Where to See Costa Rica Sloths | International Sloth Day

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Costa Rica sloths can be found just about everywhere in the country’s biodiverse-rich environment. In celebration of International Sloth Day, we’re taking a look at the slow-moving tree-dwellers of Central and South America and where you can see sloths in Costa Rica for yourself.

In 2002 the movie Ice Age introduced us to Sid, a slovenly ground sloth, a prehistoric creature that is a distant relative of the modern-day tree sloth. Unfortunately ground sloths went extinct in the last Ice Age. Fortunately for you, however, tree sloths are not! In fact, they are aplenty in Costa Rica! You can even find them on the outskirts of the capital city of San Jose.

There are two types of sloths that exist in the world: two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths. You can find them both in Costa Rica, sleeping in the tropical forest tree canopies. The slow-moving creatures have an extraordinarily low metabolic rate and don’t exert much energy. They sleep an impressive 15 to 20 hours a day and move through the canopy about 40 yards per day. And surprisingly, they are also excellent swimmers, dropping from the canopy occasionally for a paddle through the water.

Without a doubt, one of the best places to see Costa Rica sloths, as well as plenty of other tropical wildlife, is in Corcovado National Park. You’ll find both types of sloth there. It’s the largest park in Costa Rica and is well-known for its lush vegetation, flora, and fauna. National Geographic even named it the most biologically intense place on the Earth in terms of biodiversity. It conserves the largest primary forest on the American Pacific coastline and has a sizeable area of lowland tropical rainforest. To explore the Corcovado National Park over several days, we recommend a stay at Kura Design Villas. It’s located near the park and offers hikes through the area. In addition to seeking out Costa Rica sloths in the park, you can take a horseback ride to the Nauyaca Waterfall, go whale watching in Ballena National Marine Park, and scuba dive off the coast.

Another great place to see sloths in Costa Rica is at the Sloth Sanctuary (Aviaros del Caribe), north of Cahuita. The Sloth Sanctuary takes in injured and orphaned sloths, rehabilitates them, then releases them back into the wild. It’s one of the premier sloth research and rehabilitation centers in the world.

Because of Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, it’s a sanctuary for wildlife like the Costa Rica sloths, and a spectacular place to visit for animal and bird lovers. Take a walk on the wild side with Ker & Downey.

For more information about a journey to Costa Rica, contact your Ker & Downey destination specialist. To stay up to date on all of our online content, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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