Costa Rica Activities: Wildlife Tours

Costa Rica covers less than .1% of Earth's surface yet shelters an estimated 5% of the world's species. For travelers who want more than a beach vacation, the country delivers one of the most rewarding wildlife experiences on the planet. Whether you're planning your first ecotour or returning for a deeper look, this itinerary puts the natural world first and allows you to explore things to do in Costa Rica that focus on the country’s incredible wildlife.

Why Costa Rica Activities Are Different for Wildlife Lovers

Costa Rica's rainforests are among the most biologically intense places on Earth. Ecotourism here means experiencing pristine rainforests, volcanic landscapes, and coastal ecosystems in ways that actively contribute to their protection. That's not marketing language. It's a model the country has built over decades, with more than 25% of its land protected in national parks and reserves.

Booking with certified naturalist guides, staying in eco-lodges, and choosing zero-waste tour operators ensure an eco-friendly experience for travelers. And just to be on the safe side, make sure you bring a reusable water bottle, pack reef-safe sunscreen, and skip any tour that lets guests handle wildlife.

Curious where to visit for Costa Rica wildlife activities? Here is a list of our favorite destinations for travelers:

#1 Corcovado National Park: The Crown Jewel of Costa Rica Activities

Remote and rugged, Corcovado is difficult to reach, but the park rewards visitors with unparalleled wildlife density and pristine ecosystems. Visitors can see howler, spider, and squirrel monkeys, along with capuchins, jaguars, tapirs, and more than 400 bird species. This is the deepest and most ecologically intact corner of the country, with a long list of things to do in Costa Rica during your visit.

Access to Corcovado requires a licensed guide, a rule that protects both the park and the experience. Guided visits help manage the number of people entering protected areas, reducing the footprint of tourism on fragile ecosystems.

Top wildlife to watch for in Corcovado:

• Baird's tapir — The largest land mammal in Central America, this prehistoric-looking creature is primarily nocturnal and deeply shy. Rangers consider a trail sighting one of Corcovado's most prized wildlife moments.
• Scarlet macaws — Large, brilliantly colored parrots blazing red, yellow, and blue that travel in bonded pairs and announce themselves loudly before coming into view. Corcovado holds one of the healthiest scarlet macaw populations left in Central America.
• White-lipped peccaries — Stocky, pig-like mammals that travel in herds of dozens, crashing noisily through the understory with a distinctive musky smell that often precedes a sighting. Corcovado is one of the last places in Central America where large herds still roam freely.
• Harpy eagle — One of the largest raptors on Earth, with a wingspan approaching seven feet and talons the size of a grizzly bear's claws. It requires vast tracts of undisturbed primary forest, making Corcovado one of the only remaining places in Central America where a sighting is possible.
• All four Costa Rican monkey species — Howler monkeys produce calls audible three miles away; white-faced capuchins are the most commonly seen and are known to use tools; spider monkeys signal healthy old-growth forest with their presence; and squirrel monkeys, the smallest of the four, travel in large, fast-moving troops near forest edges.

If you do visit Corcovado, plan to stay in Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula. Both are small towns with excellent eco-lodge options that support local conservation directly. Your guide can answer what to do on a Costa Rica ectour once you are settled at your lodge!

#2 Arenal Volcano National Park: Volcano, Forest, and Hot Springs

Arenal Volcano National Park sits in the northern lowlands and offers a completely different landscape than other areas of the country, including lava fields, tropical forest, hanging bridges, and natural hot springs. The Peninsula Sector is a mature secondary rainforest with strong wildlife potential, including monkeys, agoutis, peccaries, and a rich variety of birds.

Top Costa Rica wildlife activities in Arenal include hiking the lava fields and rainforest trails, birdwatching, soaking in natural hot springs, and walking the Arenal Hanging Bridges. The hanging bridges at Mistico Park offer a canopy-level view without disturbing the forest floor.

After a day in the park, the geothermal hot springs near La Fortuna are a natural reward for tired tourists. If you want to help support local businesses, choose smaller, locally operated hot spring facilities over the large resort complexes to keep your tourism dollars in the community.

#3: Tortuguero National Park: Turtle Watching in Costa Rica

If you're wondering what to do on a Costa Rica ectour, Tortuguero National Park is your answer. The park is best known for its turtles, especially the green sea turtle. Along with leatherback and hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles lay their eggs in Tortuguero between July and October in great numbers, making it one of the most important nesting sites in the world for the species.

Because Tortuguero is surrounded by water and dense jungle, it is accessible only by boat or small plane. The park’s remote location has helped preserve its character as a wildlife destination and is a big part of the appeal. Arrive by water taxi from Limón or Caño Blanco for a truly immersive experience.

The Sea Turtle Conservancy offers an eco-volunteer program in Tortuguero from June through October. Participants observe the nesting process and help scientists collect data. It's one of the most direct ways to contribute to conservation while traveling.

Pro tip: For turtle watching on the Pacific side of the country, Ostional Wildlife Refuge on the Nicoya Peninsula is known for olive ridley arrivals, where thousands of turtles come ashore in synchronized mass nestings called arribadas. During these tours, visitors should wear dark clothing, avoid flash photography, and follow the guide's instructions to protect the animals.

#4 Monteverde Cloud Forest: A Wildlife Ecotour Above the Clouds

Monteverde sits above the Pacific slope at elevation, wrapped in mist and silence. The misty high-elevation forest hosts species found nowhere else, including the resplendent quetzal, often considered the most beautiful bird in the Americas. The suspended bridges and canopy tours found in the park drove ecotourism and adventure travel from the genre’s beginnings.

Dawn walks with a naturalist guide give travelers the best chance of spotting the quetzal during nesting season (February through April). The cloud forest also shelters olingo, kinkajou, and more than 100 bat species — most of which are only seen on night tours.

#5 River and Canal Wildlife: Underrated Costa Rica Activities

A trip down one of Costa Rica's lowland rivers, either in a small boat or rubber raft, is an excellent way to observe the country's extraordinary wildlife. The trees lining most riverbanks may hold lounging iguanas, troops of monkeys, and birds such as ospreys, anhingas, colorful kingfishers, and several species of herons.

The Sarapiquí River near La Fortuna and the canals of Tortuguero are both excellent options for lazy river tours. Boat tours through the canals offer wildlife sightings that rival the famous turtle tours, including caimans, crocodiles, and basilisk lizards — known locally as Jesus Christ lizards for their apparent ability to run across water.

#6 Manuel Antonio: Coastal Wildlife Watching with Minimal Impact

Manuel Antonio National Park on the central Pacific coast packs extraordinary biodiversity into a small area. Squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, and white-faced capuchins are all commonly seen along the trails leading to the beach. The park limits daily visitor numbers to protect the ecosystem, so plan to arrive early in the day and book your tickets in advance.

The marine zone adjacent to the park offers snorkeling and kayaking in calm waters. For a truly eco-friendly experience, choose operators who follow no-contact wildlife guidelines and use biodegradable sunscreen as a condition of participation.

Planning Your Wildlife Ecotour: Sustainable Travel Tips

Costa Rica rewards travelers who plan thoughtfully and follow sustainable practices. While searching for things to do in Costa Rica, a few standards are worth following:

• Book certified guides through SINAC (Costa Rica's National System of Conservation Areas) or opegondrators with ICT (Costa Rica Tourism Institute) certification
• Stay in eco-lodges with verifiable CST (Certification for Sustainable Tourism) ratings
• Bring reusables like stainless steel water bottles, tote bags, and utensils, as plastic waste remains a challenge to dispose of in remote areas
• Travel during the shoulder season (May–June or November) for fewer crowds and lower environmental pressure on popular parks
• Offset your carbon through programs like those offered by certified ecotour operators who track and neutralize emissions per guest

The Wildlife-First Mindset Is What to Do in Costa Rica

The best things to do in Costa Rica aren't the loudest or the most Instagram-ready. They're the quiet morning when a tapir crosses your trail in Corcovado. The moment a green turtle pulls herself onto the beach at Tortuguero. The quetzal perched in fog above Monteverde. By participating in ecotourism and conservation efforts, travelers make a direct contribution to protecting irreplaceable wildlife. That's the real return on this trip.

To keep Costa Rica’s wild places intact for the next generation, book with operators who give back to the parks and communities that make these experiences possible. Leave the places you visit in better shape than you found them. Costa Rica's wildlife depends on it, as does the next traveler's experience.

To uncover more insights about our trip across Costa Rica, please download our travel brochure here.