Name: Palo Verde Biological Station
Address: Parque Nacional Palo Verde Bagaces,, Bagaces, Bagaces, Bagaces, 0, Costa Rica
Rating: 9

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Liberia Airport

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Palo Verde Biological Station

Bagaces

Rustic and well run research station in the heart of the Park. On the edge of a vast wetland savanna surrounded by forested rocky outcrops. ample wildlife (iguanas, monkeys,  amazing bird life especially during migration), boardwalk pier into the marsh. Helpful and knowledgeable station manager, great home cooking! Owned and run by tropical research NGO, Org. for Tropical Studies (60 years on). Accomodations are basic and clean with surprisingly fluffy towels. Great for bringing student college trips.

Great place to be in Palo Verde

Ok this is not a hotel - its a research station that takes paying guests using lodging that students/researchers usually use. So dont except much - this is basic. But you are right by the wetlands and for dawn/dusk photography its a great location.

We had a room with our own bathroom with twin beds. However, the bathroom fittings had definitely seen better days, all the light bulbs were bare, the mosi nets were strung up with multiple coloured bits of string, no bedside lights etc. Think basic student hostel type accommodation. 

Food was also quite poor - buffet style with food clearly cooked some time earlier. I see from reviews others had a better experience - perhaps things have slipped.  Make sue you take some snacks to supplement the food. And no alcoholic drinks here. 

We stayed 2 nights - perhaps 1 would have been sufficient. Met some lovely students and researchers though. Apart from the bird life a troupe of howler monkeys came through and a troupe of capuchins, plus several coatis.

great wetland birdlife - accommodation basic

It was a nice experience, the room was good (with a private bathroom, a very good fan, internet access, but no everyday cleaning if you stay several nights - be careful of the scorpions), the staff was really nice, the food was good (self-service). The view of the mangrove next to the station is beautiful (with birds). There are several trails to do which are okay (some view points) - you can do them in one day. We did walk on the main roads too, better to watch the birds (trogon, hawk, parrots, fly-catcher, water birds like heron), snakes, coatis, dears, iguanes and monkeys. We went in July and it was quite dry, really hot with a lots of mosquitoes. We did the boat tour on the river (59 dollars/pers for 2 hours), the guide offered use to come with us (hopefully, otherwise I think it would have been not so nice!), it was very good to see water birds and crocodiles - and have information given by the guide ; still we think that it was too expensive when we consider how much we paid for a night at the station + the entrance of the parc 12$/per day/per pers). We stayed 2 nights there and we think it was sufficient; but we have good memories of this stay.

Good experience (maybe too expensive)

This is undoubtedly one of the best places to observe birds and enjoy nature, it has many trails and a seasonal lagoon that gets dry in the driest season. Many mammals and birds are seen, such as Jabiru and Piches. It is recommended to take a tour in a chapel or by boat along the Tempisque River.

One of the best places to see birds.

I spent 3 nights here on a birdwatching trip . I had good , clean and comfortable accommodation . The food was very tasty and plentiful . WiFi was available in my room . The staff were friendly and helpful with excellent knowledge of local wildlife . This is not a tourist hotel but a working research station which welcomes visitors . It was inexpensive and provided great value for money . A short walk takes you to the lakeside where you can enjoy excellent views of water birds , such as Limpkin ann Roseate Spoonbill . I also took a splendid boat trip down the Tempisque River . In the evening I went on short night walks and saw a variety of nocturnal wildlife . However I needed my Incognito anti-mosquito insect repellent, which as always on my travels was super effective . During the day we walked some well marked trails and drove along forest tracks and nearby rice fields. I saw many interesting birds , including , Jabiru , Elegant Trogon and close up views of a young Spectacled Owl . We were joined at breakfast by a Great Curassow pecking around the grounds . Other wildlife seen were : Howler and Capuchin monkeys , Opossum , Coati , Vine snake and Crocodile . These 3 great days provided me with a list of 93 different birds .

Relaxed stay in the Tropical Dry Forest

We only stayed overnight at the Biological Station.  Our two meals, dinner and breakfast were very good and filling.  A special Vegetarian meal was made for me!  It was just the two of us and a few staff in sight. We saw iguanas and birds and coati!  Our guide, Gustavo, took us out to a remote marsh.  We saw several different species of birds, saw tracks of buffalo and a coyote.  Saw wild horses running away!  It was a very informative and fun, though short visit.  We'd go back...for a longer stay next time!

Excellent bird watching!

The Park Ranger at the main gate helped us organise an overnight stay in the very basic cabins used by researchers at the Park Headquarters (about 2 km from the Biological Station) which were much cheaper. Very basic bunk beds with exterior shared toilets but fine for a night if you don't mind being in the middle of wildlife. We then paid to eat dinner and breakfast with the Researchers at the Biological Station which made for very interesting conversation. 

We also saw a fair bit of wildlife around such as iguana, snakes, rabbit, dear, monkeys, coati and 2 types of peccary.

We booked a private birdwatching tour at the Biological Station for early in the morning to mainly take in the many water bird species unique to the area. It wasn't the cheapest tour but was very good and the guide was very knowledgeable. He also took us as a "bonus" to see a nesting pair of the rare giant Jabiru storks.

Compared to many other areas in Costa Rica, it was not at all touristy and was a nice experience to be staying in the middle of the wildlife among the researchers.

Special "off the beaten path" experience staying within the Park

Our one night stay among scientists and students within the Palo Verde Park was out of this world! What a rare treat to see exotic animals passing though the grounds of the station as you sit in the cafeteria, have a private tour of the station, and be just minutes from the Tempisque River. A serious adventure!

Palo Verde Biological Station

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