The best places to see wild sloths near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca are Cahuita National Park, the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge and the forested river at Punta Uva, where local guides spot them regularly in the canopy. Two species live on this stretch of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, the brown-throated three-toed sloth and Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, and both are best watched from a distance: no touching, no feeding, no flash.
Rescue centers add another way to learn about them, as long as you choose ones that put the animals first.
Where can you see sloths in the wild here?
Almost anywhere with tall trees, if you know how to look. The most reliable places:
- Cahuita National Park. SINAC lists sloths among the park’s wildlife, along with howler and capuchin monkeys. A local guide will find them far faster than you will. See our Cahuita guide.
- The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. The guided hike from Manzanillo toward Punta Mona passes through forest where guides watch for sloths, monkeys and toucans. Read our Manzanillo and Gandoca guide.
- The river at Punta Uva. Sloths are commonly spotted from the water on our Punta Uva kayak tour, a calm paddle suitable for all levels.
- Along the coast road. Scan the tree crowns, especially Cecropia trees, for a still, rounded shape.
Can you see sloths at Conga?
Sometimes. Guests have reported sloths moving through the trees in our garden, but they are wild animals that come and go, and we can’t promise one on your dates. Our wildlife page keeps track of what the Conga team has actually seen and when.
Two-toed or three-toed: how do you tell them apart?
As their names suggest, count the claws on the front limbs. The rest of the differences show up in when and how they move.
| Brown-throated three-toed sloth | Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Bradypus variegatus | Choloepus hoffmanni |
| Front claws | Three | Two |
| When active | Day and night, about 8 to 10 hours a day | Nocturnal |
| Trips to the ground | Comes down to defecate | Descends about once a week to defecate |
| Look for | A still, rounded shape in the tree crown; fur can look greenish from algae | Movement after dark, with a guide’s flashlight |
Should you visit a rescue center?
Yes, if it’s a genuine rescue center, because the entrance fee funds animal care. Two are within easy reach.
The Jaguar Rescue Center, between Punta Cocles and Playa Chiquita, cares for injured, orphaned and confiscated native animals and releases them at La Ceiba, 49 hectares of primary forest in Punta Uva. It was founded by biologist Encar García and herpetologist Sandro Alviani. Public tours run daily at 9:30 and 11:30 am, last about 1.5 hours and cost US$29 for adults; children under 10 enter free (September 2026). A private tour runs at 2 pm for US$80 per person, minimum two, by booking. Since 2017 the center has also worked with ICE, the power utility, and the environment ministry on a “Shock Free Zone” to protect wildlife from power lines. It’s about 15 minutes from us by bike.
The Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica, near Cahuita, about 38 minutes’ drive away, grew from a private reserve declared in 1975. Its first rescued sloth, Buttercup, arrived in 1992 and lived to 27. The one-hour Buttercup Tour costs US$30 for ages 13 and up and US$15 for ages 5 to 12, with under-5s free; the two-hour Insider’s Tour, which includes the nursery, costs US$150 per adult and needs a reservation (September 2026).
Whichever you choose, walk away from anywhere that lets visitors hold, feed or pose with animals.
How do you watch wildlife responsibly?
- Keep your distance and let the animal decide what happens next.
- Never touch or feed wild animals, and don’t take photos of human–animal contact. Both are against Costa Rican law.
- Skip the flash, and don’t shake branches or make noise to get a reaction.
- Stay on the trails in parks and reserves.
- Hire a local guide. They’ll show you more, and your fee stays in the community.
Conga tip: Bring binoculars. A sloth 20 meters up looks like a clump of leaves until you see its face.
What else might you see?
- Mantled howler monkeys, locally mono congo: their dawn and dusk howls carry for kilometers.
- White-faced capuchins: active by day, and quick.
- Keel-billed toucans: look in fruiting trees in the morning and late afternoon.
- Yellow-throated toucans: listen for a call locals render as “Dios te dé”, “God give you”.
- Strawberry poison-dart frogs: tiny, usually red with blue legs, on the forest floor, especially after rain. Look, don’t touch.
- Red-eyed tree frogs: a night animal, found near ponds and streams.
- Agoutis: ground-dwelling rodents that bury seeds, helping plant the forest.
- Basilisks: lizards that can run across water.
When is the best time of day and season?
Look for three-toed sloths at any hour and two-toed sloths at dusk and after dark. Mornings and late afternoons are best for toucans, dawn and dusk for howler monkeys, and the hours after rain for poison-dart frogs. Sloths live here year-round, so any month works; our guide to the best time to visit covers the weather.
Are night walks worth it?
Yes, especially if you want to see a two-toed sloth awake. Our rainforest night walk covers 1.8 km of trail by flashlight with a specialist guide, looking for frogs, including the red-eyed tree frog, as well as snakes, owls, kinkajous and coatis (US$83, 3 hours, ages 7 and up, minimum two people, as listed September 2026).