Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife Tour

The Wildlife of Manuel Antonio National Park

In terms of wildlife density per square kilometer, Manuel Antonio National Park stands among the most biodiverse areas in the world. In a park covering just 6.83 km² — about the size of a small suburban neighborhood — biologists have documented 109 mammal species, 184 bird species, 55 amphibian species, 60 reptile species, and extraordinary insect diversity. The concentration of large, visible, approachable wildlife is simply extraordinary.

Our Manuel Antonio wildlife tour is designed to maximize your encounters with the park's most spectacular species. Moving through the park's best wildlife habitats with a guide who has spent years learning every corner of this ecosystem, you'll encounter animals that most visitors walk right past — camouflaged sloths, silent monkeys watching from the canopy, and perfectly still lizards indistinguishable from the bark they rest on.

The Animals of Manuel Antonio

Sloths (both Bradypus variegatus, the three-toed, and Choloepus hoffmanni, the Hoffman's two-toed) are perhaps the animals most visitors most want to see in Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio is one of the best places in the country to observe them — the density is high and our guides know their exact sleeping trees. Seeing a sloth's face up close — that permanently serene, beatific expression — is one of those moments that stays with every visitor.

Scarlet macaws (Ara macao) are one of the most visually spectacular birds on Earth — brilliant scarlet with blue and yellow wings, traveling in bonded pairs with loud, raucous calls. Manuel Antonio has a significant macaw population and they're regularly encountered in the park's larger trees. The sight of a pair of macaws flying overhead against the backdrop of the rainforest canopy is an iconic Costa Rican image.

Basilisk lizards (Basiliscus plumifrons) — the famous "Jesus Christ lizards" — are a genuinely remarkable wildlife encounter. When startled, they drop from branches, hit the water's surface, and sprint across it on their hind legs before sinking. Watching this behavior is one of those wildlife moments that challenges your understanding of what's physically possible.

The green iguana (Iguana iguana) reaches impressive sizes in Manuel Antonio — adults over 1.5 meters long bask on the beach and in the lower tree branches. Females may be carrying eggs during the dry season and can be seen digging nesting holes on the park's beaches. These prehistoric-looking reptiles are far more interesting to observe than most visitors expect.

With an 80–90% wildlife sighting rate, our expert wildlife tour consistently delivers encounters with the park's most iconic species. Book early to secure your preferred date — these tours are among our most popular.