Estación Biológica Las Cruces — Hotel in San Vito

We are ex-pat residents of Panama and decided to cross the nearby border into Costa Rica and visit the town of San Vito. Las Cruces is 8 km from the town center, a few dollars taxi ride from town. Reservations are required which were easy to make via email. We chose to eat lunch and dinner in the communal dining room and had absolutely delicious and healthy meals prepared innovatively with local ingredients. Truly the best meals we ate in San Vito. We received an excellent tour of about three hours by Jeisson F. Sandi, a staff member who was extremely knowledgeable about the plant and bird life at Las Cruces. He carried a telescope with him that allowed us to see and photograph several birds that he somehow spotted with his sharp eyes. This is a birder's paradise. || It helped very much that one of us speaks fluent Spanish and the rest of us have a beginner-intermediate command of Spanish. If you speak only English you can still enjoy the natural beauty of the site but will miss out on the depth gained by learning the history and mission of Las Cruces.|| After Jeission's tour we were turned lose to hike the beautiful grounds that encompass the Wilson Botanical Gardens and the grounds of Las Cruces including miles and miles of rainforest trails. Las Cruces has the second largest collection of palms in the world and a self guided tour book can be purchased for a donation that provides a very informative walking tour of the tropical trees and palms here. So this is also a hiker's paradise and a botanist's paradise.|| Las Cruces and the Organization for Tropical Studies is committed to involving the local, national and international community in their ecological mission and that shows throughout the beautiful grounds and facilities. We plan to come back and encourage anyone who loves nature or is committed to tropical ecology and rainforest preservation to come here. We could literally have spent days here hiking and...

We stayed for 3 nights at Las Cruces Biological Station and explored the botanical gardens and trails for the 2 days we were here. ||As per other traveller reviews, the gardens, the land and the fauna are all really nice. The birds and the wildlife are another level. We saw about 40 new species here; (birds, inspects and amphibians) and nature travel is our thing! We choose to book guided tours and we had Jeisson for the nature trail & history of the gardens, the night tour and the bird watching. Jeisson is very dedicated & a superb guide and we had the best experience with him. The night tour was one of the best we have ever done in Costa Rica, it was amazing! ||The rooms are better than I anticipated and we had ample room for 2 of us. The balcony that is part of your room is a just a great place to relax & chill. The only slight issue was that the humidity made it hard for towels to dry so would be good if you could get fresh towels daily, but its a very sustainable environment, so we made do. All meals are included in your stay and served in a communal dinning room, which we enjoyed. The kitchen staff really went the extra mile to cater for some of my food intolerances and food was always fresh, wholesome and varied. ||For those travelling around Costa Rica for more than a week, you can get a sack full of laundry done - same day - for $12, which was a bargain.||I would glady come back and stay here again. Its just been a slice of paradise and we were lucky that it felt like we had the place to ourselves for most...

We spent two incredible nights at La Estación Biológica Las Cruces, and it was truly an unforgettable experience! The rooms were comfortable and well-appointed, with balconies offering breathtaking views—perfect for birdwatching or simply relaxing while surrounded by nature’s beauty.

This place is a hidden gem for nature lovers. The local cuisine was absolutely delicious, and the staff went above and beyond to accommodate my wife’s dietary restrictions with personalized meal options, which we greatly appreciated.

The grounds are teeming with an impressive variety of plants and birds, making every moment outdoors a delight. Even if you’re just visiting the San Vito area for a day, the trails here are well worth exploring. Don’t miss the observation tower—it’s a must-visit spot for bird...