Surcos Tours is a tourist service company founded and run by the Paniagua Castro family. We opened in February 2008.  our office is located two blocks below te Banco Nacional in San Vito. On the same side of the street.

Why did we start Surcos Tours
Surcos Tours was born to meet a growing demand by local and international tourists for information on activities and real estate services in the area.  At Surcos Tours we are acutely aware that well-planned growth and tourism will benefit Coto Brus’ economy as well as provide funds to be invested back into natural resources. Our mission is one of sharing the natural beauty around us while giving back to ensure that generations to come may also have this opportunity. We are also dedicated to working with both government and private organizations to create a growth and management plan that leads to the best in responsible tourism.

Ours Objectives

Stimulate Coto Brus’ economy
We seek to stimulate the economy of Coto Brus though developing local tourism. An increase in tourism will attract more people, bringing more business and creating more jobs.

Motivate Coto Brus residents to discover Costa Rica
We live in one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet, with one of the best National Park Systems in Latin America, and Costa Ricans rarely take advantage of it. We want to motivate residents to discover and appreciate their surroundings and commit to informed stewardship of the environment.

Working for sustainable Tourism
It is no secret that tourism has gotten out of the government’s control and that, though originally it benefited some of our towns enormously, tourism – and the sheer numbers of people it brings – has turned into one of the leading causes of environmental contamination and has even brought a serious of social ills.

Coto Brus, fortunately, does not have this tourism problem, which unfortunately plagues most of the rest of the country.

We are dedicated to working with both government and private organizations to create a growth and management plan that leads to the best in responsible tourism.

Creating environmental Awareness
Unfortunately for Coto Brus, reforms created to protect the rain forest arrived too late. Most of our premontane and montane original forests (classification in Leslie Holdridge’s “life zones”) were cleared during the 70’s and 80’ with the blessing of the government to create more farmland, jobs, and productivity.

Many mammal populations disappeared with the disappearance of this habitat, bus still a great number of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals have adapted to a life in the patches of forest that remain.  We actively support reforestation and conservation efforts to best protect primary forest habitat and water sources.

Protecting Migratory Bird Habitat
Around 200 species of birds which reproduce in the temperate climate of the U.S. and Canada spend the winter in tropical countries, remaining for about 6 months before returning north. Loss of rain forest from human activity has reduced the population of migratory birds at an alarming scale.  We stress to the people of Coto Brus how blessed  we are to host so many of these little travelers, who spend half their lives here and bring so much joy. If urgent measures are not taken to restore primary forest, we will lose them forever.

Promoting environmental education in the Schools
We at Surcos Tours are convinced that the only way to effect real change in people is through education.  To the end, we are working with government entities such as MINAE and the local government to implement an environmental education program in elementary and high schools throughout the zone.

Other projects
Promoting a culture of recycling
Working with coffee growers and others to minimize the use of pesticides
Program to certify organic farms