Monteverde & Around
The exquisitely misty 310-hectare Reserva Santa Elena offers a completely different cloud forest experience from Monteverde. Cutting through the veiled…
Must-see attractions in Northwestern Costa Rica
Northwestern Costa Rica
At the head of the Golfo de Nicoya, the 198 sq km Parque Nacional Palo Verde is a wetland sanctuary in Costa Rica’s driest province. The park’s shallow,…
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…
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…
Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde
Monteverde & Around
This beautiful cloud forest reserve came into being in 1972, when the Quaker community (which had already set aside a third of its property for…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
This sweet-smelling garden in Santa Elena has shady trails winding past more than 500 types of orchids. On your guided tour, you’ll see such rarities as…
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…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
For those who prefer their reptiles under glass (or at least behind it), a guide will show you around and introduce you to more than 50 species of…
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…
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 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…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
This simple meeting house in Monteverde is the ‘church’ of the American Society of Friends, or the Quakers, who first settled this area and committed to…
Northwestern Costa Rica
This wild-animal shelter was started in the 1960s by the late Lilly Hagnauer, a Swiss environmentalist. It’s one of the largest shelters of its kind in…
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 …
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…
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…
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…
Liberia
With whitewashed walls and twin pillars flanking the front door, La Agonía typifies the Spanish colonial architecture that earned Liberia its 'White City'…
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…
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…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
The Bat Jungle in Monteverde is a small but informative exhibit, with good bilingual educational displays and a habitat housing almost 100 free-flying…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Ecomuseo de las Minas de Abangares
Northwestern Costa Rica
It’s not often you see the terms ‘eco’ and ‘mining’ so close together. Set on 38 hectares, this little museum has photographs and models depicting the old…
Liberia
The somewhat shady but not particularly picturesque Parque Central frames Iglesia Inmaculada Concepción de María. The park is also the seasonal hangout of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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