Rich wildlife

There you are, face-to-face with one of the undisputed giants of the sea. At just a few metres away, you can see the immense tail of this animal hitting the water. The best place for whale watching is the Pacific coast. Because of the many bays on the coast, it is a well-protected area for whales to raise their youngsters. This is possible between January and March and between August and October.

Only accessible by boat or by plane, this national park on the Caribbean coast consists of rainforests, mangrove forests, beaches and lagoons. Manatees, caimans and crocodiles live in the waters of Tortuguero. The woods are the habitat of jaguars, three-fingered sloths, lizards and 3 out of the 4 monkey species in Costa Rica.

In the north, you will find Caño Negro. A pristine area, which during the rain period, provides shelter for thousands of migrating birds such as spoonbills, storks, herons, ibis and egrets. During the dry season, you will see less waterfowl, but because of the drying rivers and lakes, the caimans, crocodiles, monkeys, jaguars and pumas show themselves more while they are in search of food.

Green hawksbill turtles and leatherback turtles nestle on the beaches of Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast from March to October. The peak season for the green turtles is in August and September.

Dolphins regularly occur in the south of Costa Rica. With a boat ride that is guided by biologists and researchers with many years of experience, you will go in search of these special animals.

The Corcovado National Park in the south of the country is being seen as one of the most pristine national parks of Costa Rica. The park protects one of the final remaining pieces of original tropical rainforest at the Pacific coast of Central America. The dense and pristine rainforest is a perfect place for spotting wildlife such as monkeys, crocodiles, jaguars, sloths and birds.

This large wildlife park on the Pacific coast protects the nesting area of the olive ridley sea turtle. Particularly from June to December, a large number of turtles comes ashore to nestle. Between November and January you might also find leatherback turtles, but hawksbill turtles and green sea turtles are rarely spotted here.