Located about 2-km (1.25 mi) east of La Virgen is the
Sarapiquis Neotropical Center, a unique ecolodge whose aim it is to develop
sustainable travel and tourism.
If you are not able to stay the lodge, it is worth visiting the lodge's Alma
Ata Archaeological Park, the Rainforest Museum of Indigenous Culture and the
Sarapiquis Gardens. The archaeology is about 600 years old and there are 70
small stone sculptures being excavated. It's a small site but gives a nice feel
for pre-Columbian history.
The museum chronicles the history of the rain forest through a mixture of
displays and videos where Costa Rican indigenous artifacts are on display.
The gardens contain the largest scientific collection of medicinal plants in
Costa Rica.
After the tour of the museum, visitors can enter the Tirimibina Rainforest
Center, a private 300-hectare (740-acre) reserve, where a suspension bridge
crosses 267m (880 ft) over the Rio Sarapiqui. There are 6-km (3.5 mi) of trails
on the reserve and an island in the middle of the river. Guided tours to spot
bats and birds are offered and visitors can learn about cacao plantations.
Boating down the Rio Sarapiqui to the Rio San Juan is a memorable trip and
comes recommended by several travel guide books. On this trip, it's possible to
see crocodiles and river turtles. There's an abundance of birds. And, even the
sloths come down to the water. There's a combination of rainforest and
deforested zones, as well as ranches.
An elegant lodge that was
formerly a finca, this protected 200-hectare (500-acre) rainforest
houses a river lodge, which is elevated on wooden platforms. The lodge works
with Elderhostel in North America and offers educational opportunities and
guided tours, which non-guests can enjoy for a fee.
La Selva Biological Station is a working
biological research station that is well equipped with laboratories,
experimental plots, a herbarium and extensive library. This station is filled
with scientists and students who use the station as a headquarters for
researching the nearby private reserve.
La Selva is operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies which was
founded in 1963 to provide leadership in education and research. Many well-known
tropical ecologists have trained at La Selva.
Heliconia Island is arguably
the most beautiful garden in Costa Rica and is considered to be a masterpiece of
landscape architecture. It was started by a New Yorker, a former professor of
art and design, who turned this two-hectare island into a beautiful garden
housing 80 varieties of heliconia, tropical flowers, plants and trees and 228
species of birds. Garden residents also include howler monkeys and river otters.
Tim Ryan, the owner, will guide visitors through the gardens on a 1.5 hour
tour with the option to have lunch afterwards.
