Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner, Arenal/La Fortuna
Meet with a traditional Costa Rican family who lives off the land and supports the natural regeneration of wildlife and the earth
Overview
This evening tour offers a combination of nature and Costa Rican cuisine. Armed with flashlights, you'll follow your guide along a short trail, looking for nocturnal wildlife, including frogs, insects, bats, and more. One highlight along the walk is a visit to a frog sanctuary, where your guide will point out dart frogs and bullfrogs. You're also likely to see red-eyed tree frogs and little glass tree frogs. After the hike, you'll sit down for a traditional Costa Rican dinner prepared on a wood-burning stove.
Highlights
- Hike through the woods at night with an expert guide
- Spot nocturnal frogs, birds, mammals, insects, and bats in their natural habitats
- Meet a local Costa Rican family and learn about their culture
- Enjoy a delicious Costa Rican meal cooked on a traditional wood-burning stove
Know before you go
4 hours
All ages
Small group
Dinner Included. Enjoy a traditional Costa Rican meal. Vegetarian options are available with advance notice.
What you'll do
On the first part of the 1.5-hour walk, you'll follow a 0.5-mile (800-meter) trail through a regenerating forest. With the aid of flashlights and special mirrored devices installed in the area, you'll be able to spot nocturnal birds, mammals, amphibians, and insects.
The trail leads the group to the frog sanctuary, which fosters frog reproduction. Your guide will point out the dart frog and the bull frog, the smallest and largest species in Costa Rica, and various other frog species.
Following the wildlife viewing portion of the evening, you'll sit down for an authentic Costa Rican meal prepared by the host family on a wood-burning stove and paired with fresh-squeezed fruit juice. As the family serves dinner and tells you more about the farm's history, enjoy views over the valley and plains below, illuminated by lights. The meal lasts around one hour. Then return to La Fortuna, where the tour concludes.
Start times
-
Daily5:00 pm
What's included
- Transportation from your hotel in comfortable air-conditioned minivans with WiFi
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Sanctuary entrance fee
- Lanterns and flashlights
- Bottled mineral water
- Traditional Costa Rican dinner
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Get startedSee alternatives

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk
Set out on a guided walk of the Arenal Hanging Bridges, set within a 600-acre tropical forest reserve. The trail system features a mix of fixed and suspension bridges offering unique perspectives of the forest's undergrowth, sub-canopy, and canopy levels—the latter treating you to impressive views of Arenal Volcano. With an expert guide, learn about the local wildlife and enjoy spotting species like capuchin, howler, and spider monkeys, as well as diverse birdlife and frogs. Ideal for nature lovers and families, the non-slip concrete trail with gentle slopes ensures a safe and accessible adventure for all.

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk
Set out on a privately guided walk of the Arenal Hanging Bridges, set within a 600-acre tropical forest reserve. The trail system features a mix of fixed and suspension bridges offering unique perspectives of the forest's undergrowth, sub-canopy, and canopy levels—the latter treating you to impressive views of Arenal Volcano. With an expert guide, learn about the local wildlife and enjoy spotting species like capuchin, howler, and spider monkeys, as well as diverse birdlife and frogs. Ideal for nature lovers and families, the non-slip concrete trail with gentle slopes ensures a safe and accessible adventure for all.

Sloth Discovery Walk
Experience the charm of sloths in their natural habitat during a guided walk of a family-run ecological project just outside La Fortuna. With options for morning, afternoon, or night walks, you'll follow a short trail with a naturalist guide skilled in spotting two-toed and three-toed sloths hanging out in the trees. If you're lucky, you may even get to observe a mother sloth with her baby. Ideal for families, wildlife lovers (and anyone charmed by these gentle animals), you'll gain insight into sloth protection efforts and the chance to see these eternally smiling creatures, along with other endemic flora and fauna.

Private Sloth Discovery Walk

Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Nature Walk
Perfect for nature lovers and curious kids, this gentle nature walk introduces you to the plants and animals of a private ecological park just outside La Fortuna. You'll have the chance to spot tree frogs, caimans, monkeys, sloths, and a wide variety of birds as you follow your guide along groomed trails surrounded by secondary forest. Stop at botanical gardens, a butterfly garden, and a wetlands area that serves as a bird nesting site, then finish the experience with a visit to a Maleku cultural center to learn about Indigenous traditions and environmental practices.

Sky Adventures Tram & The Hand of Arenal

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch
Explore Arenal with a guide as you take on hanging bridges and hike to a waterfall. You'll start with the Arenal Hanging Bridges, where you'll navigate a trail system within a vast rainforest reserve that offers views of Arenal Volcano and the chance to spot diverse wildlife, including over 350 bird species. Next, trek down to La Fortuna Waterfall, where you can swim or relax amid the lush scenery. The day trip concludes with lunch at La Finquita. Ideal for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers, this excursion offers a vibrant glimpse into Costa Rica's rich biodiversity.

Nocturnal Rainforest Walk
Experience the rainforest after dark on this guided excursion of Ecocentro Danaus, a private ecological reserve near La Fortuna. As the sun goes down, you'll venture into the jungle, exploring this haven for plants, insects, reptiles, and other nocturnal animals. Highlights your guide will point out along the way include bats, spiders, sloths, snakes, and some of the reserve's many native frog species, including the brightly-colored poison dart frog, one of the planet's most poisonous frogs. Since the reserve is closed to most groups by nightfall, this is an exclusive opportunity to see how the rainforest transforms after dark.

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure
Embark on an adrenaline-pumping whitewater rafting adventure down the Río Balsa. You'll transfer from La Fortuna to the put-in spot on the river, where your guide will give you safety instructions and outfit you with a helmet and life vest. Then, push off into the current and start paddling through rolling Class II and III rapids with names like Morning Coffee and Rock around the Croc. Enjoy wildlife spotting along the way—you'll even have a chance to swim while passing through calmer stretches of the river.

Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Visit
Visit Proyecto Asis, a wildlife rehabilitation and rescue center. A naturalist guide will lead you on a tour, introducing you to the resident animals and sharing their stories. You'll likely see anteaters, monkeys, snakes, parrots, sloths, and more.
(Because the center's goal is to release as many animals back into the wild as possible, the wildlife present at the center is subject to change.) During your visit, you'll also learn about conservation and sustainability.
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