Manuel Antonio National Park wildlife walk: Sloths & monkeys

Two hours spotting camouflaged wildlife instead of hiking blindly

A two-hour guided wildlife walk through Manuel Antonio National Park led by a certified bilingual guide with optical equipment to locate sloths, monkeys, snakes, lizards and frogs in their natural habitat. The guide explains the natural history of each species you encounter, and you receive HD photos of all the animals found as a souvenir. After the tour, you're free to explore the park's white and black sand beaches and trails on your own. Entrance to the national park costs 20 USD and is optional at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided walk and beach visit

• Meet professional licensed guide
• Use telescope and binoculars
• Spot sloths, monkeys, snakes, and more
• Take photos of wildlife
• Enjoy white and black sand beaches
• Optional extra hiking on trails

The experience

A professional licensed guide meets you with binoculars and a telescope: the tools that turn a walk into actual wildlife spotting. Most visitors hike the trails and miss the camouflaged animals entirely. A guide trained to read the forest finds them. You'll move slowly through the park looking for sloths, monkeys, snakes, lizards and frogs, stopping when something appears. The guide talks through what you're looking at: behavior, habitat, why it matters. Two hours is long enough to see multiple species without wearing you out.

The optical equipment matters more than it sounds. A sloth high in the canopy is invisible to the naked eye. Through binoculars it becomes the thing you came for. The guide carries both binoculars and a telescope, so you're not passing a single pair around or squinting at distant shapes. Every animal you spot gets photographed in HD, and those photos go home with you: proof of what you actually saw, not a generic stock image.

After the tour ends, the park is still yours. The beaches (white sand and black sand mixed) stay open, and the trails remain walkable if you want to wander further on your own. Some people use the two hours as an introduction and spend the rest of the day exploring. Others treat it as the main event and relax on the beach afterward. The guide doesn't dictate what comes next.

What’s included

• Two-hour guided walk with a certified bilingual guide (English and Spanish).
• use of binoculars and telescope to spot wildlife.
• HD photos of all animals found during the tour.
• explanation of the natural history and behavior of each species you encounter.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except TuesdayDepartures at 07:30 and 11:00

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (4 to 6 years) · Infant (under 4)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “The meeting point is the Joseth Super Market, this is 50 meters from the main entrance of the Manuel Antonio National Park and there you will find some tables (seating area) where you can wait for me!”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Tours guiados en Manuel Antonio con interpreters of the nature CR

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to actually see the animals instead of walking past them: the guide's optical equipment and trained eye find what most visitors miss. Small groups work best here, since the guide moves at the pace of spotting rather than covering distance.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 6 years); Infant (under 4).

What animals will I actually see on a two-hour walk in Manuel Antonio?

The tour targets sloths, monkeys, snakes, lizards and frogs: the species most visitors miss without a guide. What you encounter depends on the day and the season, but the guide's job is to locate the camouflaged ones and explain what you're looking at.

Do I need to buy a separate entrance ticket to Manuel Antonio National Park?

Yes. The national park entrance costs 20 USD and is not included in the tour price. You can add it at checkout. The guide meets you at the park entrance.

Will I get my own binoculars, or do we share one pair?

The guide carries both binoculars and a telescope, so you're not passing a single pair around. You'll use them to spot animals the guide locates, and the guide explains what you're seeing.

What happens to the photos taken during the tour?

Every animal you find gets photographed in HD, and those photos are yours to keep as a souvenir: no extra cost, no waiting for them later.

Is there time to explore the beaches or trails after the guided walk?

Yes. The two-hour tour ends, and the park stays open for the rest of the day. Many visitors spend the afternoon on the white and black sand beaches or hiking the trails on their own.