16 Exciting Things To Do In Costa Rica

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Costa Rica is 1 of the astir enchanting countries successful the world. Famous for its progressive volcanoes, adventurous activities, unsocial wildlife and jaw dropping nature, you tin beryllium definite to find plentifulness of things to bash successful Costa Rica to marque immoderate abrogation a memorable one.

Whether you similar canyoning, hiking, relaxing connected a formation oregon gathering cuddly sloths, Costa Rica is simply a destination that offers each this and more.

If you’re readying a travel and request ideas for what to bash successful Costa Rica to adhd to your itinerary, past you’ve travel to the close place.

In this guide, we stock the apical attractions, places to visit, and activities, that should not beryllium skipped disconnected immoderate travelers to-do list.

Table Of Contents

Is Costa Rica Worth Visiting?

You mightiness beryllium connected the obstruction astir visiting Costa Rica, truthful let maine to sway your opinion.

Costa Rica is 1 of the astir beauteous and peaceful countries successful the world, with a vibe that beckons you to spell dilatory and relax.

It’s besides 1 of the astir eco-friendly countries you tin visit, arsenic not conscionable businesses but locals instrumentality pridefulness successful their environmentally affable ways.

Very fewer countries connection the aforesaid level of biodiversity that you volition find successful Costa Rica, it’s affluent successful quality from each corners. It has 2 coastlines (The Pacific Coast and Atlantic Ocean), rainforests, waterfalls, and volcanoes.

Costa Rica is besides a state of immoderate of the warmest and astir welcoming radical I person ever encountered.

They adore children and invited them into each situation. This makes Costa Rica a large destination for families arsenic good arsenic singles and couples.

So, to summarize, Costa Rica is decidedly worthy visiting, due to the fact that it has an abundance of quality to explore, affable locals, a relaxing atmosphere, unsocial wildlife, and eco-friendly initiatives spanning crossed the country.

Best Things to Do successful Costa Rica

There are truthful galore astonishing things to bash successful Costa Rica, that it tin beryllium a conflict narrowing down the options. To assistance you out, present are immoderate of the astir unmissable attractions successful Costa Rica.

1. Relax connected The Beaches

There are nary shortage o beaches successful Costa Rica, and each of them offers thing vastly antithetic from the other.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Beach, connected the Caribbean coast, peculiarly Punta Uva beach, are a definite must-see connected immoderate Costa Rica itinerary.

The crystal-clear waters and achromatic soil beachess of Playa Conchal and Playa Hermosa are cleanable for snorkeling and wildlife spotting.

For a much laid-back vibe, Manuel Antonio National Park and the charming municipality of Santa Teresa beckon with their earthy quality and vibrant atmosphere.

From the tranquil shores of Malpais and Santa Teresa to the surfers’ paradise of Playa Santa Teresa wherever you tin find gentle waves for surfing lessons, there’s thing for everyone.

In the municipality of Tamarindo, successful the Guanacaste province, you’ll find beaches with a stronger surf for much experienced surfers.

2. Visit Arenal Volcano

Arenal Volcano is possibly the astir celebrated volcano successful Costa Rica.

Formed astir 7,000 years ago, it stood arsenic the country’s astir progressive volcano for implicit 4 decades, with eruptions that near a lasting interaction connected the region.

The 1968 eruption, successful particular, reshaped the scenery and spurred wide devastation, leaving an indelible people connected the area.

Today, Arenal’s melodramatic conical signifier and surrounding lush rainforest and adjacent water Arenal showcase conscionable however divers and vibrant Costa Rica’s biodiversity is.

Arenal Volcano is presently successful its “resting phase,” truthful it’s harmless to visit.

Arenal Volcano tours

3. Explore the Rainforest of Monteverde

The rainforests of Monteverde are immoderate of my favourite spots connected earth, but astir radical skip them to bask the beauteous beaches.

While the beaches successful Monteverde are beautiful, don’t skip the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

This unsocial ecosystem is simply a haven for quality enthusiasts, lodging implicit 400 vertebrate species, including resplendent quetzals and vibrant toucans.

The jungle is afloat of wildlife, from colorful butterflies to vocal howler monkeys to elusive tapirs, and is important for preserving uncommon and biologically affluent habitats, making it an indispensable halt for ecotourism successful Central America.

If you similar to get active, you tin besides find thrilling ziplining adventures and hanging bridges successful the rainforest, which allows you to spot the lush rainforest from precocious up successful the canopies.

4. Bathe successful Eco Temales Hot Springs

Where ever determination is simply a tourer trap, similar the Baldi blistery springs successful Arenal Volcano National Park, for example, determination is often a much section spot similar Las Lagos oregon Eco Termales that volition complaint you FAR little without losing the astonishing experience.

If you privation to dip into a thermal earthy blistery springs, past don’t spell tot helium tourer trap.

Nestled successful the lush wilderness adjacent La Fortuna, Eco Termales Hot Springs has been a fashionable bathing tract for locals since 2002.

This tranquil haven harmoniously blends sustainable practices and wellness, creating an intimate retreat wherever you tin unwind amidst the captivating rainforest.

Get your skip-the-line tickets for Eco Termales Hot Springs here!

5. Try Gallo Pinto

Costa Rica is not truly known for its food, but the nationalist crockery of Gallo Pinto is worthy a try. This crockery is made up of atom and beans with seasonings, is served with astir breakfasts.

Gallo Pinto virtually translates to “spotted rooster”, due to the fact that the quality of the crockery is speckally similar a rooster.

Some different dishes you tin effort are Arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), Ceviche (cold food successful lime foodstuff and cilantro) which is fashionable successful countries successful South and Central America, and casados (choice of grilled nutrient with rice, beans, and salad).

As is existent with astir eateries, wherever ever you find tables packed with locals, you tin stake it is simply a large spot.

There are galore American chains passim the Central Valley, but they each travel with a ample outgo factor.

The existent quality of the Costa Rican nutrient is the freshness!

You volition find loads of inexpensive vegetables and fruits increasing successful practically each gait oregon astatine 1 of galore effect stands on the road.

6. Try Costa Rican Coffee

The coffee… Oh, however I miss the exquisite Costa Rican coffee. Most radical are acquainted with Costa Rican coffee, since it tin beryllium recovered each implicit the world.

The state has rich, volcanic ungraded and a lukewarm clime with dense rainfall, which is cleanable for increasing java beans. This creates a precise unsocial sensation and aroma that tin lone beryllium recovered with Costa Rican beans.

When traveling backmost to visit the United States, we’d bring 20 ½ kilo bags of Atenas java with america arsenic gifts and to portion during our abbreviated enactment successful the States.

You tin bring location half-a-kilo (1.1 lbs) of beans for little than $5 successful Costa Rica, truthful it’s good worthy grabbing a fewer bags to instrumentality location with you erstwhile you leave.

But if you privation to effort java successful Costa Rica, my proposal is to find the much municipality section favorites specified arsenic La Villa successful Atenas. Café Brit, portion the astir commercialized brand, is not arsenic pleasing oregon caller arsenic a section municipality brands.

Try this time circuit wherever you sojourn a coffee, chocolate, and sweetener cane plantation successful Monteverde

7. Enjoy The Costa Rican Nightlife

Costa Ricans bask to enactment and each town, large and small, volition connection a fewer options for a portion close successful the municipality center.

Imperial is the section brew and astir commonly compared to a Budweiser. They are starting immoderate tiny section breweries and immoderate imports are disposable arsenic well, but astatine a cost.

Most weekends determination is immoderate benignant of solemnisation going connected implicit with fireworks, drinks, and large music. If astatine each possible, effort to get to one, it is simply a show to see, whether it is simply a “tope” (horse parade), oregon the solemnisation of a saint, you volition bask it!

8. Visit The Farmer’s Markets

Each municipality successful Costa Rica volition person their ain section farmers markets. These are astir decidedly worthy a sojourn arsenic they connection the champion worth and a bully instauration to the section culture, not to notation incredibly caller and delicious fruits vegetables, cheeses, yogurts, herbs, etc.

There is besides a beauteous walking thoroughfare successful the bosom of San Jose, Costa Rica’s superior city, wherever you tin find trinkets, clothing, locally made art, and bootleg things.

It is located conscionable down the National Theatre, different large spot to spot if strolling astir the city.

9. Celebrate Independence Day successful Costa Rica

Independence day is astir apt the biggest vacation successful Costa Rica, celebrated connected September 15th.

There is simply a nighttime parade successful each municipality with section children carrying “faroles” (handmade lanterns) and besides a immense parade during the day.

It is celebrated with overmuch pridefulness successful astir each municipality successful Costa Rica.

10. Attend Semana Santa

Semana Santa is the week starring up to Easter. Being a Catholic state this is besides taken precise seriously.

It is considered the highest of the precocious seasons, truthful accommodations and nutrient volition beryllium the astir expensive.

If you are visiting during Semana Santa, enactment that everything volition beryllium booked good successful advance, specified arsenic hotels (especially connected the beach).

Also of note, galore things unopen down during this week and connected Good Friday you are not adjacent expected to thrust a car, though galore bash anyway.

Alcohol is besides hard to acquisition connected Good Friday and passim Easter weekend.

11. Celebrate New Year Overlooking Central Valley

If it is astatine each imaginable to walk New Years eve connected a upland apical overlooking the Central Valley, I would bash it each time! It is the champion amusement I deliberation I person ever seen and was truthful bittersweet to miss it this year.

Words cannot truly picture the astonishing show of countless fireworks exploding astatine midnight implicit the metropolis and everyplace astir you.

So, bash yourself a favour and get down determination for astatine slightest 1 New Years.

12. Visit The Sloth Sanctuary

For wildlife lovers, you cannot miss a sojourn to The Sloth Sanctuary. It was established successful 1992 and is nestled wrong a 320-acre quality sphere connected the southeast Caribbean broadside of Costa Rica, adjacent the metropolis of Cahuita.

This haven is dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating sloths portion offering acquisition tours to money its noble cause.

On these guided tours, you tin larn astir wherefore these animals person travel to the sanctuary and what they request successful bid to beryllium released into the wild.

You tin witnesser these endearing creatures arsenic they acquisition rehabilitation earlier being released backmost into their earthy situation nether the cautious guidance of sanctuary staff, arsenic good arsenic spot babe sloths who request changeless attraction and attention.

Check retired this circuit of the Sloth Sanctuary, which besides includes a sojourn to Rio Celeste Waterfall and Llanos de Cortes Waterfall! You mightiness besides similar this Sloth watching tour.

13. Visit The Jaguar Rescue Center

Another important wildlife sanctuary to sojourn is The Jaguar Rescue Center successful Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, which serves arsenic a impermanent haven for a divers array of wildlife, not lone jaguars, and provides attraction for sick, injured, mistreated, and orphaned animals.

As good arsenic jaguars, you tin spot monkeys, sloths, birds, and reptiles arsenic they acquisition attraction and rehabilitation.

The halfway offers nationalist tours that bring visitors into nonstop interaction with the chaotic cats, anteaters, and different animals astatine the sanctuary, and provides an up adjacent presumption into the conservation efforts.

Check retired this circuit of the Jaguar Rescue Center and Cahuita National Park!

14. Explore The National Parks (Tenorio Volcano National Park, Corcovado National Park & Tortuguero National Park)

monkey successful histrion astatine Corcovado National Park

Costa Rica is celebrated for its nationalist parks, truthful beryllium definite to adhd a fewer to your itinerary.

My favourite nationalist parks are Tenorio Volcano National Park, Corcovado National Park and Tortuguero National Park, which connection an unparalleled immersion into Costa Rica’s earthy grandeur.

Tortuguero National Park is celebrated for its leather backmost oversea turtle colonies that nest connected its beaches, arsenic good arsenic its riverways and canals that supply habitats for a assortment of creatures.

Corcovado National Park is simply a nationalist parkland known for its untamed beauty, showcasing 1 of the planet’s astir biologically aggravated regions.

Here you tin find galore hiking trails which pb from the seashore to mangrove swamps to montane rainforests. You whitethorn adjacent spot a cheeky Central American monkey successful the trees.

bird successful Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero National Park is different nationalist parkland known for its earthy quality and wildlife.

It’s astir celebrated for its Rio Celeste Waterfall, and is besides compact with lush rainforests and pristine waterways, which provides a sanctuary to endangered turtles and a assortment of vertebrate species.

You whitethorn similar this circuit of Corcovado National Park and Sirena Station wherever you tin hike and observe chaotic animals successful their earthy habitat. And this Tortuguero Park Day Tour with Breakfast & Lunch

15. See Turtle Conservation Efforts astatine Ostional Wildlife Refuge

olige ridley turtles mating successful the sea

Located successful Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, the Ostional Wildlife Refuge is simply a refuge for the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.

This pristine earthy sanctuary is renowned arsenic 1 of the world’s astir captious nesting sites for these gentle marine creatures.

Here you tin beryllium treated to sights of arribadas, wide nesting events wherever thousands of turtles travel ashore to laic their eggs.

The ethereal quality of this phenomenon, combined with the sanctuary’s committedness to wildlife preservation, makes it a must-visit for quality lovers successful Costa Rica.

16. Relax successful San José

View astatine the religion Our Lady of Mercy successful San Jose.

San José is arguably the pulsating bosom of Costa Rica, and is not to beryllium missed if you privation to acquisition the cultural, historical, and municipality charms of the country.

From its world-class museums and picturesque parks to the vibrant nightlife and architectural marvels, the metropolis presents a captivating fusion of contented and modernity.

It’s besides known for its yoga retreats, eco resorts and eco-lodges, wherever you tin acquisition the harmonious broadside of Costa Rica.

Tours of San Jose to enjoy:

Places to enactment successful Costa Rica

Use the representation beneath to assistance you find your cleanable accommodation successful Costa Rica. Or spot what’s disposable connected Expedia,

Getting To And Around Costa Rica

Flying to and from the US, we ever person had large luck with Jet Blue. Spirit Airlines besides offers tremendous deals to Florida and different person locations.

Within the country, Nature Air often offers deals to prevention connected successful state question times.

Driving is besides an option, but it tin go progressively hard if taking a car implicit immoderate borders. You tin rent a car but it is costly and driving the windy and foggy roads tin beryllium a situation and usually somewhat time-consuming.

Also retrieve that a tourer visa is escaped to participate (most passports volition get 90 days upon entry) but determination is an exit taxation of $28 USD per idiosyncratic erstwhile leaving the state by plane!

Public transport is simply a large mode to spot the country. Buses are disposable for abbreviated and longer distances and adjacent for question betwixt neighboring countries.

There are nary trains successful Costa Rica, but buses (Ticabus and Nicabus) are ever an option. They are much affordable than immoderate flights but surely instrumentality a sizeable magnitude of time.

Each municipality besides has aggregate taxi services. Red taxis are the insured ones, but are a spot much expensive. There are besides smaller companies that we utilized for a fraction of a cost, but they connection nary insurance.

Orange taxis are the authoritative transport from the airdrome and it is recommended that you usage those for information and champion value. You could prosecute a taxi for a afloat time for astir $100.

Best Time of Year to Visit Costa Rica

Long vulnerability of a waterfall successful Costa Rica rainforest.

The champion clip of twelvemonth to sojourn Costa Rica mostly depends connected what you privation to get retired of your trip. Most of the state experiences a adust and rainy season.

Dry play is from November to April and consists of precise small rain, leaving overmuch of the countryside adust and brown, and with precise lukewarm temperatures. Rainy play goes from April to November and progressively gets rainier, climaxing successful October.

The payment successful the rainy play is that the question costs are each down and the temps tin beryllium rather a spot cooler. Typically, it volition rainfall for an hr oregon 2 successful the precocious day truthful truly it doesn’t impact your time precise overmuch astatine all, until October that is.

One of the astir absorbing things astir Costa Rica is its microclimates though truthful cheque successful much item for your nonstop location(s). Even successful the aforesaid town, elevation variations tin marque temps and rainfall levels rather a spot different.

High play is the adust play and it’s rather beautiful, but I’m partial to the “green” (rainy) season. I urge going anytime, prevention for October.

Final Thoughts

Majestic waterfall successful the rainforest jungle of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is simply a state that volition permission you with lasting memories.

Some of our fondest moments arsenic a household came portion learning to surf together, climbing a volcano, horseback riding to blistery springs, and enjoying the cleanable clime that graced our tiny upland town.

We anticipation this usher helped you program immoderate things to bash successful Costa Rica and gave you immoderate inspiration for places to visit.