There are few better destinations in the world for wildlife spotting than Costa Rica. The government is renowned for its progressive environmental policies and has made great efforts to protect the country’s rainforests and marine habitats.As a result, there is a network of 26 national parks and a selection of privately-owned reserves where the landscape has been preserved in its natural state. Ongoing work is being undertaken to keep the areas clean and ensure conditions are right for native plant and animal species to thrive.
The work is partly financed by sustainable ecotourism, so visitors are welcome and you will have the chance to see a huge variety of creatures during an outdoor adventure holiday in Costa Rica.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
This section of cloud forest in the Cordillera de Tilaran mountain range is famed for its biodiversity, as there are more than 2,500 plant species here. The greenery provides habitats for 400 different types of birds, 100 sorts of mammals and 160 kinds of reptiles and amphibians.
You’ll need to explore the area during the day and also take guided nocturnal walks if you are to see the best of the wildlife. As well as lots of snakes, toads and bats, you may spot tapirs, deer, porcupines, jaguars and ocelots.
Bird spotters are perhaps in for the biggest treat at Monteverde, as some of the feathered inhabitants are quite rare. The bare-necked umbrellabird, piratic flycatcher, three-wattled bellbird and resplendent quetzal are among the unusual species you might be lucky enough to see.
Cahuita National Park
This protected area on the Caribbean coast is among the most idyllic places you will ever visit, with a forest running alongside a white sand beach. The woodland provides a home for white-headed capuchins, pacas, mantled howler monkeys, Swainson’s toucans, yellow-crowned night herons and kingfishers, so trekking through it can be quite an experience.
As measures are in place to keep the sea clean, there is also lots to spot on scuba diving and snorkelling trips. The reefs close to shore feature elkhorn, yellow brain, gorgonian and blue staghorn coral, while you are also likely to see lobsters, ghost shrimps and sea cucumbers, together with a selection of the 500 species of fish that live here.
Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Also located on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, this refuge protects some of the most endangered species in the Americas. Staff have either preserved or created a number of rare habitats here, including wetlands, a lowland rainforest and mangrove swamp to give the creatures the best possible chance to survive and breed.
The variety of animals you may see here is huge and includes crocodiles, caimans, lizards, snakes, parakeets, pelicans and keel-billed toucans. Both green and leatherback turtles use the refuge as a nesting ground, while the waters provide a home for dolphins and West Indian manatees.
A privately-owned not-for-profit organisation manages this 852-acre swathe of rainforest in the north of Costa Rica. The immaculately-preserved area is used as a wildlife refuge, for research projects and to educate the local community about the importance of environmental protection.
It is partly funded by ecotourism and there is a network of trails and hanging bridges in the forest to allow visitors to see rare plants and animals. Among the unusual creatures you might spot here are anteaters, ocelots, tolomucos, white bats and motmots.
