The Jaguar Rescue Center, just outside Puerto Viejo on the road to Playa Cocles, is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary that takes in injured, orphaned and confiscated animals. Sloths get the most attention — both two- and three-toed species — but you'll also see howler monkeys, ocelots, snakes, and a rotating cast of birds.
Visits run twice a day on guided tours; book ahead in high season. The centre does serious work: rehabilitating animals for release and running educational programmes for local schools. The ticket fee funds the work, and it is one of the more thoughtful animal experiences on the Caribbean coast.