www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Between your mongering activities, I highly recommend taking a walk to the zoo located in Bario Amon. About a 15 minute walk from the DR.
Most interesting are the colored Tree Frogs.

The Zoo is very old and has the feel of a tropical forrest due to the size of the trees and foilage.

It is near JRs Ribs.

Have Fun


King Costa

King....Are you recommending that the guys leave the zoo at the DR and head for the "other zoo" lol If so let's not forget the zoos at ZB,NF and Idem. Also let's not discriminate against all those places that RBC100 has found for us.

It is a half block from the Sportman's Lodge. Go through the bar area at Sportmans, down the stairs, out the back, and its a half block on the right.
3P

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Being 'over the hill' is damn sure better than being under it!
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

I have been there. It is a good cheap way to amuse yourself for a day.

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Tunaman

VB........... Of course I am not recommending this Zoo over the regular
Zoos like DR, KL, where all types of exotic species can be found.

Seriously folks, on a nice day, take a walk over there. It's a very old zoo with Huge Trees and plants. It feels like you are in a rain forrest.

Personally, I wasn't too impressed with the place. There were few if any signs in english and even the few spanish ones were not that much help. The frog pond (ranario) was nothing more than a stagnant puddle, so murky that nothing could be seen in it. Even more significantly, most of the animal cages were small and extremely dirty. The whole place literally reeked of animal piss.

Don't believe me? Then read these reviews from some noted travel guides:

Frommers:I don't think I have seen a sadder zoo than this little park tucked away beside the polluted Rio Torres. It is a shame that a country that has preserved so much of its land in national parks would ignore this zoo. The cages here are only occassionally marked, and many are dirty and small. The collection includes Asian, African and Costa Rican animals. For many years ther have plans to build a new zoo, with more modern displays and while some minor improvements have been made, there's still a long way to go.

Moon:What a pity a country renowned for conscientiousness regarding its natural heritage should be shamed by such an appalling zoo. The zoo's all-too-obvious problems reflect a severe shortage of funds that has resulted in understaffing and an inability to provide the animals with adequate nutrition and veterinary care....The relatively small number of Costa Rican species on display includes spider and capuchin monkeys, most of the indigenous cats, plus a small variety of birds, including toucans and tame macaws. The zoo's finest exhibits, surprisingly, are a male lion and a handsome Bengal tiger. Sadly, they and the other cats are in depressingly austere and small cages. the two times I visited the 14-acre zoo, the cages were foul with urine.

They supposedly had been fixing up and improving this place between the time these reviews were first written and I visited the zoo in December. But you wouldn't know it from what I saw (and smelled - phew!). If they've actually fixed this place up then I shudder to think how bad it must have been before. I also know that the local TV news in CR did a major expose report on zoo conditions as recently as this past February.

If you've gone all the way to CR and have yet to venture out into the real rainforests that CR is noted for, well you're shortchanging yourself, but you might want to visit this zoo to see some of the animals you are missing. You'll also be able to see animals in confined spaces that you may have missed in their native habitat. But if all you want to see are caged animals from various parts of the world, there are MUCH MUCH MUCH better zoos back home (even in a small city like Tampa). It also might be a good place to take your novia and her K*ds, as this zoo seems to be visited almost exclusively by local josefinos rather than any foreign tourist. For just the $2 entry fee, it may be someplace worth checking out if you've got an hour or two to kill just to see for yourself what is there, but I don't think many people would repeat. Beyond that, IMHO, there's not much going for this place.

Agree it wasnt really like the San Diego zoo .. but nice change of pace to take a girl

HS,
The SJ Zoo is NOTHING like the San Diego Zoo. If change of pace means its something you only do once then I agree. As a place to take a Tica, I think the zoo is a place that can ONLY be best appreciated by a local with no basis for comparison. However, the omnipresent stench is hardly conducive to thoughts of romance. The low price and close proximity certainly at least partially overcome the many negatives. However for me each day in CR is precious time. I can't see spending more than an hour or two at this place no matter how cheap it is. If you want a nice place to bring a chica for the day, I'd spring the extra dough and take her to someplace really NICE instead like La Paz Waterfall Park, Orosi Valley & Lankester Gardens, Irazu or Poas, etc. or even just Sabana Park.

Prolijo

Why so negative? For $2 and something different to see for those who want a nice walk and something different than hanging around the DR or Gambling it is well worth seeing.

There are a lot of interesting plants and trees as well.

KC,
NO I'm NOT being NEGATIVE. I NEVER said it wasN'T worth $2.

Actually, if you notice, I said it WAS worth $2 (just not much more than that).

Speaking more POSITIVELY, it is an somewhat interesting place to visit. And YES, they also label many of the trees and plants there making it highly educational just for that. IF all you do in CR is hang around the DR or Gambling or screwing chicas, than it IS something well worth seeing. If nothing else you'll get a small idea of what you've been missing out on and what everyone else has been coming to CR for.

Of course, you'll probably learn a lot more going for a stroll through Espana, National or Sabana Park and sitting on a bench with a good book on animals. They all come without the smell and they won't cost you a cent. And any of those are still a poor substitute for seeing the real thing.

If you're just looking for something to squeeze in between MP visits than the zoo may very well be your place to go. If you plan on spending more than an hour or two and want to go for a nice walk in a tropical setting where the plants are labeled and you'll also see some birds, butterflys and assorted wildlife, then I think it is well worth the few extra bucks to go someplace like Lankester Gardens or La Paz or even just the small butterfly garden at the national museum

Of course, this is just my humble opinion, I respect that you and others may disagree. But there are many people that would agree. The fact is that the zoo mgmt has been under fire from numerous groups both inside and outside of govt for years and is currently locked in a $500K dispute over its contract with the city because of it. You might want to check out these articles:
http://www.amcostarica.com/011205.htmin which one zoo employee was quoted as saying: "I would not pay to come here. There really isn't that much for people to see."

Agree ... not a great zoo ...

Was just nice as I took an ex KL bartender to Paos and the zoo ...

I knew for along time that this place was under construction and now it's finally open. Anyway, a man from New York and his wife built a reptile zoo up the mountains from the Dominical. Its located between the beach and San Isidro. I visited it in Febrero. It costs c1500 for Ticos/residents, $10.00 for visiters. I gladly paid the sawbuck!!! This place is built on several acres and is loaded w/flora, jungle. Since he concentrated on repiles and anfibs, a lot of work was put into the displays. He has the traditional glass displays for the dangerous snakes, and the crok and kamin pools were outstanding; you can get very close to them. My Tico father and son neighbors work there so i got a personal tour. I spent a half day there and took 50 fotos. The areas were set up,and the zoo was awaiting the delivery of a giant S. American anaconda, and a Komodo dragon. Its a great trip to take a Novia! Its advertised as PARQUE REPTILANDIA, tel# 787-8007.Its impressive in that a private citizen built this place. Have fun and bring a camera!!!!!

Hola,

For someone who has never been to Costa Rica (coming in August) I must agree with everything said in this thread. I'm a retired Zoologist and so for me it's a MUST visit, but if you are really into Zoos, take the time to visit ZOO AVE. It's in all the guidebooks, and it you need further info then PM me.

It is by far the best zoo in Central or South and there are lots of tours out of SJ which will take you there for very little. It is a wonderful zoo in a completely natural setting and you will undoubtedly have a wonderful time whether you do it solo or take along a novio.

Ye Old Man.

Stan

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