Costa Rican Flora & Fauna

Costa Rican wildlife is rich and abundant. It is one of the primary reason many decide to visit. The country offers up its riches equally to novices and pros alike. You might not know the difference between a robin and a raptor. Or you might be packing your own Zwarovski binoculars and 400mm telephoto lens. Either way you are bound to enjoy Costa Rica’s natural riches.

Costa Rica sits near the center of an isthmus joining North and South America. This narrow land bridge has served for millennium as a natural highway and migration route for thousands of species native to two once-separate continents.

Costa Rica boasts more than 10,000 identified species of plants, 900 species of birds, 9,000 species of butterflies and moths, and 500 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

For a relatively tiny country, Costa Rica is famously rich in biodiversity. Occupying just .03% of the earth’s landmass, Costa Rica is home to around 5% of its biodiversity.

Whether you’re an avid bird watcher or novice naturalist, opportunities abound for you to get up-close-and-personal with a wide range of Costa Rican wildlife.

Costa Rica’s four monkey species—howler, white faced, spider and squirrel—are commonly spotted in a number of popular and easy to reach destinations.

Parrots and macaws and toucans ply the airspace over much of the country, and bottle-nose dolphin frolic in its waves.

Massive American Crocodiles congregate under the Tarcoles river bridge, where passing trucks pose a far greater threat to curious viewers than the fearsome reptiles below.

Over the years, we’ve taken scores and scores of tours with most of the best naturalists guides in Costa Rica. We can hire these for you as private guides, or tell you who to ask for when you’re visiting a specific park or destination.

We also arrange photography tours guided by some of the premier nature photographers working in the country. Why buy a coffee table book, when you can take professional quality shots on your own?

Whether you want to learn a little about tropical biology and ecosytems, while still basking in the luxury of a remote eco-lodge, or feel like roughing it in Corcovado National Park, we can help you find the right guide, tour and locations to suit your Costa Rican Wildlife needs.