Activities

Costa Rica Ultimate Wildlife Itinerary

We know you've chosen to travel with us for our wildlife emphasis, so we've included a wide variety of adventure activities designed to educate, inspire, and bring out the wonder in you. All of our activities are flexibly designed to accomodate different skill levels and interests, while exposing you to a variety of unique eco-systems in order to see the most amount of wildlife. And did we mention fun?

Cuddle a three-toed sloth in your arms
Wander the cloudforest in search of the Resplendent Quetzal
Witness an alpha-male monkey kissing a newborn baby

Adventure Activities in over 5 Distinct Regions of Costa Rica expose you to more natural wonder, more ecosystems - and more wildlife - than any other conventional tour.

Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Birdwatching - Our hiking philosophy is simple: "The slower you go, the more wildlife you see." Most of our hikes last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and the pace is a relaxed meander. with frequent stops to observe nature and wildlife. We may even spend intimate time with a troop of wild monkeys, especially if we observe exciting behaviors such as teaching a newborn to walk, a conflict involving an alpha male, or anything else that has what we call a high "wow" factor.
Cloudforest Canopy Tour
Whitewater and Flatwater River Running - Note that we specialize in flatwater rivers, because the slower we go, the more we see. Also, our unique "Safari Style" of paddling allows us to get out of our boats and observe animals mating, fighting, defending their territory and nurturing their young.
Volcano & Hotspring

Our Costa Rica Ultimate Wildlife itinerary is truly all-inclusive. Your vacation time is too valuable to waste on a sparse itinerary emphasizing lots of "free time" or low-cost commercial "filler" tours run by your lodge.

Activities by Region

Caribbean Coast/Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary/Cahuita National Park

Canoe a river delta, hike Cahuita National Park, Sloth tour at Aviarios, night-time hike for nocturnal animals.By your second day in Costa Rica, you will likely have seen at least 6 whole troops of monkeys (2 species, with 3-30 individuals per troop) 10-15 sloth, 50+ species of birds, and a variety of rare and endangered wildlife such as boa constrictors, leaf-cutter ants, red-eyed tree frogs, owls, kinkajou, olingo and much more.

Sarapiqui Region

Hike La Selva Biological Preserve. Paddle the Sarapiqui and Puerto Viejo Rivers.Biologists from 64 universities around the world gather at La Selva for graduate programs that study the rainforest. You'll enjoy a half-day hike in La Selva's dense rainforest, bordering Barullio Carillo National Park, with La Selva's expert guides. You'll learn about wildlife viewing techniques, Costa Rica natural history and habitat from the most qualified people in the world.
We've selected the Sarapiqui and Puerto Viejo rivers especially for their wildlife habitat. Most companies run the Pacuare or Reventazon rivers, but with over 500 people a week and guides doing tricks beside you in specially designed playboats, you aren't likely to see much wildlife there- its more like a Disneyland ride. Wild Planet is one of very few companies to run both the upper and lower stretches of the Sarapiqui river, and the only company we know of that runs the remote Puerto Viejo river. Our "Safari-style" paddling increases your chances of encountering rare and elusive wildlife during these river days. You can choose from a naturalist-guided raft or your own inflatable kayak, depending on your skill level. Being more spread out on the river means we can explore more habitat, and see more wildlife. Slower flat-water sections allow us to stop and observe wildlife more intimately than any other conventional tour.

Arenal Volcano

Scenic drive around Arenal Volcano, soak in a world-class hot springs. Early morning birdwatching.

Monteverde Cloudforest

Hike Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve looking for Resplendent Quezals and other wildlife. Sky Walk or Sevultura Canopy tour in Santa Elena Cloudforest. Hike the Finca Ecologica or Children's Eternal Rainforest. All with renowned master naturalist guide Koky Porras, who has helped train many of Montevede's world-class guides.

Carara Biological Preserve/Tarcoles

Observe crocodiles in their natural habitat from the safety of a bridge. Hiking and wildlife viewing in Carara Biological Preserve. Scarlet macaw migration.