The white-nosed coati, or pizote, is one of the easiest mammals to see in Costa Rica, by day, from the beach to the cloud forest. Here's where bands forage, how to watch them without turning them into beggars, and the local guides who know them.
By Lior, wildlife photographer and guide from Guanacaste
Reserve with a 25% deposit on secure WeTravel checkout · Refundable up to 60 days before trips, 48 h before day tours
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We don’t run tours. Licensed local guides and operators list them, we rank them openly, and you reserve through Lyferr’s secure checkout on WeTravel.
How it worksSighting odds
Coatis are easy to see in many parks. Here's the honest picture for one guided walk.
| Spot | Chance | Who you’ll likely see |
|---|---|---|
| Manuel AntonioCentral PacificBands of females and young | Very likely | Bands of females and young |
| Corcovado (Sirena)South PacificBig bands, Solitary males | Very likely | Big bands, Solitary males |
| MonteverdeCloud forestBands on the trails | Likely | Bands on the trails |
| ArenalNorthern lowlandsBands near the roads | Likely | Bands near the roads |
| Rincón de la ViejaGuanacasteDry season bands | Good chance | Dry season bands |
| Drake BayOsaBands in the forest | Good chance | Bands in the forest |
| TortugueroNorth CaribbeanNear the village | Small chance | Near the village |
| CahuitaSouth CaribbeanOn the coastal trail | Small chance | On the coastal trail |
Our local guides' estimate. As guests report what they saw on Lyferr tours, these become measured rates.
Each tour page shows what guests actually saw, once reports come in.
Compare coati toursTown by town
Yes. Bands forage on reserve trails and at the forest edge, mostly in the morning.
Yes, on the trails around Arenal. Some beg by the road, so please don't feed them.
Sometimes, on the Cahuita coastal trail and in the forest around town.
Sometimes, on the trails near the village. Canal tours are better for other wildlife.
Yes, in the forest reserves and lodge grounds around town.
Not in the city. Carara is about 1.5 hours away, Monteverde about 3.
Yes, often on the park trails and near the beaches. Keep your bag closed.
Yes, in the forest around town and at the edges of Marino Ballena.
Sometimes. Carara, 20 minutes north, is a better bet.
Sometimes, in the Cabo Blanco reserve and the forest behind the beach.
Rarely in town. Rincón de la Vieja is about 2 hours away.
Sometimes, in the forest around Playa Guiones and the Nosara reserve.
Species expert program
Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. A Coati Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing coatis, which makes them your best odds for a good sighting and a good shot.
At launch, we award Founding Expert badges to guides with several years of premium tours focused on this species. Each one is confirmed or removed once the guide has logged 20 trips on Lyferr. After that, the badge is earned with logged trips and score.
No guide can promise a sighting. The badge shows the strongest track record for this species, not a guarantee.
See Coati Expert guidesDay tours from local guides
Day tours run by independent local guides, all held to the no-touch, no-feeding standard.
Ranked by sighting success, verified reviews and licence
Coatis tours from local guides are being added. Tell us your dates and where you’re staying, and we’ll match you with a guide.
Ask Lyferrup to 60 days before trips, 48 h before day tours, on every booking made through Lyferr. Booking fee (11% of the price) excluded.
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only travellers who booked can review
Prices are set by each guide. The 25% deposit includes Lyferr’s booking fee (11% of the price), shown before you pay. Each card opens the tour’s booking page on WeTravel.
When to go
All year. Coatis are active by day, most of all in the morning and late afternoon. In the dry season Guanacaste's forests open up and bands are easier to spot; in the wet season, try lowland and cloud forest trails.
Why a guide matters
You'll often stumble on a band, but a good guide finds them more often by:
Not sure where to go? Send us your dates and where you're staying, and we'll suggest the right guide.
Ask Lyferr a questionBest light is early morning in the shade. Use a fast shutter: coatis rarely stand still.
Ethical wildlife watching
Not when they're wild. Coatis that have been fed lose their fear, then bite, scratch and grab bags and food, and young ones learn to beg instead of forage.
If a band comes close, stand up, keep your food sealed and walk away slowly.
No. Feeding wildlife is illegal in Costa Rica. Human food makes coatis sick, and fed bands end up on roads, where many are hit by cars.
Never pay to touch or feed a coati. Real rescue centres don't offer it.
Book a coati walk with a local guide
Find a no-touch guideMyths and edge cases
A coati isn't a monkey or an anteater. It's a raccoon relative, and the long snout is for sniffing out insects and lizards in the leaf litter.
In Costa Rica a lone adult male is called a pizote solo. Females and young travel together in bands of up to 20 or more.
Bands keep in touch with chirps and grunts as they forage.
See morning walksNot booking yet?
One printable page: the best places and times, how to tell a band from a lone male, and how to watch without feeding. Sent to your inbox.
Who wrote this
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 spent years watching and photographing Costa Rica's coatis, from the beaches of Manuel Antonio to the cloud forest, always without food and at a respectful distance. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.
FAQ
Manuel Antonio and Corcovado for easy sightings, and Monteverde and Arenal on morning walks. Coatis live in most forests, from the beach to the cloud forest.
No. Lyferr is a marketplace. Licensed local guides and tour operators list their tours here, and we rank them by sighting success, reviews and client experience (and photography expertise for photo tours). You book and pay the deposit through Lyferr, and the operator you choose runs the tour.
No, when they're wild. Coatis that people feed can bite and scratch, so keep your distance and your food sealed.
Yes, often. Bands cross the park trails and visit the beaches. Keep bags closed: fed coatis steal food.
By day, most of all in the morning and late afternoon. At night they sleep in the trees.
Guided walks where you'll see coatis cost about $40 to $60 per person, plus park entry where it applies.
An adult male coati that lives alone. Females and young travel in bands, and males join them mainly to mate.
About 4 to 6 kg, with a body around half a metre long and a tail just as long, often held straight up.
No. Feeding wildlife is illegal in Costa Rica. Fed coatis bite, get sick from human food and end up on roads.
Pizote in Costa Rica, and coatí in most other Spanish-speaking countries.
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