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Costa Rica Destinations
Costa Rica is such an amazing country that it can be difficult to know where to go first. To get you started, here's a list of the best places to go in Costa Rica. Explore popular destinations like Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano, or Monteverde's cloud forests. By no means is this an exhaustive list of places to go in Costa Rica, but it is a great list of Costa Rica points of interest. Remember, adding popular destinations to your travel to-do list isn't a bad thing. When you're trying to decide where to go in Costa Rica, heading to at least one or two hot spots ensures that you're not missing any of the beauty or magic associated with legitimate 'must see' destinations.
You haven't truly been to Costa Rica until you've been to Arenal. It's everything you've heard and more, especially if you love outdoor adventure! From trekking around the massive Arenal Volcano National Park, home of the namesake Arenal Volcano, to zip lining through the rainforest, you'll have to go out of your way to find boredom in Arenal, which makes it a great destination if you're planning a family adventure vacation.
If this is a getaway for just the two of you, plan a trip of adventure, culture, and romance Get a rush of adrenaline when you careen over rapids or rappel down a waterfall. Sample delicious treats as you learn how chocolate goes 'from bean to bar' — you won't believe how fruity cacao beans turn into the decadent indulgence you know and love. Horseback riding leave you a little sore? Slip into one of Arenal's hot springs, and let your muscles relax as memories of stress fade away. Arenal hotels are some of the nicest in the country.
Home to an impressive assortment of plants and animals, the cool and mountainous region of Arenal will remind you of all of the amazing things you can do when you're free to explore the world at your own pace.
Why is Manuel Antonio a 'can't miss' destination in Costa Rica? For starters, there is the Manuel Antonio National Park, which spans almost 1,700 acres of land. From the get go, you have pristine beaches and tranquil waters to look forward to. There will be plenty of opportunities to observe wildlife on land and in the sea.
Romantic activities await you when you go horseback riding on the beach. Going on vacation with the family? Then you'll enjoy wholesome and exciting adventures such as kayaking and rappelling. One of the great things about Manuel Antonio is that it's easy to plan a vacation where activity and relaxation are easy to balance, one minute you're enjoying the great outdoors, and the next, you're reading a book whilst you dig your toes into warm sand.
What about when it's time to leave the beach? Eventually, that golden sunset is going to come to an end. When it does, you can start a whole new adventure. Enjoy dinner, drinks, and dancing when you explore the nightlife of this coastal destination. Prefer more modest accommodations? Discover why Manuel Antonio is bound to be your new favorite coastal city on your Costa Rican getaway.
Get back to greenery when your Costa Rica getaway takes you to beautiful Monteverde. Situated within the central highlands, Monteverde is famous for its cloud forests, sustainable practices, and friendly community. This is the destination to head to if you want to be surrounded by tropical wildlife.
In Monteverde, you're spoiled by beauty and for choice very good issues to have during a vacation. Walk through a hazy dream when you explore the region's legendary cloud forests. See every inch of the forests when you walk through them on treks and above them on suspension bridge canopy tours. Need an adrenaline fix? Zoom through an emerald jungle on a zip line, or climb the outside and inside of a tree. For even more excitement, rappel down six different waterfalls in the middle of a rainforest.
Throw out your alarm clock, because you're about to start each day being treated to the sounds of tropical birds and howler monkeys, all from the comfort of your eco-lodge. See sloths lazing about in trees. Visit Selvatura to learn all about nature from the experts — there are butterfly and hummingbird gardens full of flowers, an insect exhibit with over 1 million specimens, and reptile and amphibian exhibits.
While Puerto Viejo de Limon’s clear water beckons to travelers, its appeal goes way beyond the beach. This is one of the top destinations on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast, and offers lots of ways to experience the beach as well as the surrounding rainforest.
This is one of the few places you can experience distinctly Costa Rican culture — explore traditional villages with a guide and meet Talamanca natives. The vibe here is made for hippies and free spirits. While you’re here, choose from cozy bungalows and nicely appointed eco lodges surrounded by tracts of jungle.
The Caribbean canopy is especially colorful and keep an eye out for toucans and hummingbirds on your explorations of the nearby Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. You’ll see lots of birds and monkeys on a zip-line adventure, or you might opt to move at a more observant pace on a nature walk over suspension bridges.
When you’re ready for the beach, Punta Uva awaits. The waves here are gentle enough for all surfers, making it idea, for introductory surf lessons.
Translated as 'region of turtles,' Tortuguero is a favorite national park for visitors of Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. More importantly, it’s a favorite destination for several different species of sea turtles, green, leatherback, loggerhead, and hawksbill have all been sighted in the area.
Hatching season starts in July and lasts until late September. Tour the beach at night for the chance to see green sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs.
You’ll have the chance to spot more wildlife on a quiet tour of the marshlands in an expertly guided boat and look for crocodiles in the canals, and monkeys and birds in the trees.
The Tortuguero National Park is one of the most varied parks boasting high rainforests to marshy lands, long stretches of beach, wide open canals perfect for crocodile spotting, and is also one of the most important breeding grounds for the Green Sea Turtle. The wildlife here is rich and diverse with unusually large populations of monkeys, birds and fish..
Take a closer look at Tamarindo, Costa Rica — situated along the beautiful Pacific Coast of Guanacaste, this town is an absolute must if sun, sand, adventure, and wildlife are on your agenda. Home to surf competitions, sport fishing, and other aquatic activities, there's plenty of fun to be had off the beach as well.
After dark there is always a party at one of the dozen or so hot spots around town so you'll have plenty to explore, day or night. Go on a Tamarindo ATV adventure to explore a wild region on a safe path. Take the family out on a catamaran and enjoy some snorkeling. As for accommodations, you can choose from charming economical options (with a complimentary breakfast), high-end resorts, and even private bungalows.
Eating options are plentiful in Tamarindo from local fare, quick street food or fine dining. The hardest decision will be which restaurant to go to for fresh caught red snapper, regional grass fed beef or authentic Italian cooking in one of the many international upscale eateries.
Tamarindo isn't just a sophisticated beach town, it's a getaway waiting to happen!
Chances are San José wasn't the top destination on your list when you started planning your Costa Rica trip, but give this city a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised. It's true that Chepe – as San José is affectionately known – doesn't make a great first impression, with its unremarkable concrete structures and honking traffic, but it's well worth digging deeper to discover the city's charms.
Take your time exploring historic neighborhoods such as Barrio Amón, where colonial mansions have been converted into contemporary art galleries, and Barrio Escalante, the city's gastronomic epicenter. Stroll with Saturday shoppers at the farmers market, join the Sunday crowds in Parque La Sabana, dance the night away to live music at one of the city's vibrant clubs, or visit the museums of gold, jade, art and natural history, and you'll begin to understand the multidimensional appeal of Costa Rica's largest city and cultural capital.
"Chepe", as the population knows it, this is the capital of Costa Rica and the center of modern Costa Rican culture; It is also the departure site for visitors heading to Costa Rica's central volcanoes and coffee plantations.