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-   -   Costa Rica Zoo Ave. (https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico-and-central-america/costa-rica-zoo-ave-470785/)

maryanne1 Aug 29th, 2004 02:03 PM

Costa Rica Zoo Ave.
 
Anyone visited on Zoo Ave. near Alajuela to see the birds and other animals? Your opinion. We enjoy birds. Thinking this might be a good activity in the afternoon after our 4 hour flight in the morning to be able to walk around. Have not noticed on the forum anyone mentioning this as a place to visit.

Percy Aug 29th, 2004 03:03 PM

This is a very nice place to spend about 2 full hours.
I had about 1 1/2 hours to kill before my flight left San Jose and I went to Zoo Avenue.

I wish I would have had an extra half hour.

You will see many lovely animals and birds here that you will be "lucky " to see in the wild.

To be "up close and personal" with the
the beautiful Quetzal is worth the price of admission.

Admission ( about $6.00 to $7.00)

This place is very near the Airport.

Percy


janeg Aug 29th, 2004 04:41 PM

Is this the zoo in San Jose? There seems to be one near Hotel Don Carlos.

shillmac Aug 29th, 2004 05:33 PM

There is a zoo near the Don Carlos. However, Zoo Ave. is located in Alajuela, very near the airport, as Percy indicated. If memory serves, it is on the road that goes to La Garita and on across the Interamerican Highway toward Atenas.

Percy Aug 29th, 2004 05:34 PM

No

This Zoo Avenue is NOT the San Jose Zoo.

Percy

Percy Aug 29th, 2004 05:45 PM

shillmac

Hi

We posted out replies 1 minute apart.

If I had read your reply at 7:33 PM I would not have had to answer.!!!!

Take Care

Percy

shillmac Aug 29th, 2004 06:23 PM

LOL. . .I know. That happens occasionally, I've noticed! I wish we had gone to Zoo Ave. This last trip, we spent almost 7 days in the central valley just kicking around. That's not something many people do, but the weather was wonderfully cool and we needed to "budget down" a bit! Plus our daughter was in school in Heredia, so we were trying to spend a little time with her here and there before we returned.

We drove by Zoo Ave. several times (stayed at Las Orquideas, and it was very close). I wish we had spent some time there. We'll have to plan on that another time. You make it sound very interesting! Also on that road in the Martin Resort. . .Italian owned, I think. It looked pretty nice. .have you noticed it or heard anything about it?

JoniC Aug 29th, 2004 06:36 PM

I went to Zoo Ave and really enjoyed it. One of the most memorable things about it is that it is not only a zoo but an educational facility and it teaches the local people that it is not good, for example, to steal parrot babies from nests to sell to the tourists, etc. It teaches conservation and appreciation of the natural world. It was a life-changing experience for me to see hands-on how hard they are working to preserve the natural world. And it gave me hope that perhaps future generations will still be lucky enough to see the endangered Scarlet Macaw like I did at Carara. The way it was meant to be seen, flying free, not in a cage.

And besides that, yes, you get to see some birds and a few endangered animals that you might not get lucky enough to see in the wild. Definitely worth checking out, in my opinion.

Joni

shillmac Aug 30th, 2004 03:54 AM

Excuse me, Percy. . .referring to my earlier post. . .that would be "also on that road IS the Martin Resort"--not IN the Martin Resort!

Still wondering if anyone has ever stayed hear and what you thought about it!

Percy Aug 30th, 2004 07:40 AM

shillmac

Sorry shillmac, I do not know anything about the Martin Resort.

I hope someone can comment on this site so I can learn something also.

Hope all is well in Oklahoma.

Percy


Percy Aug 30th, 2004 07:48 AM

JoniC

oops forgot to add:

Yes,I know how you feel.

Even though I saw the Scarlet Macaws in the wild and then saw them again in Zoo Avenue
( in fact there were many Macaws there not just the Scarlet ones),
I kind of did not like to see them in a cage.

Same with the Quetzal.

This very beautiful bird, in a cage,but I guess, that is why we have Zoo's in the world, and I am sure they are well treated.

Some of the cages were huge and the birds did have a large place to fly around.


I would go to Zoo Avenue again and this time really take my time and just watch the birds and monkeys etc. do their thing !!!!


Percy


maryanne1 Aug 30th, 2004 06:55 PM

Thank you Percy and JoniC for your thoughts about the zoo. it sounds like the kind of place we enjly. My daughter and I plan to go Thursday afternoon. Hopefully no downpour that afternoon.


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