Zoo Ave Wildlife Rescue

Zoo Ave, in the village of La Garita about 15 km east of Atenas, is one of Costa Rica's better wildlife centres and the best place in the Central Valley to see scarlet macaws up close. The facility rehabilitates injured and confiscated animals — jaguars, tapirs, toucans, caimans, and several species of monkey — and houses those that cannot be returned to the wild in large enclosures.

The macaw walk-through aviary is the highlight: dozens of birds at close range, noisy and vivid. Plan for two to three hours. The site is well run, the enclosures are large by the standards of rescue centres, and the entrance fee funds the rehabilitation work directly. Getting there is easiest by car; taxis from Atenas are a reasonable option.

things to do sight wildlife
A story
Zoo Ave has released hundreds of scarlet macaws back into the wild since the 1990s as part of a breeding programme. The macaw population in the Central Valley, which had collapsed due to habitat loss and the pet trade, has largely recovered thanks to the programme — birds bred here now nest in the wild from the Pacific coast to the Sarapiquí lowlands.