RARA AVIS , 17km south of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, and about 80km northeast of San José, offers one of the most thrilling and authentic eco-tourism experiences in Costa Rica, featuring both primary rainforest and some secondary cover dating from about thirty years ago. Established in 1983, Rara Avis is both a tourist lodge and a private rainforest preserve, dedicated to the conservation, study and farming of the area's biodiversity. Its ultimate objective is to show that the rainforest can be profitable for an indefinite period, giving local smallholders a viable alternative to clearcutting for their cattle. Rara Avis also functions as a research station , accommodating student groups and volunteers whose aim is to develop rainforest products - orchids, palms and so forth - as crops.

Rara Avis's flora is as diverse as you might expect from a premontane rainforest. The best way to learn to spot different flowers, plants, trees and their respective habitats is to go on a walk with one of the knowledgeable guides . Especially interesting plants include the stained-glass palm tree , a rare ornamental specimen, and the walking palm , whose fingertip or tentacle-like roots can propel it over more than a metre of ground in its lifetime, as it "walks" in search of water. Orchids are numerous, as are non-flowering bromeliads and heliconias. A mind-boggling number of bird species have been identified, and it's likely that more have yet to be discovered. Among the more common mammals are monkeys, tapirs, ocelots and jaguars, though the last three are rarely seen.