Looking for sloths in the Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Veröffentlicht: 15. Juli 2022, 03:06 Uhr

Aktualisiert: 09. Juni 2025, 22:47 Uhr

Von: wom87

With their sluggish limbs and their camouflaged fur, sloths are often not easy to see. We put our hopes for Manuel Antonio

On our National Geographic expedition to Costa Rica we wanted to see two animals: the roaching frog and the triple sloth.

The first was surprisingly courteous and we made a decent snapshot on the second day of the tour. However, the sloth remained difficult to grasp. The one we discovered on a roadside could hardly be distinguished from the surrounding branches and made us curious about more.

We were glad at the time that our tour included a guided natural walk through the Manuel Antonio National Park. With his lavish vegetation and the picturesque perch on the Pacific Ocean, Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to see sloths in Costa Rica.

alt = “”> Shutterstock A lignie sloth and a baby in Costa Rica

This rather strange animal has become a symbol of Costa Rica and even appears on the national currency. With Costa Rica's national mentality of "Pura Vida" or "pure life", which says that everything is cool, no worry, no excitement, no stress; Just be grateful for what you have.

Fittingly, Costa Rica is the home of two of the six sloth species in the world, namely the lignite sloth and the nocturnal Hoffmann-Zweien sloth. Slots are widespread in Costa Rica, but they probably won't see them easily. Their slow movements and sky -colored fur mean that they could walk past a full tree without seeing them at all.

Against this background, we were accompanied by a certified guide in our search for sloth in Manuel Antonio. If you want to see these lazy creatures, a guide is absolutely essential. They have finely coordinated skills and provide you with a telescope with which you can also find other wild animals.

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We met our guide Johan and started our search for sluggish in Manuel Antonio. In January the air was warm but not pressing, smelled of vegetation and was interrupted by the call of the birds and monkeys.

The park itself is well maintained with clear paths and wooden bricks that extend over its length. However, this means that it never feels completely away. In fact, its growing popularity put the park infrastructure under pressure and caused the authorities of Costa Rica to introduce tourism limits: 600 visitors at the same time on weekdays and 800 on weekends.

alt = “The paths in the search for sloth in the manuel Antonio National Park are well maintained”> Atlas & Boots The paths in the Manuel Antonio National Park are well maintained

These numbers mean that you will surely come across other visitors, but a guided walk will help you discover things that others may have overlooked. For example, when we started our walk, Johan showed us a few tent building bats that had rolled up under a sheet. He also discovered a crowned forest nymph colibri who willingly posed for photos.

hobby photographers should note that you may have to take photos of the animal world through a telescope, unless you have a telephoto lens. Most animals live high in the trees and are difficult to recognize with the naked eye.

alt = "A crowned forest nymph kolibri in the manuel Antonio National Park"> Atlas & Boots A crowned forest nymph colibri

We continue our search for sloth in Manuel Antonio. The slow, irregular movements and the sky -colored fur of the creatures can be explained by a variety of strange and interesting facts. Longs are so sluggish, for example, because they have the slowest digestive system of all mammals. It can take two weeks before you have completely digested a meal. Instead of eating more, they have developed to do less to save their energy. In fact, they can sleep up to 20 hours a day.

sloths are natural tree dwellers and only venture onto the floor once a week to facilitate themselves. Then they are most susceptible to predators. However, one has to say: sloths are not the most delicious prey.

In the rainy season, the fur of a sloth becomes an entire ecosystem with colonies of algae, mushrooms, mites and moths who are looking for refuge there - up to 120 moths! This gives the sloth a green color that enables it to hide from predators, and also serves to make it a rather unsavory meal. Fortunately, we visited them in the dry season when the fur has a cleaner, browner color - as we have witnessed halfway our search for lunches in Manuel Antonio.

Johan discovered you high in a tree and we gathered around him to watch him. It was visible with the naked eye, but we appreciated access to Johan's telescope. Unfortunately the sloth has never moved, so our resulting photos are not entirely perfect ...

alt = “We find our first sloth in the Manuel Antonio National Park”> Atlas & Boots not entirely perfect ...

If you are an enthusiastic photographer, you consider putting a pin in Google Maps and returning to the place after the hike. On average, sloths cover 37 m per day - less than half the length of a soccer field - so that you can easily find the sloth you have set. In this case you can camp and wait until it moves to a pleasant angle. Of course, you should never disturb or try to get it in motion.

Although we didn't have the perfect view, we were glad that our search was successful. Surprisingly, the encounter with sloth in Manuel Antonio was not the highlight of our hike. Instead, it was this bird baby that was waiting for his mother in a nest.

alt = “A bird baby opens its beak in the Manuel Antonio National Park”> Atlas & Boots A hidden bird baby opens its beak

We saw many other animals, including a red -eyed leaf frog, a iguana and a roar monkey that is supposed to be the second -sound mammal after the blue whale.

After the walk we strolled to the nearby Espadilla Sur beach to swim in the Pacific Ocean and enjoy some of the famous Pura Vida that master the sloth so well.

alt = “”> Atlas & Boots A foretaste of Pura Vida in Costa Rica

National Park Manuel Antonio: Tips

If you travel independently, book a certified guide to maximize your chance, to see sloths in Manuel Antonio.
There are food restrictions, so read the FAQ before you pack your bag.
Visit early in the morning to defeat the masses.
Note that the park is closed on Mondays.
Remember that photography is difficult without quality lenses.
Remember that you may not get a perfect photo of a sloth!
look at some of the less leaked paths after the main hike.
do not deviate from paths. The wooden walkways can convey a false feeling of security, so do not forget that the park is full of wild animals.
Pack your bathing clothes and go swimming afterwards. Most visitors camp on Playa Manuel Antonio. Go to Playa Espadilla Sur for fewer crowds.

sloths in the Manuel Antonio National Park: The essentials

WAS: In search of sluggish in the Manuel Antonio National Park as part of a 9-day tour to the natural highlights of Costa Rica with National Geographic Expeditions.

Where: We stayed in a number of mid -range hotels, from the lavish facilities and comfortable rooms in the Arenal Manoa in La Fortuna to simpler subconsctions in the mountain hut style in the Hotel Heliconia in Monteverde and even ship containers, which were converted into EL Faro at Manuel Antonio.

When: The best travel time for Costa Rica is the dry season from December to April. A lot of sunshine makes it an ideal time to explore both the tree tops and the coast. However, this is high season, so you can expect more tourists and higher prices. The low season from May to July and November is also a good time for a visit. It is raining more, but it is quieter and the forests of Costa Ricas are brimming with leaves.

How: We took part in a 9-day tour to the Costa Rica natural highlights with National Geographic Expeditions, which includes a guided natural walk in the Manuel Antonio National Park (closed on Mondays).

The tour itself costs from £ 1,199 and includes a chief experience officer (CEO), all accommodations, the transport between the goals, all breakfasts, some meals and numerous activities, including a guided natural walk in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and learning the production of Tortillas from Doña Mara in your family house and a tour through the coffee. Cafecito.

The tour is classified as a "National Geographic Journey", which is carried out in partnership with G Adventures. Luxurious options are available among the banners Luxury Eco Lodges, private tours, private jet expeditions, expedition cruises, river cruises and tours with an expert.

For more information or bookings, call 0800 440 2551 or book online.

We flew to Costa Rica with British Airways. Book flights at the best prices via Skyscanner.

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disclosure: We traveled to Costa Rica with the support of National Geographic Expeditions. All publications say that, but we really don't guarantee positive reporting. We say what we think - good and bad - so that you can make sound decisions with honest advice.