Pretty sure every little kid studies the rainforest in school. I was the nerdy one sporting the animal motif t-shirts engrossed in every glossy photo in the textbook. Naturally, when a couple friend of ours asked us to split their Airbnb in Costa Rica we could not resist! Read on for our experience at Carara National Park in February 2026.
We bought this field guide and found it fun to scribble where and when we saw each critter
Carara National Park Tour
Parque Nacional Carara, Tarcoles, 61101, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Drive time from Quepos: Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
Tickets: You cannot purchase tickets on site. We booked this tour which included entry fee.
What to Bring:
You will need your passports for entry into the park.
Non-disposable water bottles or a daypack with water bladder like we used. As with most parks in Costa Rica they do not allow single use plastics, food or other items that could be left behind. I appreciate this about the national parks but it is worth noting to check your pockets and bags before heading out. For this reason we both ate high calorie protein bars in the car right before entering the park.
Cash for tipping your guide
Binoculars
Camera, tripod/monopod
We had read online that there would be construction slowing down traffic from Quepos to the park, so we gave ourselves over an hour of cushion, which gave us time to stop at the Tarcoles River bridge to look for giant American crocodiles. We managed to spot this big boy.
We estimate this fella was at least 17 feet (check out the scar on this back and snout)
I highly suggest using the restroom and doing some quick souvenir shopping at the main store. We fueled up on coffee, pastry and maybe too many chocolate covered espresso beans! Update: since our visit there is now a designated Croc Skywalk which is a much-improved observation lookout.
Back on the road we nearly missed the entrance for the park (just know after the Tarcoles bridge you are only about a mile away). Here we parted ways with our friends who opted to Zip Line here, instead of Bird Nerding with us.
Truly the best decision we made was hiring an expert guide, it’s the only way to go. Not only did he offer us water, loaned us a pair of spare binoculars (we forgot ours – smack forehead), he was excited to be there!
TIP: Even within the cover of the rainforest, it will be hot so book your start time with this in mind. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE
As with any birder, we had a hit list for the hike: Scarlet Macaws and Toucans. Ronald, our guide, was keen to make it happen!
This was our first guided wildlife hike of this kind, and we didn’t expect the level of equipment he brought. It is common practice for guides to be equipped with high end digiscopes, binoculars, and bird calls on their phones.
The digiscope allows you to see animals clearly from far away, but the best part is the option to connect your personal mobile phone to capture high-quality videos/images. If you didn’t bring your own camera with telephoto lens like we did you could have a hands-free experience with a guide.
Our first stop to see a macaw was at a known nest in a hollow tree near the park entrance. Despite Ronald’s efforts with mobile bird calls and a few hand claps we only managed to see a male’s curious head poking out (it’s not the best shot because I was still getting used to the weight of our telephoto lens). During nesting season the Macaws are very protective of their eggs/babies. Remember to be patient.
As we trekked with high canopy overhead we heard the distinct call of the Howler monkey. Another guide began pointing and directing our attention. That’s when our guide told us we had to run. Under other circumstances this would have freaked me out but instead I followed his orders and ran. Up ahead a Spider Monkey and her baby crossed quickly from tree to tree. The pair stopped long enough for us to admire their cuteness and to snap a few images before moving on. Both guides celebrated the rare sighting. Although they do live in the park spotting them is considered very rare.
With all the excitement I nearly forgot we had yet to see the scarlet macaw in full view. We came to a clearing with yet another hollow tree where we did see the Scarlet Macaw in it’s full plumage. This one was not shy. We were on a wildlife roll!
TIP: It is worth noting while we hiked on this tour we only crossed paths with two other couples and one family. I credit this with booking the early entrance time. Another bonus is wildlife and birds are more active in the earlier hours.
Nearing the end of our tour we were admiring a very large tree when we spotted a family of white-faced capuchins. Our guide quickly told us they are little criminals and not to be fooled by their cappuccino faces. Now we had spotted 3 of 4 of the monkey species.
On our hike out of the park, we spotted another macaw perched above who was very vocal and curious. This hike was an absolute highlight of our trip and could not be more special. As we waited for our friends to pick us up our guide shared some freshly cut watermelon from a cooler in his trunk. Chefs kiss! Final thoughts, tip your guide and leave them a review to help them grow their business.
