Sloth Tours in Costa Rica
See Wild Sloths with Scientists and Conservation Experts
There are plenty of tours in Costa Rica where you can see a sloth, but ours are a little different. You will explore with the scientists, conservationists, and trained local guides who study and protect wild sloths every day. You will learn how sloths really live, discover their unique biology, understand the threats they face, and see what our team is doing to protect them.
Ethical sloth watching is also one of our biggest priorities. Our tours never involve handling, feeding, or staged encounters. These are real experiences with real wild sloths, living freely in their natural habitat.
And every booking gives something back because all proceeds go directly towards protecting the same wild sloths you have come to see by restoring the forest and supporting our conservation work.
Explore Our Sloth Tours
Private Sloth Experiences & Custom Rainforest Journeys
📍Costa Rica
Go behind the scenes with The Sloth Conservation Foundation on a private experience designed entirely around you. You might spend a morning tracking and photographing wild sloths alongside our research team, visit the conservation projects helping to protect them, or simply spend time with Team Sloth and get an insight into the work we do every day. No two itineraries are the same. Your experience will be personally planned around your interests with SloCo Trustee, travel designer, and award-winning wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas.
Whether you are a photographer, conservation professional, lifelong wildlife lover, or simply someone who really, really loves sloths, this is a rare opportunity to experience Costa Rica through the eyes of the people who know its sloths best.
Puerto Viejo Sloth Walk
📍Puerto Viejo de Talamanca | Costa Rica | Coming Soon
Join us for a relaxed two-hour sloth-spotting walk along the historic Wolaba Trail. This easy coastal path winds through the forests of Costa Rica’s South Caribbean which are home to some of the highest recorded densities of wild sloths anywhere in the world.
Led by a local naturalist guide trained by Team Sloth, you will look for both two-fingered and three-fingered sloths while learning about their unique biology, the latest scientific research, and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. You may even spot one of the wild sloths wearing a tracking collar as part of our long-term research project!
Every tour helps protect wild sloths through science, conservation, and community action. Thank you for choosing a sloth experience that genuinely gives something back.
When you book a tour with us, your money does not disappear into a commercial tour company.
It helps employ local people. It supports scientific research. It plants trees, builds wildlife bridges, restores habitat, and most importantly, it helps protect the same wild sloths you have traveled all this way to see.
Wildife and Sloth Tourism | Blog
Frequently Asked Questions About Sloth Tours
Planning your sloth tour? Here are answers to the questions we're asked most often.
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Costa Rica is one of the best countries in the world to see wild sloths. Healthy populations of both Hoffmann's two-fingered sloths and brown-throated three-fingered sloths can be found throughout the country's tropical rainforests. Our tours visit some of the best locations for sloth watching, including the South Caribbean around Puerto Viejo, the Osa Peninsula, and Corcovado National Park, where experienced guides help you spot sloths while respecting their natural behavior.
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Yes. Every tour follows the ethical wildlife observation guidelines developed by The Sloth Conservation Foundation. We never touch, feed, or disturb wild animals, and we always maintain a respectful viewing distance. Our goal is to observe wildlife behaving naturally while minimizing our impact on the environment.
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Our tours are built on science and conservation. They are developed by The Sloth Conservation Foundation, an organization dedicated to researching and protecting wild sloths. Instead of simply looking for wildlife, you'll learn about sloth biology, behavior, habitat, and the conservation challenges they face, making your experience both meaningful and educational.
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Our experiences are designed by the scientists behind The Sloth Conservation Foundation and delivered either by our research team or by certified naturalist guides trained by us. Every guide receives specialized training in sloth ecology, behavior, conservation, and responsible wildlife observation, ensuring you receive accurate information while enjoying an authentic rainforest experience.
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No. Sloths are free-ranging wild animals, and we never interfere with their natural behavior. Although sightings cannot be guaranteed, our experienced guides know the local habitats, preferred trees, and behaviors of the resident wildlife, giving you an excellent chance of seeing sloths in the wild while respecting their welfare.
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Every tour directly supports the conservation work of The Sloth Conservation Foundation. Proceeds help fund scientific research, wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, canopy bridge installations, environmental education, and community conservation initiatives. By joining one of our tours, you are helping protect the very animals and forests you have come to experience.
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Sometimes. On selected tours in Costa Rica, you may encounter some of the wild sloths monitored as part of The Sloth Conservation Foundation's long-term research. While sightings cannot be guaranteed, your guide may introduce you to individuals that have helped scientists better understand sloth behavior, movement, and conservation.
Other Ways To Take Action: Donate, Adopt a Sloth, Become a VIP, Sponsor a Sloth Crossing, Become a Brand Partner, Legacy Giving, Fundraise for Sloths, Volunteer With Us