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…
Must-see attractions in Costa Rica
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…
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…
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…
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…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
About 8km north of the Playa El Carmen intersection (past Playa Hermosa), Playa Manzanillo is a combination of sand and rock that’s best surfed when the…
Northwestern Costa Rica
Santa Rosa is the southern sector of the Área de Conservación Guanacaste. Some 30km of hiking trails weave through this tropical dry forest, offering…
Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja
Northwestern Costa Rica
Given its proximity to Liberia, this park (about 160 sq km) feels surprisingly uncrowded and remote. Named after the steamy main attraction – the active…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
About 3km south of San Vito, Finca Cántaros is a recreation center and reforestation project. Over 7 hectares of grounds – formerly coffee plantations and…
Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
Caribbean Coast
Enter this underexplored national park and you will have an idea of what Costa Rica looked like prior to the 1950s, when 75% of the country’s surface area…
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Golfito
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
This small, 28-sq-km reserve encompasses most of the steep hills surrounding Golfito, though it's easy to miss. There are no facilities for visitors, save…
La Fortuna
This center, 4km east of town, has a well-developed trail system that’s excellent for birding, as well as for spotting mammals such as coatis and agoutis …
Northwestern Costa Rica
La Casona is the main edifice of the old Hacienda Santa Rosa. The battle of 1856 was fought around this building. There are wonderful displays detailing …
Caribbean Coast
Enthusiastic owner Chito is a passionate naturalist who spent 20 years building and introducing wildlife into a 5km canal system just outside Siquirres…
Northwestern Costa Rica
An unexpected architectural landmark in this otherwise innocuous town, this Catholic church was designed by famed local painter Otto Apuy. The church (and…
Puntarenas
Quite possibly the most beautiful building in Puntarenas, Casa Fait is a purple-and-cream clapboard 1920s colonial building, with ornate iron balconies…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
There's no sign, no website, and last we checked, nobody was collecting any money for this delightful roadside attraction. It's simply a hollowed-out fig…
La Fortuna
You can glimpse the sparkling 70m ribbon of clear water that pours through a sheer canyon of dark volcanic rock arrayed in bromeliads and ferns with…
Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco
Península de Nicoya
Costa Rica’s oldest protected wilderness area covers 12 sq km at the tip of the Península de Nicoya. The unique park is covered by evergreen forests,…
Northwestern Costa Rica
Sloths, frogs, snakes, butterflies and prolific birdlife inhabit the gorgeous grounds of this finca, worth a visit to see the methods of a working organic…
Uvita
A few kilometers before Uvita is a signed turnoff to the left. A rough dirt road (4WD only) leads 3.5km up the hill to this private reserve on the farm of…
San José
This architecturally unremarkable concrete plaza in the heart of downtown is usually packed with locals slurping ice-cream cones and admiring the wide…
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Bahía Junquillal
Northwestern Costa Rica
The quiet bay and beautiful protected beach at Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Bahía Junquillal provide gentle swimming and snorkeling opportunities…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
West of town, this farm and botanical garden has long produced organic pepper and cacao, along with more than 150 tropical fruits and ornamental plants…
Northwestern Costa Rica
Don’t cruise through La Cruz without stopping at this oddly shaped ‘tourist and cultural center’ on the western edge of town. You might stumble across an…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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