La Selva Biological Station

La Selva Biological Station is a research and conservation area in the lowlands near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí in Costa Rica. The property covers 1600 hectares of rainforest and connects through protected forest corridors to Braulio Carrillo National Park at higher elevations.

The Organization for Tropical Studies purchased the former farmland from Dr. Leslie Holdridge in 1968 and converted it into a research center for forest studies. The center has since expanded its facilities and collaborates with institutions across several countries.

Researchers from universities across Central America and North America work side by side here, studying rainforest ecology and species interactions. The facility also draws students who take tropical field courses and learn directly in the forest.

The facility offers lodging for up to 180 visitors, several laboratories, meeting spaces, and wireless internet access for field work. A network of 50 kilometers (31 miles) of marked forest paths leads through different habitats and allows observation at different times of day.

The center has documented changes in forest growth and species composition for more than four decades. This long-term dataset is among the most complete for tropical lowland forests anywhere in the world.

Location: Sarapiquí Canton

Inception: January 1, 1984

Operator: Área de Conservación Central (ACC)

GPS coordinates: 10.42200,-84.01500

Latest update: December 22, 2025 14:31