Central Valley
In the capital city of San José, located in the Central Valley, you will find a wide range of cultural attractions, including Costa Rica’s best museums, such as the Gold Museum, Jade Museum, National Museum, Costa Rican Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design. Furthermore, you will find the architectural jewel of the country, the National Theatre, as well as the very beautiful Melico Salazar Theatre. There are many famous national parks around the Central Valley – Poás Volcano, Braulio Carrillo, Irazú Volcano, and Turrialba – where you can enjoy fresh air and views over verdant landscapes, observe wildlife, and hike through the jungle and to active volcano craters.
Arenal Volcano
The Arenal Volcano is undoubtedly one of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist destinations. Although inactive since 2010, the massive volcano still has a fascinating presence for observers. In the adjacent town of La Fortuna, visitors can find a wide variety of luxury hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops. The offer of remarkable experiences here is big: relaxing in the numerous hot springs, hiking to old lava fields, an adventurous stroll over hanging bridges in the rainforest, mountain bike tours, horseback riding excursions, river rafting, an adrenaline-fuelled canopy zip line tour, or a boat ride through the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge to spot crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, and exotic birds.
Central Pacific
Only a few hours’ drive from San José, you will be in the heart of exuberant tropical forests with abundant wildlife, along with incredibly beautiful beaches. The Central Pacific Coastal region of Costa Rica is another of the most visited areas of the country. National parks like Carara and Manuel Antonio offer a rich variety of flora and fauna. Within park boundaries you may find over 100 species of mammals and an equal number of bird types. Another unique experience is exploring the special ecosystem of a mangrove forest on a boat ride or kayak excursion.
North Pacific
In Guanacaste, you can find the longest and most beautiful beaches of Costa Rica. This region has tropical dry forests that often delineate the beaches, embroidering the shoreline with elaborate trees. Playa Hermosa, Tamarindo, Langosta, Flamingo, along with the beaches of Nosara and Ostional, are only a few examples of the seemingly endless array of wonderful beaches where you can relax under the sun. Visitors can enjoy numerous activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing and boat trips.
Besides stunning beaches, Guanacaste is known for its adventure tours like canyoning, canopy zip lines, and rafting.
A visit to Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, a centre of adventure in Guanacaste, is a must.Additionally, at the volcano you can benefit from natural saunas, mud baths, hot springs, waterfalls, and delightful views.Liberia, the province’s largest town, serves as the economic and administrative centre for the region and is the location of the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport. Named after a former Costa Rican president, this airport is the second important access point for air arrivals to Costa Rica.
Other highlights of Costa Rica
Cloud forests are cool retreats from the hot and humid tropical zones of the country. Waterfalls, brightly coloured bromeliads and orchids, lush beds of ferns and an abundance of mosses fill these forests that seem to literally rest within banks of clouds. Comfortable lodges let you breathe the purest and maybe coldest air in Costa Rica, while offering cosy and inviting comfort.
Called Costa Rica’s “little Amazon”, just getting to the region of Tortuguero is an adventure since it is only accessible by boat or small plane. This maze of waterways and dense lowland rainforest offers many wondrous possibilities to watch water birds, monkeys, reptiles, and other animals on boat safaris. Not to mention that Tortuguero’s beaches are one of the world’s most important sites for sea turtle nesting.
The South Pacific of Costa Rica is a biological corridor and protects a fascinating and biologically complex area of land. Spectacular hotels and ecolodges are perched on coastal ridges with breathtaking views over the ocean, or nestled in the rainforest amid pure nature. Diverse landscapes feature evergreen primary forest and secluded rocky beaches. The Piedras Blancas National Park, the Terraba-Sierpe Mangroves, and the Corcovado National Park are just some of the highlights of this wild region. The Osa Peninsula protects the gulf of Golfo Dulce from the mighty power of the Pacific Ocean, which attracts groups of whales and dolphins to its tranquil waters. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the area is Caño Island, located in front of the Osa Peninsula. The small island offers excellent snorkelling and diving spots by protected reefs.
