Arenal Oasis Night Hike & Wild Frog Sanctuary Tour

This Arenal Oasis Night Hike Tour is an excellent evening activity for families and nature lovers of all kinds. As remarkable as the rainforest is during the day you will have seen only half the sights the forest has to offer. Have you ever noticed that after tucking in for a nights’ sleep in Costa Rica, the forest sounds seem to get louder? Night hikes cast away the mystery of darkness and reveal some amazing nocturnal creatures.

The hike is hosted at Arenal Oasis Eco-Lodge, a hotel and nature reserve that is dedicated to preserving the surrounding ecosystem. Specializing in the conservation of frogs, they have carefully designed Arenal’s only frog sanctuary, providing the perfect environment for frogs to reproduce, thrive and be seen by enthusiasts from around the world. The frog sanctuary contains beautiful native plants and fresh spring water ponds nurturing their natural habitats.

You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge, where the night hike tour will start around sunset. Here you will meet your certified naturalist guide who will provide you with a flashlight and tell you about what you might see in the area before setting out on the well maintained trails winding through the rainforest. Your guide will be quick to point out any glow-in-the-dark creatures like phosphorescent fungi or you may discover a few fireflies on your own.

As you pass through the frog sanctuary your guide will shine the light on a variety of colorful tropical frogs species. Have you ever seen a red-eyed tree frog? The bulging red eyes are the most distinguishing feature of this unique amphibian. Glass frogs typically are found at this site too. You’ll know a glass frog when you see one. Its body looks as transparent as glass, allowing you to see all of the veins and internal organs throughout its body.

It has been estimated approximately one third of the world’s frog population has become extinct since the 1980s. Scientists are concerned because frogs represent the health of the overall food chain that can affect the balance of nature. Genetic defects have rapidly increased since the 1990s, thought to be caused by stressors placed on the natural environment. There is a worldwide effort to protect frogs and other environmental indicators as well as preserve their natural habitats which is the goal of the Arenal Oasis Frog Sanctuary.

This interesting night hike tour includes transportation from the La Fortuna area, entrance fee, bilingual naturalist guide, flashlights and bottled water. Please wear comfortable clothes, long pants, enclosed hiking or tennis shoes, rain gear, camera and bring bug repellent. One way transportation to the Arenal Oasis Eco-Lodge can be between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the location of your hotel. Combined tour time with hike and round trip transportation can take between 2 to 3 hours.