Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary in Puntarenas

We had a lovely easy hike here. We went on our own and still were able to spot several animals including two sloths, capybara and lots of toucans and other birds. The lookouts are fun, and we appreciated the wooden areas to get across more of the muddy sections. There are so many beautiful plants, and it’s so quiet and peaceful. The gift shop has several unique and affordable items too!

This is a great opportunity to work with interesting and rare wildlife. I enjoyed my month here and everyone is very kind and helpful. More wildlife care than veterinary opportunities but still great. Great food Ellen!

Important: guided tours only, reservation requiered!The Alturas wildlife sanctuary is a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitate, and release injured, sick, and orphaned animals. On the tour we visited the permannent sanctuary residents and learned about their history and biology (english languagewhich was really nice - at the end you can visit the shop to buy souvenirs.

Wonderful rehabilitation center, be sure to include in your visit. Road up to the location steep from the road and keep driving even when you think you missed it.

A good way to see all 4 types of monkey up close. Especially spider monkey which are hard to find. They do good work here to protect animals.

This place is located in Costa Rica, theres year round volunteer work, wether its a week or a month, dollars are accepted, but souvenirs are high in price. Beach is 3 hrs away, a ride will cost $150.00, so its up to you if you want tohelp out no a/c, fans and mosquito netting is available, work is cleaning cages or helping the other members feed animals or help in injury cases

We enjoyed our tour with a knowable guide on the animals that were at the wildlife sanctuary. It was nice to see them helping the animals and doing what they can!

I spent 1 week at Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary and enjoyed my stay a lot. I got some great insights about the impact of the work done and got to know inspiring and supportive people. One week is very short though. Just when I was aware of all the routines and connected to people and animals I was leaving again. For my personal schedule one week was ideal and I am very grateful for my chance volunteering. If you can make the time I recommend you to stay at least 2 weeks.

Cool animals here and ultimately I think the center is a positive for the animal kingdom especially with their medical facilities nextdoor and overall mission to re-release every animal if possible but I felt the cages were very small for the amount of space they have around the place and the tour guide (probably a volunteerwas boring so lost my attention half way through.The other volunteers were also very quiet when we were there which was a bit odd…A couple of the animals (that in fairness wouldn’t survive in the wildwere just wandering in circles in their cages which can be a sign of stress. The enclosure for the crocodile is disgracefully small.Probably need a 4x4 to access as you go up a steep dirt road to reach the sanctuary and attached hotel.

Took my mother to Dominical, Costa Rica 🇨🇷 for Mothers Day (which was May 8th 2022 in the United States 🇺🇸), we are from S.C. and she wanted to visit Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary on actual Mothers Day in United States 🇺🇸. We took the 9am tour and we both had a very wonderful and enjoyable experience, I highly recommend this tour. Staff and our tour guide was very informative, tour was educational, and saw many local Animals from Costa Rica that the Sanctuary helps rehab, releasing back into wild or take care of for rest of Animals life. Well worth the ticket cost and we left donation due to what Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary does for animals and Costa Rica. Sanctuary located in Jungle of Dominical, Costa Rica with stunning views. Had one of the best experiences while visiting Dominical, Costa Rica 🇨🇷.

We would definitely recommend doing this tour. You will learn a TON about the animals they have rescued and the sanctuary is funded completely by people doing the tour. There is also amazing views from the hotel on the same property.

The animals all have very interesting (if not a little tragicbackstories and the staff do a great job of explaining in both Spanish and English. The place itself is a lot of fun and its clear the staff are passionate about the care and rehabilitation of the animals.The fact that tourists cant visit the animals being prepped for release is important as it shows the sanctuary takes its mission of animal care seriously and isnt simply a tourist money making place.

We really enjoyed our tour at the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary. It was a unique experience and it was nice to see the effort theyre making at healing and re-releasing so many animals back into the jungle. The animals that arent safe to be returned live out a what looks to be a good life in the sanctuary. While we were there we saw a wild monkey that liked to check up on the other monkeys.

Interesting place, they do good work rehabilitating injured wildlife and returning them to the wild. We did get to see a few that were unable to be released and so will spend the rest of their days at the sanctuary.

Volunteered for a week and it was incredible. Highly recommend. Only wish I could have stayed longer!

Our tour guide, Rico, was terrific! He did a great job explaining their mission and philosophy, and knew everything about all the animals on-site. Alturas rescues & rehabilitates animals that are injured or confiscated (due to illegal ownership). They re-release all the animals that can be released and they keep a small number of animals on-site that can’t be released for one reason or another. Usually that is due to debilitating injuries or animals that have had relationships with humans that leave them ill equipped to live in the wild. They see 250-300 different species of animals each year. A very valuable organization in this area!

My wife and I visited today on a whim. It was well worth it! Our tour guide, Rigo, is great at what he does. His passion comes through when he shares his knowledge of the animals in the sanctuary.

A very nice and well taken care of sanctuary. They take in a lot of animals seized by police for illegal ownership and those injured by nets or the road.As testament to the care and effort they put forth: they took such great care of a toucan that it kept returning despite them releasing it. He refused to leave his sanctuary. Toucans are apparently cheeky like that.

Very much enjoyed the guided tour and great cause for these animals that wouldnt survive on their own in the wild.Located at the top of the world with amazing views of the Pacific coast line.Our timing was perfect and we were able to join the crew at Playa Hermosa to witness the release of freshly hatch sea turtles into the ocean.

What a beautiful place. Loyal gave us a private tour and it was easy to see how much he and he other staff care about all the animals on site.

I was only expecting it to be one more classical sanctuary but from the first minute have been really impressed by the educational skill of the guide. This is a sanctuary aiming at rescuing animals in distress, heal them, and if possible, release them in the wild. Everything is done to help animals recover, even if it means keeping some of the specimens away from humans. Hearing the stories of these animals - all carrying a first name - and how to limit our impact on these species has brought a fascinating dimension that I didn’t find in other natural Parks and sanctuaries.

Such an incredible place to visit. The workers truly care about every animal that comes into the sanctuary and the whole costa rican ecosystem. We highly recommend this tour. And you definitely need a 4x4 to get up the hill!!!!

This was probably one of the nicest tours we did in Costa Rica. Its about $25 per person for an hour tour, and all the money goes to the sanctuarys mission of rescuing animals. During the tour, the guide shows you a couple dozen animals that couldnt be released from the sanctuary because they wouldnt survive in the wild. The tour guide was extremely good, and he was able to explain the backstory of each animal and how they ended up at the sanctuary.You cannot tour the facility by yourself, and you must stick with your tour group the whole time. You also need to drive up a pretty steep dirt road to get to the sanctuary. On a dry day, you might be able to pull it off without a 4x4, but it would be a tough ride.

A must go if you are in the region. Not only do you see a lot of rescued animals, some strange and some familiar, your mere presence helps the sanctuary. The guides are terrific, the staff caring, the surrounding views awesome, the cloud forest nearby. Make sure to book online first. They have night tours and millennium rainforest walks too. If you care about life, in any form, then you must go. You must be part of the solution.

This is a neat tour. We got to learn more about how they help and release animal back into the wild. Our guide was very knowledgeable.

This was well work the drive up the steep steep hill.The View from this place is stunning breathtaking.We got to learn a lot about the animals and see a lot of different Wildlife. Please support your animal rescue. Theres also a pool bar and food menu.

Extremely beautiful place. Their tour is very informative, and it really highlights their mission.Other people have mentioned that this place feels like a zoo. YES, there are animals that live in enclosures. However, this place is far from a zoo. Their end goal is not to see animals inside enclosures... but you have to understand that a lot of their animals are rescues and for various reasons can never be released back into the wild. After all, it is a sanctuary.That being said, you can tell in many ways that they deeply care about the well-being of their animals, one major example is that they do not allow selfies with animals. They are doing the best they can and are continuously making efforts to improve the facilities as funds come in.If you’re in the area, I highly recommend it.One thing to note: if it’s raining or if it recently rained, you will need a 4 x 4 vehicle to get from the main road up to the sanctuary’s reception. very very steep.

Such a wonderful experience. Hands down one of the greatest things we have done since being here. Great place, phenomenal staff, and awesome group of animals on site.

Superb experience to understand the wildlife of Costa Rica, biology, and challenges faced by animals. Beautiful sanctuary, excellent guide, gorgeous views, and a restaurant on site for eating or drinks before/after.

Great views. Visiting the rescued animals was awesome. The tour guide made the tour even better, very informative and funny.

There are not many animals there; which is a good thing! They have a few of the most allusive creatures such as sloths. This property is on a step hill. Four-wheel-drive is suggested or patience with front-wheel-drive. All proceeds support the efforts of this shelter. Our guide was a wonderful English-speaking lass. Your group will meet at a resort vista with lovely ocean views and restaurant.

A very small, but nice animal sanctuary and rehab facility. Not a ton of animals, but enough to make it interesting. You cannot touch or interact, but you can take all the photos you want. The hotel is very nice and has a great view near the pool. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Great place to visit with family and learn about local animals. Volunteers at the Sanctuary are doing a great job. Thank you! Make sure you have time to enjoy lunch at the terrace, good food and great view. Totally recommend.

Don’t miss this place on your next visit to Costa Rica. Beautiful & very educational. Our guide, Juan Carlos was amazing with his knowledge and patience. Fun facts and interesting history about all the wildlife in and around the sanctuary. They do such amazing things here, and are a key support system for all the animals. They truly care. Beautiful experience!!!

Had a great visit at the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary. Considering the amazing work they are doing the cost for the tour was well worth it ($25/pp). REALLY enjoyed our tour guide Florian! He was humorous and informative. The sanctuary itself is very clean and well kept. There is also a hotel/restaurant onsite. The restaurant has amazing views, excellent food and the staff was fabulous. The sanctuary has an interesting volunteer program that sounds like a wonderful opportunity for those that want to provide more direct support with the animals. Would definitely visit again the next time we are in Costa Rica and we intend to provide them further monetary support!

We almost didnt make it here but plans changed and Im so glad we went on this tour! Our guide was so great at sharing stories of the animals being cared for here and had such a great sense of humor. We really enjoyed our time here and its such a great cause to support. You wont be disappointed!

This place is gorgeous! The guide Florian was super informative about all the animals. The location is on top of a mountain with a beautiful view of the Pacific. Theres also lunch served and a bar. Also a gift shop which all proceeds go to the animals. Thank you for a fun afternoon!

So glad we stumbled upon this place. The road is a little steep going up to its location but it is well worth it. The animals are so fun to see and you can tell that the workers and volunteers really care.

This is a special place. They do great work with a limited, but very dedicated staff and a host of volunteers, many who are travelling college-age young adults. The volunteers are provided with housing in exchange for their services at the sanctuary. Our guide, Mindy, was outstanding. Her concern for, and knowledge of the animals and their stories was conveyed with passion. Make sure to look out past the pool by the restaurant before the tour starts- the ocean view is stunning!

So grateful for this organization, they rehabilitate and release the animals they can, the public gets to see the ones who need longer term care. You do need a reservation so call ahead!

This place is amazing and the work they do is incredible. The tour guide, Neil, was very knowledge and caring of the animals. A definite must see here in CR.

Get nice and close with rescue animals and learn about the dangers to them. Nice and informative. We went for the included lunch as part of the entrance. The centre is part of this lovely hotel in the the hill with stunning views

I loved going here at 2/13/2019. I was glad that thses people take care of the animals and help them move on and if they cant they will continue to help them. I hate that the government doesnt pay the place but they are still doing good. The animals were so cute and smart too! Dennis the Menace was funny as well. I loved how they explained every one of them! It is sad how the parents died or how they got hurt but I was glad that the Sanctuary was taking care of them.

Such a wonderful and educational experience!! So rare to have an opportunity to view beautiful wildlife like this! The rescued animals you will see on this tour had been abused, neglected, injured, but after being treated/cared for, would not be able to survive if released back into the wild. This is typically because the severity of their injuries has permanently disabled them or they have imprinted with their human caregivers. The rest of the animals that are cared for at this sanctuary are not viewable on the tour to limit their exposure to humans as they are on track to be released back to the wild. If you are able, please donate to this wonderful non-profit so they can continue saving these precious creatures!!

Amazing place! This is a must see in my opinion, very informative tour and a great way to see wildlife in a way that is not promoting animal trafficking. The stories of the animals will break your heart but the work Alturas is doing will bring you hope. It great to learn about the animals behaviors and habitats. Go support this wonderful organization, you wont regret it!

Definitely worth the trip. Very caring staff for animals in need. Our tour guide Florian was excellent! Very knowledgeable about each animal and their story if how they ended up there. He was very entertaining too. Made the experience that much more enjoyable!

We absolutely enjoyed our time here! Our guide was funny and informative. He made us feel good about our visit and how we in a small way are also helping the animals. Our kiddo enjoyed seeing the animals up close and also the ones that were in the wild just hanging around. Keep doing what you are doing!! 👍🏼

The Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary hes ho hum at best. Their mission is admirable, rehabilitating and releasing Into the Wild injured and domesticated animals. However, the tour itself is ho-hum at best.

Your entrance fee for the tour goes to a great cause. The animals have some sad stories but Alturas tries to rehabilitate and release as many animals as they can.

A wonderful place to visit and see the fabulous work these people do to help wildlife. A great chance to see wildlife up close too. It is also in a gorgeous setting.