Back to Costa Rica

Wildlife
There is nothing like the colorful wildlife of Costa Rica. Whether you are by yourself or with an experienced naturalist guide, the first time you catch a glimpse of a three-toed sloth or a bright red tree frog you will have that moment etched in your memories forever. The land is covered in exotic flowers and plants native only to Costa Rica which gives life to one of the world's largest sanctuaries of butterflies. In the rainforest visitors will often spot beautiful birds and insects; hawks, ducks, toucans, parrots, and macaws sit quietly up in the branches or squawk out a language that only they can understand. Costa Rica is home to 850 bird species and attracts a number of avid bird watchers from around the world.

If you're more interested in mammals you are likely to encounter spider monkeys, coatimudis, armadillos, squirrels and bats in the drier parts of the rainforests and the beaches. Iguanas are found sunning themselves everywhere, especially at the beaches. If you are driving to the beach on the main Inter-American highway you will most likely see people stopped by the side of a large bridge peering down at numerous crocodiles in the swampy waters below. During the turtle nesting season, visitors can watch in awe as the giant creatures (sometimes five feet across) laboriously dig their nests and lay their 100 eggs in the sands of the same beach where they themselves were hatched.