Biking Tour The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) is one of the world's premier centers dedicated to research and graduate education in tropical agriculture and the management, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. CATIE's story began when Henry Wallace, the United States Vice-President and Secretary of Agriculture in Teddy Roosevelt's administration, proposed the creation of an institute dedicated to tropical agriculture. CATIE is the world depository of all tomato and pepper seeds and claims the most important collection of coffee and cocoa plants in the world. Biking Tour takes place in and around the plantations and botanical gardens of CATIE. The topography of the trails that we use on this tour can be adapted to any level of bike rider. As you go along your naturalist guide will explain the great diversity of forest and fruit plantations, which can include coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, citrus, plantain, bananas, macadamia, pineapple, mangostan, mango, avocado, and many other exotic species from tropical countries all over the world. Thanks to the diversity in flowers and fruits, the plantation is also an ideal site for the observation of birds, mammals and some reptiles.