If you are staying on the Guanacaste coast and want to experience the rainforest, then this day trip is for you! From beach towns like Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Flamingo, Potrero and the Papagayo Peninsula, this is the best day excursion to see tropical rainforest and sloths!
If you would like to book the Bijagua rainforest and sloth tour, click here to skip to our booking form at the end of the post!
Travel Time From Guanacaste Beaches
This Guanacaste rainforest sloth tour takes place in Bijagua, a small town up inland between the Guanacaste and Alajuela province. Although this area is famous for Tenorio Volcano National Park, home to Rio Celeste, the sky blue river and waterfall, Bijagua is also an excellent place to experience nature and wildlife thanks to the surrounding tropical rainforest.
- From Liberia, Bijagua is a 1 hour drive one way.
- From Playas del Coco/Ocotal/Hermosa/Panama, Bijagua is a 1.5 hour drive one way. Same with the Papagayo Peninsula resorts such as Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood, RIU, Secrets and Occidental Papagayo.
- From Tamarindo, Bijagua is a 2.5 hour drive one way. (We live in Tamarindo so we departed from this area)
- From Flamingo/Conchal/Brasilito/Potrero, Bijagua is a 2 hour drive one way.
What the Guanacaste Rainforest Sloth Tour Includes
Roundtrip transportation, bilingual guide, entrance fees, refreshments and lunch.
Difficulty Of Trails
Easy to medium. Both trails are a natural path so you will be walking on dirt, rocks, tree branches and rocks. It does have a slight elevation climb and there are some steps you need to walk up. When it rains, it can get very muddy so wear closed toed, preferably waterproof hiking shoes.
Both trails are very short though. The first one is 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles). The second trail is barely one kilometer or less than half a mile. However, you should have good walking shoes, comfortable walking clothes, a hat, sunscreen and plenty of insect repellent!
The hanging bridges guided walk takes around 2 hours. The sloth walk is around 1-2 hours (you can go a bit faster or slower depending on how many animals there are).
Guanacaste Rainforest Sloth Tour Video
Here’s our video of our Guanacaste rainforest sloth day excursion from Tamarindo and you can keep reading to see photos!
The First Rainforest Walk
The first stop on our rainforest and sloth tour from Tamarindo was at a private reserve protecting primary rainforest. This reserve was one of the very first in Costa Rica, established back in the 1980’s, even before the neighboring Tenorio Volcano National Park!
Back in the 80’s and those years, the government gave large pieces of land to the Bijaguñno families so that they could make a living off of dairy and cattle farming. However, this family decided not to cut down the forest and to protect it instead.
Because of this, they are truly one of the pioneers of sustainable and eco-tourism in Costa Rica. Back then, everyone else cut down the forests to make room for cattle farms but they had a completely different vision for their piece of land. And so they began building a modest lodge next to the reserve to create a natural and sustainable experience for guests.
Heliconias Rainforest Reserve
As for the reserve, it has a 2.2 kilometer trail (1.37 mile) and 3 hanging bridges through the primary rainforest for visitors to get spectacular views of the forest canopy and see wildlife.
We didn’t walk long at all for our guides to spot the first animal: a yellow eyelash pit viper. I know a lot of people are scared of snakes but this snake is a beauty. Scary, yes, but beautiful! I couldn’t believe it was just right there in the trees and leaves, just quietly laying there.
After observing this beautiful snake for a bit, we continued on through the forest. Our guide, Randall, stopped every so often to point out an interesting tree or plant, sharing facts with us about its role in the environment and why it’s interesting.
I know it is very cliche to say but it’s amazing just how green the rainforest is. And even more so that this was a primary rainforest which meant that it has never been cut down. It was humbling and fascinating all at the same time to see nature in its most pristine and raw form.
The Hanging Bridges
We soon reached the first hanging bridge. It was 95 meters (312 feet) long and 30 meters (98 feet) high.
One of the things we really liked about these hanging bridges is that you’re not so high up that you’re above the trees. Instead, you are at eye level so you truly feel like you’re surrounded by the rainforest.
And in typical rainforest fashion, it began raining during our walk. But it actually made the experience more unforgettable because hey, it’s the tropical rainforest! They don’t call it rainforest for nothing
Tip: Make sure to bring a waterproof rain jacket no matter the time of year you visit Bijagua. Even though we visited in March, which is in the middle of Costa Rica’s dry season, it can still rain in this area.
More Photos of Our Guanacaste Rainforest Sloth Tour
Here are some more photos of the rest of our Heliconias – Bijagua rainforest walk. We went through two more hanging bridges and saw another snake and some birds.
They say a walk in nature soothes the soul and we cannot agree more. Walking through this untouched forest re-energized my mind, body and soul as we have been just staring at computers and stressing out for so long due to the COVID pandemic (Read our Costa Rica COVID post here to get details about entry requirements, restrictions, etc.)
Going back into nature seeing SO much lush and green forest was the perfect medicine for our cabin fever.
Sloth Tour
After we finished our hanging bridges walk, we had lunch at a local restaurant in town and had a traditional lunch (rice, beans, meat, salad, fruit juice). We fueled up and got ready for our next activity: sloth watching!
This part of the day is one many visitors are most excited for as sloths are the animal most visitors want to see the most. Despite what it may seem on social media, it’s actually not that easy to see sloths in Costa Rica.
These animals are masters at camouflaging, especially since they are not highly active. Additionally, they only live in certain parts of Costa Rica, they are not found throughout the country.
This is why this rainforest and sloth tour is perfect for those staying on the Guanacaste coast because sloths do not live in those places as its too dry. So for those staying in Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Flamingo or any of those areas, you won’t see sloths there. You must go to the rainforest and Bijagua is one of the best places!
The private reserve is very close to downtown Bijagua and it’s a super short trail, not even 1 kilometer. However, there are around 8 sloths that live in this reserve and we were able to see 4 sloths in total. Two of them had babies!
Because it started raining again, I couldn’t get any more good photos but you can watch our video above to see the sloths. The one in the picture above was quite active and kept climbing up and down the trees, putting a show on for us!
Overall, our one day rainforest sloth tour from Tamarindo was amazing. We visited in March, right in the middle of Costa Rica’s dry season and since we live at the beach, it’s incredibly hot, dry and very yellow (95 F or 35 C). We absolutely loved walking through the rainforest, being surrounded by all the green and seeing wildlife in their natural habitat. If for some reason you are going to be in San Jose instead, check out a similar rainforest tour day trip!
This is an excellent day excursion for those who are staying at the beach as their homebase during their time in Costa Rica. Here are some example itineraries of how to fit this Guanacaste rainforest sloth tour in.
Sample Itineraries
Here is a sample 1 week itinerary in Guanacaste.
- Land in Liberia Airport, drive to homebase (Playas del Coco/Tamarindo/Flamingo)
- Morning walk around town, go to the beach
- Half day ziplining at Diamante Eco Adventure Park or full day zipline, horseback ride, white water tubing, hot springs and mud baths at Hacienda Guachipelin
- Surf lesson in Tamarindo, relax, shop, pool time
- Rainforest sloth tour in Bijagua
- Afternoon sunset snorkeling and beach hopping in the Gulf of Papagayo
- Fly home!
Book Your Rainforest and Sloth Tour!
If you’re interested in booking this Guanacaste rainforest sloth tour or want more information, please fill out the form below. Please note this is for a tour with roundtrip transportation. We do not offer just a guide. If you have your own transportation, you can book the activities on your own.
Tricia Annisette says
We just finished 5 different tours with this company and each fulfilled our highest expectations! All of the personnel setting up the tours kept us well informed as to dates, times and what we needed to bring as well as pertinent reminders before each trip. Our guides (Marcy on the water and Randall on land) were exemplary in their knowledge of the area and everything related to it! They both were willing to adapt our tours to meet personal requests, above and beyond what the tours specified! We could not have had better experiences! We highly recommend this company and will be in contact for further tours on any other trips to Costa Rica! 5 stars and more!
Sammi says
Thank you for your feedback and comments!!
Emily says
My boyfriend and I recently did this tour while we were visiting and I cannot stop talking about it. Our tour guide, Manuel, was so wonderful. You could tell he was very passionate about his job and teaching those visiting about Costa Rica. He made the entire trip fun and informative. The bridges and sloth tour were out of this world. I’ve never been in a place more beautiful, and we had the perfect day. This is absolutely a trip that I would book again upon coming back- it was worth it! So grateful to have found this blog and this trip to help us with our travels.
Sammi says
Hi Emily, thank you for your comment and we’re glad you had a great day!
Kelly Point says
Hi my husband and I are headed to Costa Rica in February staying at a airbnb for a month. Is it easy to drive to this area from Playa Grande? Do you recommend any tour companies that we could book with for the same tour you experienced?
Thanks Kelly
Sammi says
Hi Kelly, we have sent you an email with more information
Nic says
Hi! We are on the way from Monteverde to La Fortuna. We like to stop for a sloth Tour. Do we need a reservation and how much is it? Thanks a lot!
Best regards Nic
Sammi says
Hi Nic, you can contact Finca Verde or show up and see if they have spaces
Alonzo Alarcon says
Hola, what can you tell me about the RIU resort, I have heard some bad reviews?
We are interested in an All-Inclusive resort, on nice beach and interested in Snorkeling, Zip-Line/Hot Springs and maybe waterfalls. Any suggestions – planning on trip, 2 couples around end of August 2024?
Gracias, Alonzo
Sammi says
Hi Alonzo, we’ve stayed at the Riu Palace. Rooms were nice and comfortable but nothing special but the food was really really good and the pool was really fun! Not sure about Riu Guanacaste (not the palace).
Nancy starr says
Hi… if we went to Diamanté just to zip line and then wanted to go to a mud bath…. How could we do that and what’s the drive?
Thank you,
Sammi says
closest mud baths are at Hacienda Guachipelin, about a 1.5 hr drive away
Maureen Carberry says
We took a private tour from Tamarindo out for the Rainforest and Sloths tour. Our driver Randall did an amazing job answering all of our questions during the bus ride – agriculture, history, current political controversy and events, housing, schools – were all discussed with insightful, balanced and nuanced answers. He was patient with us as we spent a little extra time on hanging bridges, pointing out birds to each other. He also gave us lots of interesting info regarding the plants/animals in Costa Rica. He even brought a scope along so we could get a closer look at animals. It was an amazing tour, I would highly recommend! Also very safe and efficient driving, which I appreciated.
Sammi says
Hi Maureen, thank you for your review and feedback. We’re glad you had a great day with Randall, he is a fantastic guide!
Wendy Krone says
Thank you for this amazing tour. The Rainforest/Sloth tour was everything and more that what I expected. Randell our guide was so knowledgeable, we learned so much about the beautiful country of Costa Rica and the plants and animals that thrive there. Thank you so much for this awesome and memorable experience.
Sammi says
Hi Wendy, thank you for your feedback and comment, we are very happy you enjoyed the tour!
Kal says
Thank you for booking a tour, for my husband and me, of the rain forest on May 22nd. We wanted to do something like this, but had no idea as to how to get to there! We came across your blog and decided to give it a try since it seemed like My Tan Feet took care of the logistics.
We had a fantastic day, it was exactly what we were seeking and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour.
Randall Umana was our tour guide for the day. He was amazing!! Very prompt, friendly, conversational and so very knowledgeable. We are so glad we got matched with him, he made that trip so special for us. Can’t say enough good things about him.
Thank you and thanks to Randall for making that excursion memorable and fun!!
Would highly recommend your services to others!!
Sammi says
Thank you for your feedback and review Kal, we’re glad you and your husband had a great time 🙂
Jon Campbell says
We have a two year old, would we be able to bring him? No problem carrying him and he is a trooper hiking here in Colorado. Also what are the costs per adult and per child? Thanks this is our third trip to CR and have relied on your site many times!!
Sammi says
Hi Jon, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page and we’ll get back to you with more information via email. Thank you
Andrea Evans says
Does the hike have lots of steep inclines and declines or anything else that might make it difficult for them? Two of the adults I am traveling with are in their mid 70’s. They are semi active but one has had both knees replaced. Is this something they can do?
Sammi says
The Heliconias hanging bridges walk does have some elevation and incline, but it is not steep and there aren’t steps. The path is completely dirt (both of them) so in case they aren’t able to walk long on uneven surfaces, that is something to note. The trails themselves are not too long, the sloth one is like half a mile
Laurie says
Can you do the sloth reserve tour on your own. We have a car. Also what is the cost.
Thanks
Sammi says
Yes you can contact the reserves individually to make your reservations
Dodie says
We will be in Liberia for errands shortly. If we drive to Bijagua on our own, would we be able to hire a guide once there?
Sammi says
It will depend on availability
stacey Park says
hi,
what is the name of the private sloth reserve that you went to? we are spending 2 nights in Bijagua and would love to go here.
Thanks so much,
Stacey
Sammi says
I believe it’s called Naciente.
Tom Griffiths says
Hi,
If all goes well I will have a group of 13 in Arenal December 7-10. Is it worth the drive to Bijagua for the sloths or is the Bogarin Trail at La Fortuna just as good?
Sammi says
The Bogarin Trail is great, if you are already going to be in La Fortuna.
mel says
hi how much is the sloth tour?
Sammi says
Hello Mel, I sent you an email a couple days ago!