snakes in guanacaste
 

My husband really wants to go to CR. I'm TERRIFIED of snakes & so far, it's prevented me from planning a trip. We settled on the Guanacaste area with a possible stop at a hotel in the Rincon de la Vieja area before heading south to one of the beach towns. What are the odds of seeing a snake, since we plan on taking a tour to Rincon from our hotel.

In roughly 500 days out trekking around in the National Parks, reserves and refuges actively trying to see snakes (and frogs, turtles, sloths, monkeys, mantis, butterflies, otters, cockroaches or anything else the rainforest might show us) we've seen about a hundred judging from the number of photos I have tagged "snake"

So, if you go looking I'd estimate you've got about one in five odds. If you look REALLY hard (at night with a guide for example) you'll find more.

However, I have noticed that there seems to be a relationship between how much a person says they want to avoid snakes and how many snakes show up. Don't know what it is but the same thing seems to work with giant hairy spiders too... ;-)

We're ones that always tell the guide that we'd like to see a snake, and in all our trips, the guide has found one, a tiny one called a snail-eating snake. We also came across one on our own on a pathway at night. It was in a big hurry to leave when it heard us coming. For the most part, they don't want to be around you. I would recommend always carrying a flashlight or headlamp at night and shining it on the path in front of you. Although they're out there, I've seen more snakes in my own backyard than I have in CR. CR is worth it; be brave!

There are lots of snakes in Costa Rica but the chances are very slim that you will see one! They are very secretive and really don't care for the bashing and thrashing around that tourists do when walking.

I lived on a farm for my first six years here and worked in the fields and trees almost every day. In six years, I saw three snakes.

Some people think that wild animals - including snakes - are just waiting by the trail to "get" you but nothing could be further from the truth! Wild animals really don't like people and try to stay away as much as possible.

Not really much for me to add here. Except my agreement.

I have been going to Costa Rica on a regular basis for over twenty years. I have seen snakes three times, and mostly in very remote areas.

Smith is right. They hear us coming, and stay away. They are sensitive to the vibrations from us walking. We are too big to be prey, so we are a threat and they want to avoid us.

The only way a snake is a danger to you is if you surprise it or corner it. So the rule is for your hikes is that if your feet are moving, you need to looking down. If you are looking up, your feet need to stop. This will protect you from snakes, scorpions, and the rogue tree root that will trip you up.

Where are you staying at Rincon? The Borinquen is a pricey option. But worth it if you have the budget. The Hacienda Guachipelin is a great choice too. The food is awful. But the rooms are quite nice, and the white water tubing tour is one of the best day tours I have ever been on.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer any more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Travel Professional

The other rule is to not reach out and grab a tree. I guess I was lucky. On my single trip to CR I saw three snakes, a green parrot snake at Hacienda Baru, and two eyelash vipers at AOL on the morning hikes. The eyelash vipers were camo'd so well against the tree trunks that I never would have seen them without the guide. Never saw a terciopolo but my guides said they are nocturnal, so during the day they are sleeping in a hiding spot. That is why hiking in the jungle with rubber boats and a machete-wielding guide is a good idea.

"....hiking in the jungle with rubber boats and a machete-wielding guide is a good idea...."

You're kidding, right?

:)

I find it quite difficult to hike with a rubber boat! :)

Hahaha good catch volcano girl.

A week in the Amazon and you'll want a rubber boat and boots too!

So true!

I saw a snake one evening outside of our cabin. No big deal. We had a flashlight and it slithered away.

I think a rubber boat to cross all the little snake infested streams is a good idea, but why two of them? And Emmagus, thanks for the heads up. We have lost a number of flashlights in Costa Rica, and I guess that, like yours, they just slithered away.

You're a good sport, m!