Uvita: Night Jungle Walk with Wildlife & Mountain Trails

4.96

(139 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We started bumping along that last stretch up the mountain outside Uvita just as dusk was folding in—windows down, jungle air thick and sweet. Our guide, Diego, was already waiting at the trailhead with a grin and a stack of rubber boots (I’d totally underestimated how muddy it gets). He handed out lanterns and cracked a joke about “Costa Rican slippers”—guess that’s what they call these boots. I could hear water somewhere nearby, frogs starting up their nighttime chorus.

Once we stepped under the trees, everything changed. The forest felt close and alive—leaves brushing my arms, something skittering off to the left. Diego pointed out a tiny glass frog on a leaf (honestly, I’d have missed it), then later we spotted a sloth wedged impossibly high above us. There was this moment where he hushed us and we just listened—crickets, distant river noise, even our own breathing got weirdly loud. I tried to snap a photo of a snake coiled on a branch but my hands were shaking more than I’d admit.

I didn’t expect to laugh so much—Diego told stories about growing up here and teased me for jumping when a tarantula ambled across the path (it looked way too chill). We learned about the plants too; he crushed some leaves between his fingers so we could smell them—spicy and sharp. The night felt endless in that good way. At some point I lost track of time completely, which never happens back home.

Walking back toward the car, boots caked in mud and flashlight batteries running low, I realized how different everything looks at night. Even now I can almost feel that damp air on my skin. If you’re thinking about a night tour in Uvita—I’d say go for it. Just don’t wear your favorite socks.