Wild Encounters: Life Among Costa Rica’s Iguanas and Geckos

Wild Encounters: Lessons from Costa Rica’s Most Iconic Creatures

Costa Rica is alive with creatures that inspire awe, laughter, and sometimes a little surprise. From the treetops to the forest floor, every animal seems to have a lesson to teach. Some move so slowly they seem frozen in time, while others burst across the sky in flashes of colour and sound. In this four-part series, we explore the sloths, macaws, toucans, and reptiles—creatures that define the soul of Costa Rica. Whether you’re a visitor stepping into their world for the first time or a resident sharing your home with these wild neighbours, their stories are unforgettable.

This is the final of a Four Parts series. Read Part One, Two and Three. Hoping you have enjoyed.

In Costa Rica, wildlife doesn’t keep to the jungles. It spills into streets, rooftops, and even bedrooms. Iguanas and geckos are among the country’s most familiar reptiles, embodying the pura vida spirit with their laid-back lifestyle.

Green iguanas are the largest, sometimes growing over six feet long. They bask motionless on sunlit rocks or tree branches, resembling miniature dragons. Black spiny-tailed iguanas are smaller but much faster, earning them the nickname “gallinas de palo” (chickens of the tree).

Geckos are the uninvited houseguests most people learn to appreciate. These tiny lizards scuttle across ceilings and walls, chirping with a sound many mistake for a bird. They’re efficient pest controllers, devouring mosquitoes and other insects before they can become a nuisance.

While some newcomers find geckos startling at first, they quickly become part of daily life. Naming the resident geckos is a common pastime, with households developing an odd sense of attachment to these wall-dwelling insect hunters.

In Costa Rica, reptiles remind visitors that humans are guests in a much older, wilder world. And what a beautiful world it is.