Take a Walk on the Wild Side – At Night!
If you love nature and are drawn to Costa Rica for its abundance of wildlife, hiking or a walking tour through the rainforest is a must. A hiking trip into the Costa Rican rainforest at night takes that idea up an entire notch, or two.
Walking through the rainforest at night you will encounter nocturnal creatures that you would never see during the day. This includes frogs, insects, birds, reptiles, and even mammals such as the sloth that we encountered up close and personal. In this post, we will share our experience wandering in the rainforest after dark.
How to Prepare
Depending on the location and terrain for your night adventure in the rainforest, preparations are pretty simple.
Footwear
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes with a decent grip on the bottom. The rainforest can be very damp or even wet, and trails often have some rocks or other surfaces that can be slippery, so it’s important to have good footwear. Depending on your tour you may spend from an hour to several hours on your feet. Your feet will thank you for wearing comfortable shoes.
Rain Gear
You may want to consider bringing some rain gear of some type, even just a jacket. Check the forecast and remember that the weather conditions in Costa Rica can change unexpectedly. We found that there was a fair amount of dripping condensation on the trails, so plan for that as well. Not a huge issue, but if you prefer not to get wet arrive prepared.
Insect Repellant
It’s a rainforest, there will be bugs. It’s definitely best to come prepared by wearing long sleeves and pants rather than shorts. We also recommend that you use a high-quality insect repellant to avoid some bites. All that said, we didn’t encounter an excessive number of bugs, but some preparation will help you enjoy the trip and leave with fewer bites.
Camera or Phone
No Costa Rica hiking trip is complete without taking some pictures of the amazing floral and fauna. Plan to bring a camera or your phone. It’s important to remember that it’s going to be dark. You will need a camera or phone that does reasonably well in low light conditions. One important thing to remember is that you should not use a flash. The creatures you see on your tour are nocturnal and will not react well to the light of a flash. You are in their home, please be respectful. Most phones and many cameras handle low light conditions well. Our guide also used a flashlight to illuminate picture-worthy creatures, which is much less harsh and disruptive to the wildlife. For more information on how to decide on which to bring check out our Just a Phone or Your Camera Too post.
Water
It’s always a good idea to bring a bit of water to stay well hydrated. It can be very warm and humid, even at night.
Animals to be Seen
We were fortunate and encountered many creatures along the way on our tour. The most exciting was the sloth that ventured on a line directly above us over the trail. We also say tree frogs, including the famous red-eyed frog, crocodiles, a few species of birds, and several insects.
When taking a tour in the rainforest, it’s always important to respect nature and remember the fragility of the habitat. We, humans, are actually the invasive species and, if you love and respect nature the way we do, take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints, and it will all be good.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
~ Albert Einstein
Planning Ahead for Your Night Hike
Check the Reviews
When you book a tour, we definitely recommend that you check the reviews online to get a good idea of what you should expect. Check the cost, length of the tour, how much walking you will have, and any items that you might need to bring such as a flashlight. The reviews will also give you good feedback on the quality of the guides and the overall experience. Viator <link> is a really good resource to search for tours and you can then search for reviews on Tripadvisor or elsewhere.
Consider Language
Be sure that the tour you select has a guide that speaks the language that you prefer. English is certainly common, as is Spanish. If you need other languages you will need to be more selective.
Natural Areas
We definitely prefer a tour that is based entirely in natural areas, largely protected reserves, or national parks. Touring a captive enclosure or peering at nature behind a fence or in a cage just doesn’t work. We strongly prefer to do business with companies that respect and value nature and all of the wildlife it supports.
Cancellation Policy
Be sure to check into or inquire about cancellation policies, particularly related to bad weather conditions. Nothing will put a damper (pun intended!) on your night tour faster than a hard rain shower or storm. Many tour operators require 24 hours notice so be sure to know that before you book.
Night Tour Options
When in Manuel Antonio we stayed at the Si Como No Resort and Wildlife Refuge, which was set in a very natural environment and provided many tours and activities. The Si Como No staff hosted our night tour through the jungle and the tour guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable, took her time with us, and patiently answered all of our questions.
The following are several other options for tours, depending on your location and personal preferences. We discovered these tours during our trip planning and they are highly rated. We have not, however, had personal experience with them, but wanted to provide the references for convenience.
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