Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
Biologist Jimmy Mata leads magical one- and two-hour sojourns through the Butterfly Atrium, Reptile & Amphibian Water Gardens and Crocodile Lagoon, as…
Must-see attractions in Costa Rica
Central Valley & Highlands
Orosi is one of the few colonial-era towns to survive Costa Rica’s frequent earthquakes, which have thankfully also spared the photogenic village church…
Pura Vida Gardens & Waterfalls
Central Pacific Coast
Just before the village of Bijagual, this private botanical garden offers great vistas of Manantial de Agua Viva cascading down the side of a cliff, and…
The Road to Chirripó
A garden designed specifically for birdwatching and photography. Feeders and fruits attract the birds to viewing platforms, while trails wind through the…
Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal
Northwestern Costa Rica
Forming a cohesive unit with Palo Verde, the 26 sq m Lomas de Barbudal is an option for more off-the-beaten-track independent hiking. You can explore the…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
Just a quick trip across the bay, this small beach offers a prime view of Golfito, with the rainforest as a backdrop. It's a pleasant spot to spend the…
Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría
Central Valley & Highlands
In a century-old structure that has served as both jail and armory, this museum chronicles Costa Rican history from early European settlement through the…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
Returning to its former glory as the Ranario, or Frog Pond (it's changed names a few times), this place also features an insect house. The frogs are still…
Rancho La Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Uvita
Opposite the turnoff to Oro Verde, a few kilometers before Uvita, is this 506-hectare national wildlife refuge (and former cattle ranch), with primary and…
Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio
Northwestern Costa Rica
The park's heavenly blue river, waterfalls and lagoons are among the most spectacular natural phenomena in Costa Rica; as a result, the park is known to…
Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle
San José
Ever wanted to see a spider-monkey skeleton or a herd of stuffed tapirs? This natural-history museum near Parque La Sabana's southwest corner has an…
Liberia
Wildebeests, zebras, giraffes and other African animals are right at home in the dry Guanacaste heat, as you can see at this private wildlife reserve. The…
Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
San José
Once the site of San José’s main airport, this 72-hectare green space at the west end of Paseo Colón is home to a regional art museum, a lagoon and…
Central Valley & Highlands
This now-ruined church was built in 1575 as a shrine to St James the Apostle. It was destroyed by the 1841 earthquake, rebuilt a few years later and then…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
This vibrant botanical garden is the product of 40 years of effort and off-the-grid living by an expat couple, who once cultivated cacao here. Nowadays,…
San José
This Spanish-style structure served as San José’s main airport terminal until 1955. The remodeled museum features regional art, a sculpture garden, a huge…
Northwestern Costa Rica
Climb up the steep staircase behind La Casona to reach a lookout point with a stunning view of three volcanoes. The monument itself was built to honor the…
La Fortuna
Located 6km west of La Fortuna, this is a well-manicured nature experience that includes frogs, turtles, snakes and crocs, all in their appointed places…
Arenal & Northern Lowlands
This bridge is a popular spot for tourists en route from La Fortuna to Caño Negro. Countless iguanas hang out in the bamboo and trees above the river,…
Refugio Herpetologico de Costa Rica
San José
Costa Rica is full of wild reptiles, but for people who prefer meeting things with scales under controlled circumstances, there's the Refugio…
The Road to Chirripó
With over 1600 hectares of primary and secondary cloud forest, this private reserve has miles of hiking trails to explore. Visitors will be rewarded with…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
South of Río Claro, Playa San Josecito is one of the longest stretches of white-sand beach on this side of the Península de Osa. It is popular with…
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal
Península de Nicoya
A good beach and point break, this charcoal-gray stretch north of Punta Islita is strewn with driftwood and sheltered by two headlands. This beach also…
Central Pacific Coast
About 8km south of Puntarenas is Playa San Isidro, the first ‘real’ beach on the central Pacific coast. It's quite often empty, and preferred by…
Península de Nicoya
Sponsored by the Hotel Punta Islita, this imaginative, open-air museum includes mosaics, carvings and paintings that adorn everything from houses to tree…
Jardín Botánico Else Kientzler
Central Valley & Highlands
This well-tended botanical garden 400m north of Sarchí stadium has 2km of trails winding through more than 2000 types of clearly labeled plants, including…
Nosara Area
From the south, the first beach you'll hit is Playa Garza, still a sleepy Tico fishing village with an arc of pale brown sand, and headlands on either…
Jacó
This pleasant outdoor shopping square is where many of the town's good restaurants are located. It's adorned with multicolored bricks, potted plants and…
Península de Nicoya
About 4km south of Punta Islita, Playa Corozalito is an entirely undeveloped beach backed by mangrove swamps and offering plenty of opportunities to spot…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
This wide stretch of white sand is found just outside the park entrance, in front of Manuel Antonio village. It's a popular place for families and beach…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
At the western end of Playa Manuel Antonio you can see a semicircle of rocks at low tide. Archaeologists believe that these were arranged by pre-Columbian…
San José
This contemporary-art museum is the brick-and-mortar gathering space for the TEOR/éTica Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Central…
La Fortuna
Set on 22 hectares, this private reserve about 11km west of La Fortuna is a mix of primary and secondary forest, filled with life, from vibrant blue…
José Figueres Ferrer Center for Culture & History
Central Valley & Highlands
This museum and cultural center celebrates all things José Figueres, the three-time Costa Rican president best known for abolishing the country's army in…
Puerto Jiménez
About 5km southeast of town, the long, secluded – and often deserted – Playa Platanares is excellent for swimming, sunning and recovering from too much…
Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo
San José
Commonly referred to as MADC, the Contemporary Art & Design Museum is housed in the historical National Liquor Factory building, which dates from 1856. It…
Uvita
Held a short distance from the main entrance to Uvita, along the unpaved road, this sweet little farmers market on Saturdays is a good place to mingle…
Península de Nicoya
South of Punta Islita (and not to be confused with a beach of the same name south of Jacó), Playa Bejuco has reddish-brown sand, crystal-clear water and…
Central Pacific Coast
The pair of beaches known as Playa Doña Ana are relatively undeveloped and have an isolated and unhurried feel. They are popular among Ticos on day trips…
Central Valley & Highlands
Heading south from Paraíso toward Orosi you'll hit Mirador de Orosi, a big green space with a jaw-dropping scenic overlook complete with BBQ facilities,…
