Central America
Costa Rica
Province of Alajuela
Arenal Volcano National Park
La Fortuna de San Carlos
Things to Do in La Fortuna de San Carlos
Natura Eco Park Costa Rica

Natura Eco Park Costa Rica, La Fortuna de San Carlos: Hours, Address, Natura Eco Park Costa Rica Reviews: 4.5/5

See all things to do

Natura Eco Park Costa Rica

See all things to do
See all things to do
Natura Eco Park Costa Rica
4.5
678
#11 of 43 things to do in La Fortuna de San Carlos
Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Gardens
Read more
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Write a review
About
At Natura Eco Park you will experience the natural world in a whole new way, where beautiful frogs, birds, reptiles, and their natural habitats will have the starring role. Natura is a private Biological Station, where we are concerned at the conservation of habitats, as well as reserach and reproduction of amphibians and reptiles, many of these listed as endangered species by CITES. We are located in a section of the tropical rainforest, at the base of the Arenal Volcano, home to a large quantity of species which, with the help of our guides, will give you a new way to view and enjoy these impressive, complex worlds.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view

Top ways to experience Natura Eco Park Costa Rica and nearby attractions

The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
56 within 3 miles
Altamira Restaurant
313
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Latin • Central American • Costa Rican
Surá Bar & Bistro
244
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Central American • Costa Rican • Vegetarian Friendly
Amor Loco Restaurant
57
0.2 mi$$$$ • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Soda Hormigas
30
258 ft$ • South American • Costa Rican
Arenal Koita
21
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Seafood • Spanish • Central American
Que Rico Arenal
970
0.7 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • International
Avances Gastronomicos
3
0.4 miSeafood
Panaderia Duran
12
0.4 mi$ • Dessert • Cafe
Oscar Restaurant
10
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • South American • Costa Rican
La Saca Restaurant
35
0.7 mi$$ - $$$ • South American • Central American • Costa Rican
See all
Attractions
38 within 6 miles
Baldi Hot Springs
3,773
0.4 miHot Springs & Geysers
Free Natural Hot Springs River
30
0.4 miHot Springs & Geysers
Los Lagos Hot Springs
692
0.9 miHot Springs & Geysers
Ecotermales Fortuna
2,917
1.4 miHot Springs & Geysers
Paradise Hot Springs
906
1.2 miHot Springs & Geysers
Termales Los Laureles
337
1.1 miWater Parks
Bogarin Trail
764
Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Arenal Oasis Wildlife Refuge
355
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Rio Chollin
1,102
2.6 miHot Springs & Geysers
Kalambu Hot Springs
317
1.2 miWater Parks
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
678 reviews
Excellent
432
Very good
151
Average
57
Poor
19
Terrible
19
Marie D
Buchillon, Switzerland131 contributions
Dirty old and not falling appart «zoo » - just go in the wildlife much better !
I wonder how can this park have so many good reviews and is even recommended in the lonely planet. It’s as read in a previous comment a sad zoo falling apart, everything is damaged, cages are dirty… if you want to see some wildlife just go in the forest with a guide, there is so much to see in their natural habitat! I wonder here if the animals are well treated..
Written April 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
cortezyeager
Portland, OR7 contributions
It's not a nature park, it's a sad zoo
It's not a nature park, it's a sad zoo and they are charging the highest entrance fees of any park in the area. There are sad crocodiles in small enclosures, and frogs, lizards and snakes in small aquariums, hiding in the corners to avoid being blinded by flashlights. We had a night tour booked but cancelled after seeing how sad and depressing the park looked during the day. Don't be fooled by their slick website, there are better options for exploring nature in La Fortuna/Arenal.
Written April 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ken E
Kailua, HI69 contributions
Get a guide-otherwise you won't see much of anything
We were eager to see the animals in this park and were aware of previous negative reviews. We only saw one other visitor while we were there. The park is not large, and we spent about 1 1/2 hours there. Lucky for us there was a park employee in the frog, toad, snake, turtle, and crocodile area that spent an hour showing us the very difficult to find animals, while giving us detailed histories of each animal. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and a great asset to the park. Since we attended in covid times there weren't any private guides available during our visit. There were 3 crocodiles and one caiman. No sloths. The butterfly garden was lovely.
It was overpriced for what is available. The park has definitely seen better days, and many exhibits were in need of repair. Without our excellent guide to the frog area exhibits.it would have been a waste of time and quite overpriced.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dr_A_M_C993
36 contributions
Pleasant walk many animals
This beautiful nature garden was located right next to our hotel. The reception desk personnel were very friendly and helpful. They gave good directions in English. The naturalist who gave the walk through the frog garden was great. She took time to find each frog they had on display. Without her assistance we would not have been able to view so many different species. Their snake display was excellent as well. Many species were displayed and easy to view. The butterfly garden was amazing. I have never seen so many butterflies!

The nature walk was very relaxing and you can see a sloth.

I recommend this activity when you are visiting Arenal.
Written March 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Rochelle F
Randolph, NJ790 contributions
Amazing park on natural grounds
We did the self guided tour. No one was there. We started in the butterfly garden which was really lovely. Then we went to the frog area where a local volunteer helped to point out the frogs. We saw the crocodile “pond” and caiman alley. The snake house was not my favorite as I don’t like snakes much. Then we hiked the trail. Along the way we see the motmot. These 2 were orange, green with long tails and were simply beautiful. We also say many other beautiful birds.

Definitely an interesting park to visit.
Written March 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
annerhodesmoore
Arlington, MA1 contribution
Call this what it is: a zoo
Why would you go to a zoo when there are so many similarly priced options to see animals in their natural habitat. My daughter, who is a budding eco-warrior, was very upset that they had a hamster in the gift shop area in a really substandard habitat. The butterfly garden was cool, but in general this was depressing and definitely not worth the money.
Written February 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Partyof6
4 contributions
Not worth the money honestly
Family
In my opinion this is not worth the money and the advertisement is grossly misleading. They have a giant sloth on the big billboard outside and on all their publicity but they have no sloths there whatsoever. They mentioned that “on occasion” they have one if they are nursing it back to health, which is fine but their ads should not make it look like guaranteed you will see a sloth. The kids were very disappointed. Our tour guide seemed knowledgeable. Their butterflies area is really nice. There are 4 big crocodiles, a few turtles and a variety of frogs and snakes extremely difficult to view behind the foggy glass. Then the guide left us to explore the handful of simple trails. Overall, not worth the money.
Written January 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Deb M
Prairie du Sac, WI59 contributions
Variety of frogs, snakes, and butterflies
4 adults checked out this park since one in our party loves reptiles and frogs and it is located close to the entrance of our resort. The sloth was off exhibit, but the butterfly house had a variety of beautiful butterflies. Next we looked at the crocs, then frogs and snakes. One of the employees stopped and provided us a guided tour of the frogs and snakes, giving us interesting details of each (like poison frogs in captivity are not poisonous since their diet does not include the food that causes them to be poisonous.) We spent about 1.5 hours here and were caught in a down pour during our visit. We did not do the night tour. The employee guided tour was the highlight of the visit. She was awesome!
Written January 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ellen0297
Wappingers Falls, NY24 contributions
An afternoon in nature
Couples
Our guide Miguel was so knowledgeable. He got us to view tiny frogs and snakes we would have missed if he didn't shine his light on them. We never knew there were that many frogs and so many are poisonous. The butterfly section was amazing. He explained all the different kinds. It's a beautiful park.
Written January 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lori R
Arlington, United States9 contributions
Overlooked Gem in La Fortuna
Couples
This is an enchanted and underused facility. We could see butterflies, crocodiles, frogs, snakes, and all kinds of birds—including toucans—in the beautiful natural forest. This is not a zoo—it’s is a private wildlife rescue center that has a partnership with the government to care for and help return some creatures return to the wild. We got a self-guided day pass, but the location is so undertraveled that the very knowledgeable caretaker randomly offered to show us all the frogs and snakes that they currently held. I could see this being a wonderful place to take kids, too. Kind, caring staff and a lovely facility.
Written December 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 492
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Frequently Asked Questions about Natura Eco Park Costa Rica
Natura Eco Park Costa Rica is open:
  • Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Natura Eco Park Costa Rica tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 5 Natura Eco Park Costa Rica tours on Tripadvisor