book it for the outside!!!! Good insect repellent is a MUST. If the rooms were little more comfortable / enjoyable to be in, I’m sure we’d stay weeks. Although you feel like you’re in the middle of the rainforest, there were constant road sounds in the distance which took away from the remoteness a little. It wasn’t too intrusive though and the howler monkeys drowned it out most of the time! I would be nice to have some sort of cafe there open throughout the day for drinks like coffee and smoothies.

Direct access to the trails and right on site.

Wish we had a glass in the room or a hot kettle. The water was potable but there were no glasses whatsoever.

Clean and spacious rooms on the edge of the rainforest. breakfast buffet was good. 24/7 access to a network of trails through beautiful primary and secondary rainforest. We have seen a lot of animals and we didn´t even use a guide. Highly recommended for naturalists

No A/C but it was ok the nights haven´t been too warm. The roads leading to the rooms and to the HQ are in bad condition.

Front desk was very nice and helpful. Genesis was wonderful to show me the herbarium, and her husband,, Reider (sp?) was a fun and excellent guide. Loved the night walk with him even though it was at times pouring down rain. Tons of different birds right around reception on the early morning guided walk, where they are easier to see in the open spaces. A blue morpho butterfly flew right by my seat at breakfast on my birthday, that made my day!!

My shuttle driver and another couple that I know of had trouble finding the place as Google Maps sent them to the wrong place. I would have loved to have a coffee maker available in my room as my room was a kilometer from the cafeteria. (I was given the choice at reception of that room, which I had booked, or another that was very near reception and the cafeteria, but I chose the further room.) I did enjoy the walk to and from my room several times a day. I took all the available tours in two days so left after 2 instead of my scheduled 4.

This research station is interesting place to visit and stay at. The room was rather old and basic, but clean and comfortable, and a very nice 1km walk on a clear path through the rain forest to the main reception/dining area. The evening meal and breakfast were substantial and tasty and best of all, the overnight accommodation includes a 3-hour morning walk with a guide from ther station. Lots of wildlife, some of which we were also able to see on a couple of short walks we did ourselves - we wish we could have stayed longer to explore more of the reserve

This is a research station, not a hotel. The rooms are basic, clean, with good bed, good shower and fan. The communal kitchen provides tasty if basic meals.gluten free was no problem! Free tea and coffee throughout the day. The restaurant is easily reached by a concrete walkway from the bungalows. Plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife on the way. The main reason for going to la Selva is the reserve, which is absolutely beautiful and chockful of animals. The tours are pricey but you get to see more birds, mammals and insects than in many other well know parcs. La Selva is for wildlife lovers, and worth the money, even when it rains "-)

We left a headlamp/light in our room after checkout, and found out later. I contacted the station via booking.com to ask if they had found it, but only got a response two days later saying that the mail was forwarded to the front office.. never heard from them again. This was only a headlamp but what if you forget something more valuable? Not good...

Great location. Great Wildlife viewing.

Very basic.

Very good birding. Knowledgeable guide

Don't choose the meal plan. Do yourself a favor and eat in town for lunch and dinner.

Room was very clean and spacious. Steps to the trails and dining area. Friendly and helpfull staff. Breakfast food good, filling, and good options.

Had a little trouble getting the lock to open but managed. Beds a little hard but ok for us. Included 3hr tour was too long for us but guide was kind and very knowledgeable.

Amazing peaceful natural location. Incredible guided walk included with stay with superb guide Tavo who had excellent biological knowledge and a passion for the environment.

Place was overrun by American 1st year undergraduate students doing a March break study program. The cafeteria resembled a high school cafeteria.

Access to the forest.

Meals were great. Place is awesome.

Expensive!

The guides for our tours were fantastic: extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, great at spotting it and patient in making sure that everyone in our group could see it, too. To see the birds and animals in their natural habitats was priceless. The meals (served cafeteria style) were good, especially the breakfast. There was an issue when some of us took an early morning tour and arrived back to find that there was no breakfast, but that was remedied. We all appreciated the endless coffee, which fuels all the science being done at the station.

We stayed in the visiting natural history rooms, which we knew in advance were fairly spartan. But the mattresses and pillow were uncomfortable and the bathroom was in pretty bad repair. We only stayed one night, but I imagine it would get old after a longer stay. That being said, we would do it again for the opportunity to view the wildlife.

This was our first stay in Costa Rica and it was wonderful. We are interested in wildlife and it was great to be surrounded by other like-minded enthusiasts. Accommodation was in a lovely spot - food was very good and excellent value. The guides and the guided walks were excellent and we really enjoyed being able to wander the paths at leisure. And a great place for spotting wildlife!

It exceeded my expectations. It is a functioning research station so it is not going to have the facilities of the luxury hotel. There was nothing that I would criticize.

Cabin met our needs. Beds were comfortable and the shower had plenty of hot water. Windows are screens only and air is circulated by ceiling fans. If the day is hot the room is hot. The 5 a.m. wake up from the howler monkeys and birds is what being there is all about. All the best bird sightings happen before 7 a.m. The tour guides are wonderful and very knowledgeable. They helped us see birds we never would have found or identified on our own. A highlight of the trip was a rare sighting of a golden eyelash pit viper in a tree by the trail.