Discover the wonderful wildlife of Costa Rica on a wildlife adventure that will change the way you see the world. Here, lizards walk on water and frogs have strawberry-red eyes, spiders spin webs of golden silk, and rainbow-coloured flocks of birds soar through the sky. Our Costa Rica wildlife holidays take you on unforgettable journeys of discovery, from its sublime Caribbean and Pacific coastlines to its dense jungles where you’ll get to meet some of the country’s most magnificent animals.
Costa Rica has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and its tropical climate makes it a breeding ground for exotic flora and fauna. Our Costa Rica wildlife tours have itineraries that are packed with adventures. While one day you’ll be sailing along the rich waterways of Torguguero, the next you’ll be hiking through the rainforest listening to the distinctive sounds of howler monkeys and squawking toucans.
On a Costa Rica wildlife holiday, you’ll explore all this and more, as the country is home to some 5% of the world’s animal and plant species. You’ll also visit the mist-shrouded canopies of the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, where monkeys can be seen swinging through the leafy canopies. Hike through Arenal Volcano National Park and visit the famous mud pools, look for dolphins off Carrillo beach, and perhaps watch green turtle hatchlings scramble towards the sea during nesting season. There is so much to discover on all our Costa Rica wildlife holidays, you’ll be talking about your trip for years to come.
Top 5 Animals to See on a Costa Rica Wildlife Holiday
Scarlet Macaws: Often seen during our Costa Rica wildlife holidays, the scarlet macaw is easily recognised by its brightly coloured plumage. It is the largest of the parrot family and is mostly spotted along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Its high-pitched squawk is also instantly recognisable, meaning these beautiful birds are usually heard before they’re seen. In Costa Rica the macaw is known as lapas and their huge beaks are used to crack open the tough shells of nuts and seeds. They tend to congregate in large flocks when they are roosting and feeding.
Turtles: Arguably the most synonymous with Costa Rica, the turtle often draws visitors here from all over the world to witness their mating and nesting habits. Tortuguero is the most well-known place for the endangered green turtle, which comes to lay eggs on the beach between the months of July and October. The Hawksbill, Giant Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles also nest here, and you can watch their eggs hatch and the babies make their short journey to the ocean between November to January. On our Costa Rica Adventure tour, you’ll enjoy a night time trip to Camaronal Beach to see the turtles nesting and laying their eggs in the sand.
Sloths: With their adorable smiling faces and sleepy heads, the cuteness of the sloth is hard to resist. On our Costa Rica wildlife tours, you’ll have the opportunity to get up close to these furry creatures with tours in Esquinas Rainforest Nature Reserve, Tortuguero and Monteverde, where they are most often seen napping in the trees. The sloth sleeps up to 20 hours a day high up in the forest canopies and did you know they also have algae covering their fur to camouflage them from predators?
Howler Monkeys: Another noisy creature that lives in the forests of Costa Rica is the Howler monkey. Named after its piercing call, it is heard swinging through the trees of Manuel Antonio National Park, Monteverde, Arenal and along the Caribbean Coast. They tend to live in small groups and the alpha male is usually the one heard howling the loudest. They can weigh up to 22 pounds with a body of up to 3 feet long. So, if you’re keen to spot a Howler monkey on one of our Costa Rica wildlife tours, just listen out for their unique cry.
Dolphins: Boasting a stunning coastline along the Pacific and Caribbean oceans, Costa Rica is a wonderful place to visit to see dolphins in the wild. On our Discover Costa Rica Wildlife Holiday, we take you on a private boat trip off the beach of Carrillo to look for Bottlenose and Spinner dolphins, which are often spotted playing in the ocean. Dolphins are extremely inquisitive and friendly creatures and sometimes they’ll even swim under the boat. In Costa Rica, dolphins are found throughout the year on the Pacific Coast so there’s a much greater chance of you spotting them on Costa Rica wildlife holidays.
FAQs on Costa Rica Wildlife Holidays
Where is the most wildlife in Costa Rica?
Everywhere you go, Costa Rica is brimming with wildlife, but we seek out the best spots where you’ll most likely come face-to-face with some of the country’s most impressive creatures. Tortuguero National Park is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit on our Costa Rica wildlife holidays. The Park is made up of swamps and meandering waterways where you’ll discover hundreds of species of birds, monkeys, butterflies, iguanas, caiman and the famous Costa Rica turtles, including the Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Green turtle and Giant Leatherback.
On our Costa Rica wildlife tours, you’ll explore various rainforests which are buzzing with fascinating creatures such as toucans, monkeys, sloths, possums and coatis. In particular, Monteverde is a great place to experience animal encounters on our Costa Rica wildlife holidays. But if it’s marine animals you’re looking for, then head to Manuel Antonio National Park where the marine reserve plays host to dolphins, whales and turtles as well as land mammals such as white-faced capuchin monkeys, mantled howlers and three-toed sloths.
What is the most common way to see animals in Costa Rica?
On our Costa Rica wildlife tours, we take you right to the heart of the action with guided walking tours along trails through the rainforests and boat trips down rivers and canals. You can also sail out onto the ocean to spot dolphins and whales in their natural habitat. The slow pace of the tours means you have a greater chance of meeting the local wildlife and watching them interact in their own environments.
What is the wildlife in Costa Rica?
Well, where do we start? With over 500,000 different animal species occupying this beautiful country, there are far too many to list them all. But some of the most iconic you could see on our Costa Rica wildlife holidays include:
Scarlet macaws Frogs Iguanas Various species of turtles Sloths Monkeys Coatis Dolphins and whales Caiman Armadillos Porcupines Possums
Are there any bears in Costa Rica?
While they might not resemble the big grizzly or brown bears you’re most likely imagining, there are several small bears that can be found in Costa Rica, and these include the coati, kinkajou, slender bear, sloth and raccoon. Mostly inhabiting the jungles and hiding in trees, you might be lucky enough to spot one of these species, however, the racoon and coati are most commonly seen.
When’s the best time to visit Costa Rica?
Depending on what you want to see will determine the best time to visit Costa Rica. Although the temperatures are moderate throughout much of the year, the tropical climate does mean that you should always expect and prepare for some rain. Between December and April is the dry season and is a great time for viewing Costa Rica wildlife, however, these months do tend to attract the tourist crowds. In between the downpours during May and November, there is also lots of sunshine, which makes lush conditions for exploring the national parks.
Where can I see turtles in Costa Rica?
The best place to see turtles in Costa Rica is undoubtedly at Tortuguero National Park, along the North Caribbean Coast. There are four species of turtles that can be found here, including the green sea turtle, the leatherback turtle, the loggerhead turtle and the hawksbill turtle. The beaches of Tortuguero National Park provide nesting sites for the turtles, with Tortuguero Beach being the largest. The best times to see green turtles here is from July to mid-October and you’ll most likely spot leatherbacks between February and June.
When is the best month for whale watching in Costa Rica?
With humpback whales occupying the waters along the Pacific Coast for approximately eight months of the year, Costa Rica boasts one of the world’s longest whale watching seasons. The best months for Costa Rica wildlife tours that include whale watching are January to February and August to September. This is when these majestic mammals start to breed, meaning they are much more active. Humpback whales are most often spotted from August to October and December to April. You might also get to see other species such as sperm whales, killer whales and pilot whales.
What is Arenal National Park known for?
Wedged between the San Carlos plains and the foothills of Cordillera de Tilaran in northwest Costa Rica, Arenal National Park plays host to the dormant Chato Volcano and the country’s largest and most active volcano, Arenal. You’ll also find the largest lake here, Lake Arenal, which lies beneath the volcano and is surrounded by tropical rainforest teeming with wildlife. While exploring the national park, you’re most likely to spot white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys, deer, parrots and tapir. Formed by Arenal’s devastating eruption in 1968, lava rocks and lava fields make up many of the trails that wind through the park.
This is a great trip if you like your wildlife. Make sure you bring the best camera/lens that you have got as you can get some amazing photographs.
Having said that there are a few things that could be better:
– Tortuguero is famous for its turtles. We didn’t see any even though we went to the beach around dawn both mornings we were there. Subsequently we found out that you can go on a local guide tour overnight, they then liaise with other guides to share where the turtles are (it is a long beach) to give you the best chance of seeing them. You may have to ask about it at the Lodge about booking a guide
– Manuel Antonio. Likewise a local guide would help find more of the wildlife here, as they know the area & have the required spotting scopes
– Savegre. To see the Quetzal (which is the main reason for going there, & is spectacular) again, you need a local guide to take you to the right area. These can be booked via the hotel
Hopefully Exodus will include these local guides/trips going forward as I have shared this feedback with them.
We enjoyed the coffee/chocolate tour at La Fortuna, where you get to make your own chocolate (you need to add a lot of sugar otherwise it’s very bitter !)
We also did a night trip to see more frogs & other night animals while at Manuel Antonio which was good
This is a well planned and managed tour. We liked having the two days at the coast either side of the five days inland. Our tour guide Lucky was very good and it was very useful having Dineth, the naturalist, with us to help find and identify wildlife. The bus was very spacious and the hotels good. We didn’t see whales and leopards and, if that is a must for you, then this is not the right trip. However, if you enjoy wildlife generally then this is an excellent choice. The countryside is very beautiful and interesting, and the walks and game drives enjoyable. We saw lots of different birds and a good selection of mammals and reptiles.
