The sweet smiling face of the Costa Rican sloth is rapidly becoming the iconic symbol of the country's amazing rainforest wildlife. If you would like an easy ride to see these cuddly looking animals at the forest edge, stopping all along the way to spot Toucans, Howler monkeys, iguanas, and colorful frogs, then this tour is the perfect tour for you.
You'll be picked up from your hotel and driven in a modern, air-conditioned van down beautiful back country roads visiting the places your knowledgeable guide has found filled with sloth families, colorful birdlife, reptiles, and monkeys. At each stop, you'll exit the van and within just a few steps look up to see one of the many tropical animals making Costa Rica famous. Sloths are slow moving and well camouflaged, so the aid of a guide with a high-tech spotting scope ensures your opportunity to experience the wonder of this cheerful looking creature.
Special adaptors can allow you to capture close-up photos with your cell phone attached to the scope. An average tour hosts 5 people with a maximum number of 8. If you are traveling in a group larger than 8 people, additional vans with extra guides can follow to keep you together for viewing. The van will make many stops to show you wildlife in their natural habitats all within easy reach of the van, excellent for families and senior citizens alike.
You'll be searching out both 2-toed and 3-toed sloths. Although similar, they have distinct differences. The 2-toed Sloth, being nocturnal, can be found sleeping high up in the tree tops. More active during daytime hours, the 3-toed Sloth sloooowly moves through the branches happily eating leaves, often with a young sloth hugging on for the ride. Affixed with permanent smiles, sloths easily steal the hearts of those that watch them. Did you know they are related to the anteater?
Your guide will also be stopping to show you some of Costa Rica's abundant birdlife, such as the Keel-billed Toucan, with its rainbow colored bill almost as big as its body. The wet rainforest surrounding the Arenal/La Fortuna area hosts a diverse number of interesting birds including the Great Carrasow, Crested Guan, Oropendula, Umbrella bird, Red Lored Parrot plus a variety of beautiful Motmots, Trogans, Tanagers, and Honeycreepers. You might hear a Laughing Falcon or come across other birds of prey like majestic hawks or owls.
But that's not all! You'll go to see giant iguanas with their primitive dinosaur like bodies. And your guide will be looking for the colorful blue jean frog, the common name for a poison dart frog that looks like it is wearing a pair of blue jeans! Often families of Howler Monkeys are climbing around through the trees that merit a stop along the way.
You'll arrive at the Arenal Oasis and Wildlife Refuge to have a bite to eat. There are two Sloth tours, one at 6am and one at 2pm. If you are on the morning tour your excursion will include breakfast. If you are on the afternoon tour, you'll be treated to a hearty afternoon snack with beverage. The rainforest restaurant is surrounded by feeders, allowing you to observe and take photos of birds, including hummingbirds, as you enjoy your meal. Here, you can stretch your legs on a short optional 20-minute hike, before being driven back to your hotel. The tour includes a certified guide, breakfast or afternoon snack, bottled water, admission fee, and round-trip transportation to hotels in the greater La Fortuna area. Total time of tour is approximately 3 hours depending on hotel location.
The Sloth Tour is available from Arenal, Arenal Zone 2, and Arenal Zone 3
Latitude: N 10° 27' 39.89"
Longitude: W 84° 39' 38.54"