Top Costa Rica Eco Tours

Hiking Monteverde with a private guide means you can go where you want, when you want—and get undivided attention from your guide along the way. As you hike, your guide helps you spot wildlife like birds, sloths, and monkeys that you might miss on your own and provides tons of information about the local ecosystem.

Enjoy a peaceful yet invigorating end to the day with a two-hour evening kayaking tour from Paquera. After a safety briefing, take to the water in your kayak and watch the sky turn orange and pink as the sun sets. Once it’s dark, paddle by the light of the moon or, if it’s cloudy, you may be able to see the magnificent bioluminescence in the water.

Women-Led, Personalized Experience on Lake Arenal Join us for a unique, women-led experience on the stunning Lake Arenal, located in the northern highlands of Costa Rica. As the country’s largest lake—spanning 85 square kilometers with depths ranging from 30 to 60 meters depending on the season—Lake Arenal offers breathtaking scenery and tranquil waters perfect for your adventure. We believe in creating personalized experiences, and we welcome your four-legged companions too! As fellow pet lovers, we’re happy to accommodate your furry friend by providing a pet life vest (available for an additional fee).

Lace up your hiking boots for this full-day immersion in the wild beauty of Tenorio Volcano National Park. Look for wildlife on the drive from La Fortuna, and feel like a jungle explorer on the trek to Rio Celeste, known for its mystical aquamarine waters. Take a dip in warm volcanic river pools, admire a cascading waterfall, and reward your efforts with a typical Costa Rican lunch.

Take Palo Verde National Park up on its reputation as a bird-watcher’s paradise on this wildlife boat tour from Papagayo Gulf. Following hotel pickup, make your way to the marshland between the Tempisque and Bebedero River for a wildlife tour, with opportunities to see iguanas, monkeys, bats, and more. Complete your tour with a typical Costa Rican lunch and hotel drop-off.

Improve your chances of spotting wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park on this small-group hike. Following your guide, explore the park as you look out for sloths, monkeys, iguanas, and more, whilst they provide commentary about their lives and behaviors in the rainforest. Enjoy a route that is flat and well-maintained, making this activity suitable for all fitness levels.

Cruise along one of Costa Rica’s most scenic coastlines on a sailing and snorkeling tour of Manuel Antonio. Relax on deck and sip unlimited drinks from an open bar as you get a new perspective on the unspoiled nature preserve and try to spot dolphins, turtles, and migrating whales. Stop to swim and snorkel among tropical fish in the clear waters off Biesanz Beach, and then reward your efforts with a gourmet lunch prepared right on board.

If you’re looking for wildlife in Costa Rica, one of the best places to see it is the pristine coastal forests of Manuel Antonio National Park. Get more out of a visit to the famous park on a tour with a certified naturalist guide who knows all the best places to find sloths, monkeys, iguanas, toucans, and many other animals. Learn about the park’s amazing ecosystems along the way, and get a closer look using a provided Swarovski spotting scope.

Just 90 minutes from San Jose lies a world of fiery, steaming, white-hot adventure, and with this private tour, you’ll walk into it yourself. Picked up from your hotel, you’ll make the drive to Poas Volcano National Park, where you’ll literally step into the volcanic crater. After getting your fill of this lava land, you’ll cool down with stops at a bucolic farm, coffee plantation, or other Alajuela attractions.

If you've been eyeing Costa Rica's national parks like Manuel Antonio, don't skip Rainmaker Conservation Park. 1,500 uncrowded acres, Rainmaker sits in the heart of the Quepos Biological Corridor, with lush views and epic wildlife around every turn. On this guided tour, you'll spot hard-to-find creatures, walk in the treetops, cross suspension bridges, and take a dip in a natural pool, swimming in Costa Rica's unparalleled beauty.

Visit the Braulio Carrillo National Park on this bird-watching tour from San José. Located northeast of the city in the Caribbean lowlands, the park boasts an average of 365 species of birds from 50 different families; 72 species are considered to be abundant and common. For avid birders, the park is a must-see destination when visiting Costa Rica.

Experience the best of Costa Rica’s adventure in one action-packed day at a private 850-acre river valley near Jaco. Ride horseback through lush jungle, soar across zip lines, rappel beside waterfalls, and rev up on an ATV ride—all led by expert English-speaking guides. Watch for monkeys and macaws, then enjoy an authentic Costa Rican lunch in a Jurassic Park-like setting.

Irazú Volcano National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most scenic natural destinations, but given its size, it can be hard to know where to start. Streamline your visit with a guided tour from San José, joining a local guide to tackle the park’s trails. Venture up to a viewpoint where, on a clear day, you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Ride a horse into the jungle on this guided small-group tour near Jaco to a towering waterfall, ancient groves of trees and a remote valley ranch. Watch for white-faced monkeys, toucans, and macaws as you ride your Costa Rican stepping horse along the trail and enjoy the cool spray from the 180-foot (55-meter) El Encanto waterfall. Take in stunning views of the thickly forested landscape, then finish your tour with fresh fruit and juice at the scenic ranch.

Explore Tortuguero National Park in depth during a 3-day tour from San Jose that includes accommodation and transportation to this remote wilderness destination on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Travel by car and boat with a guide who shows you through the canals and rivers of Toruguero, and where you might spot Atlantic green turtles, monkeys, and other wildlife. This all-inclusive tour takes care of the logisitcs so you can have fun.

Put a pause on sedate sightseeing and add a little adrenaline to your vacation plans with this group whitewater rafting experience. Kit-up after your safety briefing, and take to Class III and IV rapids as your guide navigates the route. Well-suited for travelers looking to explore the Costa Rican rainforest in a different way.

The Tamarindo estuary is a long, vast river mouth with mangrove forest. It is located between Tamarindo and Playa Grande. The labyrinth of meanders, streams and lagoons is vast and rarely explored. It is a perfect 2.5 hour trip for nature lovers. You can paddle through the calm waters of the estuary, between Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande. On sunny days you can see a wide variety of bird species, crocodiles, iguanas and other animals. Enjoying the heart of the Las Baulas National Marine Park

Swap sandy beaches for soaring peaks on this full-day tour of the Miravalles volcano from Playa Flamingo. Witness the effects of one of Guanacaste's most active volcanoes as you pass bubbling mud pots, smoking geysers and sulfur springs, and enjoy the rare opportunity to soak in a volcanic mud bath and natural hot springs. After lunch (included), embark on an exhilarating hike along lush rainforest trails and rugged volcanic terrain, stopping to cool off with a swim beneath natural waterfalls.

Increase your odds of seeing sloths in the wild with this sloth-spotting tour from Puerto Limon. Head to two natural environments known for their large sloth populations: Cahuita National park and the Tortuguero Canals. Traveling with a guide also provides the benefit of commentary so you can learn about local wildlife as you go.

Connect with two key pieces of Costa Rican life: coffee and wilderness on this combination tour to La Paz Waterfall Gardens and the Doka Coffee Estate plantation. This full-day, guided tour kicks off with a tour of plantation where you’ll learn how your cups gets from bean to breakfast. Afterwards, hike over volcanic terrain, under waterfalls, and into the rainforest during a challenging hike in the nature reserve.

If you want to see sloths in Costa Rica, maximize your chances at the Spring Paradise Bijagua, where the adorable furry creatures can often be seen in their natural habitat. Plus, take a guided hike through the rainforest to the Blue River waterfall, and cool off with cliff jumping and swimming in a jungle lagoon. It's a great way to take a break from the beaches and do something different in Tamarindo.

Discover what nature has to show you in the dark, the night tour will be the best option for you to go in search of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects, arachnids and the fact of being in the forest surrounded by the darkness makes it even more special.

Most tours of Manuel Antonio National Park take place during the day, but this small-group nighttime tour allows you to see a different side of the park and the creatures that come out after dark. Your guide will lead you around the park in search of the tree frogs, shy snakes, colorful insects, mammals, and other rainforest creatures that only come out at night.

Explore the forests of Arenal Volcano National Park on a half-day walking tour, with the option to soak away the afternoon in the park’s nearby thermal springs. Follow your guide between towering trees, and discover the devastation left by the powerful lava slides and volcanic activity. Enjoy views of Arenal volcano and the Tilarán Range, and learn about the area’s nature, wildlife, and history. Return to your hotel or visit the hot pools of your choice, where Costa Rica’s simmering geology creates a stunning natural spa.