Manzanillo Refuge nocturnal tour: Spot jungle wildlife

Nocturnal animals move through the jungle on schedules most visitors never see.

A nocturnal tour in Manzanillo Refuge is a guided nighttime hike through primary and secondary forest where you walk the coastal trail and mountain paths looking for animals active after dark. Your local naturalist guide leads the walk, pointing out tarantulas, snakes, frogs, spiders, scorpions, kinkajous and other wildlife, along with the plants and fungi that sustain them. The hike lasts around two and a half hours. Fruit is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Nighttime jungle exploration

• Arrive at Manzanillo sector
• Walk coastal trail seeking animals
• Hike mountain trail spotting wildlife
• Visit Manzanillo viewpoint

The experience

The tour starts after you arrive at the Manzanillo sector of the refuge. Your guide leads you onto the coastal trail first, where the forest floor and canopy shift into a different rhythm than daylight brings. After walking that stretch, you move into the mountain hike, where the density of life (and the number of animals moving through it), becomes the point. Two and a half hours in the jungle at night means your eyes adjust, your guide's flashlight picks out details you would walk past in daylight, and the animals you came to find are actually hunting, moving, calling to each other instead of hiding.

Tarantulas, Anolis lizards, kinkajous, snakes, ants, frogs and spiders are what you are likely to encounter. The guide knows the refuge intimately and can read the forest, which logs hold which creatures, where to listen for calls, what a particular sound means. He also talks about the primary trees, the fungi, and the ecosystems that layer through the refuge, so the animals you see are not isolated sightings but part of a system. Toward the end of the walk, you reach the Manzanillo viewpoint before heading back.

The refuge holds primates, reptiles, amphibians and grasshoppers across many different ecosystems. A nocturnal tour is the only way to see most of them active. They are there in daylight too, but sleeping or still. At night, the jungle is not quiet or empty. It is the opposite. Fruit is provided during the tour.

What’s included

• A local naturalist guide who speaks English or Spanish.
• fruit during the hike.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (19 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 75 years) · Youth (13 to 18 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Braulio Isaac Vanegas Rojas

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so you can follow the commentary and the animal identifications in whichever language you are most at ease with. Children from age 6 can join, and the hike suits all fitness levels, so the group can be mixed in age and experience.

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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 (13 to 18 years); Child (6 to 12 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

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.

What animals am I likely to see on a nocturnal tour in Manzanillo Refuge?

Tarantulas, snakes, frogs, spiders, scorpions, kinkajous, Anolis lizards and ants are commonly spotted on the mountain hike. The guide also points out primates, reptiles and amphibians throughout the refuge, and the specific animals you encounter depend on the season and the night's conditions.

How long does the nocturnal tour in Manzanillo Refuge take?

The tour lasts around two and a half hours, starting with the coastal trail and moving into the mountain hike where most of the wildlife activity happens.

What is included in the nocturnal tour?

The tour includes a local naturalist guide who leads the walk and explains the animals and ecosystems you encounter. Fruit is provided during the hike.