Costa Rica is a country that offers a wide array of alternatives for nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts and beach connoisseurs. Let’s break down topic by topic and how to approach each.

BEACHES: Costa Rica enjoys the advantage of two very different coastlines. The Caribbean Coast and the Pacific shoreline which we divide into North Pacific, Central Pacific and South Pacific.

The Caribbean Coast: located in the province of Limon we find the main area of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita with its Afro-Caribbean culture and relaxed atmosphere. The Caribbean coastline offers a great alternative during the months of April through November, what Costa Ricans consider the “wet season”.

The Pacific Coast :

• NORTH PACIFIC includes beautiful beaches such as Papagayo Bay (with plenty of large resort type accommodations); the area of Tamarindo,  Pinilla, Flamingo, Conchal which stand out as very popular destinations including Playa Grande where tourists flock year after year to observe the turtles hatching; and finally Samara, Nosara and Islita on the Nicoya Peninsula with incredibly beautiful beaches.

• CENTRAL PACIFIC has very popular luxury hotels such as Marriott Los Suenos and Villa Caletas, with regular beaches and few outstanding features. The area that does stand out in this region includes the Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos which offer an active nighlife along with highly populated beaches.

• SOUTH PACIFIC we find Dominical, Golfo Dulce and the Peninsula de Osa. Being that the distance from San Jose is approximately 5-7 hrs, this area is less convoluted and still offers pristine untouched areas. These locations are usually outside the mainstream offering, so if you want to make the most out of what the country really has to offer these are beaches you should look into with attention.

NATURE: Costa Rica has plenty of National Parks all with different ecosystems, flora and fauna. The biodiversity this destination encompasses is unique. Birdwatching offers over 800 species of birds and park wildlife includes: sloths, tapirs, a variety of monkeys and occasional big cats amongst others.

• Caribbean: Tortuguero National Park is humid and hot! Jungle lodges abound. This area is known as the “Amazon of Costa Rica” because it resembles Peru and Brazil ’s Amazon area and its lodging alternatives. IF you visit the Tortuguero lodges you probably would be better of taking one of their 3 Day / 2 Night packages which is the right amount of time to visit the Tortuguero canals and maybe do some adventure tour. The Cahuita National Park has the largest system of coral reefs in the country. Fishing is very popular acitivity in this area.

• Northern Zone: this area hosts the very popular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Nature lovers and birdwatchers paradise, this destination has developed into the perfect adventure/nature combination.

• North Pacific: Rincon de la Vieja National Park (inland) usually combined with Guanacaste Beach experience due to the proximity, it offers a fantastic nature alternative for those seeking to visit as much as possible within a short period of time.

• Marino Las Baulas (coast) is where we find Playa Grande and the turtle hatching coastline.  Finally, the Ostional Wildlife Reserve (coast) great for turtle watching as well as for Dolphin and Whale watching tours.

• Central Pacific: here we find the Carara National Park (inland) with many nature and adventure alternatives. The Manuel Antonio National Park (coast) has incredible views and fauna observation opportunities. Its main advantage is the possibility of combining nature and beach within this beautiful spot. In addition, the distance from San Jose is approximately 4.5 hours making it very accessible too.

• South Pacific: a bit further away the Marino Ballena National Park (coast) offers incredible marine wildlife opportunities. Finally, the Corcovado National Park (coast) is considered a MUST for nature experts. If you are a nature lover, it does not get any better than this! However, as  mentioned above with the South Pacific beaches, this park is usually not included in mainstream offerings.

The Turtle Observation activity deserves a paragraph of its own. When is it a good time to undertake this activity?

• North Pacific: November to April: you can see the Leatherbacks at Playa Grande and Playa Langosta in the Marino Las Baulas National Park. July to December: Ostional National Park for the Leatherbacks and the Olive Ridley turtles.

• South Pacific: June to October: observe the Hawsbill Sea Turtles a the Corcovado National Park .

• Caribbean : July to September: you can see Green Sea Turtles, Loggerheads and Leatherbacks.

Marine Wildlife is another nature lovers’ activity. The best area to do this is the South Pacific Coast followed by the Caribbean . Dolphin and Whale watching tours (including sightings of Killer Whales) provide optimum results between July and December.

Finally:  Volcanoes. With about 122 volcanoes, Costa Rica has much to offer in this front but two especially deserve to be mentioned: the Poas Volcano which has a crater of 1.5 kms in width, making it the second widest in the world, and the Arenal Volcano which has become the most popular Volcano in the country. Tourists multiply to see the spectacle of this mountain of fire spitting lava in the dark. During the day, the destination offers all sorts for nature and adventure alternatives to choose from. Other volcanoes include the Barba, the Irazu, the Rincon de la Vieja, the Turrialba, etc.

ADVENTURE: everywhere!

• Arenal: Canopy, Hiking, Canoeing, Water Rapelling, Horseback riding, ATV, Hanging Bridges, Sky Tram & Sky Trek, White Water Rafting and one hour away, you find one of the few arqueological sites, the Venado Caves .

• Monteverde: Horseback. ATV, Canopy, Hanging Bridges , Cloudforest Hiking, and Sky Trek & Tram.

• Sarapiqui: Wet forest hiking, Night Wildlife observation tours (ex: Bat tours), Rappelling, Canopy and White water rafting.

• Turrialba: has one of the best adventures in the country – the Pacuare Lodge. You enter and exit the lodge rafting! Here you can take 2 or 3 day packages and stay in this superb lodge which offers plenty of activities. Apart from the Pacuare River water adventures, you can find Turrialba Volcano Hiking activities as well as some pretty good Hiking and Canyoning tours.

• Rincon de la Vieja: Canopy, Rappelling, Horseback Riding, and visit to the Volcano and Waterfalls.

• Tamarindo: ATV, Canopy, Horseback Riding, Whitewater Rafting, Canopy, Diving, Snorkeling, Sailing, and Sea Kayaking Tours .

• Nosara/ Samara: Snorkeling, Turtle Observation, Dolphin Sightseeing and Mangrove tours.

And the list goes on.

VISAS

US, EU community members and Canada do not require visa to enter Costa Rica. However, you should check with your consular office to make sure changes have not been placed in effect since Costa Rica may apply reciprocity charges as in the case of Ecuador and Peru which require a consular visa to enter the country.

AIRPORT TAX

Non residents are required to pay a $26 Airport Tax upon leaving the country.