last edited Dec 11, 2019
What to See in Costa Rica
Contributionsversion #1created Dec 11, 2019Latest contributions in this guideContributors to this guide
Location
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Costa Rica has three sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
- Cocos Island National Park (1997):
- La Amistad National Park (1983):
- Guanacaste Conservation Area (1999):
Pacific Coast
- Golfito :
- Jaco :
- Liberia :
- Quepos :
Natural Heritage
Mountain Ranges, Plains, and Central Valleys
- Alajuela :
- Cartago :
- Guyabo :
- Heredia :
- San Jose :
- Sarchi :
Natural Heritage
Caribbean Coast
- Bribri :
- Cahuita :
- Limón :
Natural Heritage
Must-see & highly recommended
Corcovado National Park
★★★★ While Corcovado is one of the least accessible parks to visit, it is also among the most rewarding in terms of landscapes, wildlife, and…
Tortuguero National Park
★★★★ Although it's only accessible by plane or boat, it's one of the country's most visited parks, with the small village of the same name as…
Nicoya Peninsula
★★★★ This large mountainous peninsula is a popular tourist destination with its many beaches, some of which are deserted, its small seaside…
Poás Volcano
★★★★ With two small lakes in its craters, Poás is one of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes, regularly experiencing minor eruptions and…
Recommended
Isla del Cano
★★★ This island off the Osa Peninsula is a popular tourist destination for ecotourism, diving, and whale watching.
Monteverde
★★★ The area is considered a major ecotourism hub in the country and attracts large crowds. Its tourism revolves around the Monteverde Cloud…
Braulio Carrillo National Park
★★★ One of the country's largest and most spectacular parks, featuring jungle, waterfalls, volcanoes, and especially its rich wildlife and…
Cahuita National Park
★★★ Bordering the village of the same name, it is both a terrestrial and marine park. Beyond its beaches, the site attracts visitors for its…
Manuel Antonio National Park
★★★ This is the country's most visited park, home to the Poás Volcano. Visitors come to explore its landscapes, beaches, hiking trails, and…
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
★★★ Visitors love this site for its wildlife (birds, monkeys, jaguars) and landscapes featuring geysers, fumaroles, volcanic mud pots, and…
Irazú Volcano
★★★ Though less active or spectacular than other volcanoes like Poás or Arenal, this one is just as popular with visitors. The fact that its…
Guanacaste Conservation Area
★★★ This UNESCO-listed natural area covers nearly 1,500 km² and includes Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, and Rincón de la Vieja National Parks, as well…
Worth a look / Other
Cahuita
★★ This "Afro-Caribbean" village, which has grown into a small town over time, is primarily known for its eponymous park, its beaches, and its…
Cartago
★★ It’s the greater suburb of San Jose and the country’s religious "capital". It is home to the Basilica of Los Angeles and the…
La Paz Waterfalls
★★ A developed set of waterfalls (with butterfly and hummingbird farms) north of Alajuela.
Montezuma
★★ Despite its current upscale development, this coastal village on the Nicoya Peninsula has long been an excellent "base for backpackers"…
Chirripó National Park
★★ At 3,820 m, Chirripó is Costa Rica's highest peak. Its main attraction for tourists lies in its landscapes and a relatively easy ascent…
Carara National Park
★★ This forest park a few kilometres north of Jacó is renowned for its birdlife, particularly its large population of parrots. Carara is also…
Cocos Island National Park
★★ A UNESCO-listed island home to significant wildlife and lush tropical rainforest, also renowned for diving. Access is tightly regulated.
Santa Rosa National Park
★★ Although the area offers a fairly beautiful environment, various animal and plant species, and peaceful beaches, it was designated a…
La Amistad National Park
★★ Spanning both Panama and Costa Rica, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It boasts rich plant diversity and offers numerous trekking…
Tapantí National Park
★★ A vast rainforest with diverse wildlife and flora, extending from the Orosi Valley.
Esterillos Beach
★★ Not far from Jaco, the beach and its surroundings are popular for their tranquility and opportunities for surfing, diving, and walking or…
Puerto Viejo
★★ Officially known as Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, this small coastal resort is popular with tourists, surfers, and to a lesser extent divers…
Quepos
★★ The oldest tourist resort in Costa Rica. Though it offers only moderate interest, its proximity to Manuel Antonio Park and its tourist…
Ostional Wildlife Reserve
★★ This small reserve is renowned as the world's top site for sea turtle nesting. Activity peaks between July and December.
San Jose
★★ While not a must-see, the Costa Rican capital has a few interesting buildings and museums.
Orosi Valley
★★ A traditional outing spot from the capital, the small valley offers beautiful landscapes with its numerous coffee plantations, as well as…
Arenal Volcano
★★ It spewed lava for over forty years until 2010. Now less dramatic, the site is still visited from the village of La Fortuna for its…
Turrialba Volcano
★★ This is another active volcano in the San José region. Harder to reach and farther from the capital than Poás or Irazú, it is also much…
Alajuela
★ While not a major tourist destination in itself, this city near the capital is used by many travellers as an alternative to San Jose for…
Bribri
★ This large town on the Panamanian border is the center of the Indigenous community of the same name.
Ciudad Quesada
★ The town is surrounded by several hot springs, some of which have been developed into tourist areas.
Dominical
★ Originally a fishing village, the place is now renowned for surfing. You can also fish, see whales, or enjoy some outdoor activities in the…
Golfito
★ This small town near Panama has recently become a hotspot for deep-sea fishing. It’s also a duty-free zone, a stop for some cruise…
Guyabo
★ The site of Guyabo is one of the few pre-Columbian remains in Costa Rica. While not the most "spectacular," its value lies more in its…
Heredia
★ A university town on the outskirts of the capital with a few more or less historic buildings.
Isla San Lucas
★ This island in the Gulf of Nicoya is a former prison that can still be visited. Also worth seeing are some small pre-Columbian remains and…
Jaco
★ This is "the" spot on the Pacific coast for those who love surfing and nightlife in a setting and atmosphere (plus prices) very much "Surf…
Lankester Gardens
★ Near Cartago, this place is home to over 3,000 plant species, including orchids.
La Fortuna
★ This village has always been the tourist base for discovering the Arenal Volcano and its surroundings, particularly the beautiful La…
Liberia (Costa Rica)
★ The large city in the northwest has an international airport and is primarily a good base for exploring the parks in the Guanacaste…
Limón
★ Also known as Puerto Limón, this is the main city on the Caribbean coast. Aside from its carnival, held every year on October 12 (the date…
Los Chiles
★ This large town is the starting point for reaching neighboring Nicaragua by boat along the rivers. The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge, with its…
Guanacaste National Park
★ In the northwest of the country, this park is home to many birds and monkeys.
Tenorio Volcano National Park
★ This volcanic area offers stunning landscapes with waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, and small lakes.
Ballena Marine National Park
★ The area is renowned for humpback whale watching, snorkeling, and its surrounding beaches.
Puntarenas
★ The main city on the west coast is primarily a road hub, the departure point for boats to Nicoya, and also a docking location for some…
Sarchi
★ This town north of San Jose is essentially the country’s craft capital (and home to the famous decorated wooden carts), with its many…
Tamarindo
★ A town near Liberia known for sea turtle nesting. But like Jacó, it’s also—and especially—a favorite spot for surfers and…
Turrialba
★ The small town near the volcano of the same name is known for its canyoning, hydrospeed, and especially rafting on the Pacuare or…