COSTA RICA
Costa Rica is one of the world’s most celebrated wildlife destinations, renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and commitment to conservation. Despite covering less than 0.03% of the Earth’s land surface, the country is home to nearly 5% of the planet’s known species, making it one of the most biologically rich places on Earth. Its diverse landscapes include tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, wetlands, volcanoes, and pristine coastlines along both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Costa Rica is particularly famous for its birdlife. The Resplendent Quetzal, one of the most sought-after birds in the world, attracts birdwatchers and photographers to the country’s cloud forests. Other iconic species include the Scarlet Macaw, Keel-billed Toucan, Three-wattled Bellbird, and a dazzling variety of hummingbirds.
The country is equally renowned for its mammals. Visitors travel from around the globe to observe Sloths, Spider Monkeys, White-faced Capuchins, Howler Monkeys, Tapirs, and, with luck, the elusive Jaguar. Costa Rica’s protected areas provide some of the best opportunities in the Americas to experience tropical wildlife in accessible and well-preserved habitats.
With over a quarter of its territory protected through national parks and reserves, Costa Rica has become a global model for ecotourism and conservation.
Combining incredible biodiversity, accessible wildlife viewing, spectacular landscapes, and year-round nature experiences, Costa Rica stands among the world’s premier destinations for wildlife travel, birdwatching, and nature photography.
Arenal Volcano National Park
Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica
+131 birds+30 mammals
Where a perfect cone of dark basalt rises 1,633 metres above rainforest canopy, Costa Rica’s most iconic volcano commands a […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBraulio Carrillo National Park
Las Horquetas, Costa Rica
+132 birds+30 mammals
Steep volcanic slopes plunge into misty valleys where primary tropical rainforest cloaks the landscape in unrelenting green. Rising from 2,000 […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChirripó National Park
Rivas, Costa Rica
+132 birds+30 mammals
Where the Central American spine rises above the clouds, granite peaks puncture a realm of perpetual mist and montane forest. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCorcovado National Park
Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
+132 birds+30 mammals
Rain hammers the canopy as moisture-laden clouds collide with the Osa Peninsula’s mountainous spine, birthing one of the planet’s most […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGuanacaste National Park
Santa Elena, Costa Rica
+132 birds+30 mammals
Where Pacific dry forest meets cloud-shrouded volcanic peaks, one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse conservation areas unfolds across northwestern Guanacaste […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKManuel Antonio National Park
Quepos, Costa Rica
+125 birds+30 mammals
White sand beaches curve between steep jungle walls where the Pacific laps against Costa Rica’s most biodiverse coastal sanctuary. Rainforest […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPiedras Blancas National Park
Golfito, Costa Rica
+132 birds+30 mammals
Where misty lowland rainforest plunges toward the Pacific through a labyrinth of river valleys, one of Costa Rica’s most pristine […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSanta Rosa National Park
Santa Elena, Costa Rica
+129 birds+30 mammals
Dawn breaks over a mosaic of dry forest and humid woodland where Costa Rica’s northwestern peninsula juts into the Pacific. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTortuguero National Park
Roxana, Costa Rica
+124 birds+30 mammals
Where emerald waterways thread through impenetrable rainforest and pristine Caribbean beaches merge with lagoons, one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVolcán Poás National Park
Toro Amarillo, Costa Rica
+132 birds+30 mammals
Where volcanic peaks pierce the Costa Rican highlands, a landscape of primordial drama unfolds. The Poás volcano dominates this 6,506-hectare […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community observations in this country yet — visit a hotspot and start an observation list.