Experience the wildlife of Costa Rica

With more than 30 national parks and 12 separate climate zones, including rainforest and cloud forest, you can see everything from sloths to jaguars, the vibrant quetzal and equally colourful green frogs on Costa Rica wildlife holidays. Here’s how to enjoy an unforgettable trip.

If you’re wondering what wildlife is in Costa Rica, it’s almost easier to consider what you can’t see. The country’s 500,000 different species include 34,000 insect species alone, as well as more than 1,200 types of orchid, plus 900 bird species.

Of the country’s most high-profile creatures, you can see two of the world’s six sloth species, as well as elusive jaguars, whales, turtles, monkeys and frogs just for starters. Costa Rica wildlife truly is astonishingly rich.

Brown-throated sloth

The country’s national animal, seeing a sloth tops the wish list of wildlife in Costa Rica for many people, and there’s a chance to see two different species during your stay.

The brown-throated sloth, or three-toed sloth, is easiest to spot as they are active during the day, but Costa Rica is also home to Hoffman’s two-toed sloth. Manuel Antonio and Tortuguero National Parks are two of the best places to spot them in the wild, although they are also two of the more popular and busier destinations. Both are included in many of our Costa Rica tours and tailormade Costa Rica wildlife holidays.

This endangered big cat is the largest carnivore in Central America, although these elusive creatures are tricky to spot – you’re more likely to see a footprint than a jaguar itself. However, they do live in the mangroves and forests of some of Costa Rica’s nature reserves and national parks, so it’s always a possibility.

The rainforests lining the banks of the Pacuare River are one of the best places to see a jaguar in Costa Rica, although you could also be lucky as you explore Tortuguero, Corcovado and Santa Ana national parks and Monteverde Cloud Forest where they make their home too.

Quetzal

The brilliantly colourful quetzal bird was sacred to pre-Colombian civilisations and spying their vibrant plumage amid the trees is still a thrilling experience today. In fact, the dazzlingly green bird is actually brown – a pigment in its feathers reflects the colours of the trees around it to create this bright green effect, contrasting with its red breast.

Despite this vivid result, they blend in to the rainforest surprisingly well, but one of the best places to see quetzals in Costa Rica is the cloud forests around San Gerardo de Dota, such as on our Wild Costa Rica tour, as the location has avocado trees with fruit year-round for the birds to feed on. The Monteverde and Savegre Cloud Forests are two other alternative locations to try.

Hummingbird

Quetzals aren’t the only birds to discover among Costa Rica’s wildlife, with 52 species of hummingbird zooming through the air. These tiny birds, which come in a rainbow of jewel colours, can hover in mid-air as well as flying backwards and upside down, flitting from flower to flower at speeds of up to 33mph. The Monteverde cloud forest is one of the best places to see them, as well as Mistico Park near La Fortuna and La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

Look out for kingfishers, toucans and macaws as you explore too.

Howler monkey

You’ll find four different species of monkey among the wildlife in Costa Rica, including tiny squirrel monkeys, white-headed capuchins, spider monkeys and howler monkeys – which you’ll hear before you see them.

Their distinctive roars echo through the forest canopy, and if you’re staying in one of the rainforest lodges, they’ll almost certainly be one of the first sounds you hear in the morning. Always remember to look up when you’re walking under the trees to watch the monkeys playing and swinging from branch to branch – you’ll spy them everywhere, including Manuel Antonio and Corcovado national parks.

Red-eyed tree frog

Another of Costa’s Rica’s wildlife stars, the red-eyed tree frog is one of the most colourful creatures you’ll encounter during your time in the country. A bright green, often with blue and yellow patches or stripes, and vivid red eyes giving them their name, they’re normally to be seen clinging to leaves high up in the trees.

When they feel threatened, they’ll open their eyes wide with the striking red colours startling predators and giving them chance to escape, but otherwise their three eyelids are closed so you’ll have to look closely to see them blending in to their surroundings – try your luck at Monteverde Cloud Forest, Tortuguero and Manuel Antonio National Parks.

Keep an eye out too for strawberry poison dart frogs if you’re visiting the wetlands on the Caribbean coast and Tortuguero, where this startlingly red little frog can be found – look but definitely don’t touch.

Baby green turtle

The best time to visit Costa Rica to see turtles is between June and October, when Atlantic Green turtles come ashore to nest and lay eggs on the beaches of Tortuguero National Park.

Leatherback turtles also nest from March to July, with Olive Ridley, Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles all living in the waters off the country’s two coasts. Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, on the Nicoya Peninsula, is one of the world’s most important nesting sites for Olive Ridley turtles.

You’ll have a chance to discover some of the country’s wonderful wildlife year-round, but the best time to visit Costa Rica for wildlife sightings is from late December to April, during the drier season.

Although you’re unlikely to escape wet weather entirely, especially in the rainforest and at higher altitudes, these months are relatively dry, so there’s a better chance to spying the birds and animals which might otherwise be sheltering from downpours.

January and February are busier, with the biggest crowds in popular national parks such as Manuel Antonio – understandably most visitors will all be trying to pick the best time to go to Costa Rica for wildlife. However, the crowds start to thin out by March and April which are still relatively dry.

If you’re looking for the best time to visit Costa Rica to see turtles and whales, green turtles nest from July to October, while leatherbacks come ashore between February and April, and Olive Ridley turtles lay their eggs between August and December. Humpback whales are also found off both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts from August to October and December to April as they migrate between north and south.

September and October tend to be the rainiest months, so these are best avoided, while July and August is another busy period with families making the most of school holidays to visit.

You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to spotting wildlife in Costa Rica, whether you visit one national park or several, but these are some of the best places to include when you’re consider where to see the most wildlife in Costa Rica.

Hoffman's two-toed sloth, Tortuguero National Park

Named for the turtles which nest on its coast every year, especially the green turtles which lay their eggs during the summer months, you can explore Tortuguero National Park on foot or by water.

Save time for a boat trip along the canals to look out for caimans, monkeys, green macaws and toucans, plus amphibians and reptiles galore. It’s said there are the 50 shades present in the tropical rainforest’s trees and plants too.

There’s also the chance to spot iguanas and snapping turtles, as well as learning more about the green, hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles which lay their eggs on the beach. Once you’ve seen the national park from the canals, you can also walk some of the paths through the forest for another opportunity to see the wildlife.

Manuel Antonio National Park

One of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths, Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most popular destinations for visitors on Costa Rica wildlife holidays.

With iguanas, coatis, monkeys and toucans living here alongside the sloths, the reserve is another place where you can explore in different ways. Head up into the canopy for a bird’s-eye view of the wildlife high in the trees, including clouds of butterflies, or kayak around the mangroves to see the national park from the water.

Then follow the hiking trails leading from the coast into the mountains, crossing around 680 hectares of protected land, as you look for three-toed sloths and white-faced capuchin monkeys.

Monteverde Cloud Forest sky walk

Monteverde Cloud Forest is famous for its canopy walkways and hanging suspension bridges, with a chance to get high into the trees to spot some of the wildlife found here.

Home to six species of cat, including jaguars, ocelots and pumas, you can also see monkeys, anteaters, bats galore and birds including quetzals. Or head out on a guided night walk for a chance to spot armadillo, coati and two-toed sloth – the Curi-Cancha Cloud Forest Reserve is a great place to enjoy the forest as night.

There’s something to see wherever you look throughout the day though, from orchids growing amid the roots of gigantic trees and frogs clinging to leaves among the creepers and vines.

Scarlet macaws

This natural paradise is less visited than other national parks in Costa Rica, and is a particular delight for bird-watchers as San Gerardo de Dota is one of the best places in the country to see colourful quetzals.

But that’s only the start of the birdlife in this spectacular corner of Costa Rica, where the mountains rise to more than 3,000 metres above sea level; the area’s Parque Nacional Los Quetzales is well worth visiting, for its hummingbirds, thrushes, finches and trogons.

Add in trails taking you past waterfalls and more cloud forest as you climb higher through the park, and it’s a peaceful unspoiled retreat.

Two separate eco-systems converge at Carara National Park, the Tropical and Dry Pacific, so it’s unlike the other national parks you can explore on Costa Rica wildlife tours. Guided walks lead you along trails through the park, home to giant anteater, poison-arrow frogs and armadillo.

The Tarcoles River helps form wetlands and marshes here too, home to around 400 species of bird, as well as crocodiles. And you can also see the national park from on high here too, with aerial tram rides taking you up into the canopy.

Roseate spoonbill, Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge has been called one of the most biologically diverse areas in Costa Rica, high praise indeed in a country where the wildlife is so rich and varied.

Home to spider and howler monkeys, sloths and ocelots, one of the best ways to explore is by boat, on a floating safari through the refuge, including a chance to see some of the many birds which make their homes here, such as roseate spoonbills, green-backed herons and wood storks.

With so much to see on Costa Rica wildlife holidays, your first decision is whether to choose a Tailor-Made tour, including self-drive options, or book one of our escorted Costa Rica wildlife tours.

There’s the option to team Costa Rica wildlife with time on the beach or to combine your stay in the country with a trip to Panama.

Tailor-Made tours may offer more flexibility if you want to visit a specific area or to try to see particular Costa Rica wildlife during your trip, but with a wide range of escorted group tours, you can find an itinerary focusing on wildlife in Costa Rica as well as the companionship of a group. Our Wild Costa Rica and Natural Wonders of Costa Rica tours are two great options, and both have dedicated solo traveller departures too.

When it comes to where to stay in Costa Rica to see wildlife, there are some wonderful lodges and other accommodation within the national parks in order to be able to make the most of your time exploring. If you’re looking for a more indulgent experience, you could check in to some of the luxury lodges in Costa Rica as well as hotels such as the four-star Tilajari Resort in Arenal.

Discover the country's wonderful wildlife on a Costa Rica holiday