About 140 snake species live here, and around 20 are venomous. Most visitors never see one on their own. Here's where they live, how to stay safe, and the local guides who find them on night walks, compared and ranked.
By Lior, wildlife photographer and guide from Guanacaste
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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
Snakes hide well, so a guide makes the difference. Here's the honest picture for one night walk with a local guide.
| Spot | Chance | Who you’ll likely see |
|---|---|---|
| La FortunaNorthern plainsEyelash viper, Fer-de-lance | Very likely | Eyelash viper, Fer-de-lance |
| SarapiquíCaribbean lowlandsBoa, Eyelash viper | Very likely | Boa, Eyelash viper |
| Puerto ViejoSouth CaribbeanBoa, Coral snake | Very likely | Boa, Coral snake |
| TortugueroNorth CaribbeanEyelash viper, Vine snakes | Likely | Eyelash viper, Vine snakes |
| MonteverdeCloud forestFer-de-lance, Palm-pitvipers | Likely | Fer-de-lance, Palm-pitvipers |
| Osa PeninsulaSouth PacificFer-de-lance, Eyelash viper | Likely | Fer-de-lance, Eyelash viper |
| Manuel AntonioCentral PacificBoas, Fer-de-lance | Likely | Boas, Fer-de-lance |
| UvitaSouth PacificEyelash viper, Fer-de-lance | Good chance | Eyelash viper, Fer-de-lance |
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 night walksTown by town
Few, and mostly small. Night walks sometimes find a side-striped palm-pitviper.
Yes. Night walks around Arenal often find eyelash vipers at eye level.
Yes, in the forest: eyelash vipers and coral snakes. Use a torch on paths at night.
Yes. Fer-de-lance and vine snakes near the canals. Guides keep you on the paths.
Yes. One of the best places to see an eyelash viper on a night walk.
Rarely in the city. Sarapiquí night walks are about 1.5 hours away.
Boas and vine snakes in the park, rarely on the beach.
Yes, in the forest. Night tours find eyelash vipers and boas.
Some in the hills. Night tours near Carara find vipers and boas.
Boas and the odd coral snake. Rarely a problem in town.
Boas and the occasional rattlesnake in the dry forest. Rare in town.
Boas and coral snakes in the forest around town. Bites are very rare.
Species expert program
Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. A Snake Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing snakes safely, 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 Snake 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
Snakes 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.
Which snake is that?
The snakes people ask about most, sorted by what you noticed first. Each tag says if it's venomous.
Caribbean lowlands, Arenal
Caribbean and south Pacific
Lowlands on both coasts
Most of the country
Lowlands on both coasts
Dry forest and lowlands
Forest edges and gardens
Lowlands, in shrubs
Guanacaste dry forest
Pacific Ocean
Cloud forest, Monteverde
Lowlands
Not in Costa Rica: anacondas. The big snake here is the boa.
Want a name for the snake you saw? Book a night walk with a guide.
Compare night walksWhen to go
Any month, mostly at night, and best in the rainy season from May to November, when the forest is wet and snakes hunt frogs. Some, like boas and coral snakes, also move by day.
Why a guide matters
You're unlikely to spot a resting viper on your own. 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 time is the first hours after dark, when vipers sit still on their perch.
Ethical wildlife watching
Rare for visitors. Costa Rica records around 500 to 600 bites a year, almost all farm workers in the fields. Deaths are rare: hospitals carry antivenom made here, at the Clodomiro Picado Institute.
If you're bitten: stay calm, keep still and get to the nearest clinic. No tourniquets, no cutting.
No. Snakes avoid people and bite in defence. Most bites happen when someone steps on or grabs one without seeing it.
Never pay to hold or pose with a snake. Real rescue centres don't offer it.
Book a night walk with a local guide
Find a no-touch guideMyths and edge cases
There are no anacondas in Costa Rica. The big snake here is the boa, up to about 3 m. There is one rattlesnake, the cascabel, and it lives in the dry northwest.
Snakes in hotels and resorts are rare. Staff call a local rescue team, and the snake goes back to the forest.
The only snake here you'll ever hear.
See night walksNot booking yet?
One printable page: the 20 snakes you're most likely to see, which ones are venomous, and what to do if you're bitten. 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 snakes on night walks, from eyelash vipers in Arenal to boas in the Guanacaste dry forest, always from a safe distance. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.
FAQ
About 140, and around 20 of them are venomous, including the eyelash viper, the fer-de-lance and the coral snakes.
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.
Probably not on your own. Snakes hide well and avoid people. On a guided night walk in La Fortuna, Sarapiquí or Osa, your odds are good.
Very rare. Most bites happen to farm workers. Stay on trails, use a torch at night and don't put your hands where you can't see.
Most vipers hunt at night and rest by day. Boas and coral snakes can move by day too.
Group night walks cost about $30 to $60 per person and last about two hours. Every tour on Lyferr shows its price before you book.
No anacondas: the big snake here is the boa. There is one rattlesnake, the Central American rattlesnake, in the dry northwest.
Stay calm, keep the limb still and get to the nearest clinic or hospital. Costa Rica makes its own antivenom. Don't use a tourniquet, cut the bite or try to catch the snake.
It's venomous, but small, and bites are rare. Most happen when someone grabs a branch without looking. Watch it from a metre or two away.
Serpiente or culebra. The fer-de-lance is the terciopelo, and the eyelash viper is the bocaracá.
Keep exploring
Most trips combine two or three of these. Each guide covers where, when and the local guides who know them.
BirdsOver 900 species, 10 hotspotsWhere to see them 
Hummingbirds50+ species and how to shoot themWhere to see them 
FrogsNight walks and poison frogsWhere to see them