Looking for sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Looking for sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

With their sluggish limbs and camouflaged fur, sloths are often difficult to spot. We pinned our hopes on Manuel Antonio

On our National Geographic expedition to Costa Rica, we wanted to see two animals: the red-eyed tree frog and the three-toed sloth.

The first one was surprisingly accommodating and we got a decent snap on the second day of the tour. However, the sloth remained elusive. The one we spotted on the side of the road was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding branches and made us curious to find out more.

At the time, we were happy that our tour included a guided nature walk through Manuel Antonio National Park. With its lush vegetation and picturesque perch on the Pacific Ocean, Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to see sloths in Costa Rica.

old=““>ShutterstockA brown-throated 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. Something about the sloths' eternal sloth seems consistent with Costa Rica's national mentality of "pura vida" or "pure life," which says everything is cool, no worry, no fuss, no stress; Just be grateful for what you have.

Fittingly, Costa Rica is home to two of the world's six sloth species, namely the brown-throated sloth and the nocturnal Hoffmann's two-toed sloth. Sloths are common in Costa Rica, but you probably won't see them easily. Their slow movements and sky-colored fur mean you could walk past a crowded tree without even seeing them.

With this in mind, we were accompanied by a certified guide on our search for sloths in Manuel Antonio. If you want to see these lazy creatures, a guide is absolutely essential. They have fine-tuned skills and provide you with a telescope to help you find other wildlife too.

• alt=“Auf der Suche nach Faultieren im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio haben wir Fledermäuse gesehen“>
• alt=“Peter auf der Suche nach Faultieren im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio“>
• alt=“Ein rotäugiger Laubfrosch im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio“>
• alt=“Auf der Suche nach Faultieren im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio haben wir einen Affen gesehen“>
• alt=“Auf der Suche nach Faultieren im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio haben wir einen Leguan gesehen“>
• alt=“Die Aussicht vom Strand im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio“>
• alt=“Auf der Suche nach Faultieren im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio haben wir einen Kolibri gesehen“>
• alt=“Auf der Suche nach Faultieren im Nationalpark Manuel Antonio haben wir einen Kolibri gesehen“>

We met our guide Johan and began our search for sloths in Manuel Antonio. In January the air was warm but not oppressive, scented with vegetation and punctuated by the calls of birds and monkeys.

The park itself is well maintained with clear paths and boardwalks running its length. However, this means that it never feels completely removed. In fact, its growing popularity has put pressure on park infrastructure and prompted Costa Rican authorities to introduce tourism caps: 600 visitors at a time on weekdays and 800 on weekends.

alt=“The trails in searching for sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park are well maintained”>Atlas & BootsThe trails in Manuel Antonio National Park are well maintained

These numbers mean you're sure to encounter other visitors, but a guided walk will help you discover things others may have missed. For example, as we began our walk, Johan showed us a pair of tent-building bats curled up under a leaf. He also spotted a crowned woodnymph hummingbird that willingly posed for photos.

Amateur photographers should note that you may need to photograph wildlife through a telescope unless you have a telephoto lens. Most animals live high up in the trees and are difficult to see with the naked eye.

alt=“A crowned wood-nymph hummingbird in Manuel Antonio National Park”>Atlas & BootsA crowned woodnymph hummingbird

We continued our search for sloths in Manuel Antonio. The creatures' slow, irregular movements and sky-colored fur can be explained by a variety of strange and interesting facts. For example, sloths are so sluggish because they have the slowest digestive system of all mammals. It can take two weeks for them to fully digest a meal. Instead of eating more, they have evolved to do less to conserve their energy. In fact, they can sleep up to 20 hours a day.

Sloths are natural tree dwellers and only venture onto the ground to relieve themselves once a week. This is when they are most vulnerable to predators. However, it has to be said: sloths are not the tastiest prey animals.

During the rainy season, a sloth's fur becomes an entire ecosystem with colonies of algae, fungi, mites and moths taking refuge there - up to 120 moths in fact! This gives the sloth a green coloring that allows it to hide from predators and also serves to make it a rather unappetizing meal. Luckily, we visited in the dry season, when the fur is a cleaner, browner shade - as we witnessed halfway through our search for sloths in Manuel Antonio.

Johan spotted one high up in a tree and we gathered around to watch. It was visible to the naked eye, but we appreciated the access to Johan's telescope. Unfortunately, the sloth never moved, so our resulting photos aren't quite perfect...

alt="We find our first sloth in Manuel Antonio National Park">Atlas & BootsNot quite perfect...

If you are an avid photographer, consider putting a pin on Google Maps and returning to the location after the hike is over. On average, sloths travel 120 feet per day - less than half the length of a football field - making it easy to find the sloth you've pinned. In this case, you can camp and wait for it to move to a comfortable angle. Of course, you should never disturb one or try to make it move.

Although we didn't have the perfect view, we were happy that our search was successful. Surprisingly, encountering sloths in Manuel Antonio was not the highlight of our hike. Instead, it was this baby bird waiting in a nest for its mother.

alt="A baby bird opens its beak in Manuel Antonio National Park">Atlas & BootsA hidden baby bird opens its beak

We saw many other animals including a red-eyed tree frog, an iguana and a howler monkey, said to be the second loudest 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 the sloths do so well.

old=““>Atlas & BootsA taste of Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio National Park: Tips

• Wenn Sie unabhängig reisen, buchen Sie einen zertifizierten Führer, um Ihre Chance zu maximieren, Faultiere in Manuel Antonio zu sehen.
• Es gibt Lebensmittelbeschränkungen, also lesen Sie die FAQ, bevor Sie Ihre Tasche packen.
• Besuchen Sie früh am Morgen, um die Massen zu besiegen.
• Beachten Sie, dass der Park montags geschlossen ist.
• Denken Sie daran, dass das Fotografieren ohne Qualitätsobjektive schwierig ist.
• Denken Sie daran, dass Sie möglicherweise kein perfektes Foto von einem Faultier bekommen!
• Betrachten Sie nach der geführten Hauptwanderung einige der weniger ausgetretenen Pfade.
• Weichen Sie nicht von Pfaden ab. Die Holzstege können ein falsches Gefühl der Sicherheit vermitteln, also vergessen Sie nicht, dass der Park voller wilder Tiere ist.
• Packen Sie Ihre Badesachen ein und gehen Sie danach schwimmen. Die meisten Besucher campen am Playa Manuel Antonio. Fahren Sie weiter nach Playa Espadilla Sur für weniger Menschenmassen.

Sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park: the essentials

What: Search for sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park as part of a 9-day tour of Costa Rica's natural highlights with National Geographic Expeditions.

Where: We stayed in a range of mid-range hotels, from the lavish grounds and comfortable rooms at Arenal Manoa in La Fortuna to simpler mountain lodge-style accommodations at Hotel Heliconia in Monteverde and even shipping containers repurposed as rooms at El Faro near Manuel Antonio.

When: The best time to travel to Costa Rica is the dry season from December to April. Plenty of sunshine makes it an ideal time to explore both the treetops and the coast. However, this is high season so expect more tourists and higher prices. The low season from May to July and November is also a good time to visit. It rains more, but it is quieter and the forests of Costa Rica are bursting with leaves.

How: We took a 9-day Costa Rica Natural Highlights Tour with National Geographic Expeditions, which includes a guided nature walk in Manuel Antonio National Park (closed on Mondays).

The tour itself costs from £1,199 and includes a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), all accommodation, transport between destinations, all breakfasts, some meals and numerous activities including a guided nature walk in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and learning to make Doña Mara tortillas in their family home and a tour of the Wed coffee cooperative Cafecito.

The tour is classified as a National Geographic Journey, operated in partnership with G Adventures. More luxurious options are available under the Luxury Eco Lodges, Private Tours, Private Jet Expeditions, Expedition Cruises, River Cruises and Tours With An Expert banners.

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 through Skyscanner.

old=““>

Disclosure: We traveled to Costa Rica with support from National Geographic Expeditions. All publications say this, but we really don't guarantee positive coverage. We say what we think – good and bad – so you can make informed decisions with honest advice.

Main image: ChisholmJA/Shutterstock

      .