Costa Rica is home to a rich biodiversity of lush rainforests, stunning landscapes, towering waterfalls, spectacular beaches, and varied wildlife that attracts a lot of nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts from all over the world to Costa Rica. Among the varied wildlife, a sloth is the most beloved animal that attracts visitors to the country.
When visiting Costa Rica for the first time, if there was any animal I was dying hard to see, it was a sloth. These slow-moving, tree-dwelling, lovable creatures have such an adorable face and snuggly bodies that left me making that “aww” sound every time I looked at their pictures.
So, when I arrived in Costa Rica, I decided to take some time out of my travel schedule to go on a sloth-watching tour with my husband, Tim.
It was an exciting tour, packed with so much knowledge about sloths, from the perfect spot to find them, the common species, their behaviors, and the best time to see a sloth in Costa Rica.
In this article, I’ve compiled all the information you need before taking a sloth-watching tour in Costa Rica, regardless of the time of the day.
Key Takeaways
- There are only two types of sloth species in Costa Rica.
- Hoffman’s sloth is also called a two-toed sloth.
- The Brown-throated sloth is also called a three-toed sloth.
- Two-toed sloths are nocturnal and can live in high elevations, while three are diurnal.
Common Sloth Species in Costa Rica
There are two species of sloths in Costa Rica, namely Hoffman’s (two-toed) sloths and Brown Throated (three-toed) sloths.
Both have their behavioral patterns and individual habitats. So let’s talk about them.
| Sloths Species | Features |
| Hoffman’s Sloth | Also called the two-fingered sloth, it is mainly nocturnal and more challenging to see than the brown-throated sloth. It is larger, more hairy, has a more extended snort, and has bigger eyes, with two toes in its front feet and three in its hind feet. Hoffman’s sloth lives in high-elevation areas (like Monteverde) of 3000 feet or more and can survive extreme cold because of the more hairs. They have a varied diet of leaves, insects, and fruits. |
| Brown-throated Sloth | Also called a three-fingered sloth, it has three toes on all their feet with hairy soles and more extended claws. Their heads are round and can turn 300 degrees to scan for predators, and they have a short snort. Brown-throated sloths are active day and night and live on a strict diet of only leaves. |
Both sloth species generally sleep up to 15 hours a day. They also love dwelling on treetops and allow algae and moss to grow on them to serve as camouflage.
Sloth Watching Tour
The sloth watch tour is very educational and guided by knowledgeable tour instructors. It is sectioned into day and night tours.
The day tours are the most common and popular among tourists and usually start in the morning hours at national parks with lush rainforests or conserved areas of the country where sloths are known to inhabit.
You can go alone, go with a tour guide, or tag along with a tour group to see sloths lying lazily on treetops.
Pro Tip
If you are traveling with young children, I advise you to go on a sloth-watching tour during the day.
If it’s your first time, I recommend hiring a tour guide. They are more experienced and would quickly spot sloths that you cannot see.
On the other hand, the night tours usually start around dusk and give you a different view of sloths at night. I noticed that sloths move around at night rather than during the day.
Pro Tip
Go in with a flashlight and carefully follow every instruction the tour guide gives for your safety.
Sloth Watching Tours Day or Night
Mundo de Perezosos Private Sloth Tour
- Address: Alajuela Province, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica
- Contact: +506 6110 3556
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Ages: 0-99 Years
- Budget: $30 per adult
- Website
- Live Guide: Speaks English and Spanish
- Ratings: 5/5 on Tripadvisor
If you are looking to have an exclusive private tour for just your family or social groups in La Fortuna then Mundo de Perezosos is your best bet. They offer both day and night tours that last for a minimum of two hours.
Apart from that, you will also be given a telescope to view sloths on treetops and a light snack when you are done touring.
They are one of the best in the area, as their tour guides are very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable to ensure you spot a sloth before the end of the tour.
Selvatura Sloth Sanctuary
- Address: Selvatura Adventure Park, Puntarenas Province, Tilarán, Costa Rica
- Contact: +50640017899
- Website
- Ages: 4-99
- Duration: 2 hours
- Budget: $108
- Live Guide: Speaks English
- Ratings: 4.5 on Tripadvisor
One of the best wildlife tours in Monteverde. You do not get to only see sloths but also other wildlife like birds, reptiles, and so on.
The good thing here is that the tour guides are professionals and very knowledgeable. The downside is that they do not provide snacks, so come with yours.
Sloth Watching Trail
- Address: 600 east of the Central Park, La Fortuna, Alajuela Province Alajuela, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica
- Contact: +50624797104
- Website
- Ages: 8-90
- Budget: $69
- Live Guide: Speaks English and Spanish
- Ratings: 5/5 on Tripadvisor
- Sloth watching trail is one of the favorite spots where you can see sloths in their large numbers in La Fortuna. This place is more like a sloth watching sanctuary.
The captivating thing here are the professional tour guides that make the entire experience fun and educational. The downside is that they do not provide snacks or telescopes. So ensure you come with your snacks and binoculars.
Best Places To See Sloths In Costa Rica
Bogarin Trail
Bogarin Trail is one of the popular places to spot sloths in the heart of La Fortuna. There are more than 30 two toed and three toed sloths in this place.
Aside from spotting sloths, you also get to see other animals like frogs, toucans, iguanas, and so on. The trails here are pretty flat, and wheelchair accessible.
What I love most about here is that, when you pay for your entrance ticket, you have the chance of using it twice. So let’s say, you were unable to spot sloths on the first day. You can come in the next day to spot sloths with the same ticket.
And you also get a clear view of the majestic Arenal Volcano right outside the trail.
Sloth Watching Trail
Apart from the Bogarin Trail, this is one place to go on a sloth watching tour in the western part of La Fortuna town. This place is not just a natural area to see sloths but also other animals like snakes, birds, frogs, and so on.
Monteverde National Park
Monteverde National Park is home to the special two-toed sloth species because of the high altitude.
The National Park borders La Fortuna, so you can see both on the eastern and southern ends. So you can easily get to it once you arrive at La Fortuna.
If you have much time, you can visit the Monteverde cloud forest for more views of sloths. I advise you to take a night off to have the best view of sloths in this area.
Rio Danta Biological Corridor
This is a free reserve in the Warren part of La Fortuna town. It is a hidden gem and one of the best places to spot sloths in La Fortuna.
Apart from sloths, you also get to see snakes, frogs, birds, and all kinds of insects for free. I highly recommend visiting this place.
Sloth Sanctuaries
You will find a lot of sloth sanctuaries in Costa Rica. This is where injured or strayed wildlife like sloths are kept in a protected area or captivity to be taken care of before they are later released safely back into the jungle.
Most visitors love to come to these sanctuaries because it gives them a guarantee of seeing sloths and other wildlife rather than hiking in the jungle.
You can visit any of the sanctuaries in Costa Rica to get to see sloths as much as you want.
By the side of the road
When visiting places like the Mistico hanging es, you can easily spot sloths on the road or hanging on treetops from your car.
Most times you will see cars stop in the middle of the road to allow sloths to cross to the other side of the road. It happens quite often around here, so you can use that opportunity to watch sloths.
Best Time To Spot Sloths
You can spot sloths in their natural habitat any time of the year. However, during the dry and peak tourist season (December through April), they move about a lot because the hot weather makes them uncomfortable.
During the rainy season (May through November), when the weather is less hot, you may hardly see them, and if you are lucky, you will find them sleeping for hours on treetops.
Practical Tips for Spotting Sloths
- Hire an experienced tour guide to help you spot sloths. However, ensure whoever you are hiring is certified and has the “Institute of Costa Rica Tourism card.”
- Use binoculars to look for green furs on tree branches since sloths tend to camouflage with the vegetation.
- Observe the movement of trees for slight changes.
- Sloths hang out on trees like Cecropia, Clethraceae, and Clusiaceae. Knowing what these trees look like will help you spot a sloth fast.
- Be patient and observe the surroundings in silence.
- When touring, pay attention to certain sounds, like soft kissing or growling on top of trees. This is an indicator of the presence of sloths.
Interesting Facts About Sloths
- Sloths are great swimmers regardless of how slow they are in moving.
- Wild sloths live up to 20 years and are commonly found in South and Central America.
- The Brown-throated sloths can turn their heads 300 degrees.
- Sloths are one of the common Costa Rican animals of the rainforest.
- Sloths only come down from treetops once a week to poop.
- Sloths can spend 90% of their lives in an upside-down position because of the position of their lungs.
- Sloths are related to armadillos and anteaters.
- Sloths allow algae to grow on their furs as an easy way to camouflage.
- It takes up to 30 days for sloths to completely digest one leaf.
- Sloths only have a quarter of the muscle mass of other animals of their size.
- The color difference between the two Costa Rica sloth species is that the Hoffman’s Sloth is beige while the Brown-throated one is gray with a white happy face.
If you are fascinated by animals, do not miss out on learning about the 4 Common Lizard Species in Costa Rica also.
Conclusion
Costa Rica is the treasure trove of Sloths, making it one of the attractions that drive tourists from all over the world to the country.
Whether you choose to go on a day or night sloth-watching Tour, you are in for a remarkable experience.
About Michelle Schmidt
Born in California, Michelle traveled extensively through the USA and Europe before moving to South Florida during the pandemic. Her career in Marketing has taken her all across the world. Her favorite country is France but she'll never turn down a beach vacation!
