Wildlife Reserves of Costa Rica

Located on Costa Rica's northern Caribbean coast, Tortuguero National Park comprises 290 km² of lowland rainforest and is only accessible by boat or plane. Established in 1970, the park has a huge diversity of wildlife including spider, howler and white-faced monkeys, jaguar, ocelot, peccary, tapir and sloth as well as over 300 bird species. The forest and wildlife can be explored on foot or on boat trips through the park. Tortuguero is famous for the green and leatherback turtles who come to lay their eggs on its beaches each year between June and September.

The Montverde Cloud Forest Reserve was originally created by North American Quakers in the 1950s and is now amongst the most important natural environments in the country. Covering just 100 km², Montverde encompasses six different life zones and an incredible diversity of plant and animal species. There are over 400 bird species including the Resplendent Quetzal, the ancient holy bird of the Mayans, the bare-necked umbrella bird, the blue-crowned motmot, the emerald toucanet and the three- wattled bellbird, as well as over 100 species of mammals, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles and an estimated 2,500 species of plants. The reserve can be explored through forest trails, on the Skywalk - suspension bridges and platforms that allow you to explore the canopy, or for the adventurous by zip line through the canopy. There are also night walks to see nocturnal species such as porcupines, toucans, owls, agoutis, coati mundis and snakes.

Manuel Antonio National Park is located south-west of San Jose on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. The park comprises extensive stretches of long, white beaches, mangrove swamps and evergreen forests that grow right up to the shore. Over 100 mammal species and almost 200 bird species are resident in the park. These include Capuchin white-faced monkeys, coatimundi, sloth, iguana and the rare red-backed squirrel monkey. The park and wildlife can be explored through numerous forest trails and canopy tours after which you can relax on the idyllic beaches and watch the stunning sunset over the Pacific.