This document provides information about El Viejo Wildlife Refuge and its tours. It summarizes the strategic location, mission to recognize guest expectations through sustainable tourism. It also outlines the refuge's history dating back to the 1870s, habitats including dry forest and wetlands, and biodiversity of migratory birds. Schedules and rates are provided for boat tours, canopy tours, zip lining and trapiche sugar cane tours that showcase the region's natural beauty and cultural heritage in a sustainable way.

2. Strategic Location
•Northern Pacific
• Located 16 miles S.E
from Filadelfia
•Only 24 miles away from
El Coco Beach
• 1:15 minutes away
from Playa Flamingo and
surrounding areas

3. Our Mission and Vision
Mission
To recognize and surpass our guest's expectations by
providing fresh memorable experiences in harmony with
the environment and the well-being of our neighboring
communities.
Vision
To become a world-class model for offering spectacular
nature experiences, building upon our strong commitment
to conserve and share nature's wealth through
sustainable tourism and environmental education.

4. “La casona remains a faithful symbol of the golden era for the Great
Haciendas in Costa Rica” 1870-2010
Some revelant facts and dates regarding ownership
•Built 130 years ago
•It is one of the few examples of old houses in Guanacaste, which
played a huge role in the socio-economic development of this
province in the past century.
Some relevant facts and dates regarding ownership:
•1772 Nicoya´ Chief Magistrate Mr. Antonio de la Peña
•1881-1890 Costa Rica´Bishop and court clerk Bernardo
Augusto Thiel,
•1848 – Is presented to public auction for the amount of:
¢13500 pesos (reales)
•1884 - Bernardo Soto Alfaro y Prospero Fernandez
•1880-1920 – Hipolito Tournón, J.A. Gluck y Minor Keith
•1930-1950 – Dr. Fernando Pinto builds a “trapiche”
•1950 – Teodoro Picado and General Anastasio Somoza
son, graduate together from West Point
•1979 – Alvaro Jenkins Rodríguez

5. El Viejo Wildlife Refuge
•Belongs to the Tempisque Conservation River Basin
•Biological Corridor and buffer zone for the Palo
Verde National Park and the Cipanci National Wildlife
Refuge
•1300 hectares (3212 acres)
•Large diversity of habitats among the wetlands, dry
forest, and the freshwater marshes
•The dry forest represents 80% of the wildlife refuge
•“La Bolsa Wetland” offers an important feeding
ground to great diversity of migratory birds
•We guard the wildlife refuge with 2 rangers working
full time with motor engine cars to prevent forest fires

6. About Palo Verde
• Home to the largest number of resident and non-resident
birds within the Central American region
• Best spot for birdwatching in Costa Rica
• Largest wetland in Central America
• One of the largest diverse areas in Costa Rica : 10 different
habitats from lowlands, calcite and steep hillsides, lagoons,
brackish water areas and mangroves, flooded forests,
evergreens deciduous forest, gallery forests and pasture
lands
• Flora: more than 750 species have been identified (55
species of aquatic plants)
• Since 1991, this has become an International Ramsar site:
protects species of Jabiru, the largest aquatic bird in Central
America

7. The El Viejo Wetlands Experience
•Certified with “Bandera Azul Ecologica” (The Eco-Friendly
Blue Flag is awarded to beaches, communities, schools, businesses and
other organizations that pass a set of environmental requirements. Among
these requirements are: the existence of a basic level of solid and liquid
waste-management, water must be free of pollutants and drinkable water
must be made available to visitors).
•Private access to wetlands
•Customer service philosophy
•Private tours
•Tempisque River borders the Refuge at 9.6 Km
• Buffering The Palo Verde National Park and Cipanci
National Wildlife Refuge
•Hundreds of species of mammals, amphibians and
birds flying along the Tempisque river
•Palo Verde National Park National is a Ramsar site
because of the significant wetlands

8. El Viejo Wetlands experience: Our site plan

9. Trapiche Tour & Sabanero Farm: It´s all about sugar cane!

10. El Viejo Zip Line: 6 cables, 10 platforms y 1 Handing Bridge
Certified by the ACCT (Association for Challenge Course Technology)

11. The Sabanero Celebration: cocktail, horses, bull riding and folk dances!

12. El Viejo Wetlands Tour Schedule
Wildlife Refuge & Wetlands El Viejo
Tours Schedule
09:00 - 10:30 a.m. Boat tour Eco-Ride Canopy Tour Trapiche Tour
11:00 - 12:30 p.m. Boat tour Eco-Ride Canopy Tour Trapiche Tour
12:00 - 02:00 p.m. Lunch time
01:30 - 03:00 p.m. Boat tour Eco-Ride Canopy Tour Trapiche Tour
03:30 - 05:00 p.m. Boat tour Eco-Ride Canopy Tour Trapiche Tour

13. El Viejo Wetlands Tour rates
Tour Option Adult Rates Child
One Activity $40.00 $32.00
Two Activities $55.00 $44.00
One Day Pass: $80.00 $64.00
Lunch $15.00 $12.00
Rates valid from December 15th , 2012 to December 14th, 2012