Costa Rica may be small, but it certainly packs a punch when it comes to wildlife. According to experts, there are 615 species for every 10,000 sq km, making it the most diverse place on the planet. With over 25% of its land protected, nature and wildlife abound: there are 27 national parks, 13 forest reserves, and eight biological reserves here.
This small-yet-spectacular Central American country is home to all manners of beautiful and curious creatures – from tropical birds like toucans, scarlet macaws, and quetzals, to sloths, howler monkeys, crocodiles, and jaguars. And that’s without mentioning marine life; whales, dolphins, sharks, rays, and turtles are often spotted beneath the waves.
There’s so much life here, in fact, that you’d have to try pretty hard not to have some kind of animal encounter – but of course, some places are better for wildlife watching than others. From pristine beaches and cloud-shrouded mountains to tangled mangroves and rugged volcanic peaks, here are eight of the best places to see wildlife in Costa Rica.
1. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
If you’re a keen birdwatcher, you won’t want to miss a visit to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Located in Costa Rica’s central highlands, this vast, mist-cloaked utopia is a renowned bird spotting destination, home to over 500 species. The elusive resplendent quetzal is the bird most tourists hope to see, but you can also spot bare-necked umbrella birds, three-wattled bellbirds, black guans, keel-billed toucans, and many of the country’s 30+ species of hummingbird in the mossy canopies.
Around 130 different species of mammals can also be found here, including two-toed sloths, white-faced and howler monkeys, Baird’s tapir, porcupines, and 58 species of bat. Whole Monteverde is a popular tourist destination thanks to its incredible biodiversity, its size and verdancy mean you may not see a single other person while exploring. But tread carefully…15 different species of venomous snakes make their home on the moist forest floor, including the tropical rattlesnake and eyelash viper.
2. Parque Nacional Los Quetzales
The resplendent quetzal is surely one of Latin America’s showiest birds. It’s extravagantly coloured (and extravagantly named), with males boasting a long, feathered iridescent blue and green tail, and a vibrant red breast. A symbol of freedom, and a feature of many Mayan and Aztec legends, this small, striking bird is notoriously tricky to spot…but if your heart is set on seeing it, your best shot is probably in the park that’s named after it: Los Quetzales National Park.
The park is located around 50 miles southeast of the capital San José, so it’s easily accessible for most tourists. While small (just 20 square miles), Los Quetzales National Park is home to Costa Rica’s highest concentration of quetzals, and your best chance of spotting one of these endangered birds is during the breeding season – mid-February to June. Throughout this time, you might spot male quetzals putting on a display, swooping through the air and showing off their twin tail feathers.
3. Parque Nacional Tortuguero
More interested in aquatic animals than birds? You might want to include a visit to Tortuguero National Park. Located in Limon Province, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Tortuguero is sometimes referred to as a ‘mini Amazon’, and the interconnected waterways here are a haven for an incredible array of animals. Tortuguero is huge – over 65,000 land acres and almost 125,000 marine acres – and the only way to get here is by boat, so it feels wonderfully secluded.
As you paddle along these creeper-covered backwaters, you may spot herons, crocodiles and caiman, and monkeys and sloths hanging from trees. But Tortuguero is best known for being the home of hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, and green sea turtles, who travel thousands of miles each year to lay their eggs on the beaches where their lives began. If you want to witness the baby turtles hatching and making their journey to the ocean, try to plan your visit for between September and October.
4. Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal
On the edge of the Talamanca Mountain range lies the beautiful Arenal Volcano National Park. At nearly 30,000 acres, the park is huge and diverse, with a landscape that includes untouched rainforest, scrub brush, volcanic badlands, and farmland. The varied, biologically complex habitat is home to around half of Costa Rica’s land-dwelling vertebrates, and a staggering 850 species of exotic birds.
Arenal is particularly known for its monkey population. Howler monkeys, the foghorns of the forest, bark gutturally from the treetops, while slender spider monkeys swing through the branches. Cute capuchins are common, too, but be careful; these white-faced monkeys are notorious pickpockets! Sloths, white-tailed deers, and white-nosed coatimundis – racoon-like animals – also live in the forested slopes, while along the river, you may spot otters playing in the water.
5. Parque Nacional Corcovado
Covering two-fifths of the Osa Peninsula, Corcovado is the country’s largest and most remote national park. It’s also the most biodiverse; covering just 0.0001% of the planet’s surface, it’s home to 3% of its biodiversity. No wonder National Geographic called it “the most biologically intense place on Earth”. Getting here isn’t easy, and you’ll need a guide and a permit. But your reward is a chance to explore a real-life Garden of Eden, and perhaps see some of the world’s most elusive and characterful animals.
This dense rainforest is a refuge for many of Costa Rica’s rarest animals, from Baird’s tapirs to giant anteaters and jaguars. The stealthy, nocturnal nature of the jaguar makes them incredibly difficult to spot – but even coming across a pawprint is a special experience. There’s plenty of other wildlife to see, especially with a guide to point you in the right direction. The park also boasts pristine beaches, roaring waterfalls, glimmering rivers, and excellent hiking trails, so it’s well worth the effort of getting here.
6. Manuel Antonio National Park
From Costa Rica’s largest and most remote park to its smallest and busiest. Located on the central Pacific coast, Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the country’s top tourist attractions, and despite its small size, it offers excellent wildlife spotting opportunities. Home to sugar-white beaches, turquoise seas, emerald rainforests, and vibrant exotic flowers, the landscape of Manuel Antonio is what many people imagine when dreaming of Costa Rica.
You have an excellent chance of spotting monkeys (squirrel, white-faced, and howler) as well as scarlet macaws, but this well-guarded rainforest is particularly known for its large sloth population. These adorably lethargic animals are only found in Latin America, and their comically slow movements and sweet smiling faces make them a truly special sight to behold. The sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park are used to human visitors, so they probably won’t shy away from friendly tourists either!
7. Parque Nacional Palo Verde
The jaguar isn’t Costa Rica’s only cat. Jaguarundis are slender wild cats that live in Central and South America and, despite the name, they’re more closely related to mountain lions. However, their small size and unique features have given them the nickname “otter cat”. Costa Rica’s largest concentration of jaguarundis is in Palo Verde National Park, a 77-square-mile park consisting mostly of wetlands including mangrove forests, coastal woodlands, marshes, and savannahs.
Being a wetlands, Palo Verde National Park is also legendary for its waterbirds. On a boat tour, you can often spot herons, storks, spoonbills, egrets, ibises, and other waterbirds, as well as monkeys and crocodiles. The dry season – December to March – is best for bird watching, as the species tend to cluster together. During this time, you can also rent bikes to explore the lesser-known corners of the park. A word of warning, though; Palo Verde is also known for its mosquitoes, so bring repellant!
8. Parque Nacional Marino Ballena
If you’re more interested in marine life than birds, monkeys, or cats, you might want to think about exploring Marino Ballena National Park. Located on the aptly-named Costa Marino Ballena (‘ballena’ means whale in Spanish), this 15,000-acre park is a humpback whale watching hotspot. These big, beautiful mammals migrate to Costa Rica’s west coast to breed and give birth, travelling from as far away as Antarctica and northwestern USA and Canada.
September is an excellent time to visit, as the park celebrates its aquatic visitors with the Festival de Ballenas y Delfines – the month-long festival of whales and dolphins. Not only can you take advantage of wonderful opportunities to spot these animals, but during this time you can also enjoy fabulous snorkelling on the park’s crescent-shaped coral reef, keeping your eyes peeled for more introverted wildlife.
Final thoughts…
Whether you’re passionate about sea life, birds, monkeys, or cats – or all wildlife in general – there’s little doubt that Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world for a nature-focused holiday. Though it’s less than a quarter of the size of the UK, it’s home to an incredible array of animals and, in terms of biodiversity, can’t be beaten.
Plus, its landscape is equally diverse and dazzling, home to smouldering volcanoes, sultry jungles, cloud-wrapped peaks, and picture-postcard beaches. So, if you’re hoping to do lots of hiking, swimming, and relaxing on your wildlife holiday, you’re heading to the right place.
Have you been to Costa Rica before – or are you hoping to go? Are you particularly interested in seeing a specific animal? We’d love to hear about your travel plans and experiences in the comments below.