Costa Rica Wetlands: Best Mangroves and Marshes to Visit

Costa Rica’s wetlands range from the canals of Tortuguero and the mangrove channels of Térraba-Sierpe to the seasonal marshes of Palo Verde and Caño Negro. The country has 12 sites on the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance. For most travelers, the easiest way in is a guided boat tour: expect crocodiles or caimans, monkeys, iguanas and big wading birds such as herons, roseate spoonbills and, in the right season, jabiru storks. Go in the dry season, December to April, when water levels drop and wildlife gathers around the remaining channels and lagoons. Book an early-morning departure, when animals are most active.

This guide is for travelers who want to add a wetland or mangrove tour to a Costa Rica trip. It covers the main types of wetlands, the best ones to visit and how to reach them, when to go, what to bring and how to visit responsibly.

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Wetland	Region	Best for
Tortuguero	North Caribbean	Canal boat and canoe tours, monkeys, sea turtles in season
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge	Northern lowlands, near Los Chiles	River safari for birds, caimans and monkeys
Palo Verde National Park	Guanacaste, Tempisque River	Dry-season bird gatherings and crocodiles
Térraba-Sierpe	South Pacific, near Sierpe	The country’s largest mangrove system; boat tours on the way to Drake Bay
Gandoca-Manzanillo	South Caribbean	Mangroves, lagoon and coastal forest
Maquenque	Northern lowlands	Great green macaws and remote lodges

Types

Types of Wetlands in Costa Rica

• Mangroves: salt-tolerant forests along both coasts, where rivers meet the sea. Their tangled roots shelter young fish, crabs and shrimp, and they buffer the shore from storms and erosion. Térraba-Sierpe on the Pacific is the largest system.
• Freshwater marshes and lagoons: shallow, grassy wetlands such as Caño Negro that flood in the rainy season and shrink in the dry season.
• Seasonal floodplains: lowlands like Palo Verde, where the Tempisque River overflows from roughly May to November. As the water retreats, birds concentrate in the remaining pools.
• Coastal lagoons and estuaries: mixes of fresh and salt water, such as the Tortuguero canals and the Gandoca lagoon, used by fish, manatees and birds.
• High-altitude peat bogs: the Talamanca peatlands, high in the mountains, store water and carbon. They are protected but not a typical tourist stop.

Many wetlands sit inside national parks and wildlife refuges; see our guide to Costa Rica’s protected areas.

Where to go

Best Costa Rica Wetlands to Visit

Tortuguero National Park

A network of canals, rivers and lagoons on the north Caribbean coast, with no road access; you arrive by boat or small plane. Canoe and boat tours through the canals are the main activity, with howler and spider monkeys, sloths, caimans, river otters and many waterbirds. Green sea turtles nest on the beach from roughly July to October. Most visitors stay one or two nights at riverside lodges or in Tortuguero village; you can compare Tortuguero lodges on Booking.com. See our guides to getting to Tortuguero and turtle nesting sites.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

A Ramsar wetland of lagoons and flooded grassland near Los Chiles, close to the Nicaraguan border, about 90 minutes north of La Fortuna on a paved road. Boat tours run along the Río Frío, usually leaving early in the morning. Expect caimans, monkeys, iguanas, sloths and a long bird list that includes roseate spoonbills, herons and, in the dry season, jabiru storks. In the rainy season the river floods the plains and wildlife spreads out, so sightings are harder. It’s an easy day trip from the Arenal area.

Palo Verde National Park

Seasonal marshes and dry forest along the Tempisque River in Guanacaste. In the dry season, tens of thousands of waterbirds gather on the shrinking lagoons, with March often the peak. Boat tours on the Tempisque show off large American crocodiles, and many operators sell day trips from Liberia and the Guanacaste beach towns. The land route into the park is a long gravel road that gets muddy in the rainy season, so most visitors take a tour.

Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland

The country’s largest mangrove system, at the mouth of the Térraba and Sierpe rivers in the South Pacific. Boat tours leave from the town of Sierpe, and boats to Drake Bay pass through the mangroves, so many travelers see it on the way to Corcovado or Caño Island. The area is also close to the Diquís stone sphere sites.

Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

On the south Caribbean coast near the Panama border, this refuge combines mangroves, a coastal lagoon, rainforest and reef. Visitors usually hike the coastal trail from Manzanillo or hire a local guide for kayak and boat trips.

Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge

A newer Ramsar site in the northern Caribbean lowlands, important for the endangered great green macaw. It’s remote, and most visitors stay at lodges in the Boca Tapada area. See our bird-watching guide for more on the macaw.

Ramsar

Costa Rica’s 12 Ramsar Wetlands

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty that lists wetlands of international importance. Costa Rica’s 12 sites cover close to 570,000 hectares, including marine areas:

Ramsar site	Known for
Palo Verde National Park	Seasonal marshes and huge dry-season bird gatherings
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge	Lagoons, caimans and the gar, a fish called pez gaspar
Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge	Estuary and mangroves next to Las Baulas leatherback nesting beaches
Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland	The largest mangrove system in Costa Rica
Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	Mangroves, lagoon, reef and turtle nesting
Caribe Noreste Wetland	Canals and lagoons of the north Caribbean coast
Cocos Island National Park	Remote island and surrounding marine area
Potrero Grande Mangroves	A small, intact Pacific mangrove in Guanacaste
Laguna Respingue	A small coastal freshwater lagoon in Guanacaste
Arenal Reservoir Basin	Lake Arenal and its watershed
Talamanca Peatlands	High-altitude peat bogs
Maquenque Wetland	Northern lowland wetlands and great green macaw habitat

When to go

Best Time to Visit Costa Rica’s Wetlands

• December to April (dry season): the best months for Palo Verde and Caño Negro. Shrinking water concentrates birds, caimans and crocodiles, and migrant birds are present. February and March are often the peak.
• May to November (rainy season): wetlands fill up, boats can reach more channels, and wildlife spreads out. It’s quieter and greener, with afternoon storms. Tortuguero’s main turtle season falls in these months.
• Time of day: go early. Most tours leave between about 6 and 8 a.m., and activity drops by late morning.

For more on seasons, see our guide to the best time to visit Costa Rica by region.

Tips

How to Visit: Tours, Gear and Safety

• Take a guided boat tour. Guides spot animals you’d miss and know where the boats can go at each water level.
• Prefer small or quiet boats. Canoes, kayaks and electric boats disturb wildlife less, and some areas of Tortuguero limit motorboats.
• Bring binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens; see our guides to compact binoculars and camera gear for Costa Rica.
• Pack sun and bug protection: hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and a light rain jacket.
• Keep your hands in the boat and never swim in rivers, lagoons or estuaries where crocodiles or caimans live. See our guide to crocodile safety.
• Never feed wildlife, and skip operators that bait crocodiles to bring them close to the boat.

Conservation

Why Costa Rica’s Wetlands Matter

Wetlands store floodwater and release it slowly, filter sediment and pollution, shelter young fish that support coastal fisheries, and store carbon, especially in mangroves and peat. They face pressure from farming, drainage, pollution and coastal development. Choosing licensed guides and community-run tours keeps tourism money in the areas that protect them. For more ways to travel lightly, see our Costa Rica ecotourism guide.

FAQ

Costa Rica Wetlands: FAQ