TOP THINGS TO DO IN COSTA RICA

 

Costa Rica is truly one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. This tiny Central American country is well known for its abundant wildlife, natural attractions, fun activities, and friendly people. It is not only the most developed country in Costa Rica but also the safest to travel to. Here are some of the top things to do in Costa Rica.

 

Costa Rica Tree Frog

Witness Extraordinary Biodiversity

 

As one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, Costa Rica is home to half a million species. Costa Rica’s variety of ecosystems, favorable tropical microclimates, and pristine habitats attract visitors to the country. Observing wildlife happens often and efficiently, but if you are not blessed with wild encounters, many nature reserves and conservation areas throughout the country deliver close-up views. While it is possible to see wildlife in every region of the country, there are some particularly active locations where the chances are better. Tortuguero National Park is ideal for observing sea turtles, sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, frogs, and birds. Manuel Antonio has an abundance of monkeys, toucans, coatis, and iguanas. Monteverde is known for orchids, many species of hummingbirds, and the beautiful blue Quetzal. Marino Ballena National Park is optimal for viewing humpback whales and dolphins before or after taking a dip in a sweet water swimming pool.

 

Parrots in Monteverde

Zip-line Through the Forest Canopy

 

Costa Rica gave the world the zipline canopy tour, a gadget that lets you glide from tree to tree courtesy of cables, a helmet, and a secure harness. While such operations are found around the world these days, they remain, arguably, Costa Rica’s signature tourist activity, with about 100 zipline tours around the country. The tours are billed as a means to view wildlife in the rainforest canopy, but truthfully, with your screams of delight, you’ll likely scare away the birds and monkeys. 

 

Zipline

Discover Manuel Antonio

 

Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best national parks in Costa Rica, and this sprawling coastal area is filled with tons of biodiversity and natural beauty. Within the park are several short hiking trails, including “The Sloth Trail,” where you have great chances of seeing two- and three-foot sloths. Other trails lead to spectacular viewpoints over the coastline, pristine beaches, and mangroves. Some wildlife you should expect to see includes snakes, monkeys, sloths, macaws, and more.

 

Manuel Antonio

Experience Nature at its Most Venturesome in Arenal

 

Arenal, a stunning 30,000-acre rainforest with a pleasurably-symmetrical cone volcano at its center, is where nature meets adventure through an array of high-flying, adrenaline-inducing activities. Adventure parks infuse fun into the rainforest experience. Visitors can zipline through the jungle canopy, test their mettle on hanging bridges, or mountain bike over challenging terrain. Outside of adventure parks, plenty of tour companies offer half-day or full-day trips for kayaking, repelling, rafting, horseback riding, and more. Arenal is also enjoyable for more relaxed traveling styles. Hot thermal baths simmer across the landscape, offering a satisfying soak in jungle surroundings. Butterfly gardens and zoo conservatories bring creatures into proximity, and there are plenty of fine dining options to end the day with a meal to remember. There is a range of accommodations for all budgets. Still, Arenal is known for its vital supply of splurge-worthy hotels with luxurious spas or comfortable ecolodges with an immersive nature experience.

 

Arenal National Park

Explore Cloud Forests

 

Settled in the 1950s by American Quakers, Monteverde is a remote, mountaintop paradise surrounded by a lush, mossy cloud forest. Spread across the forest are three national parks with ample trails for exploring the area. Animal encounters abound in the cloud forest, and the cool, wet air supports a wealth of plant life, from giant overgrown ferns to tiny treetop orchids. Santa Elena National Park is the least crowded and highest in elevation (read: cloudy). Monteverde’s adventure parks can be a genuinely fun and educational experience. Selvatura Park invites visitors to dangle over jungle ravines while clinging to hanging bridges, soar on ziplines, and marvel at buzzy hummingbirds and sleepy sloths. Unique perspectives of nature can be found in the surrounding hills of  Monteverde. For example, the canyoning tour at Finca Modelo sends rappelers down a series of waterfalls straight into cool, clean water.

 

Monteverde

Learn to Surf

 

Costa Rica is well known as a top surf destination. With great beginner, intermediate, and advanced waves, it’s become a great place to learn and fine-tune your skills. Although you can surf on both coastlines, the most famous coastline to surf is the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Surfing is prevalent in most coastal towns, beginning south as Uvita and going as far north as Jaco on the inland coast. Places such as Dominical and Playa Hermosa are trendy. Witch’s Rock is a beach break for intermediate and advanced surfers. Keen surfers should speak to locals for transport, and if you want to spend a few days surfing, the beach break is located at Naranjo Beach. Another surf beach with just as much hype is Nosara. Surfing is easily the most popular thing in Nosara, and the entire town is surf-focused for visitors.

 

Costa Rica Surf

Head Out Whale Watching

 

Watching whales in the wild is a dream for many travelers. One of the best places in the world to do this activity is the Corcovado National Park, near Puerto Jimenez. The good news is that you don’t have to travel to Puerto Jimenez to see whales in Costa Rica. Whale-watching tours can be done all along the Pacific Coast, including from Drake Bay, Uvita, Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Tamarindo, the Gulf of Nicoya, and the Gulf of Papagayo. The trick is to pick the right time of year! In Costa Rica, the two whale-watching seasons run from December to March and July to October, when the whales come to give birth in the calm waters. However, the best months to visit Costa Rica for whale watching are January to February and July to September.

 

Whale Watching

Visit La Fortuna 

 

It should come as no surprise that La Fortuna Waterfall is one of the top attractions in Costa Rica. This stunning 70-meter waterfall shoots out from a tall cliff into a robust pool surrounded by lush forest. Visiting is nothing short of breathtaking. You can get a taxi or drive from La Fortuna town to the entrance, where you begin hiking. The trail is well-maintained and leads down to the waterfall via many concrete steps. It only takes 15 minutes to get down, but it takes a little longer on the way up and consists of 500 steps! 

 

La Fortuna Waterfall

Visit Rio Celeste 

 

Costa Rica is home to many rivers, but few are as beautiful as Rio Celeste. Located around 1.5 hours north of La Fortuna, this natural attraction is one of the best things to do in Costa Rica. Rio Celeste is famous for its bright blue color. This natural phenomenon is caused by mixing two rivers that turn the water luminescent. This occurs as acidic and neutral waters combine to form the brightest blues, creating enough particle concentration to reflect light.

Further along the trail, you can see the Borbollones or Bubbling Hot Pot. This part of the river is really hot, and you’ll smell the sulfur before seeing it! Finally, you’ll end your hike at the Teñideros, where the two rivers meet (pictured above). Here, you can see the water turn blue as the streams meet! Teñideros is 3 kilometers from the park entrance.

 

Rio Celeste

Explore Tortuguero

 

Tortuguero National Park is a particular part of the country as it’s one of the most important nesting sites for sea turtles. The park has a vast stretch of beach where 20,000 green sea turtles come every year to nest,  the largest colony of turtles on the planet! The highlight here is seeing thousands of turtles nesting on the beach at different times throughout the year (July to October is best). This is one of the unique things to do in Costa Rica. Tortuguero is an area that can only be accessed by boat or plane, and it’s one of the most remote Costa Rica tourist attractions. The beauty here is due to the National Park being preserved and protected, and it is known as one of the wildest national parks in the country.  

 

Tortuguero 

These are just some of the top things to do in Costa Rica. If you want more ideas or more information, contact us here at Va Expeditions.