See Crocodiles in Costa Rica at Rio Tarcoles Bridge: What You Need to Know!
Seeing animals in the wild is WAY MORE EXCITING than seeing them in a zoo or sanctuary or somewhere that isn’t their natural habitat. So with that being said, seeing the crocodiles in Costa Rica where they roam freely is really cool to experience!
Plus it is a FREE activity, which can be hard to come by in Costa Rica! 😅
It doesn’t take a lot of planning to see the crocodiles in Costa Rica, but there are a few things you need to know before visiting!
Here is everything you need to know including where the crocodiles are located, how to get there, how close you can get to the crocs, the likelihood of seeing crocodiles, tours down the Rio Tarcoles and more!
- Where are the Crocodiles in Costa Rica Located?
- Other Things to Know About Visiting the Crocodiles in Costa Rica
- Guided Tours Down Rio Tarcoles
- Where to Stay Near Rio Tarcoles
- Final Thoughts on Visiting the Crocodiles in Costa Rica
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Where are the Crocodiles in Costa Rica Located?
There are crocodiles (American crocodiles) and caimans (a smaller type of croc) located in various parts of Costa Rica. However, the HIGHEST concentration of crocodiles is located at the Rio Tarcoles.
You can see crocodiles in places like Manual Antonio, Osa Peninsula and other mangrove areas that are high in wildlife. However, in some of these places the crocs are a bit sparce and to see them you may need to have a guide or someone who knows where to look.
However, at Rio Tarcoles you have an easy, clear view and there is no need to go searching for the crocs.
Rio Tarcoles is the best place to see crocodiles in the wild if you want the highest chance of seeing them (especially without a guided tour.)
How to Get to the Crocodiles
So how can you get to the crocodiles? The Rio Tarcoles bridge isn’t exactly in an area where people often stay while in Costa Rica.
Therefore, its going to take some traveling to get to the crocodiles.
By far, the best way to get to the Rio Tarcoles bridge is by car. Really, the best way to explore Costa Rica in general is to rent a car!
Where to Rent a Car!
Use Adobe rental cars, a LOCAL Costa Rican company!
You will get a TOTAL, upfront price and know exactly what you will be paying without hidden fees!
From San Jose: Rio Tarcoles bridge is a little over an hour drive down route 27 and 34 from San Jose.
From Manuel Antonio: The crocs are about an hour and a half north of Manuel Antonio on route 34 (straight shot with no turns.)
From Monteverde: The crocs are just under two hours south of Monteverde (little longer and more turns on this drive)
However, if you want to visit Manual Antonio AND Monteverde (like we did, which I recommend!) then you will pass straight through Tarcoles on your drive from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde. You won’t even have to veer off or change your GPS!
Parking Situation
Unless things have changed recently, there is no designated parking lot at the Rio Tarcoles Bridge (if you have visited recently and this has changed, please let me know!)
So once you start nearing the bridge, keep an eye out for roadside parking.
When we visited there were very little cars parked at the bridge (maybe one or two other people,) so parking wasn’t an issue.
Parking is free (I know, another FREE THING in Costa Rica!!), but make sure you park far enough off the road so your rental doesn’t get side-swiped.
And, be aware of what you leave in your vehicle. We had absolutely no problems, but there are reviews online of people’s cars getting broken into.
Other Options For Getting to Rio Tarcoles Bridge
Taxi: Depending on where you plan to stay, you can taxi.
However, you are going to pay a hefty fee if you are staying over an hour away. And you may have a hard time finding a taxi in the smaller towns.
Bus: You can bus from San Jose to Tarcoles. But, once there, you are NOT close enough to walk (unless you want to walk just under 2 hours.) Therefore, from Tarcoles you will have to taxi to the bridge. You can also bus from near Manuel Antonio National Park, but there is no bus directly from Monteverde.
The bus will probably add about 30 minutes to the drive time and will cost around $7-15 dollars one-way according to Rome2Rio.
Other Things to Know About Visiting the Crocodiles in Costa Rica
Your view of the crocodiles will be a top/down view from the Rio Tarcoles bridge. The bridge has pedestrian walks on BOTH sides, so there is no risk of standing in oncoming traffic or getting hit by a car while here.
With that, there is also no risk of getting a leg bitten off by a crocodile either.
In summation, there really is no risk of stopping to see the crocodiles here unless you venture away from the road and toward the river or if you don’t watch for oncoming traffic.
Otherwise, this a very safe experience!
Best Time of Day and Year to See the Crocs
The best time of day to see the crocodiles is early morning. Crocodiles don’t like cooler temperatures, so in the morning they are more likely to be out, sunbathing to regulate their temperatures.
The best time of year to see crocodiles at Rio Tarcoles is during dry season, which (typically) runs from December to April. This is when the river will be lower due to the decreased rainfall.
However, with all that being said, you can see crocodiles at the Rio Tarcoles bridge year round and throughout the day!
Will You For Sure See Crocodiles in Costa Rica?
When it comes to animals in the wild, there is never a guarantee.
However, the population of crocodiles here is THICK and the probability of seeing a crocodile is very high!
We were at the bridge for about 30 minutes at around 11:00am during rainy season (October) and we saw about 5 crocodiles.
So, really we didn’t follow the best rules for seeing crocodiles and were still able to see multiple! I think it is safe to say your chances are high, but don’t yell at me if you don’t see any.
Guided Tours Down Rio Tarcoles
Did you know you can take a guided tour down Rio Tarcoles to see the crocodiles up close and personal?
I didn’t actually know this while I was in Costa Rica; we happened to stumble upon the crocodiles on accident when I saw “crocodile bridge” on our GPS while driving through!
However, the ratings for the tours are excellent and reviews are really positive! An overwhelming amount of people rave about the ride down the Rio Tarcoles.
Guided tours leave from Tarcoles and typically don’t offer pick-up. So, if you want to do a guided tour you will still have to find your way to Tarcoles.
Jungle Crocodile Safari provides guided tours from Tarcoles and up Rio Tarcoles. This highly-rated tour will provide you with a nice cup of Costa Rican coffee while giving you SAFETY instructions for the tour.
In conjunction with seeing crocodiles, the tour will try to provide bird watching opportunities as well. Toucans and Roseate Spoonbills (not a flamingo) have been spotted along the Rio Tarcoles also. However, bird sightings are more sparse than those of the crocs!
Rio Tarcoles Guided Tour
–Meeting Point: Jungle Crocodile Safari Entrance in Tarcoles
–Duration: 1.5 hours
–Cost: $40 USD per person
–Rating: 4.8/5 stars on Get Your Guide
Where to Stay Near Rio Tarcoles
Though San Jose, Manuel Antonio and Monteverde are more popular areas to stay in than the Tarcoles area, they are not the most convenient locations in regards to the Rio Tarcoles.
Though I do recommend making the crocodile viewing a pitstop between the larger cities, if you want to stay nearer to Rio Tarcoles you can certainly find housing closer.
Tarcoles is obviously the closest option. It is a small town located at the Rio Tarcoles estuary and is where the guided tours leave from.
- Nomad Living Hotel is a great, affordable hotel option with a great location in Tarcoles.
Quebrada Ganado is located JUST south of Tarcoles. It is still a small town, but slightly bigger than Tarcoles.
- Selva Color Forest and Beach Ecolodge is really nice, highly-rated hotel tucked into the forest in the Quebrada Ganado area.
Jaco is home to a beautiful black sand beach located just 30 minutes south of the crocodile bridge. It is also bigger and has a lot more accommodation options than the prior options.
- Hotel Ibiza is a cute boutique hotel with a nice pool and within a SHORT walk to Jaco beach.
Final Thoughts on Visiting the Crocodiles in Costa Rica
Seeing the crocodiles in the wild is definitley worth adding to your Costa Rica itinerary! Espeically if you are traveling from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde; its nothing but a quick pit stop!
Here is how to spend an EPIC 8 days in Costa Rica seeing sloths, zip lining, white water rafting, seeing crocodiles, hiking near a volcano and more! Or here is how to spend 5 days in Cost Rica if you don’t have quite a week!
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