Butterfly Garden at Danaus Eco-Center Tour

On this guided tour to the Butterfly Garden at Danaus Eco-Center, you will pass through a corridor of outdoor wildlife living in their native environment before heading to the butterfly conservatory. The Center, called Ecocentro Danaus locally, is located near La Fortuna and is a privately owned ecological reserve whose mission is to provide programs for environmental education, sustainability and ecological conservation. One of the main attractions of the Center is its Butterfly Garden, hosting a variety of butterfly species including the iconic Blue Morpho Butterfly, a Costa Rican favorite.

You will be picked up from your hotel in la Fortuna and driven to the Danaus Eco-Center. This is where you will meet your nature guide who knows a wealth of information about the flora and fauna living here. You’ll start the tour by taking a walk through the property on your way to visit the butterfly garden.

Your bilingual guide will lead you on a .5 kilometer trail that passes through ecosystems designed specifically to monitor nesting colonies of aquatic birds, crocodiles, basilisks, iguanas, frogs, snakes and more. Here you will find wildlife living free and integrated into well thought-out natural habitats. Your guide knows all of the usual hiding places of these creatures and will point out any visible wildlife along the trail.

The walk will end at the Butterfly Garden which is home to over 30 different species of butterflies. A great deal of thought went into mimicking the ideal environment for the butterflies to thrive. You’ll see the entire life cycle of a butterfly from egg to larvae to pupa to adult. Did you know that despite popular belief, not all butterflies form cocoons? Many butterflies burrow underground until they are ready to emerge!

You’ll learn this and lots of other interesting facts about these wondrous creatures on this tour. Kids especially will love spotting the different colored butterflies while wandering through the garden. Some other highlights of the Danaus Eco-Center include an amphibian and reptile area, orchid gardens and tree nursery including the ongoing Native Tree project.

Please bring comfortable walking clothing and shoes, sun screen, bug repellent, hat, rain gear, camera and binoculars if you wish. This tour includes round trip transportation, bilingual naturalist guide, entrance fee, and a beverage. One way transportation from the La Fortuna area to the Butterfly Garden can take between 15 - 45 minutes depending on the distance to your hotel. Combined time of the tour plus transportation can be up to 3 hours depending on your hotel location.