Ten animals you can see in Costa Rica

Visiting Costa Rica is all about nature, rainforests, breathtaking landscapes and wildlife sightings. There are ten animals that are easy to see in Costa Rica, not only in hikes and trails, but on the roads or while enjoying breakfast, and not only once but several times. Check the list here:

1. Monkeys

With four species of monkeys, it is hard not to see them. They are among the easiest to spot and take pictures of.  And not only you see them, but you can hear them in mostly all wild areas in Costa Rica. In places like Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio, Rincon de la Vieja and even Papagayo Peninsula the distinctive call of howler monkeys is heard all over the region every day. You can see them everywhere in the country, they love tender leaves, so you can spot them in the trees early in the mornings or late in

You can see them everywhere in the country, they love tender leaves, so you can spot them in the trees early in the mornings or late in the afternoon at their foraging times. When it is truly hot, they sleep as they recharge their cold blood with the heat of the sun.

2. Sloths

This extremely cute and popular creatures can be seen all over the country, even in some of the park trees in certain communities. They are slow, however when they are moving, you can easily spot them up on trees from roads, hotels, and trails.

You can spot the two and three toed sloths.

3.Toucans

With six different species of toucans, they are hard to avoid while traveling through Costa Rica. You can find them up on the top of the trees, especially when it has rained, and they are hardly ever alone. Usually, they fly in small flocks.

4. Coatimundis

 

This small animals, relatives of the North American raccoon come, originally from the South American jungles, coatimundis, or “pizotes” as they are called in Costa Rica travel in big groups formed by females and younglings, or lonesome males looking for something to eat. They are omnivorous, and unfortunately, you can see them usually on the edge of some touristic roads looking for tourists that can feed them with Cheetos and chips. However, if you see them, please! Don’t feed them. When you feed a wild animal, you might as well poison it, as our processed stuff is toxic for them.

5. Blue Morpho Butterflies

It is a magical sight. You see them in the rainforest, they are quite big, iridescent, and gorgeous. On one side they are brown and black with quite distinctive eye shape decorations on the other side they are absolutely breathtaking. Like fairies in the forest, they shine and disappear, just to shine again!

6. Bats

As small as interesting, in Costa Rica, there are over a hundred species of bats, that you can easily spot flying at night around the gardens of hotels. However, int he daytime, ask your guides to show them to you. Mostly all lodges and even resorts have areas where bats like to sleep the day becoming an -easy to spot- super interesting mammal.

 

 

7- Iguanas

There are two different species of iguanas, the green iguanas that you can easily see in the North, Caribbean and Central Pacific and the Black Iguana or Tnosaur that you can find in the North and Central Pacific. Harmless and even friendly, you see them getting warm up on trees or in flat grassy areas.

 

 

8. Poison dart frogs

Really small (Less than half an inch in some cases) these bright frogs can be easily seen in any humid rainforests of the country, usually at the bottom of trees by the edge of rivers. Their distinctive mating call makes them an easy target to spot.

 9. Crocodiles

Two species; the American Crocodile and the Spectacled Cayman. Both can be easily seen on large rivers or canals like Tortuguero, Tempisque or the famous Tarcoles River in the Central Pacific Area.

 

 

10 – Whales and Dolphins

There are several species of dolphins, the most common is the Spotted Dolphin and the Bottle Nosed Dolphin. In whales, the most common to see at certain times of the year (Ask our travel consultants about the best times to see them, and where) are the Humpback Whales although at times you can also spot Pilot Whales and even orcas.