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The Arenal volcano above the rainforest
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Wildlife in Costa Rica: what to see, where, and with which guide

Sloths, monkeys, toucans, frogs, whales and sea turtles, in a country you can cross in a day. Most animals are here all year; what changes by month is where to look. Start with an animal, a region or a route.

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17
animals, odds by month
6
regions, 16 town guides
14
founding guides
SJO and LIR
two international airports
Dec to Apr
dry season

The animals in season in November

Tap a month to see which animals are in season. Seasons, not promises.

A wild cat on a camera trap at nightWild cats: almost never seenEven guides in Corcovado go years between jaguar sightings. Pumas there are a small chance. Camera trap tours show you what walked the trail at night, and some let you set your own.See camera trap tours →

TOURS

Trips and tours in Costa Rica

Multi-day trips first: they cover two or three regions and the best-odds animals. Only have a day? Switch to day tours.

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WHERE TO STAY

Where to stay, by what you want to see

Pick a region, then a town. Each town has its own page with tours, odds and plans. Most trips combine two or three.

Relief map of Costa Rica with the town guidesLiberia · LIRSan José · SJOTortugueroPuerto ViejoLa FortunaSarapiquíMonteverdeSan Gerardo de DotaManuel AntonioJacóUvitaSanta TeresaTamarindoNosaraDrake BayBijaguaTap a town to open its guide

● Town with its own guide✈ Airport

Arenal and the north

Volcanoes, rainforest and rivers. The easiest region for a first trip.

Staying in San José? See day trips from the capital

BEST TIME

When to go, animal by animal

Wildlife is good all year. These are the months that change your odds.

Dry or green season

  1. Jan: Dry season
  2. Feb: Dry season
  3. Mar: Dry season
  4. Apr: Dry season
  5. May: Green season
  6. Jun: Green season
  7. Jul: Green season
  8. Aug: Green season
  9. Sep: Green season
  10. Oct: Green season
  11. Nov: Green season
  12. Dec: Dry season

Sea turtles nesting

  1. Jan: Outside the season
  2. Feb: Outside the season
  3. Mar: Outside the season
  4. Apr: Outside the season
  5. May: Outside the season
  6. Jun: Possible
  7. Jul: Best months
  8. Aug: Best months
  9. Sep: Best months
  10. Oct: Best months
  11. Nov: Best months
  12. Dec: Outside the season

Humpback whales

  1. Jan: Best months
  2. Feb: Best months
  3. Mar: Possible
  4. Apr: Outside the season
  5. May: Outside the season
  6. Jun: Outside the season
  7. Jul: Best months
  8. Aug: Best months
  9. Sep: Best months
  10. Oct: Best months
  11. Nov: Outside the season
  12. Dec: Best months

Quetzals nesting

  1. Jan: Possible
  2. Feb: Best months
  3. Mar: Best months
  4. Apr: Best months
  5. May: Best months
  6. Jun: Possible
  7. Jul: Outside the season
  8. Aug: Outside the season
  9. Sep: Outside the season
  10. Oct: Outside the season
  11. Nov: Outside the season
  12. Dec: Possible

Red-eyed tree frogs

  1. Jan: Possible
  2. Feb: Possible
  3. Mar: Possible
  4. Apr: Possible
  5. May: Best months
  6. Jun: Best months
  7. Jul: Best months
  8. Aug: Best months
  9. Sep: Best months
  10. Oct: Best months
  11. Nov: Best months
  12. Dec: Possible

Sloths, monkeys, macaws

  1. Jan: Best months
  2. Feb: Best months
  3. Mar: Best months
  4. Apr: Best months
  5. May: Best months
  6. Jun: Best months
  7. Jul: Best months
  8. Aug: Best months
  9. Sep: Best months
  10. Oct: Best months
  11. Nov: Best months
  12. Dec: Best months
  • Best months
  • Good
  • Possible
  • Outside the season
  • Dry season
  • Green season

Three sample routes

Starting points, not packages. Each one links to trips that local guides run on the same route.

Guides listed one animal at a time

Every guide earns a badge per animal and per kind of tour. At launch, 14 Founding guides, vetted in person by our team.

  • Night
  • Forest and trail
  • Birding
  • On the water
  • Underwater
  • Hidden watch
How badges are earned →¿Eres guía? Únete como guía fundador →

Before you go

Lior Berman Fernandez, founder of Lyferr

WHO WROTE THIS

Lior, founder of Lyferr

Wildlife photographer and guide who grew up in Guanacaste, and a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards and Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Lior has guided and photographed wildlife across Costa Rica, from Arenal's rainforest to the dry forest at home. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.

  • Sony World Photography Awards finalist
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalist
  • Born in Guanacaste

Fact-checked by founder Lior Berman Fernandez · Data: iNaturalist public records · How listings work →

FAQ

Questions about wildlife in Costa Rica

All year. December to April is dry and easier to travel; May to November is green, with more frogs, nesting turtles and fewer people. Pick the month by the animal: quetzals nest February to May, turtles July to November, and humpbacks visit July to October and December to March.

It depends on the animal. Manuel Antonio for sloths and monkeys on a short visit, Monteverde for cloud-forest birds, Tortuguero for turtles, and the Osa for the longest list. Each animal tile above shows its best place.

Very rarely. Even guides in Corcovado go years between sightings. Pumas there are a small chance; camera trap tours show what passed at night.

Seven days covers two regions well. Ten to fourteen lets you add the cloud forest or the Osa without spending most days on the road.

In Corcovado, yes: entry requires a guide certified by the ICT. Elsewhere it is optional, but a guide's eye and scope find animals most visitors walk past.

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