Monkeys of Manuel Antonio
Three monkey species live in Manuel Antonio: the small grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey, known locally as the mono tití; the white-faced capuchin; and the mantled howler. SINAC calls the tití the national park’s emblem species, and this subspecies lives only in and around Quepos and Manuel Antonio. This guide shows how to tell the three apart, what they eat, how they live, and why you should never feed them.
Three monkeys, three very different lives
Travel Guide › Wildlife › Monkeys
- Squirrel monkey (mono tití, mono ardilla), Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus. The smallest, around 0.5 to 1.1 kg. Golden-orange back, yellowish body, white mask around the eyes and a dark muzzle. Moves in fast, chattering troops.
- White-faced capuchin (mono carablanca), Cebus imitator. Mid-sized, 2 to 4 kg. Black body with a white or cream face, throat, chest and shoulders, and a black cap. Curious and quick, with a gripping (prehensile) tail.
- Mantled howler (mono congo), Alouatta palliata. The biggest and heaviest: males 6 to 7 kg. Black, with long golden-brown hair along the flanks (the “mantle”) and a bare black face. Slow-moving, and famous for its deep, roaring calls.
Sizes are from Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan). Luck plays a part in every sighting: all three can turn up in the national park and in the forest around it, but none of them keeps a timetable.
The three monkeys compared
Here are the three monkeys of Manuel Antonio on one screen, so you can put a name to whatever is moving in the branches above you.
| Mono tití (squirrel monkey) | Mono carablanca (capuchin) | Mono congo (howler) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus | Cebus imitator | Alouatta palliata |
| Weight | 0.5 to 1.1 kg | 2 to 4 kg | 4 to 7 kg |
| Look for | Golden-orange back, white eye mask, dark muzzle | Black body, white or cream face and chest, black cap | All black, golden-brown fringe on the flanks, bare black face |
| Troop size | Large: about 40 to 65 for the species (Titi Conservation Alliance) | Often around 18 to 20 | About 10 to 20, with 1 to 3 adult males |
| Main food | Insects, fruit, nectar | Fruit plus insects and small animals | Young leaves, fruit, flowers |
| How you notice them | Rustling and soft chirps as a troop streams past | Branches shaking, fruit dropping, curious faces | Deep roars at dawn, dusk and when disturbed |
| Pace | Fast and always moving | Quick and inquisitive | Slow, with long rests |
| One baby every | Year, born February to early April | About two years | About 22 months |
| IUCN Red List | Endangered (species) | Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
Weights, troop and birth figures are from Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan) unless noted; Red List categories are from the IUCN.
Central American squirrel monkey (mono tití)
Scientific name: Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus, the grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey. The Titi Conservation Alliance, a Quepos-based group, describes it as Costa Rica’s smallest primate and says this subspecies is found only in and around Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park.
Identification
A small, slender monkey with a long tail. The body fur is yellow-brown with a pale yellow belly and a golden-red back. The face has a white “mask” around the eyes and dark fur around the mouth and chin (Animal Diversity Web; Titi Conservation Alliance). Adults weigh between 500 and 1,100 g.
Habitat and behavior
Squirrel monkeys live in troops and cover a lot of ground: Animal Diversity Web cites troops traveling 2.5 to 4.2 km a day. They start foraging shortly before sunrise and keep at it until an hour or so after sunset, stopping for short rests and for rain, when they huddle together.
Diet
Mostly insects and other small invertebrates, plus fruit, flower nectar and the occasional small vertebrate. They are known to recognize the leaf “tents” some fruit bats make and pull the bats out.
Ecological role
As insect-hunters and fruit-eaters they are part of the everyday workings of the forest. The Titi Conservation Alliance also treats the tití as an indicator of the health of the Central Pacific region: when its forest is cut up by plantations, roads and development, the tití is one of the first to show it.
Conservation status
The species Saimiri oerstedii is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2021). The park’s management plan calls the local subspecies endemic to Costa Rica and, citing INBio, “the most threatened primate in Central America”. The Titi Conservation Alliance cites a 2006 estimate of about 1,500 animals of this subspecies and says national primate experts now put the number around 2,000, all in the Central Pacific. Since 2000, Kids Saving the Rainforest has hung rope bridges over roads so monkeys can cross without using power lines, and in 2001 the Titi Conservation Alliance set up the Naranjo River Biological Corridor to reconnect the park with forest inland.
White-faced capuchin (mono carablanca)
Scientific name: Cebus imitator. Older sources, including the park’s management plan, use Cebus capucinus; the IUCN now treats the Central American white-faced capuchin as its own species, Cebus imitator.
Identification
Black back and hindquarters, with white or cream fur on the face, throat, upper chest and forearms, and a black cap on the head. The facial skin is tan. Males weigh 3 to 4 kg and females 2 to 3 kg. The tail is prehensile, used for grip and balance (Animal Diversity Web).
Habitat and behavior
Capuchins live in groups of mixed males and females, often around 18 to 20 animals. Females usually stay in the group they were born into, while young males leave at about four years old. They are active by day, playful and famously inquisitive: they take things apart, try new foods and learn by watching the adults (Animal Diversity Web). That curiosity is exactly why a backpack left open on a beach attracts them.
Diet
A bit of everything. Typically 50 to 80% fruit, 20 to 30% animal food such as insects and other invertebrates, lizards, birds and small mammals like squirrels, and some other plant material. They eat often and will try almost anything once.
Ecological role
By eating so much fruit and moving seeds around, capuchins play an important part in seed dispersal and forest regrowth.
Conservation status
Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2021).
Capuchins and people
In Manuel Antonio, capuchins are the monkey most affected by visitors. The park’s management plan cites research since the 1990s showing that capuchins, raccoons and coatis changed their activity patterns and feeding habits because of contact with tourists. Keep bags zipped and food out of sight. Animal Diversity Web also notes that wild capuchins can carry diseases, one more reason never to touch or hand-feed them.
Mantled howler monkey (mono congo)
Scientific name: Alouatta palliata.
Identification
Large and stocky, with black fur and long yellow or brown guard hairs along the flanks that give the “mantled” howler its name. The face is bare, black and bearded, and the prehensile tail has a bare pad on its underside. Males weigh 6 to 7 kg and females 4 to 5 kg. Newborns are silver to golden brown (Animal Diversity Web).
Habitat and behavior
Howlers live in lowland and mountain rainforest, in both old and regrowing forest. The deep, roaring calls that give them their name are often the first sign a troop is nearby. If you hear what sounds like a big animal growling in the treetops, it’s almost certainly a howler.
Diet
Leaves, fruit and flowers, depending on the season. Howlers spend nearly equal time eating leaves and fruit and prefer young leaves, which have more protein and fewer bitter tannins. Flowers are more common in their diet in the dry season, fruit in the wet season.
Ecological role
Howlers disperse seeds, and their dung feeds dung beetles, which in turn bury seeds and recycle nutrients (Animal Diversity Web).
Conservation status
Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2021). The park’s management plan lists the howler among the species with reduced populations in the park.
Howlers at ECOTICA
Howler monkeys are part of daily life at ECOTICA, on our ten acres of rainforest a few minutes from the park. Many guests hear them before they see them. They are never guaranteed, and they are never fed.
Troops, babies and growing up in the canopy
Each of Manuel Antonio’s monkeys has its own way of being a family, and once you know the patterns, a troop passing overhead starts to tell a story.
Mono tití: a crowd of small travelers
Squirrel monkeys move in the biggest groups of the three. The Titi Conservation Alliance gives troops of 40 to 65 animals for the species, a busy, chattering stream of small bodies that can take several minutes to pass a single tree. Females usually have one baby a year, after a pregnancy of about seven months (Animal Diversity Web). Locally, the Alliance says births fall from February to early April, the dry season, when insects are at their most plentiful. For the first weeks the newborn rides on its mother’s back, and around the fifth week it starts making short trips on its own. Other females, sometimes called “aunts”, help with the carrying (Animal Diversity Web). Females mature at about one year; males take four to six.
Carablanca: a family with a strong leader
White-faced capuchin groups have a dominant, or alpha, male. Animal Diversity Web notes that he has more chances to mate and spends a good part of his time keeping watch for predators and for males from outside the group. Pregnancy lasts about 160 days and ends with a single baby, roughly once every two years. The mother does most of the caring. Young capuchins grow up slowly: females are mature around four but usually don’t give birth until about seven, and males mature at seven to ten. That long childhood gives them years to learn the group’s tricks by watching.
Mono congo: the patient family
Howler troops are smaller and steadier, typically 10 to 20 animals with one to three adult males and five to ten adult females. Females form the stable heart of the group and rarely leave once settled. Pregnancy averages 186 days and a mother has one baby about every 22 and a half months. Infants start tasting food at about three weeks, and by ten or eleven weeks they spend a good part of their time foraging (Animal Diversity Web).
If you see a small head peeking from a mother’s back, give the pair a little extra room and enjoy the moment quietly. You may well share it from your porch: all three species visit the ten acres of rainforest around our bungalows and suites at ECOTICA.
What you hear, and the clever things they do
In Manuel Antonio you often hear monkeys long before you see them. Learning their voices turns every walk into a guessing game you start to win.
The howler’s roar
That deep, rolling growl at first light is the mantled howler. Animal Diversity Web lists woofs, grunts, barks and full howls, with the big howls coming at dawn and dusk and whenever something disturbs the troop. Calls between males of neighboring troops seem to help keep groups spaced apart. The sound comes from an enlarged hyoid bone in the throat, larger in males than in females, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo notes that under certain conditions a howler can be heard from about 4.8 km (3 miles) away. Many first-time visitors are sure a jaguar is nearby. It is simply a howler saying good morning.
Why howlers rest so much
Howlers live largely on leaves, a low-energy food. Instead of a special stomach, they rely on bacteria in enlarged parts of the gut to ferment the leaves, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo says they typically spend about half their waking day resting. A howler draped over a branch at midday is not bored; it is digesting.
Capuchin chatter
White-faced capuchins use trills to coordinate the group’s movement and a separate alarm call to warn of danger (Animal Diversity Web). Listen for sharp, scolding calls and the snap of branches as a troop works through a fig or palm. Friends in a group sniff each other’s hands and play “mouth games”, passing objects between them.
Capuchins and their forest pharmacy
Capuchins are among the most inventive animals in the forest. A study of wild white-faced capuchins in Costa Rica (Baker, American Journal of Primatology, 1996) recorded them rubbing their fur with plants including citrus fruit and leaves of Piper, a plant people in the region also use as a remedy, with more fur rubbing in the hot, humid wet season. Several monkeys often rub together, which makes it as much a social event as a grooming one.
The tití’s soft chorus
Squirrel monkeys are quieter: a steady stream of high chirps and twitters that keeps a large, fast troop together. If you hear it, stay where you are and look at the mid-level branches; the troop will usually come to you.
A naturalist guide can put names to every call. Planning ahead? Book a guided walk with our concierge and arrive with a guide waiting for you.
Why you should never feed a monkey
SINAC’s rules for the national park prohibit feeding wild animals, and its explanation is simple: certain foods can seriously affect their health and change their behavior. Here is what that looks like in Manuel Antonio.
- Their health suffers. Monkeys’ natural diets are leaves, insects, fruit and flowers found in the forest. Human snacks are not part of it.
- Their behavior changes. The park’s management plan documents conflicts between visitors and wildlife on the Perezoso trail, on Playa Manuel Antonio and at Punta Catedral, with capuchins and howlers among the animals involved. Monkeys that link people with food start raiding bags and tables.
- It pulls them toward danger. Monkeys drawn to roads, houses and restaurants face more of the hazards that bring animals to the rescue center at Kids Saving the Rainforest, including road accidents and electrocution. KSTR has worked for years to teach people in the area about the harm of feeding monkeys.
- It’s against the rules. Food and drinks are not allowed into the park except under the exceptions set by the park administration, and food bought at the concession must be eaten in the designated area (SINAC).
At ECOTICA we ask the same of every guest. Our wildlife guide has more on responsible viewing.
What about spider monkeys?
Costa Rica has a fourth monkey, the Central American spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2021). It appears in the mammal list of the park’s 2013–2018 management plan, and the Titi Conservation Alliance mentions it within the wider range of the tití. But SINAC’s current park page names only three monkeys, and the Titi Conservation Alliance describes the park as home to three of Costa Rica’s four monkey species. So don’t plan on seeing a spider monkey in Manuel Antonio; the tití, the capuchin and the howler are the monkeys of this area.
The monkey bridges of Manuel Antonio
Drive the road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio and keep an eye on the treetops: here and there a thick rope stretches from one side of the road to the other. These are monkey bridges, and they are one of the area’s quiet conservation success stories.
How they started
Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR), a Manuel Antonio organization founded by two young girls, began hanging the bridges in 2000 to protect the mono tití. As forest was split by roads and new buildings, squirrel monkeys were crossing on power lines and over the asphalt, where they faced electrocution and traffic. A bridge gives them a safe path between two patches of forest.
How a bridge works
The design is beautifully simple. According to a National Geographic Education report, each bridge is a two-inch nylon rope tied from a tree on one side of the road to a tree on the other, and more than 130 have been installed in the Manuel Antonio and Quepos area. KSTR works with ICE, Costa Rica’s electricity institute, to keep them in good shape.
Who uses them
The bridges were made for squirrel monkeys, but at least 14 species have been recorded using them, among them sloths, porcupines, anteaters, howler monkeys and white-faced capuchins (National Geographic Education). Seeing a troop of titís file across a rope, one after another, is a small marvel worth slowing down for.
How you can help
- Drive slowly on the Quepos–Manuel Antonio road, especially early and late in the day, and watch for animals at the edges.
- If you stop to watch a crossing, pull fully off the road where it is safe.
- Keep wildlife wild: monkeys that learn to look for food near roads and houses spend more time in harm’s way.
- Learn more on a visit to the KSTR wildlife sanctuary, which offers tours. Our concierge can help with the details.
The bridges work hand in hand with reforestation, including the Naranjo River Biological Corridor mentioned above, so that, over time, monkeys need fewer ropes and more trees.
How to watch monkeys well
- Keep your distance and let the troop set the pace. If monkeys come toward you on a trail, step aside and let them pass.
- Keep food sealed and bags closed. Don’t eat in front of monkeys, and never leave a bag unattended on the beach.
- Don’t touch, don’t pose. SINAC asks visitors not to touch wild animals, and Costa Rica’s #StopAnimalSelfies campaign asks travelers not to take photos that involve handling wildlife.
- No flash, no calling out and no imitating monkey calls.
- Stay on the trail. Monkeys don’t need you to follow them into the forest.
- Drive slowly on the road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio, and look up at the rope bridges: they are there because monkeys cross here.
Where visitors may encounter monkeys
None of these places comes with a promise. Monkey troops range widely and sightings depend on the day.
- Manuel Antonio National Park. SINAC lists all three species among the park’s outstanding animals. Squirrel monkeys and capuchins are often active in the morning; howlers are easiest to find by their calls. Check tickets, opening days and rules in our national park guide.
- Forest along the Quepos–Manuel Antonio road and the rope bridges over it.
- Around hotels in the forest. At ECOTICA, howler monkeys are part of daily life. See our post on seeing wildlife where you stay.
- With a guide. ECOTICA’s concierge can book a guided park walk through our wildlife and nature tours. Families can also look at our family-friendly activities.
Next: sloths, coatis and raccoons and birds.
Best times of day and year to see monkeys
Monkeys keep their own schedule, but a few patterns help you be in the right place at the right moment.
Time of day
- First light. Howlers call at dawn, so early risers often get the best “where are they” clue of the day. Squirrel monkeys start foraging shortly before sunrise.
- Morning in the park. Manuel Antonio National Park opens at 7:00 a.m. (SINAC). Arriving close to opening means cooler air, quieter trails and monkeys busy feeding. See our national park guide for days and rules; the park closes on Tuesdays.
- Midday. Howlers settle in for long rests and are easiest to spot as dark shapes on high branches. Capuchins may come down to shaded areas.
- Late afternoon. Activity picks up again, and howlers often call around dusk. This is a lovely hour to sit at La POZA by the pool and listen to the forest.
For a fuller picture of who is up when, read Manuel Antonio wildlife hour by hour.
Time of year
- February to early April: the Titi Conservation Alliance says this is when squirrel monkey babies are born, so tiny riders on their mothers’ backs are a real possibility.
- Dry season: howlers eat more flowers, which can bring them into flowering trees where they are easier to see (Animal Diversity Web).
- Wet or green season: howlers turn to fruit, and the forest is at its most lush. Mornings are usually the drier part of the day. Our seasonal guide goes month by month.
Planning around a particular season? Ask our concierge and we will suggest the best days for your park visit and tours.
How to photograph monkeys in the rainforest
Monkeys are wonderful subjects and tricky ones: fast, high up, and usually framed against a bright sky. These tips help you come home with pictures you love, while leaving the animals at ease.
- Expose for the face, not the sky. A dark monkey against white sky turns into a silhouette. Add some positive exposure compensation, or on a phone tap the monkey’s face to set exposure.
- Focus on the eyes. A sharp eye makes the picture. Use single-point focus, or let your camera’s animal-eye detection do the work if it has it.
- Use a fast shutter speed. Titís and capuchins rarely sit still. Burst mode lets you catch the one frame where a leap or a glance comes together.
- Bring reach, not a flash. A telephoto lens or a phone with optical zoom lets you fill the frame from a respectful distance. Flash is not needed in daylight and can startle wildlife.
- Wait for them to come lower. Troops often drop into the mid-level branches to feed. Patience beats chasing.
- Tell a story. A mother with a baby, a howler mid-roar, a tití on a rope bridge, a capuchin inspecting a seed: behavior makes a photo memorable.
- Protect your gear. Pack a simple rain cover or a dry bag, and keep your camera bag closed when monkeys are near; capuchins are curious about everything.
- Binoculars first. Find the animal with binoculars, enjoy it, then lift the camera.
Please skip anything that involves baiting, touching or posing with wildlife; Costa Rica’s #StopAnimalSelfies campaign asks the same. Some of the easiest monkey photos of the trip may be taken with a coffee in hand on your terrace at ECOTICA.
Wake up to monkeys at ECOTICA
ECOTICA Boutique Hotel & Spa sits on its own 10-acre private rainforest reserve on the main road in the heart of Manuel Antonio, a few minutes from the national park and the beaches. That forest is home territory for all three of the area’s monkeys, and on most days guests meet at least one of them without leaving the property.
- Howler monkeys are often the morning alarm clock, roaring from the trees around the bungalows and suites.
- White-faced capuchins pass through the canopy, and you may well watch a troop from your porch.
- Squirrel monkeys, the endangered mono tití, sometimes stream through the treetops in their lively troops.
Monkeys share the grounds with sloths, toucans, butterflies and the pair of scarlet macaws that nests in our royal palms. Nothing is guaranteed, because these animals are wild and free to come and go, and that is exactly what makes each sighting special. Read more in wildlife where you stay.
Between sightings, the rest is easy: breakfast is included, the pool and La POZA are a few steps away, the Jungle Spa is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and YOLO Social has live music every night. Our concierge books the national park with a naturalist guide, night walks, boat trips and more.
Ready to hear the howlers for yourself? Check dates and rates or book your tours in advance so everything is set before you land.
Monkeys in Manuel Antonio: questions and answers
How many monkey species can I see in Manuel Antonio?
Three: the mantled howler (mono congo), the white-faced capuchin (mono carablanca) and the Central American squirrel monkey (mono tití). SINAC lists all three among the national park’s outstanding animals.
Are there spider monkeys in Manuel Antonio?
Spider monkeys are not among the monkeys SINAC currently names for the park, so plan your trip around the tití, the capuchin and the howler. Our section on spider monkeys above explains the details.
What is the best time of day to see monkeys?
Early morning is usually best: howlers call at dawn and squirrel monkeys start foraging before sunrise. The national park opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes on Tuesdays (SINAC).
Can I see monkeys without going into the national park?
Yes. Monkeys range through the forest around Manuel Antonio, and all three species visit the grounds of ECOTICA, where many guests see them from their porch. Here is what lives around the hotel.
Why are howler monkeys so loud?
Howlers have an enlarged hyoid bone in the throat that amplifies their calls, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo says a howler can be heard up to about 4.8 km away in the right conditions. The calls help neighboring troops keep their distance.
When are baby monkeys born in Manuel Antonio?
Squirrel monkey babies arrive from February to early April, according to the Titi Conservation Alliance. Capuchins and howlers can have babies at other times of year, with one infant roughly every two years.
Will monkeys take food from my bag?
Capuchins in particular learn quickly that bags can hold food. Keep food sealed and bags zipped and with you, and they will usually carry on with their own business.
What are the ropes hanging over the road?
They are monkey bridges. Kids Saving the Rainforest began installing them in 2000, and more than 130 now help at least 14 species, from squirrel monkeys to sloths, cross roads safely (National Geographic Education).
Is the mono tití endangered?
Yes. The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and the local subspecies lives only in and around Quepos and Manuel Antonio. Habitat loss and fragmentation are its main threats (Titi Conservation Alliance).
Can ECOTICA arrange a guided monkey-watching walk?
Yes. Our concierge books naturalist-guided walks in the national park and other wildlife tours. Book your tour here.
Keep exploring
Keep exploring the wild side of Manuel Antonio: meet the slow-moving sloths, the ring-tailed coatis and raccoons and the toucans and macaws in our birds guide. After dark, discover frogs, butterflies and the night forest, and if you are mapping out your days, our itineraries fit a morning with the monkeys around beaches, boat trips and a spa afternoon.
Spot a monkey that is hurt, trapped or orphaned? Here is how to help and who to call, and please never feed or touch it. Our health and safety guide keeps the emergency numbers for your own group close by.
Arrive with everything ready
Spend your mornings with the monkeys and let us arrange the rest before you arrive:
- Book your tours: a naturalist-led walk in Manuel Antonio National Park, when capuchins and howlers are most active, plus boat trips, zip lines or rafting
- Reserve Jungle Spa: after a morning of monkey-watching, settle into a massage, a couples treatment, a facial or a body ritual
- Airport transportation: trade the airport bustle for the howlers’ chorus with a private transfer from San José, US$195 each way for up to 5 people
- Concierge requests: dinners, birthday surprises, anniversaries and other special requests
- Stay at ECOTICA: check dates and rates for our bungalows and suites, your base for monkey-spotting in Manuel Antonio
Sources for our monkey guide
- SINAC – Manuel Antonio National Park (official English page on the park these troops call home)
- SINAC – Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (official Spanish page: hours, fees and visitor advice for a monkey-watching day)
- SINAC – Plan General de Manejo, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio 2013–2018 (PDF; the primates recorded in the park and the habitats they use)
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan) – Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii): range, diet and troop life
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan) – White-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus): behaviour and feeding habits
Photos: Samuel Sweet, Andre Vujovic, Gabriel Tovar, Lucas Da Costa, Enrique Hidalgo / Pexels.
