Costa Rica is a small paradise for biologists, researchers and just about anyone who loves nature. It’s true wealth lies in its abundance of plant and animal species. Approximately 25% of its total territory is designated as wildlife conservation areas where animal species are preserved in their natural environment. Many of these areas are open to the public and tourists who have a special love for wild animals are more than welcome to visit.
Listed below are 5 of the top spots for animal lovers in Costa Rica:
1. Corcovado National Park
If what you’re looking for is a complete Costa Rican wildlife vacation experience, Corcovado in the Osa Peninsula is the perfect place for you. This conservation area is a wildlife sanctuary and holds 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. If you’re lucky, not only can you spot the elusive tapir, monkeys such as the white-faced capuchin or the spider monkey, but also the bull shark, ocelots, anteaters, and sea turtles when it’s the spawning season. In the rivers, you can see crocodiles, and when the tide is high, some shark species as well. Be careful not to get too close, though. Keep in mind that reservations are required to enter the National Park.
2. Tortuguero
There is a special place on Earth for the turtle lovers. That place is Tortuguero, in Limon, and it is an iconic tourist spot in Costa Rica. In Tortuguero, four different turtle species visit to lay their eggs. It even is considered the most important nesting place for the green turtle in the Western Hemisphere. The best time for a visit is from August to October, when the nesting usually takes place. But Tortuguero is not only a turtle sanctuary, there you can also find other wildlife species like manatees, 442 bird species, and an abundance of mammals and other reptiles like monkeys, caimans, and jaguars. Same as with Corcovado, advance reservations are required to be able to visit.
3. Marino Ballena National Park
This National Park, located in the Puntarenas Province, is the ideal place to visit for sea life enthusiasts. The Marino Ballena National Park is known for its beach with a whale tail, also known as Moses’ Pass, and for being in the top 8 spot worldwide for cetacean sightings, which are mammals completely adapted to life in the oceans such as whales and dolphins. Among the species that can be spotted are the hunchback whale, some types of dolphins, stingrays, and the hammerhead shark. There are also 17 coral species within the park’s area. Tickets for the park can be bought at the entrance but keep in mind that as of this moment (2022) they accept only credit or debit cards.
4. Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio is the perfect place for people who love all sorts of animals. The area hosts approximately 352 registered bird species, 109 mammal species, and lots of aquatic life as well. Monkeys are abundant in the park, the most emblematic being the titi, but you can also find white-faced monkeys and congos. There are also sloths, white-tailed deer, guitarfish, and starfish, among others. If you want to visit Manuel Antonio, the only way to get tickets is through online reservation.
5. Sloth Sanctuary
Unlike the previous entries, this one is not a National Park, but is the place to go to if you don’t want to leave Costa Rica without seeing a sloth. The Sloth Sanctuary, located in Limón is a private rescue center where sloths are rescued and cared for until they are able to go back into the wild. This is the only sloth-exclusive rescue facility in the country and while visitors can’t touch the resident sloths, they can still see and learn about them during the tours the sanctuary offers to the public.
Since Costa Rica is rich in wildlife there are a lot of amazing places where you can get in closer contact with nature and the wild animals that live in the country. If you’re an animal lover, you’re guaranteed to have a great time! Just make sure to have your camera ready. Also, don't know what to pack for a visit in a National Park? Click here to ready our latest article.
At Out of Office Villa, you can observe variety of wildlife while swimming in the pool. Howler monkeys, iguanas, black hawks, parrots, and more – all stop by in the tropical garden to show off to our guests. Book our villa for your upcoming vacation to Costa Rica.
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