Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, packing around 5% of the planet’s species into a country the size of a small US state. For wildlife lovers, that makes the Costa Rica animals the whole point of the trip: sloths hanging in the trees, monkeys crashing through the canopy, toucans, tree frogs and, off the coast, sea turtles and whales.
Max grew up in Costa Rica, so spotting this wildlife is second nature for him. Between us we have seen every animal on this list in the wild, many of them more times than we can count, and the photos here are our own, taken across the country. Below are 25 of the animals you are most likely to encounter, what makes each special, and exactly where in Costa Rica to look for them.
Key Takeaways
- Costa Rica holds about 5% of the world’s biodiversity in a tiny area, so wildlife is everywhere, not just in remote reserves.
- Monkeys and sloths are the easy headline acts, reliably seen in parks like Manuel Antonio and around La Fortuna.
- The national parks are the place to go: Corcovado for density, Monteverde for cloud-forest species, Tortuguero for turtles.
- Early morning and late afternoon are when most animals are active, so plan wildlife walks around the cooler hours.
- Look, don’t touch. A few animals (crocodiles, some snakes and frogs) deserve respect, but serious incidents with visitors are rare.
Costa Rica Wildlife at a Glance
Here is the quick snapshot before the animals themselves.
Costa Rica Wildlife at a Glance
| Biodiversity | Around 5% of all species on earth |
| Easiest to see | Monkeys, sloths, coatis, iguanas, toucans |
| Best parks | Corcovado, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Tortuguero, Carara |
| Best time of day | Early morning and late afternoon |
| Best season | Year-round; dry season (Dec to Apr) is easiest |
| National animals | White-tailed deer (mammal); yiguirro / clay-coloured thrush (bird) |
| Watch out for | Crocodiles, a few venomous snakes; keep your distance |
25 Animals to Spot in Costa Rica
From the canopy to the coast, here are 25 of the best animals to look for in Costa Rica, roughly grouped by the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and marine life you’ll meet.
1. Mantled Howler Monkey
The deep, roaring call of the howler monkey is the soundtrack of the Costa Rican jungle, carrying for kilometres at dawn and dusk. Despite the fearsome noise, these large, leaf-eating monkeys are mellow and slow-moving, lounging in the high canopy. They are the most widespread of the country’s four monkey species, and you’ll often hear them before you see them.
2. White-Faced Capuchin Monkey
The clever, mischievous white-faced capuchin is the monkey you are most likely to meet up close, especially in Manuel Antonio, where they are notorious for raiding bags for snacks. Intelligent and endlessly entertaining to watch, they travel in troops and use tools. Enjoy them, but never feed them, as it harms both the monkeys and the visitors who come after you.
3. Central American Squirrel Monkey
The smallest and most endangered of Costa Rica’s monkeys, the squirrel monkey (or titi) is a tiny, golden-orange bundle of energy that races through the trees in large, chattering troops. They are found mainly on the central and south Pacific coast, around Manuel Antonio and the Osa, and watching a troop pour through the canopy is a highlight.
4. Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey
The largest and most acrobatic of the four monkeys, the spider monkey swings through the high canopy on long limbs and a prehensile tail, covering ground with remarkable agility. We have watched troops move through the wilder parks, where they are shyer and more forest-dependent than the other monkeys. They are most reliable in undisturbed reserves like Corcovado and Santa Rosa, and spotting all four monkey species in one trip is a fun Costa Rica wildlife challenge.
5. Sloths
No animal says Costa Rica like the sloth. Both the brown-throated three-toed sloth and the larger two-toed sloth live here, dozing in the cecropia trees and moving so slowly that algae grows on their fur. They are easiest to spot around Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna and the Caribbean coast, usually with the help of a guide’s sharp eyes scanning the cecropia trees. You can book a guided sloth walk for the best chance of a close sighting.
6. Coati (Pizote)
The coati, or pizote, is a raccoon relative with a long, ringed tail held straight up and a flexible snout it uses to snuffle for food. Curious and bold, they often appear along roadsides and trails, especially around Arenal and Monteverde. They are charming, but do not feed them, as habituated coatis become a nuisance and lose their natural foraging.
7. Agouti
The agouti is a large, long-legged rodent, a bit like an oversized guinea pig, that trots across the forest floor of the lowland parks. They are important seed-dispersers, one of the few animals that can crack open a Brazil nut. We often spot them foraging quietly near the trails at Manuel Antonio and Corcovado, freezing the moment they sense someone coming.
8. Kinkajou
The kinkajou is a nocturnal, golden-brown tree dweller with huge eyes and a prehensile tail, sometimes called a “honey bear” for its love of nectar and fruit. Because it only comes out after dark, a guided night walk is the way to find one. We have picked them out by their eye-shine high in the canopy on night walks around Monteverde and the Arenal rainforest.
9. Northern Tamandua
The northern tamandua is a tree-climbing anteater with a long snout, a sticky tongue and powerful claws for tearing into ant and termite nests. Active by day and night, it is a quirky, prehistoric-looking animal that turns up in forests across the country. One even wandered across our property in Avellanas years ago, snout down and hunting for ants, exactly the kind of surprise encounter Costa Rica is famous for.
10. Ocelot
The ocelot is the most commonly seen of Costa Rica’s six wild cats, a beautifully marked, medium-sized nocturnal hunter. “Commonly seen” is relative, though, as all the cats are elusive; a daytime glimpse is a rare thrill, and most sightings come on night walks or via camera traps in the big parks like Corcovado. Spotting one in the wild is a genuine wildlife trophy.
11. Baird’s Tapir
The tapir is Central America’s largest land mammal, a shy, pig-shaped browser with a short prehensile snout that can weigh over 250 kilograms. Endangered and elusive, it haunts the remote forests and wetlands, and Corcovado on the Osa Peninsula is the best place in the country to have a chance of seeing one, often near water at dawn or dusk.
12. Keel-Billed Toucan
With its huge rainbow-coloured bill, the keel-billed toucan is one of the most recognisable birds in the Americas, and a thrilling sight when a pair bounces through the canopy. The bill looks heavy but is mostly hollow and lightweight. Costa Rica is also home to the chestnut-mandibled toucan and several smaller toucanets and aracaris, so keep looking up.
13. Resplendent Quetzal
For birdwatchers, the resplendent quetzal is the holy grail: an iridescent green-and-crimson bird with tail streamers up to a metre long, once sacred to the Maya and Aztec. It lives in the highland cloud forests, with the breeding season from February to July the best time to find one. We finally caught up with a quetzal glowing in the misty canopy at Monteverde, which alongside the San Gerardo de Dota valley is the prime place to look.
14. Hummingbirds
Costa Rica hosts more than 50 species of hummingbird, from the tiny scintillant to the dazzling violet sabrewing. The cloud-forest reserves with their feeders are the easiest places to see a whirring cloud of them up close, but in truth they turn up everywhere, even around our place down in Avellanas. Their iridescent colours flash in the light as they hover and dart, a highlight of any visit.
15. Scarlet and Great Green Macaws
The scarlet macaw is one of Costa Rica’s great conservation success stories, its flame-red flocks recovering on the central Pacific coast around Carara and the Osa, while the rarer great green macaw clings on in the Caribbean lowlands. Seeing a pair fly overhead, screeching, with their long tails trailing, is a sight that never gets old. Carara National Park near the Tarcoles crocodile bridge is a reliable scarlet-macaw spot.
16. Poison Dart Frogs
Tiny, jewel-bright and famously toxic, poison dart frogs are among the most photogenic animals in the rainforest. Costa Rica’s species include the strawberry “blue jeans” frog of the Caribbean and the green-and-black dart frog. Their bright colours warn predators of their poison, which comes from their wild diet, so they are only dangerous if handled. Watch them hop across the leaf litter, but look with your eyes only.
17. Red-Eyed Tree Frog
The red-eyed tree frog is the poster child of the Costa Rican rainforest: vivid green with blue-and-yellow flanks, orange feet and those startling red eyes. Nocturnal and harmless, it sleeps tucked under leaves by day and is a star of guided night walks. The flash of red when it opens its eyes is thought to startle predators long enough for it to leap away.
18. Eyelash Viper
The eyelash viper is a small, striking pit viper named for the bristly scales above its eyes, and it comes in a range of colours including a vivid golden yellow. It is venomous, so it earns respect, but it is also slow and well-camouflaged, often coiled on a branch or among heliconia flowers. We have crossed paths with plenty of Costa Rica’s other snakes over the years, though this well-hidden one has eluded us in the wild. Watch where you put your hands on rainforest trails, and admire any snake from a safe distance.
19. American Crocodile
Costa Rica’s rivers are home to large American crocodiles, and the most famous place to see them safely is from the Tarcoles bridge on the central Pacific coast, where dozens bask on the banks below. They can reach four to five metres, and seeing them from above really drives home the scale. Our guide covers the Tarcoles crocodile bridge in full.
20. Spectacled Caiman
Smaller and more numerous than the crocodile, the spectacled caiman is found in lagoons, canals and slow rivers across the country, especially in Tortuguero and Cano Negro. It is named for the bony ridge between its eyes that looks like spectacles, and stays a more manageable couple of metres long. We have drifted past dozens of them lining the banks on the Tortuguero canals, which is the best way to see them.
21. Basilisk Lizard
The basilisk, or “Jesus Christ lizard”, earns its nickname by sprinting across the surface of water on its hind legs to escape predators, its wide feet slapping the water fast enough to keep it from sinking. Common along rivers and streams, especially in the lowland parks, it is a comical and amazing thing to witness if you catch one making a dash.
22. Green Iguana
The green iguana is one of the most visible reptiles in Costa Rica, lounging on branches over rivers and dropping into the water with a splash when startled. Despite the name, adults can be grey, orange or green, and large males are impressively dragon-like. They are common around the Caribbean lowlands and the coasts, often seen basking high in waterside trees.
23. Sea Turtles
Costa Rica is one of the most important sea-turtle nesting countries on earth, with olive ridley, green, leatherback and hawksbill turtles all coming ashore on its beaches. The olive ridley “arribada” mass nestings at Ostional are a wildlife spectacle, while Tortuguero is famous for green turtles. Always watch nesting turtles with a licensed guide, never use a flash, and keep your distance. A guided turtle-nesting tour is the responsible way to witness it, and many of the best beaches in Costa Rica are nesting sites.
24. Humpback Whales
Costa Rica has one of the longest humpback-whale seasons in the world, as whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres come to its warm Pacific waters to breed and calve. The Marino Ballena National Park near Uvita, with its whale-tail-shaped sandbar, is the prime spot, with peak seasons around July to October and December to March. A boat tour offers a real chance of seeing them breach.
25. Blue Morpho Butterfly
The blue morpho is the dazzling finale: a large butterfly whose wings flash an electric, iridescent blue as it flutters through the forest, then vanish into dull brown camouflage when it lands and closes them. The shimmering blue is structural colour, not pigment. You’ll catch flashes of it along rainforest trails countrywide, and it is a magical sight that never gets old.
Where to See Animals in Costa Rica
Wildlife is everywhere in Costa Rica, but a few places stack the odds in your favour. A good guide, sharp eyes and an early start make all the difference at any of them.
Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula is the country’s wildlife crown jewel, with the best chance of tapirs, all four monkeys and even big cats. Manuel Antonio is the easiest place to see sloths, monkeys and iguanas on a short, flat trail. Monteverde is the cloud-forest home of the quetzal and hummingbirds, and La Fortuna and Arenal deliver sloths, coatis and birds in abundance. Wherever you go, the early-morning walks with a sharp-eyed local guide turn up the most.
A good guide is the single best investment for spotting wildlife, and you can book wildlife and nature tours across all of these parks in advance.
The best wildlife is spread across national parks from the Osa Peninsula to the Caribbean, and your own car means reaching the trailheads early, when the animals are most active. In Costa Rica the local pick is Vamos, whose quoted rate already includes the mandatory insurance other companies add at the counter.
Compare rates with the required insurance built in, so the price you see is the price you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions About Costa Rica Animals
What kind of animals are in Costa Rica?
Despite its small size, Costa Rica holds around 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Visitors commonly see monkeys (howler, capuchin, squirrel and spider), sloths, coatis, toucans and other tropical birds, poison-dart and red-eyed tree frogs, iguanas and basilisks, plus crocodiles, caimans, sea turtles and, offshore, humpback whales.
What is Costa Rica’s national animal?
Costa Rica’s national mammal is the white-tailed deer, and its national bird is the yiguirro, or clay-coloured thrush, chosen for its song rather than its looks. The country is also strongly associated with the scarlet macaw and the resplendent quetzal.
Are there dangerous animals in Costa Rica?
A few. American crocodiles, several venomous snakes such as the fer-de-lance and the eyelash viper, and poison-dart frogs (dangerous only if handled) all live here. Serious incidents with tourists are rare. Keep your distance, never touch wildlife, swim only in safe areas, and watch where you step and put your hands on jungle trails.
Where can you see sloths in Costa Rica?
Sloths are most reliably seen around Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna and the Caribbean coast, usually on a guided walk with a spotting scope. Our guide to seeing sloths in Costa Rica in the wild covers the best spots and how to find them.
What is the best place to see animals in Costa Rica?
For sheer density, Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula is the best, followed by Manuel Antonio for easy access, Monteverde for cloud-forest species and the quetzal, Tortuguero for turtles and caimans, and Carara for scarlet macaws.
When is the best time to see wildlife in Costa Rica?
Wildlife is visible year-round, but early morning and late afternoon are the most active times. The dry season makes spotting easier underfoot, while events like turtle nesting and whale season follow their own calendars. The best time to go to Costa Rica guide breaks down the seasons.
Final Thoughts
Few places reward a wildlife lover like Costa Rica. With around 5% of the planet’s species packed into one small, friendly country, you can see monkeys, sloths, toucans and frogs in a single morning, then turtles or whales by the afternoon. Having grown up here and returned again and again, our honest advice is to slow down, hire a good local guide, and look closely; the magic is in the details.
Build a couple of wildlife mornings into your trip, treat every animal with respect, and you will leave with sightings you remember for years. If you are planning the wider trip, a 2-week Costa Rica itinerary helps you fit the best wildlife spots together. What is the animal at the top of your Costa Rica list? Tell us in the comments below.
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