Monteverde Night Wildlife Walk: Small Group & Refugio Trails

Summary

Night walks in Monteverde for wildlife, small group trails, owls frogs bugs

You’ll follow a local guide along Monteverde’s Refugio trails after dark, using flashlights and a spotting scope to find owls, tarantulas, frogs and more. Get photos of what you spot without worrying about your camera skills, and share laughs with your small group as you discover how alive the forest feels at night.

What’s the experience like?

“Wait — was that an owl or just my stomach?” That’s how our night started in Monteverde, flashlights jittering over the path as our guide, Andrés, grinned and told us to hush. You could smell the wet leaves and something almost peppery in the air. It’s weird how loud the forest gets at night; I kept thinking it’d be quiet, but nope — frogs croaking somewhere off to the left, insects doing their own percussion thing. Andrés pointed out a tarantula (I flinched, I’ll admit it), then handed me the spotting scope so I could see its hairy legs up close. Not sure if I loved that part or just survived it.

We were only a few minutes from the reserve entrance when someone in our group whispered “look!” and there was this tiny green frog clinging to a leaf like it owned the place. Andrés snapped a photo for us — he does that for every animal we spot, which is kind of great because my hands were shaking too much to take a decent picture myself. The trail at Refugio de Vida Silvestre is actually pretty smooth (I was worried about tripping), but you do need to watch your step since some roots sneak up on you in the dark. There were families with kids and even an older couple who seemed more agile than me somehow.

I didn’t expect to laugh so much during a night tour. Someone tried to imitate one of the bird calls (badly), and Andrés just shook his head — “that’s not even close,” he said, but you could tell he liked how curious everyone was. He told us stories about how locals used to believe certain bugs brought good luck if you found them at night. There was this moment where everything went quiet except for one owl hooting way up above us — I still think about that silence sometimes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Night wildlife tour at private reserve

• Arrive at Refugio de Vida Silvestre
• Walk trails to observe nocturnal wildlife
• Spot owls, tarantulas, frogs, and bugs

Top questions

Is entrance to Refugio de Vida Silvestre included?

No, entrance fee is not included in the tour rate.

Are flashlights provided on this Monteverde night walk?

Yes, flashlights are included for all participants.

Is this small group night tour suitable for kids?

Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels and families joined our group.

Can I get photos of wildlife during the tour?

Yes, your guide will take photos of animals you see on the tour.

How difficult are the trails at Refugio de Vida Silvestre?

The trails are well maintained and relatively easy to walk on at night.

Is public transportation available nearby?

Yes, there are public transportation options close to the reserve.

Does this Monteverde night tour include pickup?

No hotel pickup is mentioned; check with your provider for transport options.

What’s included

Your evening includes use of a flashlight throughout the walk, access to a spotting scope for close-up views of wildlife, and digital photos taken by your guide of everything you see during your time on the trail—just remember that entrance fees aren’t covered in advance.