"Taking you away from the crowded areas, some of the best places to see wildlife in Costa Rica are the Osa Peninsula and Ostional on the Pacific coast, San Gerardo cloud forest in the central hills and Cahuita and Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast."

Costa Rica is one great wildlife experience. In fact, outside the cities, you’d be hard pushed to avoid it. Even when driving up to the drier plains of the north-west, you literally be stopped in your 4x4 tracks by a young puma crossing the road, as Leesa in our office can personally attest to.

So wildlife is all around, thanks in large part to concerted efforts to protect so much of the country from development, with over 25% of its land protected. Even so, there are a few hotspots we love, most of which are thankfully missed by the vast majority of visitors (see getting off the beaten track). Here are five of Costa Rica’s best wildlife experiences:

- Osa Peninsula, Pacific: one of Latin America’s great wildlife destinations. Snorkel off tropical islands, kayak past crocodiles, get close to endangered Scarlet macaws and all four species of monkeys, follow dolphins and whales and, for the definitive experience, sleep in a rainforest ranger station, cocooned by the sights and sounds of a flourishing jungle. Put this right at the top of your list.

Trip idea: Our Ultimate Osa Peninsula Vacation

- Ostional, Pacific: definitively the best place to see Olive Ridley turtles. Normally, there are a few turtles on shore at night laying eggs. Occasionally, often a few days before the new moon, there is a mass arrival, the arribada. We’ve built trips around this special event in the past, and whilst you need luck on your side, it’s an unforgettable experience.

- San Gerardo, Central Valley: statistically the best place to see a Resplendent quetzal in the wild. This is cloud forest in its most exotic, wild and undisturbed form. An absolute must for dedicated birders.

Trip idea: Costa Rica's Ultimate Wildlife Wonders Vacation

- Tortuguero, Caribbean: a vast network of narrow creeks, vast beaches and freshwater lagoons, best explored by boat. The experience is far more structured, and busy, than elsewhere, but the access it gives and the creatures you’ll see make it worth it. It’s best to start here, then enjoy a bit more freedom and seclusion with your own vehicle and private guides for the rest of your trip.

Trip Idea: Costa Rica Caribbean Escape

- Cahuita, Caribbean: this little-known strip of coastal rainforest is probably the best place in Costa Rica to see sloths in their natural environment. Another snorkelling hotspot and, like Tortuguero, a great place to see leatherback turtles on the beaches.

Costa Rica manages to pack an unbelievable amount of weather into a small area.

Essentially, the country has a tall spine of mountains running down the middle so there is near total separation of the Caribbean from the Pacific sides.

The upside is that Costa Rica is pretty much a year-round destination, and even if you're there in a wetter season then that likely means warm days with a few showers and storms, rather than day-long drizzle.

For more specific timings regarding your holiday, simply e-mail us at [email protected].