Wildlife in Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio fits rainforest, beaches, mangroves and open sea into a very small area, and SINAC records about 109 mammal species and 352 bird species in the national park alone. Sloths, three kinds of monkeys, coatis, raccoons, iguanas and toucans are the animals most people hope to see. None of them keeps a schedule: what you find depends on the hour, the weather, the season and some luck.
This guide explains where each group lives, how to look for them and how to watch without doing harm.
Manuel Antonio wildlife in brief
| In short | |
|---|---|
| Best hours | From first light to mid-morning, and again in the last hour before dusk. Nights belong to frogs, kinkajous and insects. |
| Driest months | December to March on the Pacific slope (IMN): open views into the canopy and the scarlet macaw breeding season. |
| Greenest months | May to November: lush forest, active frogs, and humpback whales from the southern hemisphere offshore from about July to November (SINAC). |
| The big names | Two sloths, three monkeys, coatis, raccoons, agoutis, iguanas, toucans, scarlet macaws and some 350 bird species (SINAC). |
| Best tool | A naturalist guide with a spotting scope. Book one through our concierge. |
| Golden rule | Admire from a respectful distance, keep food to yourself and let wild animals stay wild. |
| Right at ECOTICA | All three monkeys, both sloths, toucans, scarlet macaws, coatis, agoutis, deer and butterflies visit our 10-acre private rainforest reserve. Never on schedule, often right by your porch. |
How much lives here
Travel Guide › Wildlife
Manuel Antonio National Park is small, but it is crowded with life. SINAC, the agency that manages Costa Rica’s protected areas, counts roughly 352 bird species, 109 mammal species, 346 plant species and “varied marine fauna” in the park. The park’s management plan adds 93 reptile species and 56 amphibians, and notes that bats are one of the richest groups, with around 57 species.
SINAC names the animals visitors ask about most: the titi or squirrel monkey (the park’s emblem species), the white-faced capuchin, the howler monkey, two- and three-fingered sloths, raccoons, coatis and birds such as toucans. Those are the animals our species guides below cover in detail.
The same management plan describes the park as a biological “island” surrounded by a landscape dominated by plantations. That matters for wildlife watching, and it is why the forest patches, rope bridges and river corridors around Quepos and Manuel Antonio count as much as the park itself. Local groups such as the Titi Conservation Alliance and Kids Saving the Rainforest work on exactly that: replanting forest corridors and hanging rope crossings over roads so monkeys and sloths don’t have to use power lines.
If you are planning your park day, read our Manuel Antonio National Park guide for tickets, opening days and rules, and our plants and rainforest guide to understand the forest the animals depend on.
Corridors, rope bridges and the future of Manuel Antonio's wildlife
The management plan calls the park a biological “island”, and the cure for an island is a bridge. Since the early 2000s, people around Quepos and Manuel Antonio have been building those bridges, some of them literally made of rope.
The Naranjo River Biological Corridor
In 2001 a group of local tourism businesses, environmentalists and volunteers founded the Titi Conservation Alliance to protect the mono tití, the Central American squirrel monkey, whose local subspecies lives only along this stretch of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Its flagship project is the Naranjo River Biological Corridor, a belt of replanted forest that links Manuel Antonio National Park with the forests of the Naranjo River basin and the hills inland (Titi Conservation Alliance). Native trees planted along rivers and between forest patches give monkeys, sloths and birds a green path where there used to be pasture and plantation. The tití is still listed as Endangered (IUCN, assessed 2021), and its story is told in full in our monkeys guide.
Bigger links: Paso de la Danta and the Savegre
South of Quepos, the Paso de la Danta Biological Corridor, established in 2000 by the local association ASANA, stretches between the Savegre and Térraba rivers to reconnect lowland forest, mangroves and the mountains (ASANA). Further up the Savegre valley, forest climbs almost unbroken to the high Talamanca peaks. Seen from the air, Manuel Antonio is the small coastal end of a much larger web of protected and recovering forest, and every patch of trees in between counts, including private reserves.
Bridges over the road
Monkeys and sloths that have to cross a road often use power lines, with sad results. Kids Saving the Rainforest has worked with the local electricity provider for years to hang rope wildlife bridges over the most dangerous stretches of road in Manuel Antonio. Look up as you drive between Quepos and the park and you will spot them: thin ropes slung between trees, sometimes with a troop of squirrel monkeys trotting across in single file.
Park managers agree on the approach. SINAC’s plan for Manuel Antonio sets out the goal of strengthening biological connections between the park and the rest of the canton, because a park this small can only stay rich in wildlife if animals can come and go.
Why sightings vary
People sometimes see a sloth, a troop of monkeys and a toucan in a single morning. Others walk the same trail an hour later and see little. A few things explain most of the difference.
Time of day
Early morning is the liveliest time for many animals. Central American squirrel monkeys start foraging shortly before sunrise and keep going until after dusk, stopping for rests and rainstorms (Animal Diversity Web). White-nosed coatis forage on the ground by day and sleep in the trees at night. Raccoons are mostly nocturnal. Hoffmann’s two-fingered sloths were long described as night animals, though The Sloth Conservation Foundation notes recent evidence that their activity spreads across the whole 24 hours.
Weather
On Costa Rica’s Pacific side, rain tends to fall in the afternoon and early evening, according to the national weather service (IMN). Squirrel monkeys huddle together to wait out heavy showers, and many animals go quiet during a downpour. Plan the forest part of your day for the morning if you can.
Season
IMN describes a dry season on the Pacific slope from December to March, with April as a transition, and a rainy season from May to October, with November as a transition. September and October are the wettest months. SINAC notes the park gets fewer visitors in September and October and recommends going early and dressing for rain. Several forest trees drop their leaves in the dry season, which can open up views into the canopy.
Camouflage, crowds and luck
Sloths carry algae in their fur that gives them a greenish tint, and they can sit still for hours. Many lizards and frogs match the leaves they sit on. SINAC asks visitors to keep noise down on forest trails. A quiet group that stops often tends to notice far more than a loud one on the move.
A wildlife calendar for Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio has wildlife in every month. What changes through the year is which animals are busiest and which corners of the forest are easiest to see into. Use this as a rough guide, not a timetable.
| Months | What is happening | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| December – March dry season (IMN) | Scarlet macaws breed: in the Central Pacific they lay eggs in tree cavities between about December and February (Vaughan et al., Revista de Biología Tropical). Ceiba trees flower in January and attract bats at dusk (crtrees.org). Northern-hemisphere humpback whales visit the southern Pacific coast from about December to April (SINAC, Marino Ballena National Park). | Leafless trees open views into the canopy. Busiest visitor months, so plan the park for early morning. |
| April – May transition | Young macaws leave their nests from about mid-April to late May (Vaughan et al.). Beach almond fruit peaks around March and April, and macaws feed noisily along the beaches (crtrees.org). The first rains wake up the frogs. | Hot and bright, with afternoon clouds building toward May. |
| June – August green season | Forest at its lushest, frogs and insects everywhere at night. Southern-hemisphere humpbacks arrive off the Pacific coast from about July (SINAC). Olive ridley turtles begin their Pacific nesting season, which runs roughly July to December. | Mornings are often clear; showers tend to come in the afternoon (IMN). |
| September – October wettest months | Southern-hemisphere humpbacks are still offshore. Fewer visitors in the park (SINAC). | Go early, carry a light rain jacket and enjoy a quieter forest. |
| November transition | Rain eases, the forest is deep green, the last southern humpbacks are offshore (SINAC) and the first dry-season visitors arrive. | A lovely, calm month for walking. |
For a month-by-month view of weather, crowds and events, read our seasonal guide to the best time to visit. Whales and turtles have their own page: ocean and marine life in Manuel Antonio.
Wildlife by habitat
A useful way to look for animals is to think about the layer of the forest, or the part of the coast, where each one spends its time.
The canopy
Most of the famous animals live up high. Sloths hang from branches and feed on leaves, especially the guarumo (Cecropia) tree. All three monkey species travel through the treetops: squirrel monkeys in fast-moving troops, capuchins in noisy family groups and howlers slowly, with long rests. Toucans, aracaris and scarlet macaws feed on fruit in the crowns and are often heard before they are seen. Look up, then look again: a dark lump in a tree fork may be a sloth.
The forest floor
White-nosed coatis work through the leaf litter with their long snouts, looking for insects, spiders and even land crabs. The park’s management plan lists the agouti (guatusa) among the more common mammals. Lizards scurry across sunny patches and snakes are present, though rarely seen. Watch where you step and where you put your hands.
Beaches, mangroves and wetlands
SINAC describes a mangrove of about 18 hectares, with fresh and salt water, that you can see from the trails running behind Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur. The park’s management plan lists black spiny-tailed iguanas (garrobos), green iguanas, raccoons, capuchins, herons, kingfishers and crabs around its mangroves and estuaries. Crab-eating raccoons favor places near water, including beaches. On the sand, garrobos bask near the beach trees. Our reptiles and iguanas guide explains how to tell them apart.
The sea and the islands
The park includes twelve small islands. Its management plan records brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, brown boobies, bridled terns and white ibises using them, with Olocuita and Toro Amarillo islands the most used for nesting. Humpback whales, Bryde’s whales, bottlenose dolphins and pantropical spotted dolphins have been reported offshore, and olive ridley sea turtles nest mainly on Playa Savegre, in the park’s southern sector. For time on the water, see our snorkeling guide and the ocean and boat tours our concierge can book.
The best times of day to see wildlife
Knowing which part of the forest to watch is half the secret. The other half is knowing when. Here is how a typical day unfolds in Manuel Antonio, in the national park and just as much in the gardens and forest around ECOTICA.
| Time | Who is out | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 – 8 am | Howler monkeys call at first light, toucans and parrots fly between fruiting trees, squirrel monkey troops start foraging, macaws pass overhead in pairs. | Treetops at the forest edge, fruiting trees, open sky above the canopy. Ideal for a quiet coffee on your porch. |
| 8 – 11 am | Capuchins and coatis forage, sloths shift to sunny branches to warm up, lizards come out to bask. | Trails, sunny clearings, guarumo trees. The park opens at 7 am on its open days (SINAC): be at the gate early. |
| 11 am – 3 pm | Midday heat: many mammals rest. Iguanas, garrobos and butterflies are at their best. Frigatebirds and pelicans ride the sea breeze. | Beaches, rocks and flowering gardens. A good moment for the pool, lunch or the Jungle Spa. |
| 3 – 6 pm | A second wave of activity: monkeys feed again, toucans call from tall trees, macaws head to their roosts. | Forest edges and lookouts with a view of the sky. Happy hour at La POZA, binoculars on the table. |
| After dark | Frogs, kinkajous, owls, bats, tarantulas, sleeping birds and lizards, and, on luckier nights, a two-fingered sloth on the move. | Only on a guided night walk, with a red or dimmed light. |
Our team keeps a longer, more personal version of this in Manuel Antonio wildlife hour by hour, including the spots on the hotel grounds where each animal tends to appear.
Animal by animal
Sloths
Brown-throated three-fingered and Hoffmann's two-fingered sloths: how to tell them apart, what they eat and why they climb down once a week.
Monkeys
The titi (Central American squirrel monkey), the white-faced capuchin and the mantled howler, and why feeding any of them does harm.
Birds
Yellow-throated toucans, fiery-billed aracaris, scarlet macaws, seabirds and mangrove birds, with tips for watching them well.
Coatis and raccoons
White-nosed coatis by day, northern and crab-eating raccoons by night: two smart foragers and how to keep your bag closed.
Reptiles and iguanas
Green iguanas, garrobos, basilisks that run on water, and simple, sensible advice about snakes.
Plants and rainforest
The trees that feed the animals, the mangroves, and the manzanillo tree on the beach that you should never touch.
The animals of Manuel Antonio at a glance
A quick field guide to the animals people ask us about most, with where and when to look, and the page where each one gets its full story.
| Animal | Where and when | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| Brown-throated three-fingered sloth and Hoffmann’s two-fingered sloth | High in the canopy, often in guarumo (Cecropia) trees. Three-fingered sloths are easier to find by day. Regular visitors to the trees around ECOTICA. | Sloths |
| Mantled howler monkey | Treetops; loudest at dawn and before rain. Moves slowly with long rests. | Monkeys |
| White-faced capuchin | Mid to upper forest, beaches and forest edges; curious and quick. | Monkeys |
| Central American squirrel monkey (mono tití) | Fast-moving troops along forest edges and corridors, often early and late in the day. The species lives only on the Pacific side of southern Costa Rica and western Panama. | Monkeys |
| White-nosed coati and crab-eating and northern raccoons | Coatis on the forest floor by day; raccoons near water and mostly at night. | Coatis and raccoons |
| Central American agouti and white-tailed deer | Quiet forest floor and trail edges, morning and late afternoon. Both wander through the ECOTICA reserve. | National park guide |
| Green iguana, black spiny-tailed iguana (garrobo), basilisk, snakes | Sunny branches, beach trees, rocks and streams in the warm middle of the day. | Reptiles and iguanas |
| Toucans, aracaris, scarlet macaws, parrots, trogons, herons, frigatebirds | Fruiting trees, mangroves, sea cliffs and islands. A pair of scarlet macaws nests in the royal palms at ECOTICA. | Birds |
| Whales, dolphins, sea turtles, reef fish | Offshore and around the park’s islands; whales in season. | Ocean and marine life |
| Frogs, butterflies and night animals | Butterflies in sunny gardens by day; frogs, kinkajous and insects after dark. | Frogs, butterflies and night |
To understand why each animal lives where it does, pair this table with our plants and rainforest guide.
How to watch wildlife without harming it
These are the habits that protect the animals, and they also make for better sightings. Most of them come straight from SINAC’s rules and recommendations for the park.
- Keep your distance. SINAC asks visitors not to interact with animals and to keep an appropriate distance. If an animal changes what it is doing because of you, you are too close. Use binoculars or a zoom lens instead of stepping in.
- Never feed wildlife. Feeding wild animals is prohibited in the park. See why below.
- Don’t touch or hold animals, and skip the animal selfie. SINAC asks visitors not to touch plants or wild animals. In 2019 Costa Rica’s government launched the #StopAnimalSelfies campaign, and World Animal Protection notes that Costa Rican regulations prohibit direct contact with wild animals.
- Turn off the flash. Natural light photos look better anyway, and a flash startles animals, especially at night.
- Stay on the trail. SINAC asks visitors not to leave permitted areas or climb railings or signs. Trampling widens trails and damages the plants animals rely on.
- Keep quiet and move slowly. Talk softly, don’t call out to animals or imitate their calls, and let them pass.
- Take everything back out. Leave no trash, don’t collect shells or snails (another SINAC request) and keep food sealed in your bag.
Why feeding monkeys (and coatis, and raccoons) harms them
It feels generous to share a banana. It isn’t. SINAC puts it plainly: feeding wild animals is prohibited, and certain foods can seriously affect their health and change their behavior.
Manuel Antonio has a long record of what happens next. The park’s management plan cites studies going back to the early 1990s showing that capuchins, raccoons and coatis changed their activity patterns and feeding habits because of contact with visitors. A later study summarized in the plan documented 12 kinds of conflict between visitors and wildlife along the Perezoso trail, on Playa Manuel Antonio and at Punta Catedral, involving capuchins, howlers, raccoons, sloths, fiery-billed aracaris, garrobos, deer, basilisks and green iguanas.
Animals that learn to link people with food lose some of their caution. They grab bags, raid tables and hang around roads, houses and restaurants. Kids Saving the Rainforest, the wildlife rescue center in Manuel Antonio, lists road accidents and electrocution among the reasons animals arrive at its clinic, and it has worked for years to teach people in the area about the harm of feeding monkeys. Keeping wild animals wild is the kindest thing a visitor can do.
Wildlife rescue centers and how to support them
Behind the wildlife you see on a good morning, there are people working long hours so that it is still there tomorrow.
Kids Saving the Rainforest
Manuel Antonio’s best-known rescue center began in 1999, when two nine-year-old girls sold crafts by the roadside to buy a piece of rainforest for the squirrel monkeys. Today Kids Saving the Rainforest rescues, rehabilitates and, whenever possible, releases sloths, monkeys, kinkajous, parrots and other native animals, and it keeps building wildlife bridges and replanting forest (Kids Saving the Rainforest). It welcomes visitors on guided sanctuary tours and runs volunteer and study programs, so a visit puts your money straight into the work. Ask our concierge to arrange a sanctuary visit as part of your stay.
How to recognize a genuine rescue center
- Release comes first. The goal is to return animals to the forest, and animals that can never go back are cared for out of the public eye as much as possible.
- Look, but no touching. Real sanctuaries keep visitors at a distance and do not offer holding, petting or photo sessions with animals.
- Licensed and transparent. Rescue work in Costa Rica is regulated by SINAC, and serious centers are open about what they do and how many animals they release.
If you ever see an animal that looks injured or orphaned, the advice in the guides section below applies: keep your distance and let the professionals handle it. Our team at the front desk knows exactly who to call.
Watching wildlife with a guide
You can walk the national park on your own, but a naturalist guide changes the experience. Guides know which trees the sloths have been using lately, what a call in the canopy means, and how to point out a snake or a frog you would walk right past.
SINAC lists an office inside the park run by the Association of Certified Tour Guides of the Canton of Quepos. Our national park guide has the details, and ECOTICA‘s concierge can arrange a guided park walk as part of our wildlife and nature tours.
What a good wildlife guide does
- Keeps the group at a respectful distance, even when other groups crowd in.
- Never feeds, baits, calls in or handles animals to get you a closer look. The park’s management plan flags calling animals in, and in some cases feeding them, as a problem in the park.
- Explains what you are seeing: behavior, diet, and how the animal fits into the forest.
- Is honest that sightings are never certain. Be wary of anyone who promises a specific animal.
Found an animal that looks hurt?
Don’t pick it up, even a baby sloth on the ground. Note where it is, keep people and dogs away, and tell a park ranger, your guide or your hotel so a licensed rescue center such as Kids Saving the Rainforest can be contacted. SINAC notes that park rangers work only inside the park and wear uniforms with the SINAC logo.
How to see more: scopes, night walks and the view from the water
A few simple choices make the difference between “we saw a monkey” and a morning you will talk about for years.
Bring (or borrow) better eyes
Binoculars of around 8x magnification are light, bright and easy to hold steady in the forest. Most naturalist guides in Manuel Antonio carry a spotting scope on a tripod, which turns a sloth that looks like a leaf cluster into a face with eyes. Hold your phone camera to the eyepiece and the guide will often help you line up a close-up photo, no flash needed.
Go at night
After dark the forest changes cast. Guided night walks around Manuel Antonio look for tree frogs, glass frogs, sleeping birds, stick insects, tarantulas, snakes and kinkajous feeding in fruiting trees. Guides use soft lights and know where to point them so animals are not dazzled. Our page on frogs, butterflies and the forest at night tells you what you might meet.
Change the angle: water and air
A boat or kayak trip through the mangroves of Damas Island, northwest of Quepos, slides you quietly past roosting herons, crocodiles on the mudbanks and capuchins in the mangrove branches. Out at sea, boat trips bring dolphins, frigatebirds and, in season, humpback whales. See our ocean and boat tours.
Small habits, big results
- Wear muted colors and closed shoes, and walk slowly with long pauses.
- Listen first: rustling leaves and falling fruit give away monkeys before you see them.
- Scan forks of branches and the crowns of guarumo trees for sloths.
- Give every animal the space to carry on with what it was doing, and keep voices low so the next group gets a good look too.
Planning ahead? Book a guided park walk or night walk with our concierge before you arrive, and the best guides will be waiting for you.
Wildlife around your hotel
You don’t have to be inside the park to see animals. Much of Manuel Antonio sits in forest, and the animals move between the park, private land and the corridors around Quepos.
ECOTICA is on about ten acres of rainforest a few minutes from the national park (not inside it). Howler monkeys, sloths, toucans, scarlet macaws and butterflies are part of daily life here, though never on a timetable. Our post on seeing wildlife where you stay shares the best hours to look and photo tips from our team, and you can read more about ECOTICA.
The rules are the same at a hotel as in the park: don’t feed anything, keep food indoors or sealed, and give animals room to pass.
Ten acres of rainforest, right outside your door
Many guests tell us the same story: they booked a park tour, and then the best sighting of the trip happened over breakfast. ECOTICA sits on its own 10-acre private rainforest reserve in the heart of Manuel Antonio, a few minutes from the national park and the beaches, and the forest here is part of the same green web the animals use to move along the coast.
Who you may meet without leaving the hotel
- All three monkeys: howlers announcing the morning, white-faced capuchins crossing the treetops, and troops of squirrel monkeys, the tití, on their daily rounds.
- Both sloths: three-fingered sloths dozing in the canopy and two-fingered sloths, more active toward evening.
- Ground walkers: coatis, agoutis and, on quiet mornings, white-tailed deer.
- Birds: toucans, parrots, many smaller forest birds and a pair of scarlet macaws that nests in our royal palms. Read the story in scarlet macaws nest at ECOTICA.
- Reptiles and more: iguanas, lizards, the occasional snake, and clouds of butterflies around the flowers.
None of them keeps an appointment, and that is part of the charm. You may well see a sloth from your bungalow porch, hear howlers from the Jungle Spa, or watch macaws fly over the pool from La POZA. The Master Suite, with its 270° view, half rainforest and half ocean, is a front-row seat. Our guide to wildlife where you stay shares the team’s favorite viewing spots.
Make it your base
Spend the early hours on the trails with a guide, the warm middle of the day by the pool or at the Jungle Spa, and the evening at YOLO Social with live music. When you are ready, check dates and rates for our suites and bungalows, and let our concierge book your wildlife tours so everything is ready when you land.
Wildlife in Manuel Antonio: questions and answers
What animals can I see in Manuel Antonio?
The stars are two sloths, three monkeys (howler, white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkey), coatis, raccoons, agoutis, iguanas, toucans and scarlet macaws. SINAC records about 109 mammal and 352 bird species in the national park, plus whales, dolphins and turtles offshore.
Can I see wildlife outside the national park?
Yes, and often very well. Animals move freely between the park, private forest and the corridors around Quepos. At ECOTICA, on a 10-acre private rainforest reserve, guests regularly see all three monkeys, both sloths, toucans and scarlet macaws from the grounds.
What is the best time of day to see animals?
Early morning, from first light to about mid-morning, is the liveliest time, with a second burst of activity in late afternoon. Midday is best for iguanas and butterflies, and night walks reveal frogs and kinkajous.
Which month is best for wildlife in Manuel Antonio?
Every month is good. December to April offers drier trails, open canopy views and the scarlet macaw breeding season; July to November brings the lush green season and southern humpback whales offshore (SINAC).
Do I need a guide to see sloths?
You can find sloths on your own, but a naturalist guide with a spotting scope finds far more of them and shows them up close without disturbing them. Our concierge can book a guide for your first morning.
Are night tours worth it?
Very much so. A guided night walk shows a different forest: tree frogs, glass frogs, sleeping birds, insects, tarantulas and kinkajous. See our frogs, butterflies and night guide.
Can I feed or touch the monkeys?
Please enjoy them from a respectful distance. Feeding wild animals is prohibited in the park (SINAC) and makes them sick and bold, and Costa Rican rules discourage direct contact. Binoculars and a zoom lens give you better views anyway.
Where can I visit a wildlife rescue center near Manuel Antonio?
Kids Saving the Rainforest, founded in 1999, runs guided sanctuary tours in Manuel Antonio and focuses on rescue, rehabilitation and release. Ask our concierge to arrange a visit.
When can I see whales near Manuel Antonio?
Humpback whales visit Costa Rica’s Pacific coast in two seasons: from the southern hemisphere roughly July to November, and from the northern hemisphere roughly December to April (SINAC). Boat trips from Quepos look for them in season.
What are the rope bridges over the roads in Manuel Antonio?
They are wildlife crossings hung by Kids Saving the Rainforest with the local electricity provider, so monkeys and sloths can cross roads safely instead of using power lines.
Keep exploring
Keep exploring: meet each animal in our guides to sloths, monkeys and birds, head out to sea with ocean and marine life, plan your park day with the Manuel Antonio National Park guide, and put it all together with our itineraries for 1, 3 and 5+ days. When you are ready, book your tours with our concierge.
Spotted a sloth, monkey or bird in trouble? Our rescue page explains exactly what to do and who to call. And should a fellow traveler need care, the health and safety guide lists every emergency number.
Arrive with everything ready
Spend your days searching the treetops for sloths and squirrel monkeys, and leave the planning to us before you arrive:
- Book your tours: a naturalist-led walk in the national park to find the animals you would pass by alone, plus night walks, boat trips and zip lines
- Reserve Jungle Spa: massages, couples treatments, facials and body rituals for when the binoculars come down
- Airport transportation: a private transfer from San José, US$195 each way for up to 5 people, so the wildlife watching can begin the moment you arrive
- Concierge requests: dinners, celebrations and special requests, from a birthday surprise to a quiet table after a long day of animal spotting
- Stay at ECOTICA: check dates and rates for our bungalows and suites and make Manuel Antonio’s wildlife your neighbour
Sources for our wildlife guide
- SINAC – Manuel Antonio National Park (official English page: the park and the creatures it protects)
- SINAC – Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (official Spanish page: visitor guidance for watching animals in the park)
- SINAC – Plan General de Manejo, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio 2013–2018 (PDF; mammal, bird and reptile lists for the park)
- Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) – El clima y las regiones climáticas de Costa Rica (PDF): the wet and dry seasons that shape wildlife viewing
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan) – Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii): species profile behind our monkey notes
Photos: Koen Swiers, Pixabay, Lexo Salazar, Santiago Morales, Crisbel Solano, Jr Sardo / Pexels.
