What’s the Spookiest Thing to do This Halloween? Try a Night Hike Into an Enchanted Rainforest

Happy Halloween! Or rather… ¡Feliz Dia de la Mascarada Tradicional Costarricense!

Costa Rica designated October 31st Día de la Mascarada Tradicional Costarricense (or National Day of the Costa Rican Masquerade in English.) In an effort to promote multiple facets of local Costa Rican culture, rather than inherit only foreign Halloween traditions, the country has truly made this day its own.

Celebrating Halloween and Dia de la Mascarada in Costa Rica

Celebrated for a few hundred years, the masquerade was originally brought to Costa Rica by people who celebrated the Spanish Carnival. Over the years, the bright costumed dancing festival became mixed with some spooky folklore additions, and also with indigenous mask-making customs. 

Late each October, visitors and locals can find plenty of traditional Halloween activities based on the 2,000-year-old celtic festival. Jack-o-lanterns, Trick-or-treating, and ghost and goblin costume parades take place annually in the towns of Dominical and Uvita.

But we think you should try something completely new this year. If you love a good spook, just take a night hike tour in the wild jungles of Costa Rica! 

Night Walk at Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica

We know that oftentimes our guests aim to see sloths, monkeys, macaws, dolphins and turtles without catching a glimpse of spiders, snakes or bats. But, the jungle is one big happy ecosystem, teeming with all members of the Animal Kingdom.

So this year, we highly encourage you to leave behind your biases and embrace all creatures, big and small, on a Night Hike at the Hacienda Baru Wildlife Refuge.

And what better time of year to push yourself to embark on something you otherwise might consider a bit spooky?

This unique 2-3 hour tour meets at 6 p.m. at Hacienda Baru, just a few miles down the highway from the lovely town of Dominical. This magical tour will take you into the Barú National Wildlife Refuge, in search of exotic creatures most people never get to see.

What To Wear & Bring on a Night Hike

Be sure to wear closed-toed, solid footwear for the trek. Long pants and lightweight long sleeves are also recommended. Now isn’t the time to worry about fashion, and we even recommend a good pair of long socks that you can pull up over your pant legs while exploring. It will keep any insects from nibbling your ankles as you wander through their habitat. 

In October, Costa Rica is in its rainy season. This means that you should consider bringing not only a rain jacket, but possibly a dry bag or plastic bag where you can keep your belongings safe. Be sure to bring a flashlight or even a headlamp, too. Experienced night hikers suggest models with a red-light mode, to preserve night vision but not scare off any of those mammals you want to see. 

Anytime you take a hike in Costa Rica, day or night, you always need to bring drinking water. 

What Will You See on a Night Hike?

As you know, Costa Rica is not structured like a zoo. There will be no “on the left you’ll find the Pacific screech-owl and over here on your right is the common potoo.” That being said, your bilingual guide will know where to look based on years of experience. Oftentimes, just heading to the base of a tree that has just fruited means you’ll likely find some hungry mammals foraging.

That being said, here’s a list of the most common night hike wildlife sightings based on previous explorers’ experiences.

Frogs & Toads:

This photo comes courtesy of Hacienda Baru’s YouTube video about the Night Hike. Click the image to go directly to their YouTube page now. 

Frogs and toads abound in Costa Rica. Especially during the rainy season. In fact, not only will you see them, but you’ll really hear them. Guests are often amazed at just how loud it can be when you immerse yourself into their habitat. 

Birds:

While the toucan and macaw have bedded down by nightfall, a few of the nocturnal birds you can hope to see are owls, potoos and nightjars. Hacienda Baru is known to be a birding paradise. Instead of listing the hundreds of possibilities here, you can check out the huge repository list here on eBird.

Mammals:

While the pizotes and howler monkeys are settling down to sleep, sloths and kinkajous are just getting active. Sloths love to sleep the day away. But right after sundown, they tend to head out for some leaf foraging. During this same window, it’s primetime to spot a kinkajou. 

After spending the sunny daytime slumbering out of sight, kinkajous wake up right after sunset. They have a busy to-do list, which begins with grooming and stretching their bodies. Then they stretch their vocal chords and begin searching for fruits, insects and flower nectar. You’re most likely to find them near fruiting trees, hanging from a branch by their tail and savoring a scrumptious snack. They are also spotted running across tree branches, making a lot of noise and rustling up a bunch of branches en route. 

Insects & Arachnids:

For the creepy-crawly lovers out there, you will not be disappointed. Oftentimes the most amazing insects and spiders are hiding just barely out of sight. But with your knowledgeable guide and a strong flashlight, you’ll get to see right into their hidey-holes and observe (from a few feet away) a world you have never seen. 

Keep an eye out for the hardworking leaf-cutter ants, weaving trails through the plants off trail. Look for the beautiful golden silk orb-weavers, aka “banana spider.” It might look menacing, but this harmless spider prefers to stay put in its impressive web. This is one creepy-crawly experience that you’ll never forget.

Uncommon… but still possible

It’s rare to spot a jungle cat at night. They are experts at evading humans. They will hear you, and smell you, long before you get close enough to spot them. Nevertheless, they are present. Hidden trail cameras at the Hacienda Baru have captured both the ocelot and the puma.

Click here to watch the full night camera footage from Hacienda Baru of this adult puma.

In conclusion, a night hike through the tropical jungle isn’t a bucket-list adventure for every tourist that visits this region of the world, and that’s totally fine. Participants must be comfortable in the changing elements and also mentally strong. But if you’re the type of person willing to embrace the unknown, a traveler that likes to get their heart pounding on occasion, a night hike at Hacienda Baru should certainly do the trick.

But let’s be honest here, this tour is nowhere near as frightening as running into Jason Voorhees while camping with your main squeeze at Crystal Lake. And it’s not nearly as perilous as having Freddy Krueger pop up in your dreams each night. Besides, these are just thousands of tiny, hairy creatures in a really dark, desolate rainforest. What’s so spooky about that?

For the record, the YouGetHere Property Management team has never done this tour, although dozens of our clients have. Because of this, all of our staff members will be dressing as chickens this year. Happy Halloween, you bunch of crazies!