Four species, and you'll usually hear them before you see them. Here's where to find each one, town by town, and the local guides and operators who know their troops, compared and ranked.
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
Some places give you very good odds of monkeys. Others take luck. Here's the honest picture for every spot on the map.
| Spot | Chance | Who you’ll likely see |
|---|---|---|
| Manuel AntonioCentral PacificWhite-faced capuchin, Mantled howler, Squirrel monkey | Almost certain | White-faced capuchin, Mantled howler, Squirrel monkey |
| CorcovadoOsa PeninsulaAll four species | Almost certain | All four species |
| CahuitaSouth CaribbeanMantled howler, White-faced capuchin | Almost certain | Mantled howler, White-faced capuchin |
| TortugueroNorth CaribbeanMantled howler, Spider monkey, White-faced capuchin | Likely | Mantled howler, Spider monkey, White-faced capuchin |
| Santa RosaGuanacasteMantled howler, White-faced capuchin, Spider monkey | Likely | Mantled howler, White-faced capuchin, Spider monkey |
| NosaraNicoya PeninsulaMantled howler, White-faced capuchin | Likely | Mantled howler, White-faced capuchin |
| CurúNicoya PeninsulaMantled howler, White-faced capuchin | Likely | Mantled howler, White-faced capuchin |
| MonteverdeCloud forestMantled howler, White-faced capuchin | Good chance | Mantled howler, White-faced capuchin |
Our local guides' estimate for a half-day guided walk. 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 monkey toursTown by town
Three species, including squirrel monkeys. Capuchins are bold here: keep food packed.
Howlers and capuchins, with spider monkeys in the bigger forest patches.
Howlers and capuchins, often right behind the beach.
Howlers on the beach trail, plus capuchins. One of the easiest spots in the country.
Howlers and capuchins, with spider monkeys in the larger reserves.
Few in the city. Day trip to Carara or Manuel Antonio.
Howlers and capuchins in the cloud forest.
All four species nearby, including squirrel monkeys.
Howlers, capuchins and spider monkeys in Carara.
Howlers and capuchins in the forest above the beaches.
Yes: howlers and capuchins in the dry forest, even near the beach.
Yes: howlers live in town and in the Ostional forest.
Species expert program
Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. A Monkey Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing monkeys, 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 Monkey 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
Monkeys 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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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
Any month, early in the day. Monkeys are most active from sunrise to mid-morning and again in the late afternoon. Howlers often start calling before dawn, which makes them easy to find. In the dry season (December to April) the Guanacaste forest loses its leaves and monkeys are easier to see.
Why a guide matters
You'll hear howlers on your own. Guides help you see all four species, closer and safer, 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 5:30 to 8:30 am, which is also when monkeys are most active.
Ethical wildlife watching
Rarely. Monkeys avoid people unless they've learned to expect food. Capuchins in busy parks like Manuel Antonio may grab bags or snacks, so keep food sealed and out of sight. Bites are rare, but any bite or scratch needs a doctor the same day.
Howlers are harmless, but they do drop things from the trees, urine included. Don’t stand right underneath a troop.
No. Feeding wild animals is banned in Costa Rica's national parks and can bring a fine. Fed monkeys lose their fear of people, get aggressive, and get sick from human food.
The same goes for holding or posing with monkeys. Costa Rica's Stop Animal Selfies campaign asks visitors not to touch, hold or pose with wild animals. If anyone offers you a photo with a monkey, it's not a wild animal living a normal life. Say no and report it.
See monkeys in the wild, with a guide who keeps the distance
Find a no-touch guideThe sound of the forest
That's a male howler monkey. Howlers call at dawn, at dusk and before rain to tell neighbouring troops where they are. The roar carries a long way through the forest, which is why it's often the first wildlife you notice in Costa Rica.
Capuchins chatter and give sharp alarm calls, spider monkeys whinny like small horses, and squirrel monkeys chirp constantly as the troop moves.
Mornings are when monkeys are loudest and most active.
See morning walksNot booking yet?
One printable page: how to tell the four species apart, the 10 spots, the best time of day and the rules for keeping your distance. 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 photographing Costa Rica's monkeys, from howlers in the Guanacaste dry forest to squirrel monkeys on the south Pacific. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.
FAQ
Yes, four species: the mantled howler, the white-faced capuchin, the Central American spider monkey and the Central American squirrel monkey.
In the south Pacific: Corcovado and the Osa Peninsula have all four, and a trip that combines Manuel Antonio with Osa gives you the best chance.
Corcovado and Osa for all four species, Manuel Antonio for the easiest sightings, and Cahuita or Tortuguero on the Caribbean side.
Early morning, from sunrise to about 10 am, and again in the late afternoon.
Rarely. Keep food sealed, keep your distance, and see a doctor the same day after any bite or scratch.
No. Feeding wild animals is banned in national parks and can bring a fine, and it makes monkeys aggressive.
Only on the south Pacific coast: Manuel Antonio, Uvita, Dominical and the Osa Peninsula.
To tell neighbouring troops where they are, mostly at dawn, at dusk and before rain.
Mono. The howler is the mono congo, the capuchin the mono cara blanca, the spider monkey the mono araña and the squirrel monkey the mono tití.
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.
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