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Aerial view of a forested coastline beside turquoise waters.

Costa Rica · Puerto Viejo & Cahuita

Wildlife, rescue centres and jungle trails

Parks, refuges and rescue centres where you can see sloths, monkeys, macaws and turtles responsibly.

9 places

  1. Cahuita National Park1

    Photo: Pavel Kirillov, CC BY-SA 2.0

    WildlifeOpen

    Cahuita National Park

    Next to Cahuita town (Playa Blanca entrance) and 4 km south (Puerto Vargas)10.8 km from the centre

    Entry
    $5.65
    Hours
    8:00 to 16:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A coastal park co-managed by the community and SINAC, with beaches, flooded forest and the reef SINAC rates as the best preserved on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Sloths, howler monkeys, raccoons and coatis are easy to spot from the trail.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Cahuita · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Playa Blanca: voluntary cash contribution. Puerto Vargas: $5.65 for non-resident foreign adults and children (VAT included), by card.
    Hours
    SINAC lists 8:00 to 16:00 at both sectors; its management plan gives Playa Blanca 6:00–17:00 and closes the section between Punta Cahuita and Puerto Vargas at 14:00. Confirm before you go.
    Booking
    SINAC mentions no reservation system.

    Tip: SINAC recommends hiring an accredited local guide, not standing on the corals and respecting that pets, alcohol and weapons are not allowed.

    Nearby: Puerto Vargas sector (Cahuita National Park) (0.2 km) · Snorkelling on the Cahuita reef (1.1 km) · Playa Blanca–Punta Cahuita–Puerto Vargas coastal trail (3.2 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Cahuita · SINAC – Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Cahuita 2016–2026

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  2. 2

    NatureOpen

    Playa Blanca–Punta Cahuita–Puerto Vargas coastal trail

    Starts at the Playa Blanca entrance (Kelly Creek), Cahuita town13 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A flat trail along the park’s shoreline from the Kelly Creek bridge in town to Punta Cahuita and on to Puerto Vargas, with beach stretches where you can swim.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Cahuita National Park · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Time needed
    Officially 8 km one way (some guides say it is closer to 10 km); allow at least 2 hours without stops.

    Tip: According to SINAC’s management plan, the section between Punta Cahuita and Puerto Vargas closes at 14:00: start early if you want to walk it all.

    Nearby: Cahuita town and Afro-Caribbean culture (0.3 km) · Playa Negra (Cahuita) (1.6 km) · Puerto Vargas sector (Cahuita National Park) (3.1 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Cahuita National Park · SINAC – Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Cahuita 2016–2026

  3. Jaguar Rescue Center3

    Photo: Wawewo, CC BY-SA 4.0

    WildlifeOpen

    Jaguar Rescue Center

    Playa Chiquita, about 5 km south of Puerto Viejo3.7 km from the centre

    Entry
    $25
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A centre that rescues and rehabilitates injured or orphaned wildlife (sloths, monkeys, birds, reptiles) to release them back to the forest. Visits are by guided tour only.

    Source: Jaguar Rescue Center – official site · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Public tour $25 per person, free for under-10s, according to a 2026 guide; the private tour costs more. Confirm on its website.
    Hours
    Public tours at 9:30 and 11:30 and a private one at 14:00. Its website says daily; other guides say Monday to Saturday.
    Booking
    Tickets online at tickets.jaguarrescue.foundation; arrive 15 minutes early.
    Time needed
    About 90 minutes.

    Nearby: Surf lessons at Cocles and Playa Negra (1.3 km) · Cocles Beach (1.3 km) · Guided jungle night walk (1.3 km)

    Sources: Jaguar Rescue Center – official site · Vamos Rent-a-Car – Jaguar Rescue Center: tours, prices & tips

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  4. Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica4

    WildlifeOpen

    Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica

    Penshurst, Valle La Estrella, about 10 km north of Cahuita23.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    $30
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A sloth rescue and rehabilitation centre running since 1992, with short guided visits and an optional canoe ride on the river. Touching or holding the animals is not allowed.

    Source: Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica – official site · 2026

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Buttercup Tour (1 h): $30 adults (13+), $15 children 5–12, under-5s free; canoe $5 extra. Insider’s Tour (2 h): $150 adults.
    Hours
    Buttercup Tour hourly from 8:00 to 15:00 (no 15:00 slot on Sundays and Mondays). The Insider’s Tour runs Tuesday to Sunday.
    Booking
    By reservation through its website or email.

    Nearby: Tree of Life (botanical garden and wildlife rescue) (7.5 km) · Playa Negra (Cahuita) (9.4 km) · Cahuita town and Afro-Caribbean culture (10.6 km)

    Sources: Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica – official site

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  5. 5

    WildlifeOpen

    Ara Manzanillo (great green macaws)

    Hillside above Punta Uva and Manzanillo8.2 km from the centre

    Entry
    $20
    Hours
    15:00 to 16:00
    Booking
    Required

    A local breeding and reintroduction project for the great green macaw on the South Caribbean coast. In the afternoon, feeders are raised into the trees and you watch the macaws arrive from a platform.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Ara Manzanillo · 2025

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $20 per person; under-12s free (2025 guides).
    Hours
    Daily afternoon visit, 15:00 to 16:00.
    Booking
    By prior reservation only (website, phone or email).
    Time needed
    About 1 hour.

    Nearby: Kayak or SUP on the Punta Uva river (1.7 km) · Punta Uva Beach (1.7 km) · Manzanillo village and beach (3.1 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Ara Manzanillo

  6. 6

    NatureOpen

    Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge trail

    Starts at the end of the road in Manzanillo13.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    6:30 to 15:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A coastal trail through jungle and coves from Manzanillo village, with the Miss May Point lookout a few minutes in and a continuation toward Punta Mona. Expect monkeys, sloths, poison dart frogs and toucans.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge · 2025

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Voluntary donation (₡1,000 or $2 was suggested in the past).
    Hours
    Daily 6:30 to 15:00 (last entry), according to a guide updated in 2025.
    Time needed
    Miss May Point is about 15 minutes in; the round trip to Punta Mona (5 km each way) takes longer and the path becomes faint.

    Tip: A local guide is not required but helps spot wildlife and adds safety: robberies have been reported in this remote area.

    Nearby: Punta Mona (3.4 km) · Manzanillo village and beach (3.6 km) · Dolphin-watching tour in Gandoca-Manzanillo (3.6 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

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  7. 7

    WildlifeOpen

    Guided jungle night walk

    Private reserves between Cocles and Manzanillo2.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    From about $45
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Guided walks after dark to see frogs, insects, snakes, kinkajous and sleeping birds in private reserves around Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo.

    Source: GetYourGuide – Puerto Viejo & Cahuita night tour · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    From about $45–50 per person in 2026, depending on the operator.
    Time needed
    1.5 to 2 hours.

    Nearby: Surf lessons at Cocles and Playa Negra (0 km) · Cocles Beach (0 km) · Caribeans chocolate forest tour (Cocles) (1 km)

    Sources: GetYourGuide – Puerto Viejo & Cahuita night tour · Cahuita Wildlife Lodge – Jungle night walk

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  8. 8

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Leatherback turtle nesting at Gandoca Beach

    Gandoca village, accessed via Sixaola17.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A refuge beach where a conservation project patrols at night to protect leatherback nests; visitors can join with guides or through the volunteer programme.

    Seasonal only: leatherbacks nest roughly from March to July, peaking in April and May. Outside that window there are no tours; hike the refuge trail or take a dolphin tour instead.

    Source: Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – Leatherback turtles nesting in Gandoca · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: Go only with authorised guides or the local project: no white torches or flash near the turtles.

    Nearby: Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge trail (3.9 km) · Punta Mona (4.5 km) · Manzanillo village and beach (7.2 km)

    Sources: Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – Leatherback turtles nesting in Gandoca · Gandoca Tours – Sea turtle nesting site

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  9. 9

    NatureOpen

    Punta Mona

    About 5 km south-east of Manzanillo, inside the refuge15 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A remote point inside the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge, with a beach and reef, reached on foot along the trail from Manzanillo or by boat.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge · 2025 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: Many dolphin tours from Manzanillo combine the boat ride with a stop at Punta Mona.

    Nearby: Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge trail (3.4 km) · Manzanillo village and beach (4.1 km) · Dolphin-watching tour in Gandoca-Manzanillo (4.1 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge · Gandoca Tours – Dolphin watching and visit Punta Mona

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