Ecological Sanctuary
Ecological Sanctuary
4.5
Historic Walking AreasNature & Wildlife Areas
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Our family wakes up early at the warmth of the wooden stove, we gather to plan the day around the flavor of handmade tortillas. We grew up at the shade of the great ficus and enjoys the songs of the free birds and the mischievous monkeys, cultivate life and food to help us survive in an economy in which money has value, but we have the certain that it is not all !!! We are a local family and our job is to share the life philosophy that we got as a heritage, communion with the great diversity in which we have the opportunity of walking up, working on the conservation of the forest and offering visitors the unforgettable experience of nature image, walking through our different trails you will encounter a transition forest a bridge between The Cloud Forest and the Dry Forest; with an abundance of endemic and fruit bearing trees in the area that make it suitable birds watching, wildlife observation and wide array flora that characterizes the area. You will be surprised by two beautiful waterfalls, panoramic views, coffee and banana plantations grown in harmony with the rich biodiversity of 48 hectares of protected area. In our quest to conserve the forest we are part of the Biological Corridor Bellbird, planting and giving maintenance to about 1,000 trees per year, this association's project to reforest the corridor where they nest and eat these beautiful birds. Bellbird Association
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles151 reviews
Excellent
88
Very good
33
Average
19
Poor
4
Terrible
7

SimpleJack6000
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Friends
I went about a year ago and came back to the website to order more coffee and thought I should leave a review. So this tour was amazing it is reasonably priced and you get a real feel of what it's like to be a coffee farmer and how intricate the process is. I traveled all around costa rica for 2 weeks and this was definitely one of the best highlights of the trip. I would rate it higher if I could.
Written 27 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for visiting and supporting our family business, your comment encourages us to continue working to protect the forest and share our passion with those who visit us.
Written 27 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gregory A
San Diego, CA2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Such a wonderful tour provided by Chris. You could tell that he is very passionate about the project that he has created for his family farm. From the way he discusses the history of coffee as well as how it came to Costa Rica to the very distinct ways he will show you how to brew coffee, you will be enthralled. This is a man who is an expert and true artisan of his craft. He shares his dreams with you of educating the youth about sustainability and how this can be the turning point to zero waste not only in his town, but across the world; this will even be the topic he presents at an upcoming TedEx.

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Monteverde area of Costa Rica, anyone who wants to learn more about coffee, or anyone who wants to learn about sustainability and permaculture.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Muchas gracias por su comentario. Al visitar nuestro proyecto familiar Santuario Ecologico, usted nos ayuda a conservar y mantener estas 48 hectares de bosque. Familia Salazar
Written 28 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tom M
159 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
This was a fun time and a great lunch! We learned to make arroz con pollo,
corn tortillas and also refried black
beans. The family was incredible, with grandma leading the way.
Something that I would recommend
doing!
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for visiting us, we are glad you enjoyed the activity. With your visit you help us conserve this beautiful forest. Saludos Familia Salazar
Written 27 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mosslady53🌴
Myerstown, PA1 314 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I'm sure I was the only one at this Sanctuary when I visited during my recent trip to Monteverde. There's a lovely waterfall along the trail.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your comment, we are glad you enjoyed the tour of our trails. With the payment of your ticket, you help us conserve these 48 hectares of forest.
Written 20 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Annabel Innes
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
I can't really recommend the Santuario Ecológico Monteverde enough.

We did both the coffee tour and night nature walk and were fascinated by both. Chris is warm, extremely knowledgeable (able to answer our many questions), and speaks excellent English which is obviously pretty critical for those who don't speak Spanish.

The coffee tour was delicious, hands-on and was delivered with a huge amount of historical and cultural context. Something we found really interesting, and isn't advertised so much on their website, is that the tour includes a full explanation and walk round their 100% waste free permaculture farm. Again, this was accompanied by fascinating explanations as to how natural and household waste is reused and their positive environmental impact. Chris was also very happy to send and share recipes/videos etc and answer any questions we had ongoing about how to go about our own ecological efforts.

The night tour was great and we saw a number of insects, frogs, spiders, birds and the recently rescued Porcupine Toby.

Having looked at a number of places offering what seemed to be similar experiences, I'm glad we chose this one - it was genuine, family-run and really quite inspirational to see.
Written 3 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hbarth2020
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
I came here in during the end of March beginning of April with WorldStrides and it was amazing. We came here for a night walk and the next day came back to make our lunch. the night walk was amazing we were able to see armadillo and a female tarantula. Our guide was very funny and nice. The next day we came back during lunch time and made rice and chicken and a dessert. This was a great experience for everyone. I would strongly recommend everyone to go here. The people here are very nice and welcoming!
Written 11 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Thank you very much for your comment, we are very happy that you enjoyed the visit to our family project Ecological Sanctuary. Regards, Familia Salazar
Written 15 April 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

carneykar
Champaign, IL6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Couples
My husband and I stayed in the Agouti room and loved it. The Santuario is both remote and close to everything. As guests, we had unlimited access to the Santuario's beautiful and private trails and saw lots of wildlife, including capuchins, agoutis, blue-crowned mot mots, and long-tailed manikins. At the same time, we were within walking distance of restaurants, Curi Cancha, Monteverde Coffee Center, and other attractions. We enjoyed excellent breakfasts in the cheerful kitchen, and delicious coffee in the afternoon, thanks to our hosts. Would highly recommend this place to others looking for a nature-filled, peaceful stay.
Written 3 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We really appreciate your comment, we are glad you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you for supporting our Ecological Sanctuary Family Project. Thanks to your visit we can provide maintenance and protect these 48 hectares of forest. Regards, Familia Salazar
Written 4 April 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

R Kanter
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Couples
We stayed four nights at the Sanctuary via airbnb and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Spending time with the family and learning about their activities with the farm added an extra dimension to the excellent wildlife viewing and easy access to everything Monteverde has to offer.
Written 3 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your comment and for supporting our Ecological Sanctuary Family Project. Thanks to your visit we can provide maintenance and protect these 48 hectares of forest.
Written 4 April 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

barista53
des moines, IA80 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Family
Yes, we willingly decided to cook while on vacation. My husband along with two grandsons ages 14 and 9 signed up for the lunch cooking class at Santuario Ecologica. I thought it would be fun since the boys love to cook. My husband...not so much, but he was up for it. Our instructor, Christopher was filling in for his mother who was not feeling well. He did not disappoint! He has a great sense of humor...monkey jokes...won't repeat here...excellent English and is extremely patient. He made the class easy, fun and of course delicious. We learned a lot about their business during the time we spent there. The reserve is family owned and they are very passionate about their mission. He also served us a fantastic pour-over coffee (beans from their own farm) and his coffee knowledge is impressive. We will definitely do a tour of the reserve on our next visit. Please visit and support this hidden gem between Monteverde and Santa Elena.
Written 28 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jongleurgirl
England, UK944 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Friends
We thought this was to be our normal included tour lunch stop but it turned out to be anything but. We walked down a long track to the entrance which took us quite a while because of all the birds we had to stop and admire. When we reached the house we had a warm welcome and were taken into the open air kitchen area to cook our own lunch. What a fun way to learn the Costa Rican names of the ingredients and to cook a traditional dish. We then learned how to make and cook tortillas. Whilst dinner was cooking we laid the table with salads and drinks.

After dinner we took one of the nature trails, but unfortunately did not see any birds or animals.

Very enjoyable and if we didn't enjoy lunch we only had ourselves to blame!
Written 10 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your comment and for supporting our family business. Thanks to your visit we can give maintenance to these 48 hectares of Forest Regards, Familia Salazar
Written 12 March 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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ECOLOGICAL SANCTUARY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)