Where is Cano Palma Biological Station?

Caño Palma Biological Station (CPBS) sits on 40 hectares of land located approximately 8 kilometres (5 miles) north of the village of Tortuguero, in north-eastern Costa Rica.

CPBS is located on the west side of Caño Palma (Palm Canal in English), where it gets its name. As such, CPBS is accessible only by boat. Between the canal and the Atlantic ocean is a spit of land ~200-300 metres wide, where the small village of San Francisco de Tortuguero is located.

The Tortuguero region is an ancient floodplain, covered currently by lowland Atlantic tropical wet forest dominated by palm trees. Biologically, it is the richest ecosystem in Costa Rica.

The average daily temperature is approximately 26 degrees Celsius, and rainfall has been known to exceed 6,000 mm per year. 

Much of the area surrounding CPBS is protected under Costa Rica’s parks and reserves system. Tortuguero National Park, beside the village of Tortuguero, spans 18,900 hectares. CPBS is located within Barra Del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, which consists of 92,000 hectares. These two areas are key connected elements in a large contiguous protected rainforest (Indio Maíz) in Nicaragua to the north. 

Though CPBS is remote, there is easy access to both the village of San Francisco de Tortuguero and Tortuguero, both of which provide access to most goods and services that visitors may need. The town of Cariari, located ~31 km (~19 miles) from Tortuguero, is also accessible to CPBS and has access to medical care and other services that visitors may need. Buses to and from San Jose come through Cariari multiple times a day.