You'll see more animals at Kevin's hotel picks than in Manuel Antonio.
Crowds scare animals. Kevin's partner lodges are set in private gardens and forest where wildlife has learned it's safe. Sloths in the cecropia tree outside your room. Monkeys at dawn. No queues.
The crowd problem
Manuel Antonio National Park receives over 1,000 visitors on a busy day. Animals learn to move away from the trails. The few sloths left on the accessible paths are surrounded by people and guides with telescopes.
Kevin's partner lodges are the opposite. The animals have been around for years. They don't move away. You watch a three-toed sloth for two hours from your hammock — without seeing another tourist.
What you'll find — and where
Three-toed sloth
Kevin's Pacific coast lodge partners all have sloths nesting in cecropia trees on the property. They come down every 7–10 days to change tree — you often see them at eye level in the garden.
Four monkey species
Howler monkeys wake you at dawn with their roar. White-faced capuchins raid fruit trees. Spider monkeys swing through the high canopy. Squirrel monkeys — the most endangered — concentrate in the southern Pacific. Kevin's lodges are near all four ranges.
Coatimundi (pizote)
Like a racoon crossed with an anteater — highly social, confident, and frequently seen in lodge gardens in broad daylight. Families of 20+ are common. Great for photos.
American crocodile
Tárcoles River bridge is one of the most reliable croc spotting points in the world — 20+ crocodiles visible from the roadside bridge, year-round. A 20-minute stop en route to the Pacific.
Green iguana & Jesus Christ lizard
Green iguanas bask on every riverside tree. The basilisk (Jesus Christ lizard) runs across water on its hind legs — a sight worth stopping for. Common near any lowland river or estuary.
Night walks
Kevin's partners include lodges with guided night walks through private forest. Kinkajous, olingo, fer-de-lance, tarantulas, leaf-cutter ants, red-eyed tree frogs. An entirely different country comes out after dark.
Ready to actually see the wildlife?
Kevin chooses lodges based on wildlife, not amenities. Tell him what you want to see — he'll put you in exactly the right place.