Best wildlife destinations in Costa Rica
Tortuguero National Park
Cruise the jungle waterways and explore the rainforest of Tortuguero National Park. Start the day with a bird-watching boat trip at dawn and see water birds such as heron, egret and kingfisher along with other species including toucan. Delve deeper into the jungle and hear the call of the howler monkey echo through the tree. You may even spot shyer animals such as ocelot, tapir or the elusive jaguar. If you’re visiting between June and September, finish the day with an evening walk and witness over 5,000 green and leatherback turtles coming ashore to nest on Tortuguero’s beaches. Many of our wildlife tours in Costa Rica visit Tortuguero National Park, including our
Explore Costa Rica tour.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Explore on our
Costa Rica – Coast to Coast trip and visit Manual Antonio National Park. Famed for its beautiful beaches and rich wildlife, you’re likely to see white-faced capuchin monkey, coatimundi (part of the raccoon family) and tiny squirrels. It’s also one of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths. After wildlife spotting, spend the rest of the day relaxing on the white sandy beaches. If you stay all day, the sunsets from this coast are spectacular.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Walk the paths that wind their way through gigantic ferns, ducking underneath the lichen and moss that hangs from the giant trees. The jungle floor is an endless green carpeted with blossoms that fall from the high canopy. If you’re lucky you’ll see the rare, but common to this area, quetzal. Known for its brightly coloured plumage, the quetzal is surprisingly good at blending in with the rainforest so is difficult to spot but our expert local leader will be on hand to help and have a good track record of spotting them. See them for yourself on our
Highlights of Costa Rica tour.