Wildlife at Your Doorstep: Animals You'll Spot at White Picket Fence

Most people come to Nosara for the surf and the sunsets. But there's another reason guests keep coming back to White Picket Fence: the wildlife. Nestled between Playa Guiones and the surrounding tropical dry forest, WPF sits in a corridor of biodiversity that feels more like a nature documentary than a vacation rental. No tours, no schedules — just coffee on the terrace and a front-row seat to one of Costa Rica's most alive ecosystems.

Howler monkeys: your 5 a.m. wake-up call

If you haven't been startled awake by a howler monkey, you haven't really been to Costa Rica. The howler monkeys of Nosara — Alouatta palliata, the mantled howler — are a constant presence around WPF, moving through the treetops in family troops of 10 to 20 individuals. Their deep, resonant roar carries up to three miles and typically starts just before sunrise. It's disorienting the first morning, deeply comforting by the third. White-faced capuchin monkeys also pass through regularly, smaller and more curious, often stopping to peer down at guests from the branches above the pool.

Sloths: the art of doing nothing, perfectly

Spotting a sloth in the wild feels like a small victory every time. Both two-toed and three-toed sloths are found in the trees around Nosara, and the slow, deliberate life they lead — sleeping up to 20 hours a day — makes them surprisingly easy to observe once you know what to look for. Look for a rounded, motionless shape wedged in the fork of a cecropia tree. The best times are early morning and late afternoon, when they occasionally shift position to follow the sun. Guests at WPF have spotted them without leaving the property.

Iguanas: the ancient residents

Green iguanas are everywhere in Nosara, and they know it. These prehistoric-looking reptiles can reach over five feet in length and are completely unbothered by human presence. You'll find them basking on walls, draped over tree branches, or crossing the road at their own unhurried pace. The males turn a vivid orange during mating season — a jarring, beautiful contrast against the green canopy. Around WPF, iguanas are year-round fixtures, often spotted sunning themselves on the villa's stone walls in the morning hours.

Birds: Nosara is a world-class destination for birding

With over 270 bird species recorded in the Nosara area, the region attracts serious birders from around the world — and even casual observers will find themselves reaching for their phones. From the property you can regularly spot scarlet macaws flying in pairs overhead (their calls unmistakable), white ibis wading in the estuary nearby, magnificent frigatebirds soaring along the coast, and a parade of tanagers, wrens, and flycatchers moving through the garden. Sunrise and dusk are the peak activity windows, and the biodiversity shifts with the seasons as migratory species pass through.

The wildlife is the experience

At White Picket Fence, the encounter with wildlife isn't an excursion you book — it's woven into the rhythm of every day. It's the howler monkeys that replace your alarm clock, the iguana that shares your morning sun, the sloth that makes you slow down and look up. Nosara's commitment to environmental protection means this biodiversity has been carefully preserved, and the jungle around WPF remains intact and thriving. Staying here means being part of an ecosystem, not just visiting one.

Want to wake up to monkeys in the trees and macaws overhead? White Picket Fence puts you at the heart of Nosara's wildlife corridor. Book your stay and let the jungle welcome you.