Southern Caribbean
Named in honor of its original resident, a jaguar, this well-run wildlife-rescue center in Playa Chiquita now focuses mostly on other animals, including…
Must-see attractions in Costa Rica
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
Península de Nicoya
This 85 sq km coastal refuge extends from Punta India in the north to Playa Guiones in the south, and includes the beaches of Nosara and Ostional. It was…
Parque Nacional Barra Honda Caverns
Península de Nicoya
This 23 sq km national park protects a system of 42 caverns. The only cave with regular public access is the 41m-deep La Terciopelo, which features…
San José
Northwest of Plaza España lies this pleasant, historical neighborhood, home to a cluster of 19th-century cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions. Recently…
Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste
Península de Nicoya
Las Baulas national marine park encompasses the entire beach at Playa Grande, as well as the adjacent land and 220 sq km of ocean. This is one of the…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
With its turquoise waters, this lovely forest-backed beach fronts a deep bay, sheltered by the Punta Catedral on the west side and a promontory on the…
Arenal & Northern Lowlands
It’s an animal rescue center. It’s a volunteer project. It’s Spanish classes. This community-based organization is doing a lot of good, and you can…
Ojochal
Set up in 2009 by Costa Rican scientists, this excellent center conducts several important projects, including an inventory of local mammals and…
Parque Nacional Tapantí-Macizo Cerro de la Muerte
Central Valley & Highlands
This 580-sq-km national park preserves the verdant northern slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca and is the wettest reserve in the country, getting…
Northwestern Costa Rica
This wild-animal shelter was started in the 1960s by the late Lilly Hagnauer, a Swiss environmentalist. It’s one of the largest shelters of its kind in…
Montezuma
Here's your chance to see a waterfall crashing down a cliff, straight onto the rocks and into the ocean. El Chorro Waterfall is the pièce de résistance of…
Península de Nicoya
A local NGO that is dedicated to the conservation of Costa Rica's two species of macaw: the great green macaw and the scarlet macaw. The group…
Nosara Area
North of Guiones, Playa Pelada is a family gathering place for sunset, swimming and surfing, though the waves can get a bit rough. On the northern end,…
The Road to Chirripó
Queso is not Costa Rica’s strong suit, but this little cheese operation, run by a former president’s son, is one example to the contrary. Abel Pacheco has…
Central Pacific Coast
If you’re driving from Puntarenas or San José, pull over by the Río Tárcoles bridge, also known as Crocodile Bridge running over the Tárcoles River where…
International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
Nosara Area
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
Montezuma
About 6km north of town, Playa Grande is the best surf beach in the area. It's a 3km-plus stretch of waves and sand, which never gets too crowded as it…
Nosara Area
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
Museo de los Niños & Galería Nacional
San José
If you're wondering how to get your young kids interested in art and science, this unusual museum – actually two museums in one – is an excellent place to…
Central Valley & Highlands
About 7km southeast of Grecia, north of Tacares and Flores, are two gorgeous waterfalls and a swimming hole surrounded by shaded areas and picnic tables…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
Clasped by volcanic rock and jungle, Playa Gemelas is smaller than the other beaches, but no less spectacular: this place could be a desert island beach…
Central Valley & Highlands
More than a decade ago, Leslie Howle and her husband, Jorge Murillo, started taking in sick and injured toucans. The couple eventually ended up with a…
Montezuma
The best beach close to town is just to the north, where the sand is powdery and sheltered from big swells. This is your glorious sun-soaked crash pad…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Somewhere north of town, Playa Santa Teresa ends and Playa Hermosa starts. This gorgeous beach deserves its hermosa (beautiful) moniker and then some. It…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Just past Playa San Josecito is the less famous but more impressive beach, Playa Rincon de San Josecito. It's a vast stretch of sand – 1km or more –…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Nestled into the Cordillera de Talamanca, 15km outside Puerto Viejo, this private 135-hectare reserve is centered on a former finca (farm), on land…
Península de Nicoya
Mike's beautiful 45-acre mountainside property, 10 minutes north of San Miguel, includes walking trails and a butterfly rancho. In addition to the…
San José
Formerly a residential enclave, the streets of this increasingly hip neighborhood are now lined with dozens of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and bars. The…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
At the far western end of Playa Espadilla, beyond a rocky headland (wear sandals), this former nude beach remains one of Costa Rica's most famous gay…
Northwestern Costa Rica
A fabulous mountain for hiking if you've got your own wheels and a keen sense of adventure. It's best to scale this at sunrise or sunset, and to avoid it…
Península de Nicoya
A dreamy, hidden, white-sand beach about 30 minutes north of Sámara, where no development is visible. Just inland, though, sits a sprawling hacienda…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Just west of Punta Agujitas, a short detour off the main trail leads to the picturesque Playa Cocalito, a secluded cove perfect for sunning, swimming and…
Central Valley & Highlands
Here's your chance to get frighteningly close to this extremely active volcano, which last erupted in 2017. At an elevation of 2708m, the mighty Poás is…
Northwestern Costa Rica
If you're pressed for time and in search of a quick, easy waterfall visit, Llanos de Cortés will do nicely. From the entrance, which is now guarded, you…
Monumento Nacional Arqueológico Guayabo
Central Valley & Highlands
This is the largest and most important archaeological site in the country. Although Guayabo isn't nearly as breathtaking as Mayan and Aztec archaeological…
San José
One of San José’s nicest green spaces, this shady spot lures retirees to read newspapers and young couples to smooch coyly on concrete benches. At its…
The Road to Chirripó
Spread along both banks of the Río Savegre, Parque Nacional Los Quetzales covers 50 sq km of rainforest, cloud forest and premontane forest lying along…
Central Pacific Coast
Carara is the famed home of one of Costa Rica’s most charismatic bird species, the scarlet macaw. While catching a glimpse of this tropical wonder is a…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
Head here for everything you ever wanted to know about butterflies. There are four gardens representing different habitats; they're home to more than 40…
San José
Reputedly Central America's largest insect museum, this place has an extensive collection assembled by the Facultad de Agronomía (agronomy faculty) at the…
