3 Best Sights in Tortuguero and the Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica

Just beyond the northeastern boundary of Braulio Carrillo National Park, about 15 km (9 miles) before the Caribbean-slope town of Guápiles, a 1,200-acre reserve houses a privately owned and operated engineering marvel: a series of gondolas strung together in a modified ski-lift pulley system. Each of the 24 gondolas holds six people and the ride covers 2 km (1 miles) in 80 minutes. For an extra $11, you can hire a guide to accompany you on the tram to help you to find and identify the wildlife. Several add-ons are possible, too, with frog and butterfly exhibits, an orchid garden, and a zip line canopy tour on-site, as well as a half-day birding tour. There is also on-site lodging.

For visitors based in San Jose, you can arrange a personal pickup there for $29 round trip, or there are public buses (on the Guápiles line) every half hour from the Gran Terminal del Caribe in San José. Drivers know the tram as the teleférico. Many San José tour operators offer a day tour that combines the tram with another half-day option; combos with the Britt Coffee Tour, near Heredia, are especially popular. These folks operate a similar facility near the Central Pacific town of Jacó as well as in Panama and the Caribbean islands of Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Maarten.

This immaculate rainforest garden hosts wildlife of all species, and in particular, some of the region’s most spectacular birds, green basilisk lizards, and three-toed sloths. Great green macaws soar overhead between the almond trees while a rainbow assortment of Blue-grey tanagers and Collared aracari toucans feast on fresh fruit. Within the airy, mesh confines of the butterfly gardens, weighty blue morphos and 25 other species of butterflies flit among the lantanas. The visit includes a two-hour guided tour, a visit to the laboratory where you can observe various insects up-close and witness every stage in the life cycle of a butterfly, and at the end, a tasting of homemade chocolate.

Lodging is available in wooden two-story lodges featuring 10 standard rooms with private bathrooms, a spacious balcony to observe wildlife, but no air conditioning. Breakfast, a morning tour, and a night tour are included in the room rate. Call or email for reservations.

This working biological research station, 17 km (11 miles) southwest of Puerto Viejo, encompasses 750 acres of primary forest and 8 km (5 miles) of trails, some of them traversing hanging bridges at canopy level. Tours introduce you to bats, frogs, and other common but often misunderstood creatures, and show off the beauty of the forest. Reservations are recommended for all activities, and required for the bat, frog, birding, and night tours. Also on site are a variety of comfy lodge accommodations that put you close to this research complex’s many fun nature-themed activities. Rooms include air conditioning, breakfast, and the entrance fee to the park.