A rich animal life

Accessible only by boat or plane, this national park on the Caribbean coast comprises rainforests, mangrove swamps, beaches and lagoons. The waters of Tortuguero are home to manatees, caimans and crocodiles. The forests are the habitat of jaguars, three-toed sloths, lizards and three of the four species of monkey found in Costa Rica.

In the north lies Caño Negro. An unspoilt area that, during the rainy season, provides a haven for thousands of migratory birds such as spoonbills, storks, herons, ibises and egrets. During the dry season, you’ll see fewer waterbirds, but as the rivers and lakes dry up, caimans, crocodiles, monkeys, jaguars and pumas become more visible whilst they search for food.

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

Dolphins are a common sight in southern Costa Rica. On a boat trip led by biologists and researchers with many years’ experience in this region, you’ll set out in search of these remarkable animals.

Corcovado National Park in the south of the country is regarded as one of Costa Rica’s most unspoilt national parks. The park protects one of the last remaining stretches of pristine tropical rainforest on the Pacific coast of Central America. The dense and unspoilt rainforest is an excellent place for spotting wildlife, such as monkeys, crocodiles, jaguars, sloths and birds.

This large wildlife park on the Pacific coast protects the nesting grounds of the leatherback sea turtle. Particularly from July to December, very large numbers of turtles regularly come ashore here to nest. Between November and January, you may also occasionally spot leatherback turtles here, but true hawksbill and loggerhead turtles are very rarely seen here.