A smiling sloth on a branch near Playa Negra

Costa Rica / Puerto Viejo / Wildlife

Caribbean Coast · Limón

Sloths, monkeysand birds.

Where wildlife is easiest to see on the South Caribbean coast, when a guide is worth it, and how to look without disturbing it.

A guideimproves the oddsLook,never touch
The short answer

Common here, never guaranteed

This stretch of coast is good wildlife country, but these are wild animals: patience and a guide improve the odds without ever making them certain.

A sloth with a wide smile in the leaves near Playa Negra
A sloth near Playa Negra
A white-faced capuchin hanging in a tree at Cahuita
White-faced capuchin, Cahuita
A chestnut-mandibled toucan perched among green foliage near Cocles, Costa Rica
Chestnut-mandibled toucan
A great green macaw perched in the forest near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Great green macaw
A white-nosed coati in Cahuita National Park
White-nosed coati, Cahuita
A white egret standing on the sand of a beach in the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge
White egret, Gandoca-Manzanillo
A hermit crab on the sand at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Hermit crab, Puerto Viejo
A trogon perched in a tree near Playa Negra
A trogon near Playa Negra
Easiest on foot. Cahuita National Park’s coastal trail. The tourism board lists sloths, coatis, iguanas and more among its residents.
By water. Kayaking the estuary at Punta Uva, with herons, kingfishers and a chance of monkeys and sloths.
Our take. Two or three short guided outings beat one long one: a morning at Cahuita, a paddle at Punta Uva and, if it fits, a rescue centre for a close look at animals you are unlikely to see so well in the wild. A good guide finds what you would walk past: ask when activity is highest on the day you go.
Where to look

Four places that deliver

Each suits a different kind of day.

  1. Cahuita National ParkOn footA coastal trail through lowland forest beside the sea, where sloths, monkeys and coatis are commonly seen. Guides are trained and accredited. Details in the Cahuita guide.
  2. The Punta Uva estuaryBy waterWhen the water is high, kayak or paddleboard up the Quebrada Ernesto past herons and kingfishers, with a chance of monkeys and sloths in the trees. More in the Punta Uva guide.
  3. Gandoca-ManzanilloRefugeLowland rainforest and coast at the end of the road, with manatees and sea turtles protected in the refuge. Go with a local guide. See the Manzanillo guide.
  4. BirdwatchingBirdsThe tourism board counts about 560 bird species in the area, including manakins, tanagers, toucans and trogons, with birdwatching tours around Manzanillo, Puerto Vargas, Gandoca and the Kekoldi territory (ICT guide).

Prefer to go with a guide?

There is a kayak and wildlife tour at Punta Uva.

Prefer the refuge? See the guided hike →
After dark? Manzanillo refuge night walk →

See the kayak & wildlife tour

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, Dear Costa Rica may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Close encounters

Sloths, and what else we met

A few of the animals along the coast, from Playa Negra to Cahuita. Sightings are never guaranteed.

A sloth looking down from a tree near Playa Negra
A sloth clinging to a branch near Playa Negra
Two sloths together in a leafy tree near Playa Negra
A sloth climbing a slim trunk near Playa Negra
A sloth reaching along a branch near Playa Negra
A sloth on a vine beside a forest track near Playa Negra
A sloth in a flowering tree near Playa Negra
A sloth crossing the cables above a road near Playa Negra
A sloth holding a metal rail near Playa Negra
A sloth crossing a dirt track at Cahuita
A sloth crossing the grass at Playa Chiquita
A road sign warning drivers of turtles crossing near Playa Negra
A red cup fungus on a rotting log in the forest
Rescue centres

A closer look, by design

Two centres near the coast care for injured and orphaned animals. Visits are guided, and there is no touching.

The two rescue centres compared
TopicJaguar Rescue CenterSloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica
What it isA rescue centre for ill, injured and orphaned animals in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.A rescue and rehabilitation centre for sloths, open since 1992 and about 15 minutes from Cahuita.
VisitsGuided tours at 9:30 and 11:30, about 90 minutes, daily except 1 January. Arrive 15–20 minutes early.The one-hour Buttercup Tour and the two-hour Insider’s Tour, Tuesday to Sunday.
ChildrenUnder-10s visit free.Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
RulesNo contact with animals: it is against Costa Rican law.No touching the sloths.

Centre details come from the Jaguar Rescue Center and the Sloth Sanctuary themselves. Tour times and rules change, so check before you go.

Looking well

Keep your distance

A few rules protect the animals, and they make for better sightings too.

  • Never. Touch, feed or hold wild animals, or pose with them. The Jaguar Rescue Center notes that contact with animals is against Costa Rican law.
  • Distance. Keep back, stay on the trail and skip the flash.
  • Guides. Choose accredited local guides; in Cahuita National Park the tourism board says guides are trained and accredited.
  • Operators. Walk away from anyone offering animal handling or photos with wild animals.
  • Expect. Wild animals do not perform. A quiet hour is a good one.
Keep exploring

Where to next?

NearbyThe Cahuita guidePark, reef and village BeachThe Punta Uva guideThe calm cove End of the roadManzanillo and the refugePunta Mona and beyond FamilyPuerto Viejo with kidsCalm beaches, easy days DoThings to doExperiences on the coast

Photographs are credited on Photography credits. Sightings are never guaranteed.