THE MOST BIOLOGICALLY INTENSE PLACE ON EARTH

Costa Rica’s Most Immersive Wildlife Experience

From the soil to the skies, at Lapa Rios there is life wherever you look. Perched on an ocean-facing ridge in the midst of a 1,000-acre private rainforest reserve, our verdant world is teeming with creatures big and small, many iconic and others yet to be discovered.

Here, our tropical climate, glorious sunshine and vital rainfall create the perfect conditions for species to thrive. A staggering 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity is found on the Osa Peninsula, including a number of endangered and endemic species. A great many call Lapa Rios home.

MEET OUR RAINFOREST RESIDENTS

Fauna At Lapa Rios
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Mammals

Follow the trails through lush hills and habitats of myriad mammals

Lapa Rios Lodge exists in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings. More often than not, you needn’t even go looking for mammals to find them. Howler monkeys – nature’s alarm clock – will make their presence known to you at dawn. Squirrel monkeys will never be too far from breakfast. Self-assured coatis strut through the main lodge, blissfully unaware of the stir they create.

Other mammals frequently seen around the lodge include spider and white faced monkeys, kinkajous, two and three toed sloths, three species of bat, agoutis, skunks, peccaries, anteaters, armadillos, opossums and more. Our cats, including pumas, jaguarondis, ocelots, margays and jaguars are shy but not impossible to spot either.

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Birds

Spot them from sunrise to sunset… all 300 plus

Binoculars at the ready – over 300 bird species have been sighted at Lapa Rios, including our namesake lapa, or scarlet macaw. At certain times of the year, large flocks of scarlet macaws can be seen flying together resembling colorful “rivers” (rios) on the horizon, hence our lodge’s name.

Other species frequently spotted include the chestnut-mandibled toucan, aracaris, and the endemic black-cheeked ant-tanager. The sheer abundance of impressive, colorful birds that flitter through our treetops could turn any first-timer into an avid birder.

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Reptiles & Amphibians

Watch your step for our most well camouflaged creatures

A host of reptiles and amphibians scurry, slither and hop around the lodge. Glimpse Jesus Christ lizards dart from the path on your way to breakfast. Sunbathe beside prehistoric-looking iguanas. Watch diminutive poison dart frogs splash around after rainfall.

Our expert guides will point out various other lizards, geckos, skinks, tree frogs and snakes including boas, corals, vines and vipers.

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Insects

The essential little ones that keep our ecosystem ticking over

Bugs are all part of the Lapa Rios safari. Hard-working leaf cutter ants haul their fruitage along the reserve’s trails. Bright blue morpho butterflies flirtatious glide from tree to tree. Stick insects crop up in unexpected places and noisy cicadas keep up the rainforest rhythm. There is something about seeing insects in situ that makes them more magical than menacing.

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Marine Species

Osa Peninsula wildlife thrives beyond the rainforest

Just a stone’s throw from Lapa Rios Lodge: the Pacific Ocean and Golfo Dulce. On their shores dwell crabs, starfish and sea cucumbers. Out in the blue swim green sea turtles, dolphins, and both pilot and humpback whales which can even be spotted from the lodge.

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Noah’s Ark Worthy Wildlife

“Lapa Rios is by far the most immersive wildlife experience I’ve ever had, with every corner moving, flying, crawling, leaping from branch to branch, etc. I truly came back different, possibly more animal; definitely a less wasteful human. We really need to get it together, People! And if you need that reminder, go to Lapa Rios, live amongst the beautiful creatures and see why. It’s probably the most important thing you can do.”

– Megan, New York

Questions About Wildlife At Lapa Rios?

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