Sights in Costa Rica
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Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio was declared a national park in 1972, preserving it (with just minutes to spare) from being bulldozed and razed to make room for a coastal development project. Although Manuel Antonio was enlarged to its present-day size of 16 sq km in 2000, it is still the country’s second-smallest national park. Space remains a premium, and as this is one of Central America’s top tourist destinations, you’re going to have to break free from the camera-clicking tour groups and actively seek out your own idyllic spot of sand.
With that said, Manuel Antonio is absolutely stunning, and on a good day, at the right time, it’s easy to convince yourself that…
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Península de Nicoya
The Nicoya Peninsula is a sun-drenched strip of land with over 130km (81mi) of stunning coastline bound by dry, tropical rainforest. As looks go, it's a beauty and the most popular tourist destination in the whole country. Though the coastlines are being increasingly colonized by gringos, the interior remains dedicated to agriculture and ranching.
In the past, poor access kept development in check. The recently constructed Friendship Bridge and the international airport in Liberia have created fast-track access. The resort mania around Playa Panamá and Playa Tambor is quickly spreading south. With record numbers of foreigners flocking to Nicoya, it's more important than e…
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Herrera Gardens & Conservation Project
On the east side of the airstrip, Herrera Gardens & Conservation Project is a 250-acre reserve with beautiful botanical gardens. This innovative, long-term reforestation project offers an ecologically and economically sustainable alternative to cattle-grazing. Visitors can explore the 5km of garden trails or 15km of well-marked forest trails. Guided tours focus on birding, botany or even tree climbing! Stop by Jagua Arts & Crafts to buy a map or arrange your tour. Campers should head to Herrera Gardens & Conservation Project.
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Playa Hermosa
The waves that pound the long Playa Hermosa (10km/6.2mi) are among the most consistent in the world, which means that just about any day, any time, there'll be a wave here waiting for you to thrash. Only 5km (3mi) south of Jacó, Playa Hermosa is fronted by hotels and cabinas, though development here is relatively low-key. Note that this beach can only be recommended to advanced surfers as the huge waves and strong rip tides are unforgiving.
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Aventuras Bosquemar Canopy
If you prefer to tour the rain forest at high speed, the thrilling Aventuras Bosquemar Canopy is the first zip-line canopy tour on this side of the peninsula. Five lines stretch between five platforms, winding 600m through primary forest. It's about 8km from Jiménez near the village of Miramar - prices include transportation from Puerto Jiménez.
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Playa Platanares
About 5km east of town, the secluded - and often deserted - Playa Platanares is excellent for swimming, sunning and recovering from too much adventure. The nearby mangroves of Río Platanares are a paradise for kayaking and bird-watching.
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Playa Negra
The entire southern Caribbean coast - from Cahuita all the way south to Punta Mona - is lined with unbelievably beautiful beaches. Just northwest of town, Playa Negra offers the area's safest swimming, as well as excellent body boarding.
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Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito
The small, 28-sq-km reserve encompasses most of the steep hills surrounding Golfito. It was originally created to protect the town’s watershed, though it has also had the wonderful side effect of conserving a number of rare and interesting plant species. For example, the reserve is home to several cycads, which are ‘living fossils,’ and are regarded as the most primitive of plants. The reserve also attracts a variety of tropical birds, four species of monkey and several small mammals.
There are no facilities for visitors, save a gravel access road and a few poorly maintained trails. About 2km south of the center of Golfito, a gravel road heads inland, past a soccer …
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Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
Because of the region's relative remoteness, this 102 sq km (63 sq mi) refuge has long been frequented, primarily by two sorts of specialists. Anglers come in search of that elusive 40-pound snook, though they abandon ship April through July when the park is closed to fishing (a good time to get a bargain price on accommodation). Birders flock here each year from January through March to spot an unequalled assortment of waterfowl.
During the dry season, water levels drop, concentrating the birds (and fish) in photogenically (or tasty) close quarters. From January to March, when migratory birds land in large numbers, avian density is most definitely world class.
The Río Fr…
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Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal
Arenal was just another dormant volcano surrounded by fertile farmland from about AD 1500 until July 29, 1968, when something snapped. Huge explosions triggered lava flows that destroyed three villages, killing about 80 people and 45,000 cattle. The surrounding area was evacuated and roads throughout the region were closed. Eventually, the lava subsided to a relatively predictable flow and life got back to normal. Sort of.
Although it occasionally quiets down for a few weeks, or even months, Arenal has been producing menacing ash columns, massive explosions, and streamers of glowing molten rock almost daily since 1968. Despite constant volcanic activity, it has miraculous…
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Parque Nacional Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is a wild space of pristine beaches, tropical dry forests and savannahs of thorn trees and swaying jaragua grass. The wildlife on Península Santa Elena is both varied and prolific, especially during the dry season. The rainy months of September and October are best for turtle watching. Here you'll find arribadas (mass-nesting) of up to 8,000 olive ridley sea turtles.
Established in 1971, this national park is one of the oldest in Costa Rica - it's also one of the biggest, spanning 38,674ha (95,565 acres). Santa Rosa is one of the best-developed, though still simple, camping facilities of the nation's parks.
The surfing at Playa Naranjo is world-renowned, espec…
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Monumento Nacional Arqueológico Guayabo
This is the largest and most important archaeological site in the country. Although Guayabo is not nearly as breathtaking as Mayan and Aztec archaeological sites (don't expect pyramids), excavations have unearthed sophisticated infrastructure and mysterious petroglyphs. Polychromatic pottery and gold artifacts found here are also exhibited at the Museo Nacional in San José.
The most impressive find at Guayabo is the aqueduct system, which may have served more than 20,000 people in AD 800, the height of the city's prominence. It uses enormous stones hauled in from far-off Río Reventazón along an 8km (5mi)road that's in pretty good shape (by Costa Rican standards). The ext…
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Parque Nacional Los Quetzales
Costa Rica's newest national park, formerly the Reserva Los Santos, was made official in 2005. Spread along both banks of the Río Sevegre, the park covers 5000 hectares (12,355 acres) of rain and cloud forest. With altitudes of up to 3000m (9843ft), this is the heart of the Cordillera de Talamanca, which means picturesque mountain streams, glacial lakes and a range of glorious peaks.
The Sevegre, which starts high up on the Cerro de la Muerte, pours out into the Pacific near the coastal town of Sevegre. This area is extremely important to Costa Rica's biodiversity: although it covers a relatively small area, the Sevegre watershed contains approximately 20% of all the reg…
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Parque Nacional Chirripó
Costa Rica’s highest peak, Cerro Chirripó, at 3820m above sea level, is the focus of this popular national park, Parque Nacional Chirripó. Of course, while Chirripó is the highest and most famous summit in Costa Rica, it is not unique: two other peaks inside the park top 3800m, and most of the park’s 502 sq km lies above 2000m.
Like a tiny chunk of the South American Andes, Parque Nacional Chirripó is an entirely unexpected respite from the heat and humidity of the rainforest. Above 3400m, the landscape is páramo, which is mostly scrubby trees and grasslands, and supports a unique spectrum of highland wildlife. Rocky outposts punctuate the otherwise barren hills, a…
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Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas
Playa Grande is considered to be one of most important nesting sites in the entire world for the baula or leatherback turtle. In 1991, the entirety of the beach and adjacent lands (379 ha) along with 22,000 ha of ocean was designated as Marino Las Baulas National Park.
The ecology of the park is primarily composed of mangrove swamp, and it's possible to find all of the six mangrove species native to Costa Rica here. This habitat is ideal for caimans and crocodiles, as well as numerous bird species, including the beautiful roseate spoonbill. Other creatures to look for when visiting are howler monkeys, raccoons, coatis, otters and a variety of crabs. But, as is to be expec…
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Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde
This beautiful reserve came into being in 1972, when the Quaker community, spurred on by the threat of encroaching squatters, joined forces with environmental and wildlife organizations to purchase and protect an extra 328 hectares (811 acres) of land. This fragile enviroment relies almost entirely on public donations to survive. Today, the reserve totals 10,500 hectares (25,946 acres).
Visitors should note that some of the walking trails are very muddy, and even during the dry season (late December to early May) the cloud forest is wet. Many trails have been stabilized with concrete blocks or wooden boards and are easy to walk on, though unpaved trails deeper in the rese…
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Butterfly Farm
Yes, they farm butterflies in Costa Rica, and it's a fascinating process. Opened in 1983, this was the first commercial butterfly farm in Latin America. Informative guided tours will take you through tropical gardens filled with hundreds of butterflies. Learn about the complex butterfly life cycle and discover the importance of butterflies in nature.
In the wild, it's estimated that less than 2% of caterpillars survive to adulthood, though breeders at the farm boast an astounding 90% survival rate. This ensures a steady supply of pupae for gardens, schools, museums and private collections around the world. If you visit on a Monday or a Thursday from March to August, you c…
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Wilson Botanical Garden
The world class Wilson Botanical Garden covers 12 hectares (30 acres) and is surrounded by 254 hectares (628 acres) of natural forest. The garden was established by Robert and Catherine Wilson in 1963 and thereafter became internationally known for its collection. Today, the well-maintained garden holds more than 1000 genera of plants in about 200 families and plays a scientific role as a research center.
The gardens are well laid out and many of the plants are labelled. A trail map is available for self-guided walks featuring exotic species like orchids, bromeliads, palms and medicinal plants. The many ornamental varieties are breathtakingly beautiful and tours explain t…
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El Jardín de las Mariposas
One of the most interesting activities is visiting the butterfly garden. Admission entitles you to a naturalist-led tour (in Spanish or English) that begins with an enlightening discussion of butterfly life cycles and the butterfly’s importance in nature. A variety of eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults are examined. Visitors are taken into the greenhouses, where the butterflies are raised, and on into the screened garden, where hundreds of butterflies of many species are seen. The tour lasts about an hour, after which you are free to stay as long as you wish. There’s also a theater that presents an informational video in English, Spanish, French, Dutch or German. It’s b…
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Avarios del Caribe & Buttercup Center
About 10km north of Cahuita, this small wildlife sanctuary sits on an 88-hectare island in the delta of the Río Estrella. The now-famous orphaned sloth named Buttercup reigns over the grounds, ever since she was adopted by owners Luis and Judy at the age of five weeks.
Their passion for these funny creatures is contagious; informative guided tours (US$20 to US$30) allow visitors to meet some of the resident sloths. The center also offers a variety of excursions through the canals and lagoons of the Estrella delta, where 312 (and counting!) species of birds have been recorded. Besides the prolific birdlife, this lowland rain forest is home to monkeys, caimans, river otter…
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Turu Ba Ri Tropical Park
The Turu Ba Ri Tropical Park is a collection of botanical gardens reflecting each of the topographic zones native to Costa Rica. As you walk along impeccably manicured trails, you’ll pass through palm forests, pasture lands, herbariums, cactus fields, bamboo groves, bromeliad gardens, orchid beds and a loma canopy. The gardens are accessed by an aerial cable car, which is included in the price of admission.
If you’re an adrenaline junkie, there is also a canopy tour (adult/child US$55/40) that has you swinging through the trees, as well as opportunities for horseback riding and rock climbing. If you’re traveling with the little ones, they’ll be content for hours either …
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Lankester Gardens
The University of Costa Rica runs the exceptional Lankester Gardens, which was started as a private garden by British orchid enthusiast Charles Lankester in 1917, but was turned over to the university for public administration in 1973. Orchids are the big draw at this tranquil 11-hectare spot, with more than 1100 at their showiest from March to May. There is also a new Japanese garden, as well as areas full of bromeliads, palms, heliconias and other tropical plants. There is a good gift shop (this is one of the few places where foreigners can legally purchase orchids to take home) and a cafe was in the works at the time of research. Guided tours in English and Spanish can…
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Teatro Nacional
On the southern side of the Plaza de la Cultura resides the Teatro Nacional, San José’s most revered public building. Constructed in 1897, it features a columned neoclassical facade that is flanked by statues of Beethoven and Calderón de la Barca, a 17th-century Spanish dramatist. The lavish marble lobby and auditorium are lined with paintings depicting various facets of 19th-century life. The most famous is Alegoría al café y el banano, an idyllic canvas showing coffee and banana harvests. The painting was produced in Italy and shipped to Costa Rica for installation in the theater, and the image was reproduced on the old ₡5 note (now out of circulation). It is clea…
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Reserva Santa Elena
Though Monteverde Reserve gets all the attention, this exquisitely misty entry, at a comparably small 310 hectares (766 acres), has plenty to recommend it. While the Monteverde Reserve attracts almost 200,000 visitors annually, Santa Elena sees fewer than 20,000. It's also a bit cheaper and much less developed, plus your entry fee is helping support another unique project.
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Playa Grande
Playa Grande is an undeveloped wilderness beach that's equally famous amongst conservationists and surfers alike. By day, the offshore winds create steep and powerful waves, especially at high tide and in front of the Hotel Las Tortugas. By night, an ancient cycle continues to unfurl as leatherback sea turtles bearing clutches of eggs follow the ocean currents back to their birthplace.
Since 1991, Playa Grande has been part of the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, which prevents beachfront development and ensures that one of the most important leatherback nesting areas in the world is preserved for future generations.
Although there are a few accommodation options near t…
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