Puerto Limón
The sea wall offers pleasant views of the rocky headland and the mesmerizing waves crashing against the concrete jetty. After dark this is a popular make…
Must-see attractions in Costa Rica
Central Valley & Highlands
Two blocks south of Parque Central, this plaza features a statue of Juan Santamaría in action, flanked by cannons. Across the way, the Parque de los Niños…
Montezuma
This pretty little beach is the centerpiece of Montezuma, as fishers, ferries and tourists come and go. Unfortunately, it's not really recommended for…
San José
The city’s central park is more of a run-down plaza than a park. At its center is a grandiose bandstand that looks as if it was designed by Mussolini:…
The Road to Chirripó
Love it or hate it, San Isidro's modernist, concrete cathedral dominates the main square and is the town's most interesting architectural feature. That…
Central Valley & Highlands
This tower, constructed in 1876 by order of the provincial governor, is the official symbol of Heredia. It was declared a national historic monument in…
La Fortuna
This prominent landmark oversees the central plaza of La Fortuna. The landscaped green is often dotted with outdoor art exhibits and souvenir stands, and…
Northwestern Costa Rica
On the road to Playa Naranjo, and about 8km from shore, you’ll pass a trailhead for the Mirador Valle Naranjo. It’s a short 600m hump to this viewpoint…
Puerto Limón
The city’s waterfront centerpiece won't ever win best in show, but its decrepit bandstand, paths and greenery are surprisingly appealing, all shaded by…
Central Valley & Highlands
The campus of Universidad Nacional is a great place for doing a little guerrilla learning. Keep an eye out here for posters advertising cultural offerings…
Puntarenas
Casa de la Cultura has an art gallery with occasional exhibits as well as a performance space offering seasonal cultural events. Outside there's a…
Museo de Arte Religioso San José Orosi
Central Valley & Highlands
Adjacent to Orosi's church, this small museum housed in a former convent displays interesting examples of Spanish-colonial religious art and artefacts,…
Museo Histórico Marino de la Ciudad de Puntarenas
Puntarenas
This dusty museum describes the once-proud history of Puntarenas through audiovisual presentations, old photos and artifacts. At the time of research it…
Central Valley & Highlands
Heredia was founded in 1706, and in true Spanish-colonial style it has several interesting old landmarks arranged around Parque Central, including an…
San José
A lovely little space of former farmland, bordered by a French cafe and French-Spanish bookstore, as well as some restaurants. Shade trees and plenty of…
To Corcovado via Puerto Jiménez
The beautiful sand-and-coral beach known as Playa Blanca, at the east end of La Palma, is a low-key scene popular with Ticos and an excellent place to go…
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around
Visitors may visit a lookout over this gorgeous horseshoe-shaped beach, but the access point via the Sendero Puerto Escondido was closed indefinitely in…
Central Valley & Highlands
This iron monument welcomes visitors to Atenas while honoring the Costa Rican oxcart driver. It's 1km before Atenas on the north side of the road.
Central Valley & Highlands
The twin spires of the ash-gray Iglesia de San Ramón tower over this pretty square at the center of town.
Central Valley & Highlands
The shady Parque Central is a pleasant place to relax beneath the mango trees or people-watch in the evenings.
Northwestern Costa Rica
With the addition of Parque Nacional Guanacaste (345 sq km) in 1989, the Area de Conservación Guanacaste became part of a protected nature corridor…
Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Peñas Blancas
Northwestern Costa Rica
This 24 sq km refuge, not to be confused with the Nicaraguan border crossing of the same name, runs along the steep southern arm of the Cordillera de…
Parque Nacional Volcán Turrialba
Central Valley & Highlands
A 2km radius around the rarely visited Volcán Turrialba (3328m) became a national park in 1955, protecting mountain rainforest and cloud forest. It was…
San José
On Parque España’s northeast corner, this elegant colonial-style yellow mansion (closed to the public) houses the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The ceiba tree…
Central Valley & Highlands
About 5km south of Grecia, a bend in the road leads to an 18th-century rock bridge connecting the hamlets of Puente de Piedra and Rincón de Salas. Locals…
Central Valley & Highlands
East of Parque Central is this 19th-century Roman Catholic church, which suffered severe damage and was reconstructed after earthquakes in 1941 and 1991…
Liberia
The wheels of development grind slowly here in Liberia. The intention is that this historic building will no longer be just the former city jail or…
Liberia
Near the entrance of town, this statue of a steely-eyed sabanero (cowboy), complete with an evocative poem by Rodolfo Salazar Solórzano, stands watch over…
San José
One of downtown San José's most striking buildings, this century-old two-story metal edifice on Parque España's western edge was prefabricated in Belgium,…
San José
Costa Rica's congress meets in this grand structure – known as the 'blue castle' – in the center of San José. It's scheduled to be replaced by a…
Liberia
This old municipal building is little more than a landmark in the center of town, but it occasionally hosts interesting exhibitions or live music…
San José
This bronze statue of the 1930s Costa Rican president stands regally at the eastern entrance to La Sabana park.
Iglesia Inmaculada Concepción de María
Liberia
There’s not much to see here, but the big white church is a useful landmark. It's opposite Parque Central.
Monteverde & Santa Elena
A local landmark in the center of Santa Elena. The adjacent roasted-chicken shack apparently has no religious affiliation.
