Top 2 Destinations on a Wildlife Holiday in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a prime destination for nature lovers, and a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica is one that will be fondly remembered and talked about for years to come. This relatively small country is awash with an incredible range of ecosystems, which provide the ideal habitat for myriad species of flora and animal and birdlife. With so many opportunities for a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica, it is difficult to choose the best places in which to focus a trip. Here are two of the many excellent destinations.

Corcovado National Park

This stunning area is a paradise for nature lovers and the perfect place to spend a few days while on a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica. Boasting one of the most complex freshwater and saltwater ecosystems in the world, the park is a veritable haven for 500 different species of trees, 6000 species of insects, 140 different mammals and almost 400 species of birds. From Jaguars to Turtles, Baird’s Tapir to Anteaters, visitors may well be lucky enough to see them all in this park. Birds are a real highlight, and avid birdwatchers prepared to while away hours with necks craned backwards and eyes skyward will be rewarded by sightings of Scarlet Macaws, White Hawks, and even the White-crested Coquette.

To make the most of what this park has to offer, booking a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica between January and April is ideal. This is when the region receives the least rainfall and the trails are less likely to have been washed away, as can frequently occur in the months between May and December.

Cordillera de Talamanca

This region is the highest and arguably the most remote mountain range not connected to volcanic activity in South America. Primarily low lying rainforests and cloud forests, the area also boasts some wonderful glacial lakes, sub-alpine paramo forests and high-altitude bogs. The Talamanca Mountains are home to the largest areas of virgin forest in the country, and it is at the bottom of these mountains that the national park is located.

Not surprisingly, there is a huge diversity of species in this area and the intensity of wildlife is unequalled in any other reserve of the same size in the world. It is here that the floras of North and South America converge, where the climate is varied in its extremes and the soils consequently cover a wide range.

On a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica that includes time in this national park, visitors are likely to see the tapir, the Puma and perhaps even the Jaguar. Squirrel Monkeys and Geoffroys’ Spider Monkeys vie for attention and the stunning Quetzal leads the pack in the magnificent array of bird species that make the park their home. In fact, the number of avian species that can be sighted here is nothing short of astounding; the delicate hummingbirds are captivating while the Harpy Eagle, the Crested Eagle and the Orange-breasted Falcon are among other highlights.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re looking for a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica Naturetrek specialises in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.