Private Night Tour at Rainmaker Park
On this private night tour, you’ll explore the pristine rainforest at a lesser-known reserve near Manuel Antonio called Rainmaker Park.
Since this is a private tour, it will be with only your family or group. You’ll have your own guide and private transportation.
Background
Night tours are fun because you can see a lot of wildlife that you wouldn’t see during the day. Not only can you see nocturnal birds and animals, but also sleeping creatures that are usually out during the daytime but can be harder to see.
This night tour takes you to Rainmaker, a private reserve about 30 minutes from Manuel Antonio. Rainmaker is set in the rural countryside, showing you a much different area. We recommend Rainmaker for day visits as well to experience its beautiful primary rainforest, explore the hanging bridges, and swim in the waterfalls (see the day tour we offer). But nighttime is probably the best time to see wildlife at this park.
The trails at Rainmaker are relatively easy to access, and the thick jungle provides the perfect habitat for amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, insects, and much more.
Tour Overview
This night walk begins with pick up at your hotel or vacation rental in Manuel Antonio around 5:15 pm.
Once you arrive at the reserve, your bilingual naturalist guide will take you along the well-maintained trails just after sunset.
When we did this tour, we first explored an area with ponds and got to see several interesting frogs like the common rain frog, snouted tree frog, hourglass tree frog, American bullfrog, and colorful red-eyed tree frog.
On the main trails, we had some exciting sightings. We saw a sleeping helmeted iguana, so named because its head is shaped like a helmet. We also got to see a couple of snakes. These included a yellow-spotted keelback high in a tree and a blunt-headed tree snake that was hunting near the river. The guide also showed us some cool insects like katydids, turquoise stink beetles, millipedes, tailless whip scorpions, and a tropical orb spider.
The walking portion of the tour is about 2 hours.
Trail Conditions
The terrain is mostly flat but the trail is dirt and rustic with some rocks and roots to navigate. There are also steps and inclines. See our Alternative Night Tour section, below, for a more accessible option.
DinnerÂ
The night tour ends with a delicious traditional-style dinner at the onsite restaurant. This is typically homemade arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and salad.
Tour Details:
Cost of Private Tour: $134 per person + 13% tax. Free for children under 5.
Offered: 5:15 p.m. (approximate pickup time in Manuel Antonio)
Duration: 3 hours (approximate)
Includes: Private round-trip transportation from your hotel or vacation rental in the Manuel Antonio area, private certified naturalist guide, entrance fee, LED flashlight, dinner, and a natural fruit drink.
Recommended Minimum Age: 5
Alternative Night TourÂ
If you’re looking for an easier night tour, the mangrove night tour at the nearby Isla Damas is a great option and doesn’t require any walking.
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Kunal G. (Verified Customer) –
My son and I had a fantastic time on our night tour! We saw tons of frogs, lizards, bugs, etc. We were fortunate enough to see a fer-de-lance snake as well as a tarantula! Two Weeks in Costa Rica made the experience fun and seamless. I didn’t have to worry about anything….except for stepping on something dangerous!