By Monika Buczak
As you travel through Costa Rica, you are bound to hear “pura vida” – the unofficial mantra that captures the spirit of this small, peaceful country and its natural beauty. The best way to embrace this tico mindset is to get off the beaten path and get to know Costa Rica’s natural wonders first hand. The San Gerardo field station is ideal.
San Gerardo Station is located deep in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, on a sloping hill overlooking the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. Accessible only on foot, San Gerardo offers unique access to primary and secondary tropical rainforest and its remarkable flora and fauna. Constant humidity and often plentiful cloud cover mean towering trees and sprawling epiphytes with unlimited cracks and crevices for critters to hide in.
Depending on the season, San Gerardo’s ten kilometers of trails can be filled with any variety of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, not to mention seemingly endless numbers of butterflies, moths, and other insects. Guests can go on guided hikes during the day or night to fully experience the great biodiversity of the forest. Some recent nighttime sightings include red-eyed frogs, giant moths, and jumping pit vipers, just to name a few!
San Gerardo is also home to many of Costa Rica’s endemic and endangered species. The Bare-necked Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus glabricollis) is a regular at San Gerardo during the right months of the year. This in addition to many other birds makes San Gerardo a bird-watcher’s paradise. What’s more, recent camera traps studies have revealed an abundance of mammals – including the endangered Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) as well as pumas, ocelots, tayras, agoutis, coatis, collared peccaries, and more.
Make sure to bring rubber boots or sturdy hiking boots to combat the often muddy terrain… You wouldn’t want to miss out a hike to the beautiful waterfall because of wet socks! And after a full day of exploring, you’ll be left craving a big helping of typical Costa Rican food. Never fear! Guests at the station enjoy three delicious and filling meals a day as well as a constant supply of tea and Costa Rican coffee. The San Gerardo staff are truly a welcoming bunch who make the spacious station feel like home.
After a hearty meal, be sure to spend some time on the second floor’s open-air balcony overlooking the Arenal Lake and Volcano. Definitely bring a book to enjoy on one of the balcony’s hammocks because the secluded station does not have wifi. For travelers looking to immerse themselves in the forest and get away from often tourist-packed forest access points, it would be a shame to miss out on the tranquil, homey station at San Gerardo.
Want to visit San Gerardo?
San Gerardo is open year-round and offers day visits as well as overnight lodging. Advance reservations are required! Visit our website or contact us at 2645-5200 or info@acmcr.org for reservations and more information!
Monika Buczak is a student at Lehigh University and completed an internship with the Monteverde Conservation League (MCL) and Children’s Eternal Rainforest (CER) in 2016. Edited by Lindsay Stallcup, Executive Director of the MCL, the Costa Rican nonprofit that owns and manages the CER and its San Gerardo Station.