Costa Rica Adventure Travel: Snakes

Grey eyelash viper

You are unlikely to notice any snakes unless they are pointed out to you by a naturalist guide.

Yes, we have snakes, and lots of them, some extraordinarily beautiful. The most dangerous is the bushmaster, which is very common in the sugar cane fields. The last fatality from a snake bite for ANYONE in Costa Rica was in 1997. The last TOURIST to be seriously injured by a snake bite was in the 1980's; no one knows exactly when. The last TOURIST killed in a CAR ACCIDENT was approximately last week. The most dangerous activity undertaken by this, and most, adventure companies in Costa Rica is to drive on the public roads, especially at night, in the fog, with no yellow lines or white lines, no place to pull off, with nothing to mark huge potholes that might have formed the last time it rained. Snakes hardly rank in comparison.

Quote:

Everything was fabulous, fun and interesting. Alfonso taught us an amazing amount in 1 week! Costa Rica is a beautiful country. We learned and saw more than I expected thanks to the knowledge of our guide. PLUS! Great wildlife spotting and viewing.

—Robbie C., Santa Rosa, CA, June 2007