The Best Places
to Visit in Costa Rica

A jagged spine of mountains yields sublime diversity from the East to the West coasts and cradles 12 life zones, from wetlands to mountain forests and coral-rich reefs. In addition to biosphere reserves, wildlife refuges, and protected zones, Costa Rica offers 30 national parks  – covering 25 percent of the country. Walk along the treetops in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a biodiverse sanctuary, renowned for its collection of orchid species – more than in any other single place. Visit Arenal National Park and trek through the old lava rocks or along the Arenal Hanging Bridges to walk eye-level with the lush canopy, observe the monkeys, sloths, and chattering birds up close, and look out to see the towering Arenal Volcano. 

Costa Rica may be small, just about the size of West Virginia, but it’s home to five percent of the world’s wildlife species, accounting for a staggering half a million species of plants and animals. Travelers can canoe lagoons and explore beaches and national parks, or walk along rainforest canopies keeping an eye out for jaguar, puma, great green macaws, tapir, toucans, hummingbirds, sloths, sea turtles, rare ocelots, howler monkeys, red-eyed tree frogs, and so much more. During the day, watch for the basilisk, known as the Jesus lizard for its walking-on-water ability. Bird watchers keep your binoculars and cameras ready - Costa Rica has over 900 species! You're almost guaranteed a couple of additions to your life list.

Within the foothills of Arenal’s near-symmetrical peak lies rainforest, waterfalls, and the country’s largest lake, all easily accessible on hikes through Arenal Volcano National Park. Arenal offers Costa Rica’s best suspension bridges. You’re guaranteed to see birds (watch for toucans) and monkeys everywhere.

Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

Straddling the Continental Divide and covering 10,520 hectares of tropical rainforest, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has six ecological zones, 2,500 floral species, 100 types of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian, and amphibian variants – hence it was the natural choice for Costa Rica’s first private conservation center in 1972. Evenings here are particularly memorable: fireflies flicker in the gathering darkness, and clouds roll to the haunting chant of howler monkeys. 

At popular northern Tortuguero, you can kayak jungle-lined rivers one minute – on the lookout for caiman and toucans – and pad along soft-sand beaches the next, perhaps to swim with manatees or glimpse endangered green sea turtles enjoying the western hemisphere’s most important nesting ground. Though you're not permitted to visit the turtles until they are laying eggs, if you're lucky, you can experience their habitat on an exclusive nocturnal tour, to walk with turtles as they waddle to the ocean after laying their eggs.

Coastal & Central Costa Rica Bird Watching

Costa Rica has 922 species of birds, some of which draw enthusiasts the world over. You won’t need binoculars to spot vivid rainbow-hued toucans, native scarlet macaws, or eye-popping resplendent quetzal, so turquoise you’ll think their plumage is painted on. You may, however, need to zoom in to see hummingbirds; four of the 50 species found here are endemic, making Costa Rica the world’s unofficial capital for these tiny birds. The Osa Peninsula’s remote Corcovado National Park, and the central Los Santos Zone, are bird meccas.

The best thing to do in Guanacaste? R.E.L.A.X. The Costa Rican "Pura Vida" way of life is at its best here. Make like the sea turtle, and take it slow spending lazy days on white sandy beaches, bird watching, snorkeling, exploring mangrove forests, sampling fantastic food, and so much more. Guanacaste is always worth the trip.