If you’re a nature lover, you will absolutely love Costa Rica. The country holds 5% of the world’s biodiversity! Whether you want to go whale watching, see sloths or study insects, Costa Rica has all that and more.
So if you want to see some Costa Rica wildlife, read on to see where you can see some popular animals such as sloths, monkeys and more.
Click on it to skip to the section.
Humpback Whales
Humpback whales are the most common whales in Costa Rica because it has the longest humpback whale viewing season in the world. Both the Antarctica and Alaska humpback whales overlap for a period of time in Costa Rica during their migration.
It’s fairly common to see mom and baby during the beginning of the season as they are rearing and feeding their young. If you’re lucky to see one, they put on some pretty spectacular shows as they’re usually playing around in the water.
Click here to read more about whales in Costa Rica.
Best time to go whale watching
- Antarctica humpback whales – July to November
California humpback whales – December to April
North Atlantic humpback whales – December to March
In the months of Oct to Nov, the early birds and late risers overlap. August and September are the best months to see humpback whales in Costa Rica as they are very common all up and down the Pacific coast.
Best places for whale watching
- Drake Bay: South Puntarenas, northern region of the Osa Peninsula. Drake Bay is one of the most isolated places in Costa Rica and has excellent whale watching opportunities.
- Marino Ballena National Park: In Uvita, 16 km south of Dominical and 180 km SW of San Jose. There’s a reason why this is called the Whale National Park, this is one of the best places to see humpback whales!
- Gulf of Papagayo: This area is best to see the Antarctica humpback whales in July – September.
You can also go whale watching at Manuel Antonio, Gulf of Nicoya and Golfo Dolce.
Dolphins
It is pretty common to see dolphins in Costa Rica, especially on the Pacific side. You can see species like spotted to bottlenose and they are very playful. They love to play in the waves of the boat so you may see them swimming close by or next to you while kayaking!
Best time
Year round. Many species such as bottlenose and spotted live in Costa Rica all year so you have a good chance to see them.
If you want to see the spinner or common dolphins, they pass by Costa Rica from Dec – March and are not seen as much the rest of the year.
Best place to see dolphins
Same places as the whales except you have equal opportunity along the whole Pacific coast. They are especially common to see in the Golfo Dolce. On the Caribbean side, you have a chance to see bottlenose dolphins near Limon.
Many tours combine whale and dolphin watching since the two are commonly seen in the same waters. Some places are Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay, Flamingo, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo.We have seen several times groups of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Papagayo,.
Sea Turtles
In Costa Rica, the turtles are highly protected and there are protected reserves specifically for sea turtles. There are many different species of turtles in Costa Rica, such as the leatherback, Olive Ridley and Atlantic Ridley sea turtle. Many of them are critically endangered.
Best time to see sea turtles
Some turtles are present all year long. You can see sea turtles on both the Caribbean and Pacific.
- Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Leatherback sea turtle and Pacific Green sea turtle – all year long
- Leatherback sea turtles – Feb to July
- Atlantic green sea turtles – June to Nov
The best time of year to see turtles in Costa Rica is the rainy season or July – December. This is when the mass gatherings are the most intense.
Best places to see sea turtles
- Las Baulas National Park: This national park was established in 1990 to protect turtles from poachers. You can see them on Playa Grande in Oct – May laying their eggs. You have to reserve in advance for a spot and it is for turtle viewing only.
- Tortuguero: This national park is in the Caribbean North. It is one of the most important endangered green turtle nesting sites in the Western Hemisphere. Turtles come here from the months of July to October to lay their eggs. In November, you can see babies hatching.
- Santa Rosa National Park: Naranjo and Nancite, two beaches in the park are very mportant for sea turtle nesting. It is difficult to visit this national park since the road is in extremely bad condition and is usually closed off in rainy season.
- Ostional Wildlife Refuge: This refuge is one of the most important places for turtles in Costa Rica, specifically the Olive Ridley turtle.
- Gulf of Papagayo: It is common during July – September to see turtles mating in the water. Mostly Olive Ridley sea turtles as they then nest in Playa Naranjo or Ostional.
- Camaronal Wildlife Refuge: Four different species of turtles go to Playa Camaronal to lay eggs May – Nov. This private reserve is near Samara.
- Cano Island: It is common to see turtles, particularly juveniles at Cano Island and you can snorkel with them.
Other refuges and places
- Osa Peninsula and Corcovado: Many of the beaches are nesting sites for 3 species of turtles.
- Montezuma: The Atlantic Riley turtle lays their eggs on this beach. The local community does baby sea turtle releases in February.
- Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge: Located on the south Caribbean coast. Leatherback turtles nest here from March – May.
- Cahuita National Park: On the Atlantic coast in Limon. 4 species of turtle nest here between July – Oct, March – July and Feb- May.
- Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge: Although this is a popular surfing beach, it’s also part of the Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge. During rainy season, up to 40 turtles nest per night.
Arribadas
The best time to come see the turtles on shore is during arribadas (synchronized mass gathering of turtles). It is appropriately named because during this period of time (usually the last quarter moon in rainy season) sees up to tens of thousands of turtles coming to the beach to nest at once. They come 24/7, even during the day!
This happens in only a handful of places in the world, with 2 of them in Costa Rica: Ostional and Playa Naranjo for the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.
Sloths
The most sought after animal to see are sloths in Costa Rica. These guys are a bit hard to see out in the wild however since they blend in so well with their surroundings. The sloths in Costa Rica are the two-fingered and three-fingered.
Best time to see them
All year long.
Best places to see them
The best places in Costa Rica to see sloths are Manuel Antonio, Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero, Dominical, Uvita, La Fortuna and the Osa Peninsula. They are abundant in more humid areas since the forests are green all year long so they always have food.
However, they are not common in Guanacaste where it is very dry. If you are in Guanacaste/Puntarenas (Tamarindo/Coco/Samara/Montezuma/Santa Teresa) and want to see a sloth, you will need to travel to the rainforest or visit an animal sanctuary.
Animal rescue centers or sanctuaries where you can see sloths are Jaguar Rescue Center, Toucan Rescue Ranch and the ones in the Springs Resort and Diamante Eco Adventure Park.
Read more in-depth information about sloths in Costa Rica.
Monkeys
Four different species of monkeys are in Costa Rica: White-face Capuchin monkeys, Howler monkeys, Squirrel monkeys and Spider monkeys. All monkeys except White face are endangered or threatened in Costa Rica.
Best time to see them
All year round
Best places to see them
The Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park is the only place where you can find all four species of monkeys.
Squirrel monkeys are only found in the southern part of Costa Rica such as Corcovado and Manuel Antonio National Park. Howlers and white face monkeys can be seen all throughout Costa Rica. In particular, howlers are especially common in Guanacaste. Spider monkeys are more common in the Osa Peninsula but can also be seen in Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste.
You can read more about monkeys in Costa Rica.
Toucans
6 different species of toucans are found in the rain forests of Costa Rica. The Black-mandibled toucan is the largest of the six and all can be seen in the tropical and subtropical forests.
Best time to see them
All year long but best during rainy season when the fruits they like are in season. Sometimes you can see up to 10 or more toucans in one tree!
Best places to see toucans
You can’t see all 6 toucans in one place in Costa Rica but you can see up to 3 in one. In Monteverde, you can see the Emerald Toucanet, Keel billed and Black Mandibled Toucan. You can see the Black Mandible and Fiery Aracari in Manuel Antonio and Osa Peninsula. Similarly, in La Fortuna you can see the Black Mandibled, Keel-billed and the Collared Aracari. It is very hard to see the Yellow-eared toucanet though.
Some other excellent places to see toucans in Costa Rica are Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero, Poas, Uvita, Boca Tapada, Osa Peninsula and Bijagua.
You can read more about toucans in Costa Rica in this post.
Fish
Many beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean are very good for snorkeling. You’ll see all types of tropical fish such as butterfly fish, angel fish, pufferfish, and much more.
Additionally, if you’re looking to do some sport fishing or see some bill fish, you can hire a sport fishing company so you can experience the excitement of catching a rooster fish, sail fish or even a marlin. Costa Rica practices catch and release for offshore fishing or you can keep the fish you get with inshore fishing.
Costa Rica Wildlife Video
Check out our video of some Costa Rica animals we’ve seen. We hope you get to see some of them too!
If you like this article, follow us on Facebook for more Costa Rica travel tips and inspiration!
If you want to read up or be able to identify Costa Rica wildlife, I suggest getting a pocket/field guide or a book.
Also do NOT forget to bring your zoom lens! We currently use a Canon 100-400 mm lens and a 1.4 extender on a crop Canon 80d which works great for wildlife shots. Sigma and Tamron both have a 150-600 mm lens which is excellent as well.
Here are some of the books and field guides we use. We also highly recommend hiring a guide as they have trained eyes and know how to find wildlife. Especially if you are a photographer, you will need a guide to find the animal you want to photograph.
Sammi says
Hi Caryanne! I’m glad to hear Mytanfeet has been helpful in your trip planning! It is very very difficult to see sloths in the wild in Guanacaste as they are not common in that area. You will need to travel to either Bijagua (our post on this town here: Bijagua Costa Rica) as a hotel called Casitas Tenorio has sloths on their property and they allow outside guests to walk on their trails to see sloths for $6. That is about a 1.5-2 hour drive from Coco and is the closest place where you have the best opportunity to see sloths. Or you will need to travel to the inland rainforests such as Arenal which is about a 4 hour drive. But it is not always guaranteed to see sloths in Arenal since that area is so spread out (it’s never a guarantee to see any wildlife though). You will have more chances in Bijagua on the Casitas Tenorio property. You will need to make reservations beforehand and you can read more about the hotel here: Casitas tenorio
Caryanne says
Your website is wonderful! My family is traveling in Feb to Playa del Coco for a week. We all want to see a sloth. I reviewed the Diamante Adventure Park that you recommended. Any suggestions on where to go to see them in their natural habitat? Cheers!
Christy says
Hi Again ! looking for the BEST tour to see the most wildlife. We will be in Arenal as well as Guanacaste.
thanks !
Sammi says
Hi Christy, the best tour would be the safari floats. Rio Frio is our favorite and the best we’ve done, but only Jacamar Naturalist Tours operates this particular one. You can read more about it here: Rio Frio safari float. Penas Blancas is another good one but since only one tour company does the RIo Frio safari float, that one is much better. We offer discount on both these tours you can get here: 10% Arenal and La Fortuna tours discount.
eddie says
Hi, I’m going to Santa Teresa in November 2017. I want to see sloth, toucans, etc but from reading the posts on here, it doesn’t seem like I will have any luck. Can you point me in the right direction. Im traveling with 3 small kids and I know they don’t want to be stuck in the car more than 1 hour. Are there any rescues nearby?
Sammi says
Hi Eddie, you can check out this one near Santa Teresa: http://www.rainsongsanctuary.com/index.htm. The animals they have are whatever is being treated, it’s not like a zoo so it’s not a guarantee if they have sloths or toucans, they have wildlife that is being cared for but it’s the best options since in Santa Teresa, there aren’t really sloths and toucans. Manuel Antonio, Puerto Viejo and the South Pacific are the best places to see them in the wild. Santa Teresa is more for surfing and beach.
Nicole says
I’m going to Costa in 3 weeks. Quepos is where we are staying. What is the closest area where we can see sea turtles, or volunteer for a day. My son is obsessed with turtles so this would be an amazing experience!
Thanks
Sammi says
The high season for turtle nesting is over so it’ll be hard to see them in the wild and the best places are actually Tortuguero and Ostional. You may be able to contact a rescue center like Kids Saving the Rainforest which is in Manuel Antonio and see if they have any recommendations.
Peggy eichhorn says
I just saw them in the protective custody of Matapalo – it was interesting
Sammi says
Hi Andrea, you can read in the post the best places to see all the wildlife you mentioned ^^. As for volcanoes, Arenal Arenal Volcano National Park and Poas (Poas Volcano National Park) are two of the most popular and you can read about when is the best time to visit in this post:Best time to visit Costa Rica
As for hotels, you can all our hotel reviews here: Costa Rica hotel reviews or you can check out our best all-inclusive hotel posts here:
Andrea cliff says
Hi.
Myself and hubby want to go to CR next year. When is the better month please? We want to see the volcanoes sloths turtles monkeys and toucans, which are the best places to see these please? Which hotels do you also recommend on the high end scale please?
Thank you.
Sammi says
Hi Franklin, that area has a lot of toucans and sloths so there’s a good chance you’ll see at least some toucans in the wild. But if you want to see them up close, you can travel a bit down south to the Jaguar Rescue, they are an excellent rescue center where you can learn about the animals and see rescued ones. However, you should never touch a sloth, wild or rescued and any place that lets you handle sloths or hold them, is not a good center.
Sloths have moths and algae growing in their fur (they have pretty much their own ecosystem in their fur) and touching them can upset that so please do not touch sloths. You can read more about seeing sloths in Costa Rica here: sloths in Costa Rica and toucans here: Costa Rica birds
Franklin says
Hi All,
Im going to CR for a work in Moin, Limon and Im love to see Sloths and Toucans. Is there any near place/wildlife near this area? It is possible to get a picture with handling a Sloths?
Thank you so much.
Cheers! Franklin
Sammi says
Hi Nancy, there are a ton of different accommodation options in Tamarindo and there are a few hotels on the beach. But there are also hotels that are literally right across the street and a lot cheaper, so unless you absolutely have to be actually ON the beach, those places are good options such as Cabinas Marielas or Hotel Mar Rey, it’s seriously less than a minute walk to the beach. You can read more information about Tamarindo and hotels we like here: Playa Tamarindo
Nancy Maine says
I have vacationed 8 times in C.R., and LOVE the people, the monkeys and sloths. This April 2017 I plan to rent a house for 5 days in or near Manual Antonio and bring along my daughter, her husband and two boys ages 10 and 12. I would like to take them to a second location for an additional three nights to a beach hotel, possibly Tamarindo. My question is how can I do this without breaking the bank? I do not plan to rent a car and will use the nice little buses from Manual Antonio to Tamarindo. So, I would prefer to rent a hotel on the beach in Tamarindo. I wonder are there any new hotels that may be offering discounted rates. Or any ideas on nice places offering discounts?
Sammi says
Hi Anton,
Corcovado NP is great, we visited two of the stations you can read about here: San Pedrillo and Sirena Station Corcovado National Park There’s a lot more wildlife at Sirena and some awesome hiking if you want to do day hikes or overnight hikes.
As for Spanish, you really honestly don’t need to know Spanish to get around. Since tourism is huge in Costa Rica and most locals work in tourism, they know English fairly well. You’ll always find someone who knows English especially if you’re going to the touristic places which you are going to. It’s only when you get to the small towns in the rural communities where English is not widely spoken. But all of the people who work in tourism speak pretty good English. I’ve met people who retired and live and travel in CR for the past 15 years who can barely even say good morning! Which isn’t to say that’s a good thing – for them they should learn Spanish since they live in CR but for travelers, you can get by perfectly fine without Spanish. It’s always good to know a few phrases though and it’s nice to know some words.
We have a printable Spanish cheat sheet which may help during your travels and since Yeison wrote it, it is Costa Rican Spanish: Spanish for travelers
Anton says
Hi! I’m planning a trip to Costa Rica at the end of the year. It looks like I will go to Puerto Viejo, Sarapiqui, La Fortuna, Arenal, Montverde, Manuel Antonio, and some other places with a traveling agency.
I’m also planning on going to Corcovado NP directly before or after this. I heard it’s one of the most biologically intense places on Earth. I just can’t miss that! I’d really love to go rain forest hiking, and I guess this is the absolute best place to do so in Costa Rica.
I wonder, is it hard to travel on your own in Costa Rica if you’re not good at speaking Spanish? I’m learning the language right now, but I’m not sure how good I’ll be at it at that point. I heard there are a lot of north americans visiting and retiring in Costa Rica so i figured, maybe many Costa Rican’s speak English. So I wonder, how is it?
Greetings from Sweden
Annie says
We are staying in Cabuya for 10 days in early May with two small children and would like to know where we can see sloths, dolphins, toucans, and whales, Any thoughts as to other fun activities for families with small children (age 1 and 4) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Sammi says
You can download an app called “touit” which allows you to select areas of Costa Rica and see what wildlife is around.
Christa says
Annie, how was your trip? I’m considering going to Cabuya with my 4 year old in May 2017!
Sammi says
Hi Shanda, you can read in the post where are the best places to see the wildlife listed. In Jaco, you can go to Carara National Park and the Rio Tarcoles Rio Tarcoles boat tour for wildlife. In Dominical, wildlife can be seen pretty easily since that area is more lush and has more vegetation. There is a wildlife sanctuary near Dominical, called Alturas you can visit to see wildlife
Shanda says
My husband and I will be traveling with our 3 teenage boys to Dominical for 3 days and then onto Jaco for 4 days the first week in March. We love wildlife and want to make sure we visit the best places while we are in Costa Rica to get the best experiences for our family. Any advice you could offer, I would appreciate.
Marcia says
We are heading to Samara Feb/Mar 2016. Is there much to see in terms of wildlife in this area? Can I see sloths in this area?
Sammi says
You’ll need to go outside of Samara to see wildlife. There is Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge 7 miles outside of Samara that is famous for turtles. As for sloths, there is a really slim chance you’ll see one, sloths aren’t as common on the Guanacaste coast and if you really want to see one, I’d suggest getting a guide since they have trained eyes specifically to find these creatures whereas our un-trained eyes cannot. The guides can take you to places where they have seen them before, but sloths are not as common in the Guanacaste area, they like the lush rain forests which Guanacaste doesn’t have.
Muriel says
Hi, I’m going there on saturday for 2 weeks. Our first destination is Montezuma but then I’m totally lost … So many things to do and see … I don’t know where to go … Could you give me some advices ??? We thought of doing the peninsula from Montezuma to go back to San Jose or to leave from Montezuma going to Corcovado and then take a plane from Puerto Jimenez to San Jose … Or something else …
Thanks for your response.
Muriel
yeison says
Hi Muriel!
The montezuma/malpaís/Santa Teresa area is very nice area specially for surfers. You have lots of options you can go all the way up to Guanacaste and visit some beautiful beaches, then you can start moving south maybe first to the Arenal Volcano then to Monteverde. After that you can go to San jose go south to Corcovado. If your destinations are only Montezuma and then corcovado you can go to puntarenas and from there go all the way down (Costanera road) Puntarenas, Jaco, Quepos, Uvita and then decide if you want to go to Sierpe or Puerto Jimenez.
Ken says
I would like to visit Costa Rica in 2015. I am mostly into wildlife photography, frogs, reptiles, birds. Can any recommend the best place to spend a few days where I could do this. Especially spotlighting at night.
Thanks
Ken
yeison says
Hi Ken,
Monteverde is the right place for you, please let us know when you start planing.
Laura says
I would love to see an ocelot. Where would you recommend I might have a chance of seeing one?
Sammi says
Hi Laura, ocelots come out at night so you’d have to go with a guide who is highly knowledgeable in these cats (they are also highly endangered in CR) if you want to see one in the wild or you can visit the Waterfall Gardens at La Paz, they have a rescue center with ocelots.
Beertraveler541 says
What are my best options to see wildlife (Toucans, sloths, monkeys, etc.) from Coco or Samara the last two weeks of March.
Sammi says
Hi, you can see howler monkeys in Coco up in the trees, no sloths or toucans though. There is a place called Congo Monkey Canopy Trail if you want to zipline and they have a small zoo with monkeys and some reptiles.
Lita says
Hi! I absolutely love this website! Me and my family are going to Costa Rica this summer, and I love sloths! You said you can vollenteer to take care of them? Can you vollenteer for just one day? How much do you think it would be? Thank you!
yeison says
HI Lita, we are very glad you like the blog 🙂
I think that there is not a one day volunteer programs here, I think the minimum is 3 weeks or so, but if you want to see them close and ask as many questions you want I like this place jaguarrescue.com I have worked with them before and I know that the money the collect goes for the animals, there are other sloth places but is more like a business than anything else.
Lets us know if we can help you on anything
Lita says
Thank you! jaguarrescue.com gave me some information and I will probably be going on tours with my family!
Crystal says
I want to take my daughter to CR. I would like to stay in Cahuita close to the Sloth sanctuary. What wildlife can I expect to see there?
Sammi says
Hi Crystal,
You can read up in the post the wildlife near Cahuita. On the Caribbean side you can see toucans, lots of other tropical birds, fish, butterflies and such.
Bjørn Christian Jacobsen says
Hi! Thanks so much for Your kind answer : ) All the best!
Bjørn says
Hi!
I am from Norway and very interested in spotting whales and dolphins. I am going to Manuel Antonio from late mars to beginning of April.
Is it is some good places near Manuel Antonio where you can spot whales and dolphins? Do you know about some good tour operators?
Kindest regards from
Bjorn in Norway
Sammi says
Hi Bjorn! SO sorry for the late reply, been on the move and haven’t had time to reply until comments. I know there are tour operators out of Manuel Antonio that do whale and dolphin tours, I have never been on one so I can’t recommend one from personal experience but it looks like there are a few rated on TripAdvisor if you Google it. Planet Dolphin looks pretty good and has great reviews.
Rhonda says
So informative! Love your site. We are currently visiting and staying in Dominical. Any advice or things not to miss or must-see/do close by?
Sammi says
Hmm I’m not too familiar with that area but I know the surfing is good there and the beaches are really nice. Should be beautiful there!
Mary says
Hi! I was just wondering if you have any knowledge of Wild Planet Adventure tours? First of all…are they reputable and are their tours as good as they seem?
Sammi says
Hi Mary! I have never done a Wild Planet Adventure tour and don’t know anyone who has. Tripadvisor has a good forum where people reviewed and discussed them that might be helpful! http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g291982-i813-k1791500-Wld_Planet_Adventures_Feedback-Costa_Rica.html
Mary says
Oh thank you so much! I’ll try that. Love your website.
Sammi says
You’re welcome! Looks like they got fairly good reviews!
Marie-Carmen says
Sloths, toucans, whales, turtles…
Man… Really wish to see all of that now! Don’t think I’ve never seen any of them in the wild. So I guess one day I’ll have to make it to Costa Rica!
It’s a really good post you put together guys! Well done!
Sammi says
Thanks Marie!! It’s OK I’m still making my way through the list too 🙂
Lara Wallis says
Hi!
Thank you for this awesome post 🙂
I wonder if you could help me make a decision, I am torn between two volunteer programmes, one based inside Tortuguero National Park and one based 17km outside Corcovado National Park. Which do you think would be a better place to be based for 4 weeks?:)
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hello Lara! Well to be honest, both places are pretty amazing but if you are looking for a more rural experience, Corcovado is the one to go to. Corcovado (from what I have heard) is definitely an unique experience and it’s pretty different from the other national parks because it is so rural but I know both are great! Either one I am sure you will have a great time, but that is my personal opinion 🙂
Mary says
Thank you for this wonderful site. We are coming to Costa Rica in April 2014! I absolutely can’t wait. Your information has been so helpful and I am more excited than ever!!!! I already know that our short (5 day) stay will be way too short. I am going to start planning my second trip there as well. This trip was a gift from my kids because I am a nature lover. It sounds like the perfect place for me!
Sammi says
Thank you for your kind words! I hope you have a great trip, Costa Rica is a nature lover’s paradise!
Evan M says
I absolutely LOVE wildlife! I think I need to go to Costa Rica really soon. It is a bit odd, but sloths are my absolute favourite animal, so I need to get there. Thanks for all the info!
Sammi says
You are very welcome! Hope you make it here soon 🙂 Sloths are very cute !
Celia says
Yay, this post was so helpful 🙂 We’re going to Costa Rica next year so I’ll save these tips. 🙂
Sammi says
Glad to hear that! Have a great trip and if you have any questions or need advice don’t hesitate to ask us 🙂
Rachel says
Great info. We are headed to the flamingo beach area in mid June. Any advice on wildlife/nature areas that we can drive to from there? I am a photographer and would love to get some interesting photos.
Sammi says
Thanks Rachel! There’s lots of little roads off the path around the Flamingo area or one popular spot for wildlife/nature is Arenal, it’s about a 3 hour drive from Flamingo but it’s very beautiful and has a huge variety of wildlife.