Costa Rica has two big iguanas: the green iguana, high in the trees along rivers and canals, and the black spiny-tailed iguana, on the rocks, walls and beaches of Guanacaste. Both run on sunshine. Here's where to look, what time of day they're out, and the local guides who know them.
By Lior, wildlife photographer and guide from Guanacaste
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How it worksSighting odds
Iguanas are easy to see in the lowlands on sunny days. Here's the honest picture for one guided tour.
| Spot | Chance | Who you’ll likely see |
|---|---|---|
| TortugueroNorth CaribbeanGreen iguanas in the canal trees | Very likely | Green iguanas in the canal trees |
| Tárcoles RiverCentral PacificGreen iguanas, Spiny-tailed iguanas | Very likely | Green iguanas, Spiny-tailed iguanas |
| CahuitaSouth CaribbeanGreen iguanas in the beach trees | Very likely | Green iguanas in the beach trees |
| Manuel AntonioCentral PacificBoth species | Likely | Both species |
| Palo VerdeGuanacasteSpiny-tails in the dry forest | Likely | Spiny-tails in the dry forest |
| Caño NegroNorthern plainsGreen iguanas on the river | Good chance | Green iguanas on the river |
| SarapiquíNorthern lowlandsIn riverside trees | Good chance | In riverside trees |
| MonteverdeCloud forestToo cool, rarely seen | Small chance | Too cool, rarely seen |
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 iguana toursTown by town
Rarely. It's too cool up in the cloud forest. Iguanas live lower down, below about 1,000 m.
Yes, in the trees along the rivers, and on boat trips to Caño Negro, about 1.5 hours north.
Yes. Look up in the beach almond trees and along the Cahuita coastal trail.
Yes, often. Green iguanas bask high in the trees along the canals. A morning canal tour is the best way.
Yes, in the riverside trees. River boat trips pass plenty of basking iguanas.
Not really in the city. The Tárcoles river is about 1.5 hours away.
Yes, both species, in the park and around the beaches. Spiny-tails sun on the rocks.
Yes, in the trees along the rivers and at the edges of Marino Ballena.
Yes. At the Tárcoles bridge, 20 minutes north, iguanas sun in the trees and on the riverbank below the crocodiles.
Yes. Spiny-tailed iguanas sun on the rocks, walls and roofs all over town.
Yes. Spiny-tailed iguanas are everywhere, on walls, rocks and the beach edge. Green iguanas live in the mangroves.
Yes. Both species, around Playa Guiones and along the Nosara river.
Species expert program
Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. An Iguana Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing iguanas, 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 Iguana Expert guidesDay tours from local guides
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When to go
All year, on sunny days. Iguanas bask in the morning, feed in the afternoon and hide when it's cold or raining. In the dry season, December to April, males turn orange and Guanacaste's spiny-tails are everywhere. Around March and April, look for females digging nests in sandy riverbanks.
Why a guide matters
Iguanas are easy to miss when they hold still in the leaves. A good guide finds them 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, when iguanas bask in the treetops. Shoot from the boat with a long lens.
Ethical wildlife watching
No. Iguanas run or drop into the water when you get close. Grabbed or cornered, a big male can whip its tail, scratch and bite hard.
Give them a few metres, never pick one up, and watch your head under riverside trees: iguanas sometimes drop from the branches.
No. Feeding wildlife is illegal in Costa Rica. Fed iguanas lose their fear, crowd hotel gardens and bite fingers along with the food.
Never pay to hold or feed an iguana. Real rescue centres don't offer it.
Book an iguana tour with a local guide
Find a no-touch guideMyths and edge cases
Green iguanas have a pale scale on top of the head, the parietal eye. It senses light and shadow, and helps them notice a hawk overhead.
Startle one on a branch over a river and it drops straight into the water and swims away. A male bobs his head to tell other iguanas the spot is his.
Iguanas are almost silent. Listen for the splash.
See boat toursNot booking yet?
One printable page: the best places and times, how to tell a green iguana from a spiny-tail, 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 iguanas, from the Tortuguero canals to the dry forest of Guanacaste, always without food and at a respectful distance. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.
FAQ
Tortuguero's canals, the Tárcoles river and Cahuita for green iguanas, and almost anywhere in Guanacaste for black spiny-tailed iguanas. Both live in the warm lowlands, below about 1,000 m.
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. Iguanas run or drop into the water when you get close. Grabbed or cornered, a big male can bite and whip its tail, so watch, don't touch.
Yes, often. Green iguanas rest in the trees and spiny-tailed iguanas sun on the rocks near the beaches.
By day. They bask in the morning sun, hide from the midday heat, feed in the afternoon and sleep on branches at night.
Canal and river boat tours where you'll see iguanas cost about $45 to $85 per person, plus park entry where it applies.
The Costa Rican name for the black spiny-tailed iguana, Ctenosaura similis. It lives on the dry Pacific side, on rocks, walls and beaches, and is one of the fastest lizards on land.
A big male green iguana can reach about 2 m from nose to tail tip, and most of that is tail. Spiny-tailed iguanas are smaller, up to about 1.3 m.
No. Feeding wildlife is illegal in Costa Rica. Fed iguanas lose their fear, crowd hotel gardens and bite.
Iguana, or iguana verde for the green iguana. The black spiny-tailed iguana is the garrobo.
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