My friends and I visited the Capybara Café in St. Augustine, FL, where you can get up close and personal with these gentle giant rodents. Here all the details on what you need to know before you visit.
The Capybara Café Experience in St. Augustine
We booked the 25-minute Capybara Encounter for $49.98 on the website, which was easy to use. They also offer a 55-minute Capybara and Friends Encounter for $100.98.
The Capybara Encounter is with a small group of about 8 people and 3 capybaras. The difference with the “And Friends” encounter is that they also bring out other animals like opossums, skunks, raccoons, tortoises, porcupines, ferrets and hedgehogs.
What is a Capybara?
Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world!
Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) belong to the rodent order Rodentia, the same group that includes mice, rats, squirrels, beavers, guinea pigs, and porcupines. Adult capybaras can weigh between 60 and 170 pounds, making them much larger than most people expect when they hear the word “rodent.”
Native to South America, capybaras are highly social, semi-aquatic animals that spend much of their time in and around water. Despite their size, they share typical rodent traits such as continuously growing front teeth that must be worn down through grazing.
Arriving at the Capybara Café
The first thing you need to know is that there is no big sign, and the place is easy to miss unless you know what you are looking for!
The easiest thing to spot is the Great Expectations Realty sign and a large giraffe statue. The Capybara Café is the door on the left.
The parking lot is very small, so give yourself some time to arrive early in case you have to figure out where to park.
Once you step inside, be prepared for a bit of an animal smell. It’s not overwhelming by any means, but it definitely smells like you’re visiting animals. If you’re especially sensitive to odors, it’s something to keep in mind before your visit.
After entering, you’ll check in at the front desk. This is also where you’ll find a small selection of souvenirs, along with bottled water, soda, and a few snacks.
You may be surprised to learn there isn’t actually a café inside the Capybara Café. Despite the name, you won’t be sipping a latte while hanging out with your new animal friends. So, it’s not like a Cat Café.
More than Just Capybaras
Even if you don’t book the Capybara and Friends Encounter, you’ll still have the chance to meet some adorable animal residents during your visit.
The waiting area is home to several friendly animals that guests can interact with, including fluffy bunnies, guinea pigs, and playful baby goats that roam freely around the space.
Not every animal is available for hands-on interaction, however. The reptiles are there for viewing only, and one colorful bird had a sign warning visitors not to pet him because he liked to bite!
Time to Meet the Capybaras!
When it’s time for your capybara encounter, you’ll be escorted into a private room with a small group of guests. Benches are available if you’d rather sit up higher, but if you’re hoping for a capybara to climb into your lap, sitting on the floor gives you the best chance.
Before you get to feed the capybaras, the staff goes over a few simple rules to help keep both guests and animals safe and comfortable. You’ll also be given a blanket to place over your lap since capybaras have surprisingly large claws.
Each guest receives a pair of feeding tongs, which you’ll use to offer lettuce to the capybaras. The staff hands out plenty of lettuce pieces, making sure everyone in the group has an opportunity to feed the animals several times during the encounter.
The 25-minute encounter may sound short, but it felt like plenty of time to interact with all three capybaras. Since they were highly motivated by the lettuce, they spent most of the session happily making the rounds to visit everyone in the room.
I never felt rushed, and it seemed like every guest had plenty of opportunities for up-close interactions. The capybaras were friendly, relaxed, and lived up to their reputation as some of the chillest animals around.
If you’re imagining snuggling with a capybara, though, you may be surprised by their fur. While they’re perfectly happy to be petted, their coat is very coarse. Petting a capybara feels more like running your hand over a stiff bristle brush than a soft, fluffy pet.
Capybara Café Review: Worth a Visit!
I would definitely recommend a visit to the Capybara Café for any animal lover. You get plenty of time to interact with all kinds of animals and the capybaras are super cute and friendly.
I recommend making reservations early, as they do tend to book up!
Capybara Café
105 S Ponce De Leon Blvd Suite B,C, St. Augustine, FL 32084
(386) 346-1058
Your Visit Helps Support Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation
Capybara Café is more than just a fun animal encounter, it also helps raise money for rescued wildlife and exotic animals! The café operates in partnership with Noah’s Ark Sanctuary, a nonprofit animal rescue and rehabilitation organization based in the St. Augustine area. Proceeds from the café help support the sanctuary’s mission of caring for injured and orphaned wildlife, exotic pet surrenders, and other animals in need.
According to Noah’s Ark Sanctuary, funds raised through the Capybara Café help provide food, veterinary care, enrichment, and habitat improvements for the animals. The organization has also used support from visitors to expand enclosures and improve facilities for the animals in its care.
Instead of simply paying for entertainment, visitors are helping provide resources for rescued wildlife and exotic animals while enjoying a unique encounter with some very adorable capybaras.
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