Costa Rica

Arenal’s almost symmetrical cone rises above the forest and is visible from roads, hotels and fields around La Fortuna. The volcano has been quiet since 2010, but lava fields, hot springs and geothermal activity make its presence obvious throughout the landscape.

The area is one of Costa Rica’s most varied regions for nature and outdoor experiences. Trails cross older and younger forest to viewpoints over the volcano and Lake Arenal. Hanging-bridge trails pass through different levels of the forest, La Fortuna Waterfall drops into a deep green ravine, and evenings can end in geothermally heated water.

La Fortuna makes logistics straightforward, with hotels, restaurants and guides for both gentle nature days and more active experiences. Kayaking, rafting, ziplining, canyoning and night walks can all be combined without long transfers. Four nights allow a comfortable pace and make Arenal more than a quick stop on the way to Monteverde.

Cloud moves through the trees and leaves moisture on mosses, orchids and bromeliads. A quetzal may sit quietly above the trail while bellbirds and hummingbirds call elsewhere in the forest. Monteverde is not ordinary rainforest but a cool, high-elevation ecosystem where vegetation and weather almost merge.

The region contains several reserves with different characters. Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is the best known, Santa Elena has strong local management, and smaller protected areas support birdwatching, night walks and research. Hanging bridges and ziplines provide canopy views from above but lie outside the most sensitive reserve trails.

Santa Elena and Monteverde form a living highland community of hotels, restaurants, coffee farms and a history shaped by Costa Rican settlers, Quakers, researchers and conservationists. Three nights provide two full days and allow visitors to experience both misty morning forest and the completely different wildlife of the night.

Steam rises from the ground between the trees and mud bubbles in small craters beside the trail. A few kilometres away clear water drops through a green ravine, while on ranches below the volcanic massif horses, canyons and hot springs await. Rincón de la Vieja brings Guanacaste’s strongest contrasts into one area.

Las Pailas reveals geothermal activity through fumaroles, boiling mud and sulphurous air close to forest trails. Santa María has a calmer, greener character with historic buildings, water and longer walks. Access and open routes can change with volcanic activity and weather and are always checked before travel.

Outside the national park, lodges and ranches combine nature with tubing, horse riding, ziplining, canyoning and hot springs. Three nights provide two full days and make it possible to experience both the volcanic landscape and a more active side of Guanacaste.

Before sunrise, the first surfers cross the broad sand at Playa Guiones. Behind the beach lies a protected belt of forest rather than a row of tall hotels, and as daylight arrives howler monkeys and birds can be heard from the trees. Nosara’s identity begins where the sea meets this green coastal zone.

Guiones is the main surf beach, with plenty of space and waves suitable for several experience levels. Playa Pelada is smaller, with rocks, tidal pools and restaurants close to the sea. Farther north lies Ostional, where olive ridley turtles come ashore in very large numbers during arribadas.

Yoga, movement and wellness have become a clear part of Nosara, but the area is more than an international retreat centre. Small communities, local families, nature reserves and roads through tropical dry forest give the destination its own everyday life. Four nights provide time for surf, yoga, beach and nature without losing the calm that is one of Nosara’s strongest qualities.

Tamarindo Bay opens towards the Pacific with a long sandy beach, sailing boats and surfers waiting for the next wave. As the sun drops, people gather along the entire beach and the horizon becomes the town’s shared evening space.

Tamarindo is one of Guanacaste’s most varied beach towns. Surf schools, hotels, restaurants, boat trips and nightlife are all within short distances. Playa Langosta to the south offers a quieter residential setting and a tide-shaped coastline, while Playa Grande across the estuary lies within Las Baulas National Marine Park.

Choice and accessibility are the town’s main strengths. Surfing, catamaran trips, sport fishing and mangroves can be combined with restaurants and comfortable accommodation without long transfers. Four nights create a good beach stay, while a longer visit makes room for Rincón de la Vieja or other parts of Guanacaste.

Rainforest reaches all the way down to small pale beaches and turquoise water. White-faced capuchins move through the trees, iguanas rest beside the paths and a sloth may hang almost invisibly above a walkway. Manuel Antonio gives an unusually concentrated introduction to Costa Rica’s Pacific nature.

The national park is small but rich, with several trails, viewpoints and beaches within short distances. Many animals move close to visitor routes but remain wild. Feeding and close contact harm wildlife, and a knowledgeable nature guide makes the visit both more rewarding and more responsible.

Outside the park, Playa Espadilla, smaller coves, restaurants and hotels continue along the hilly road towards Quepos. Mangrove excursions, kayaking, boat trips and inland rainforest activities provide several days of variety without everything having to take place inside the national park. Three or four nights are a good foundation.

South of Manuel Antonio, the Pacific coast becomes greener and more dramatic. Rainforest-covered hills approach the sea, rivers reach broad beaches and small roads lead inland towards waterfalls. Dominical brings surf and relaxed coastal life, while Uvita is the gateway to Marino Ballena National Park.

At low tide, the long sand formation of Punta Uvita appears, where two beaches meet in a shape reminiscent of a whale’s tail. Offshore, humpback whales from different populations pass through at different times of year. Boat trips may also bring dolphins, sea turtles and views back towards the forested coastline.

The area suits travellers who want to combine beach time with activity and wildlife without staying in a large resort town. Nauyaca Waterfalls, surf lessons, kayaking, snorkelling and excursions towards Isla del Caño or Corcovado provide several substantial days. Four nights allow tide, sea and weather to shape the programme without haste.

A tapir steps out of the forest and pauses at the edge of the beach. Scarlet macaws fly in pairs above the palms, while farther inland spider monkeys move through the canopy. In Corcovado, rainforest, rivers and the Pacific lie so close together that a single walk can cross several ecosystems in one day.

The national park protects a large part of the Osa Peninsula and contains one of Central America’s most important remaining lowland rainforests. Sirena has the richest network of trails, San Pedrillo combines coast and forest, and La Leona is reached along a long beach. Visits are planned with knowledgeable local guides and adapted to the chosen sector, weather, tide and current availability.

Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez serve as two very different gateways. Boats from Drake run towards Sirena, San Pedrillo and Isla del Caño. Puerto Jiménez opens the eastern side of the peninsula, Golfo Dulce and the road towards Carate. Corcovado is physically demanding, but a few well-planned days provide one of Latin America’s strongest nature experiences.

The boat leaves the road behind and enters a landscape of rivers, canals and dense rainforest. Monkeys move above the water, caiman eyes appear close to the bank and herons stand motionless among the roots. In Tortuguero, boats replace cars and the whole destination follows the direction of the water.

The national park protects an extensive canal system, lowland rainforest, wetlands and the long Caribbean beach. Green, leatherback, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles use the coast during different periods. Night visits to nesting beaches are regulated and take place with authorised guides.

Tortuguero village lies between canal and sea, with footpaths, small hotels and Caribbean everyday life. Two nights provide a first canal trip and time in the village. Three allow a more comfortable pace, another dawn and more scope to let weather and wildlife shape the days.

Bicycles roll along the coastal road between Cocles, Chiquita and Punta Uva. Beaches, reef and coconut palms lie on one side, dense greenery and small houses on the other. Music, food and languages make it immediately clear that Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast has a different history from the Pacific.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is the centre of a coastline running from Cahuita to Gandoca-Manzanillo. Cahuita National Park combines a coastal trail, wildlife and coral reef. Cocles brings surf, Punta Uva more sheltered coves and Manzanillo a smaller village at the end of the road.

Afro-Caribbean traditions, the presence of Bribri and Cabécar peoples and later international migration have created an unusually layered destination. Rice and beans with coconut milk, calypso, cacao and the day’s fish belong as much to the experience as the beach. Four or five nights allow time for nature, culture and a couple of slow coastal days.