La Ceiba
La Ceiba
4.5
About
In this magical place the nature has survived to the destructive madness of human. Here some men are putting all their efforts to save animals when others wanted to annihilate them. La Ceiba RN, 50hec. of Primary forest (Gandoca-Manzanillo National Refuge) where the Jaguar R. C. reintroduces the animals that come through the Jaguar RC.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingWhat is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
53 within 3 miles
Attractions
21 within 6 miles
Contribute
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 wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
157 reviews
Excellent
128
Very good
21
Average
5
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Anya T
1 contribution
Oct 2015
My boyfriend and I visited this place for a night tour. It is truly one of the most transformative experiences,from start to finish. You start off by having a wonderful dinner in the middle of the jungle, with toads and frogs as soundtrack in the lilly pads by your feet. Then boots on, flashlight in hand and off we go for a stomp through the trails in the trees. It's so much fun! You get to squish in the mud and climb a little using roots as stairs. The path is winding, with little bridges, so it feels unpredictable and exciting. It is safe though. We even waded up a river ( it was fairly shallow). Those not in peak physical shape do not be discouraged! I'm no star athlete and the other couple with us were active seniors. Everyone was able to keep up just fine and there was always a helping hand available if you needed it.
Henrique, our guide, was fantastic. Its a rare treat to meet someone who is so genuinely passionate the work they do. He has a wealth of knowledge about biology, making sure to show links between each component of the forest. He is amazing at spotting wildlife - we saw frogs, turtles, snakes, and lizards and so much more. We also saw some monkeys, sloths and honeybears being reintroduced back the the forest. The jungle at night is so beautiful and alive, its a humbling and eye-opening experience.
This is a fantastic organization (La Ceiba is a sister location the the Jaguar Rescue Centre down the main road- a must see as well) and the work they do will inspire. It is worth it just to meet the people behind it all, the "worker ants" as he put it, who work tirelessly to preserve the habitat and wildlife.
To remember, this is not a zoo. You might see some things but not others. Its a wonderful adventure each time. So come with an open mind and you will come away moved to your core, I guarantee it.
Henrique, our guide, was fantastic. Its a rare treat to meet someone who is so genuinely passionate the work they do. He has a wealth of knowledge about biology, making sure to show links between each component of the forest. He is amazing at spotting wildlife - we saw frogs, turtles, snakes, and lizards and so much more. We also saw some monkeys, sloths and honeybears being reintroduced back the the forest. The jungle at night is so beautiful and alive, its a humbling and eye-opening experience.
This is a fantastic organization (La Ceiba is a sister location the the Jaguar Rescue Centre down the main road- a must see as well) and the work they do will inspire. It is worth it just to meet the people behind it all, the "worker ants" as he put it, who work tirelessly to preserve the habitat and wildlife.
To remember, this is not a zoo. You might see some things but not others. Its a wonderful adventure each time. So come with an open mind and you will come away moved to your core, I guarantee it.
Written October 9, 2015
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.
Tom S
36 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
I am the leader of a group of Teenagers and we all had an amazing time with plenty to see on the night tour. We geared up in long sleeves and long pants for our night hike of the jungle. They outfitted us with boots and flashlights and led us into a dining hall of sorts with paper lanterns littering the ceiling. For dinner, they served up gallo pinto, fresh fruit, beet salad, and quiche. Heading into the jungle, our guides showed us all manner of creepy crawlies, including but certainly not limited to, crickets, wolf spiders, drying cicadas, beetles, bullet ants, wandering spiders, crayfish, turtles, tadpoles, millipedes. We saw snakes, keeping a safe distance from the poisonous ones, and observing constrictors, and one lucky group saw a sloth! Traipsing through the jungle with flashlights made us feel like new age Indiana Jones, and trying to spot all the creatures among the foliage was very engaging.
Written July 7, 2018
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.
Revportia1
Scarborough, ME14 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
Easy walking trails but not accessible as there are stairs and a narrow bridge. Under canopy so little worries about sunscreen but do take insect repellent. Saw howler monkeys, a two toed sloth, and beautiful flowers. This is where the jaguar rescue center releases their rehabbed animals. We had a delicious lunch in the pavilion.
Written January 28, 2017
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.
Lindley E
Newcastle, CA50 contributions
Jan 2016 • Friends
I should start out by saying I love plants and animals and nature in general so I was excited to get to experience the jungle at night with my friends and guide...but I must say this experience really surpassed all my expectations! The night tour started out with a warm welcome from our extremely smart (and very cute!) guide then we hiked to the plaza area for dinner (spaghetti, a bean and cheese bake, a baked egg and potato dish, salad, and fruit with watermelon juice and water) served in the middle of the jungle- ok, ummm, yes please! Make sure you bring a tip for the chef and the guide...cause she's a hard working lady and is making you a fun meal in the middle of the jungle and the guide deserves it for all the knowledge he will impart on you! Then we went on our hike through the rain forest- the guide gave us all boots and we got super muddy walking through the rivers and creeks! We saw tons of cool spiders and bugs and frogs and could hear howler monkeys going nuts in the jungle right before the rain broke out! The best plants in my opinion were the walking palms- nothing like that in Texas for sure and very showy to see! The highlight animal/insect wise was a baby Fer-de-Lance snake we got to see along with the biggest stick-bug I (and the guide too, evidently) had ever seen! We got to pass the rehab/night cages for animals from the Foundation Jaguar Rescue and see them out and about (a sweet kinkajou was out playing in the cage when we went by). However, the most amazing part for me was when the guide had us shut off our flashlights and just stand in the forest totally silent! The color "black" doesn't do the jungle justice as it was truly the definition of black- a total absence of all color- the deepest black I've ever seen! The only lights you can see is occasional patches of stars hundreds of feet above you where the canopy opens up! We did this a couple times during our hike...and then it started to rain! As it was raining and we shut off the flashlights one last time we could hear the whole chorus of jungle animals come alive- frogs and bugs and monkeys...along with the sound of rain falling on millions of different leaves all around us! The heat of the jungle was rising underneath us and the cold wet drops tickled my face and made me not care in the least I was now soaking wet! I will remember that moment in the jungle as long as I live...and that is why I think you should go on the jungle night tour and give these nice people your money so they can keep showing people like me who love nature and believe in preservation, what "the black of night" really means!
Written April 25, 2016
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.
samuel d
12 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
We went on the night tour, promised that we would see animals, etc.. I've seen a frog before. Did not. Promised a good meal. Did not. The tour guide was very good. Not recommended for night tour, mud, boring
Written August 6, 2015
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.
mammaraffi
Udine, Italy6 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
How wonderful! And here the work of the Jaguar Rescue Center continues.
Being fully immersed in the forest with sounds, lights and smells of a terrific nature was an extraordinary experience.
There is everything for spending one or a couple of days away from the normal routines of adaily life.
The hospitality is friendly and polite just as the volunteers and staff that work there; they accompany you out for day and/or night tours where you are able to meet animals that normally can frighten you but here become your friends and hosts. It almost seems as if they invite you to discover their land and their world.
La Ceiba is an enchanted place and even though it might not be at hand it is definitely worth a visit.
You enter by walking on a bridge and you will find yourself where you would have never imagined to be: in the dream of a child!
Being fully immersed in the forest with sounds, lights and smells of a terrific nature was an extraordinary experience.
There is everything for spending one or a couple of days away from the normal routines of adaily life.
The hospitality is friendly and polite just as the volunteers and staff that work there; they accompany you out for day and/or night tours where you are able to meet animals that normally can frighten you but here become your friends and hosts. It almost seems as if they invite you to discover their land and their world.
La Ceiba is an enchanted place and even though it might not be at hand it is definitely worth a visit.
You enter by walking on a bridge and you will find yourself where you would have never imagined to be: in the dream of a child!
Written July 5, 2015
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.
Lorraine K
Jupiter, FL23 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
Wonderful vegetarian dinner started out the evening! Then we went on a night walk (boots and flashlights were provided) and saw frogs and insects and amazing views. We even walked through a river and got a little muddy! Recommended to everyone!
Written June 19, 2015
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.
rsqdvr
Seattle, WA259 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
We arrived at La Cieba late one night with no idea what to expect. We had some problems initially getting here because I messed up our tour dates on the Pacific side. The folks at the Jaguar Rescue, who run La Ceiba, were very helpful in allowing us to change the dates. We also had trouble because we really didn't get any directions on how to get to La Ceiba. We went to the Jaguar Rescue but they had long since closed. We ended up driving back in to town and stopping at the travel information center on the corner who was kind enough to call for us.
Fabian was there to greet us when we arrived. He had such a great spirit and attitude, it was very refreshing. We feel really badly because we communicated to management 3 days in advance that we would be one day later but they didn't pass the word on to Fabian. He stayed up past midnight the night before waiting for us. In spite of that, he was welcoming and had a great attitude. He said he was just happy to have us there, how nice is that?
We stayed in the main house which was spectacular. We had a large three bedroom house in the jungle all to ourselves. I should warn you that the walk to get to the house can be quite taxing for those with bad knees, hips, or backs. Once you get there though, the view of the jungle is breathtaking. We were a mere 50 feet from howler and capuchin monkeys hanging out in the trees. They were doing some construction near the volunteer quarters so it was a little loud during the day but the jungle was still quite soothing. The volunteers were nice but didn't seem that keen on interacting much with us. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do any of the day or night tours through La Cieba, and I had hurt my knee cliff diving a few days before so wouldn't have been able to do it anyway.
We did have one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Our first night we had a visitor in our kitchen at 2am. He was pretty loud and messing things up so we left him alone. He actually growled at us a little so we gave him his space. We let the rescue know and they told us that he was Javier the kinkajou. Apparently he had been kidnapped as a baby by one of the locals who tried to make him a pet. After he grew up they felt he was being too aggressive with their kids so they turned him in to the rescue. Jaguar Rescue was working on rehabbing him and had released him to the jungle 4-5 days before but he decided to come back.
The next night he came back at 230, this time though we were less concerned. He was hanging out in our luggage, which was locked so I wasn't worried. I went back to sleep and sometime later I woke up to find him asleep on my pillow!! He was the cutest damn thing, making suckling noises while he slept. In my fast asleep stupor, I thought he was one of my dogs. When I figured it out I said something out loud and all Javier did was bend over and give me some kisses! We hung out with him for about 10 minutes before deciding that the right thing to do was to go get Fabian and make sure Javier continued his rehab.
We would have loved to hang out with him all night! When Fabian came to get him he squeaked and cried and was reaching for us. It was heartbreaking. He used is big ol tail to grab on to my arm on the way out. Needless to say, in that short 10 minutes we bonded deeply with Javier. If we lived in Costa Rica and he needed a home, we would have volunteered. I feel like that was a once in a lifetime and a very unique experience that we will always treasure. When we left in the morning Fabian thanked us for telling him about Javier and said that we were offically part of the rescue process!
Tips: be prepared for a little uphill hike to get to the rooms. The kitchens are well appointed but there is really no food on property. We were told the kitchen is for the tours. Our first night there we were super late and hadn't eaten so I asked if we could have some leftovers. The cook let us have some but it wasn't cheap. I recommend eating in town or getting some supplies from the store.
Directions - to get to La Ceiba drive past Puerto Viejo and past the sign for the Jaguar Rescue Center. About 1.5 miles down the road you will see a sign for Lucy Tours and IMMEDIATELY after that sign is a gravel road. Take this road in to the jungle for about 2 km and the gate for La Ceiba is on the left. These weren't provided by JRC so now you have them if you decide to visit!
Fabian was there to greet us when we arrived. He had such a great spirit and attitude, it was very refreshing. We feel really badly because we communicated to management 3 days in advance that we would be one day later but they didn't pass the word on to Fabian. He stayed up past midnight the night before waiting for us. In spite of that, he was welcoming and had a great attitude. He said he was just happy to have us there, how nice is that?
We stayed in the main house which was spectacular. We had a large three bedroom house in the jungle all to ourselves. I should warn you that the walk to get to the house can be quite taxing for those with bad knees, hips, or backs. Once you get there though, the view of the jungle is breathtaking. We were a mere 50 feet from howler and capuchin monkeys hanging out in the trees. They were doing some construction near the volunteer quarters so it was a little loud during the day but the jungle was still quite soothing. The volunteers were nice but didn't seem that keen on interacting much with us. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do any of the day or night tours through La Cieba, and I had hurt my knee cliff diving a few days before so wouldn't have been able to do it anyway.
We did have one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Our first night we had a visitor in our kitchen at 2am. He was pretty loud and messing things up so we left him alone. He actually growled at us a little so we gave him his space. We let the rescue know and they told us that he was Javier the kinkajou. Apparently he had been kidnapped as a baby by one of the locals who tried to make him a pet. After he grew up they felt he was being too aggressive with their kids so they turned him in to the rescue. Jaguar Rescue was working on rehabbing him and had released him to the jungle 4-5 days before but he decided to come back.
The next night he came back at 230, this time though we were less concerned. He was hanging out in our luggage, which was locked so I wasn't worried. I went back to sleep and sometime later I woke up to find him asleep on my pillow!! He was the cutest damn thing, making suckling noises while he slept. In my fast asleep stupor, I thought he was one of my dogs. When I figured it out I said something out loud and all Javier did was bend over and give me some kisses! We hung out with him for about 10 minutes before deciding that the right thing to do was to go get Fabian and make sure Javier continued his rehab.
We would have loved to hang out with him all night! When Fabian came to get him he squeaked and cried and was reaching for us. It was heartbreaking. He used is big ol tail to grab on to my arm on the way out. Needless to say, in that short 10 minutes we bonded deeply with Javier. If we lived in Costa Rica and he needed a home, we would have volunteered. I feel like that was a once in a lifetime and a very unique experience that we will always treasure. When we left in the morning Fabian thanked us for telling him about Javier and said that we were offically part of the rescue process!
Tips: be prepared for a little uphill hike to get to the rooms. The kitchens are well appointed but there is really no food on property. We were told the kitchen is for the tours. Our first night there we were super late and hadn't eaten so I asked if we could have some leftovers. The cook let us have some but it wasn't cheap. I recommend eating in town or getting some supplies from the store.
Directions - to get to La Ceiba drive past Puerto Viejo and past the sign for the Jaguar Rescue Center. About 1.5 miles down the road you will see a sign for Lucy Tours and IMMEDIATELY after that sign is a gravel road. Take this road in to the jungle for about 2 km and the gate for La Ceiba is on the left. These weren't provided by JRC so now you have them if you decide to visit!
Written March 3, 2015
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.
travelbal2015
Spring Lake, MI13 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
We arrived at la Ceiba to a beautiful breakfast that was waiting just for us.....as we ate, we talked with our guide, Fabian, who is also the Eco-tourism manager of la Ceiba. After outfitting us with mud boots, he took us on a rather strenuous hike through the jungle area where the animals from Jaguar are re-habilitated sand released when they are ready. All along the way, Fabian shared his vast knowledge and love of la Ceiba....his enthusiasm and passion for what he does are inspiring! Along the way, he pointed out a poison dart frog, a sleeping eyelash viper, a huge fire ant habitat, and finally, the glorious tree from which the area takes its name: La Ceiba, a 600 year old tree whose lowest branch was 40 meters above our heads! Breathtaking! One of the most fun features of this hike was the companionship of three delightful raccoons who are being re-introduced to the wild, and came with us for their daily walk. We felt this tour was well worth the cost, but it is a rather vigorous hike, and, even though it hadn't rained there in a week, there was plenty of mud to schlep through. Another treasured memory of our trip here
Written February 28, 2015
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.
theelectricdog
San Antonio, TX13 contributions
This place was recommended to us by our host at Cabinas Punta Uva, which is right down the street from La Ceiba.
We wanted to go on a night tour and were looking for some food when Lola, our host, I know the perfect place. Let me call them and see if they have any openings for tonight. After about 20 minutes, she popped out of no where and said "They'll be right here to pick you up at 6"
The jeep came and they took us up this big (quite scary) hill to the reservation and we walked up the stairs to this big house with a porch that, should it have been daytime, you would have looked out on rainforest! Our dinner, red snapper and grilled vegetables, was cooked by our guide, marc, and was De-Lish! Dessert was vanilla ice cream with fresh grilled pineapple and drizzled with chocolate syrup. So good.
Well, enough about the food, even though it was prepared just for us (me and my boyfriend) and was one of the best meals in the area! We then put on our rain boots (a must have for and costa rica trip) and trudged off into the rainforest with marc and manu, their resident dog.
We were able to experience our surroundings like real pros, recognizing countless spiders, spotting frogs and toads, and even running across a few snakes. At one point, a coral snake was headed straight for me! Aaahhh! But we dodged it in time to get away (whew) The tour came to an end when we came to a white sheet with bright lights reflecting off of it where we got to see the flying insects up close. Not my favorite part, but looking back on it.. it wasn't that bad. And then we got to meet the animals being rehabilitated at the refuge. This was so cool and it was awesome how the rules were different in Costa Rica. In America, the guide would keep you away from the cage to be politically correct... like "don't bother them, just look" but here, they even let you pet the animals if they were on the side of the cages where they were being treated. It was like everyone there was living side by side and there was not really an authority of human over animal, just humans helping out animals.
Even though our digital camera pooped out on us while we were there, we did get some great video footage of our tour!
We wanted to go on a night tour and were looking for some food when Lola, our host, I know the perfect place. Let me call them and see if they have any openings for tonight. After about 20 minutes, she popped out of no where and said "They'll be right here to pick you up at 6"
The jeep came and they took us up this big (quite scary) hill to the reservation and we walked up the stairs to this big house with a porch that, should it have been daytime, you would have looked out on rainforest! Our dinner, red snapper and grilled vegetables, was cooked by our guide, marc, and was De-Lish! Dessert was vanilla ice cream with fresh grilled pineapple and drizzled with chocolate syrup. So good.
Well, enough about the food, even though it was prepared just for us (me and my boyfriend) and was one of the best meals in the area! We then put on our rain boots (a must have for and costa rica trip) and trudged off into the rainforest with marc and manu, their resident dog.
We were able to experience our surroundings like real pros, recognizing countless spiders, spotting frogs and toads, and even running across a few snakes. At one point, a coral snake was headed straight for me! Aaahhh! But we dodged it in time to get away (whew) The tour came to an end when we came to a white sheet with bright lights reflecting off of it where we got to see the flying insects up close. Not my favorite part, but looking back on it.. it wasn't that bad. And then we got to meet the animals being rehabilitated at the refuge. This was so cool and it was awesome how the rules were different in Costa Rica. In America, the guide would keep you away from the cage to be politically correct... like "don't bother them, just look" but here, they even let you pet the animals if they were on the side of the cages where they were being treated. It was like everyone there was living side by side and there was not really an authority of human over animal, just humans helping out animals.
Even though our digital camera pooped out on us while we were there, we did get some great video footage of our tour!
Written March 21, 2010
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, FellowTraveler762890. HI Yuka and other travelers...I'm pretty sure it's allowed (just want to make sure), but are you able to take photographs on the night tours? Just want to make sure it's allowed/the flash doesn't bother the wildlife
Written April 28, 2019
Yes. You can definitely take pictures on the night tour.
Written May 5, 2019
What transportation is there from hotel in Puerto Viejo to La Ceiba?
Written June 16, 2018
None. You have to get a taxi (local bus will stop at the turnoff from the main road but it's then a 2km walk (quite a hard one). When you contact them to book your tour or accommodation, they can recommend taxistas)
Written August 4, 2018
cuál es el costo del acceso y saber si mañana viernes podemos visitarlos.
Written February 23, 2018
Hola a todos. En Agosto estaré en Puerto Viejo, y tengo un gran interés en conocer La Ceiba, sobre todo a través del tour nocturno. Mi pregunta es si alguien podría recomendarme la mejor forma de llegar al lugar, teniendo en cuenta que no tendremos movilidad propia. Imagino que hay taxis o remises en Puerto Viejo, pero desconozco si se acercan al lugar y si el camino de acceso es transitable aún durante la temporada verde. Muchas gracias. Un saludo.
Written July 9, 2016
Jaguar Rescue Center
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica
Hola,
Muchas gracias por su interes en nuestro proyecto.
Para los tours en el bosque primario La Ceiba se requiere una reserva con antelación vía email.
Para llegar a La Ceiba recomendamos ir en carro o taxi porque está ubicado en el bosque primario. Nosotros le podemos organizar un taxi con mucho gusto.
Muchas gracias y saludos.
Written July 22, 2016
Hola a todos!!
Esta junto el centro de jaguar rescue center y la ceiba?
Quiero visitar el centro pero también hacer la ceiba de noche y era para saber si se reserva allí.
Gracias
Written August 20, 2015
Hola,
No esta junto del jaguar center! tienes las informaciones nel site rpceiba*punto*com en la pagina contacto
Desde la 256 son quince minutos de coche hasta la entrada
Written August 24, 2015
Showing results 1-5 of 5
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing