Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary
An exclusive habitat, sanctuary, and rehabilitation center for Costa Rica´s precious wildlife.
Above Villas Alturas, 7 km South of Dominical
San Martin Norte
Tel. +(506) 8609 5363
Mail to: wildlifesanctuary
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization and 100% of your donation is used to feed the animals, provide them with veterinary care, buy supplies, and keep the sanctuary in motion. Hotel Villas Alturas is proud of being a part of this noble cause and sincerely appreciates your help since this kind of project can´t succeed without the help of people like you!
The wildlife sanctuary's mission is to help preserve wildlife in southern Costa Rica through its rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction to the wild; it also provides a home to animals unable to return to their natural habitat due to permanent disability or excessive domestication. The Sanctuary receives wild animals through its partnership with government entities such as MINAET and SINAC (Costa Rica´s official government wildlife care offices).
Another goal of the sanctuary is to educate and foster an appreciation for wildlife. Through the interaction with the educational system, the sanctuary expects to promote the development of the next generation of biologists, veterinarians, naturalists, and ecologists.

Director Mike Graeber has more than 40 years of experience in wildlife rehabilitation and has become an important figure for the sanctuary. For the last few years, attorney Dannia Segura has been his right hand.
The sanctuary has a care and learning center available to the public.
As part of our fundraising activities to keep the sanctuary in motion, we offer a guided tour; read more >>>
If you are an animal lover, you could help in any of the following ways:
1. Inform your friends of our project.
2. Make a one-time contribution or make a monthly commitment. We receive new animals every week.
3. Sponsor a habitat and be remembered
Platinum: $1,000
Gold: $500
Silver: $300
Bronze: $150
Support us: manager@alturaswildlifesanctuary.org
Ballena Tales is an essential free digital magazine in Costa Rica, valid for travelers, residents, and investors covering Costa Ballena in the Canton of Osa in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. It is a fully bilingual, bi-monthly, and full-color digital magazine.
The magazine introduces the reader to the life of the local community, with interviews of pioneers, writers, and artists, as well as extensive information on restaurants, hotels, experiences, natural attractions, and wildlife of the South Pacific of Costa Rica.
We are not just a magazine; each edition (print and digital) is linked to a robust web platform; the editions are published online, and the advertorials are included in our blog and the brand in the commercial directory. We also add links to the advertising company's website and social networks. At this time, the openings of digital publications in all their expressions exceed 80 thousand openings, and the advertised brands have a global reach.
We have a loyal audience of over 8,000 readers in the South Pacific's Costa Ballena region who will view your news in each printed edition.
We prioritize our readers' satisfaction by delivering a variety of engaging content while showcasing the value of our advertisers' brands.
The Chirripo Valley
Taking a walk through this place not only recharges you with good energy and happiness, but it is also a gift for the soul to appreciate such beautiful views. The diversity in attractions is fascinating. You can enjoy from the newly opened Butterfly Kingdom, fresh trout, hot springs, Swiss cheeses, chocolate factory, to delicious artisan bread. Restaurants offer unique cuisine, hotels, trails and birdwatching.
Laughter is the best medicine
I remember one of my first was experiences with an ATM here. The ATMs are, naturally, in Spanish, and this made doing something simple like withdrawing money complicated. One day I entered the booth to use the ATM to take out 160,000 colones. My first problem was, and sometimes still is, was entering all those zeros!
Mindfulness
Just take a deep breath, actively concentrate and put all our senses alert to discover these light life partner. Appreciate their teachings and let us be surprised by their intelligence.
Jr. Lifeguards and Open Water Swim Clinic
The Costa Ballena Lifeguard Association is growing and as we’ve grown, we’ve been able to network and meet other individuals from like-minded organizations in Costa Rica. We’re all working together to help make Costa Rica’s beaches safer and take drowning off the list as the 2nd leading cause of accidental death in the country.
Walking on hairy feet
Like all arboreal geckos, they have specialized feet; with these, they can adhere to any surface except for Teflon. They even can walk upside down thanks to the microscopic hairs or setae. They increase the ‘Van der Waals Forces’, which is the distance-dependent attraction between atoms or molecules, between its feet and the surface. The molecules interact with each other and create an electromagnetic attraction.
The Brunqueña Mountain Ridge – the perfect neighbor
Just look back, when you are in one of the almost pristine beaches of the South Pacific, to appreciate its prominent presence. This mountainous row extends parallel along the south coast, a barrier between the General Valley and the “Ballena Coast”.
What to do, Where to eat, and Where to stay…
- Activities and Tours
- Whale Watching Tour
- Natural Attractions
- Marino Ballena National Park
- Restaurants
- Hotels and Accommodations
South Pacific Costa Rica Beaches,
Looking for business directories, maps or other printouts? We’ve got that too!
Dare to Discover and Enjoy…
Check out…
Need help planning your next trip? Let us help you with your Costa Rica vacations!
Email: carlos@ballenatales.com
Phone: +(506) 8946 7134