Playa Flamingo: Rainforest Wildlife & Coffee Making Tour
Why sloths never leave their trees (and why you'll see one anyway)
You're picked up at your hotel and driven into the Bijagua rainforest, where a guide shows you sloths (guaranteed), frogs, birds, and other wildlife in their natural habitat. You'll roast and grind your own coffee and chocolate, eat a traditional casado lunch, and swim at Llanos del Cortes waterfall if the season allows. Everything (transport, lunch, water, towels) is included, and you're back at your hotel by afternoon.
Options for this experience
3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Rainforest wildlife and cultural tour
- Pick up at hotel lobby
- Travel to Bijagua rainforest
- See sloths, frogs, birds, and butterflies
- Learn about coffee and chocolate history
- Make your own coffee and chocolate
- Taste typical casado lunch
- Visit Llanos del Cortes waterfall
- Swim at the waterfall (season permitting)
- Return to hotel drop off
What’s included
Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle, a guide through the Bijagua rainforest, guaranteed sloth viewing plus frogs, birds, snakes, and other wildlife, hands-on coffee and chocolate roasting and grinding, a traditional casado lunch, bottled water throughout, towels, and access to Llanos del Cortes waterfall for swimming (weather permitting).
Times
- Every day 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30
Before you book
Operated by Seven Sense Costa Rica
Prices and times updated today
Traveler reviews
The experience
The drive from Playa Flamingo into the Bijagua rainforest takes about two hours and forty minutes, depending on where you're staying. Your guide picks you up at the hotel and the vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters because once you're in the forest, you're walking. The sloths don't go anywhere. They live in the canopy year-round, which is exactly why the tour guarantees you'll see at least one. No chasing, no waiting around hoping. They're just there, moving at their own pace through the branches.
After spotting sloths, the rainforest tour moves through the same habitat where frogs, snakes, tapirs, and birds show up depending on the day and the season. Your guide knows the forest and points out what's moving. Then you get to the hands-on part: making your own coffee and chocolate from scratch. You roast the beans, grind them, taste what you made. It's not a tasting. It's a lesson in how the crop goes from plant to cup, and you're the one doing the work. A typical casado lunch (rice, beans, plantains, salad, protein) comes after, and the water is bottled throughout.
Llanos del Cortes waterfall is the last stop, and this is where the season matters. September and October are rainy, and the water flow can be too strong to swim safely. The rest of the year, you can get in. Towels are provided. If you're traveling during the wet months, the waterfall is still worth seeing (it's just louder and fuller), but plan your expectations around that. The whole day runs from pickup to drop-off at your hotel, so you're not arranging separate transport or timing anything yourself.
Is this one for you?Right for travelers staying in Playa Flamingo who want wildlife and culture in one morning or afternoon without arranging separate transport or meals. The two-hour-plus drive is part of reaching the closest rainforest, which is what makes the sloth guarantee possible.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
Will I definitely see a sloth?
Yes. The tour guarantees sloth sightings because they don't leave their natural habitat in the Bijagua rainforest canopy.
How long is the drive from Playa Flamingo?
About two hours and forty minutes to three hours, depending on your exact hotel location. The vehicle is air-conditioned.
Can I swim at the waterfall?
Yes, except during September and October (rainy season), when water flow can be too strong. The rest of the year, swimming is included.
What's included in the tour?
Hotel pickup and drop-off, guide, wildlife viewing, coffee and chocolate making, lunch (casado), bottled water, towels, and waterfall access.
Is this tour accessible for people with mobility issues?
Yes. The vehicle is wheelchair accessible, all tour areas and surfaces are accessible, and specialized infant seats are available.
What time does the tour start?
You choose the pickup time at your hotel lobby. Duration varies slightly based on location, but plan for a full day.
What if I'm traveling in September or October?
The rainforest and wildlife viewing still happen. The waterfall may be too strong to swim in, but you'll still see it and the rest of the tour runs as normal.
Do I need to be fit to do this tour?
No. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the rainforest walk is guided at a comfortable pace.
Playa Flamingo: Rainforest Wildlife & Coffee Making Tour
8h–10h · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 160 per person
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