Costa Rica Guide
Things not to miss
1 Rara Avis Rainforest Reserve • Costa Rica's premier eco-tourism destination flourishes with palms, primitive ferns, orchids and a vibrant birdlife, from vultures to oropéndolas.
2 Carnival, Puerto Limón • Young bloods and grandparents alike take to the streets during Costa Rica's raciest carnival.
3 Corcovado National Park • This verdant coastal rainforest is one of Costa Rica's finest destination for walking and wildlife-spotting.
4 Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve • Experience the bird's eye view – and touch of vertigo – from a suspended bridge in the lush Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve.
5 Teatro Nacional, San José • Central America's grandest theatre, built in imitation of the Paris Opéra with money raised by a tax on coffee.
6 Fishing • Anglers battle big fish in Costa Rica's coastal waters, teeming with swordfish, marlin, tarpon and snook.
7 Poás Volcano • Poás is one of the world's more easily accessible active volcanoes, with a history of eruptions that goes back eleven million years.
8 Playa Cocles • One of the most appealing beaches on the entire Caribbean coast, with pristine tropical scenery, a soothing atmosphere and excellent accommodation.
9 Santa Elena Cloudforest Reserve • This spectacular reserve features excellent trails through misty and mysterious vegetation.
10 Tortuguero Canal • Ride the boat north from Puerto Limón along the Tortuguero Canal, past luxuriant vegetation and colorful wooden houses on stilts.
11 Santa Rosa National Park • This gorgeous park protects a rare stretch of dry tropical rainforest.
12 Whitewater rafting • Whitewater rafting is one of Costa Rica's most popular outdoor activities, with a range of rivers to suit all abilities.
13 Leatherback turtles • Hundreds of these magnificent turtles come ashore near Tamarindo to lay their eggs every year.
14 Irazú Volcano • The blasted lunar landscape at the summit of Irazú is a stirring natural sight, with fantastic views all the way to the Carribean on a clear day.
15 Arenal Volcano • One of the Western Hemisphere's more active volcanoes, Arenal's upper slopes are periodically doused in flows of red-hot lava.
16 Baird's tapir • Halfway between an elephant and a cow, Baird's tapir is one of Costa Rica's most remarkable – and elusive – inhabitants.
17 Crocodiles and caimans • Along Costa Rica's lush, tropical waterways, crocs and caimans bask on submerged branches and muddy river banks, their fearsome teeth glinting in the sun.
18 Museo de Oro Precolombino • Visit this dazzling display of over two thousand pre-Columbian gold pieces.
19 Xandari Plantation Inn • Spend a night at this beautiful spot set in a coffee plantation amidst the scenic heights of the Valle Central.
20 Rincón de la Vieja National Park • Clouds of sulphurous smoke and steaming mudpots dot the desiccated slopes of Rincón de la Vieja volcano, one of the country's more thermally active areas.
21 Manuel Antonio National Park • This perennially popular park boasts four beaches, mangroves, tropical forest and stunning coastal scenery.