Sights and Activities:
Costa Rica is home to one of the world's most beautiful landscapes, nature parks, volcanoes and beaches. There is a lot to keep you busy for weeks, after which you can relax on numerous of the beaches, both at the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Manuel Antonio National Park:
The Manuel Antonio National Park is located in the south of the country near the city of Quepos and is one of the most visited areas in the country. The park has a beautiful setting with lots of wildlife, including sloth, several species of
monkeys, iguanas, numerous birds including the toucan, bats, spiders and snakes. Activities include guided walks, wildlife watching and relaxing and one of many beaches inside or just outside the park.
Arenal Volcano:
The Arenal Volcano in the north of the country is probably one of the best known volcanoes in the world and still a very active one as well, erupting many times (albeit small) a day. You can visit this volcano and the nearby rain forest from the town of La Fortuna and activities including guided walks, magnificent night walks (to see the eruptions), and wildlife watching in the forests on the way with many species of birds to see.
Tortuguero:
Tortuguero is located on the Caribbean coast and i one of the most remote places in Costa Rica, only accessible by boat or plane. The Tortuguero National Park is what most visitors bring all the way up here and the main activity probably is seeing turtles laying their eggs on the beaches. Most of these tours last for several hours and leave when it's dark. It is not always season though and your best bet will be visiting during April to May for leatherback turtles and July to October for green turtles. Canoe tours, wildlife watching and jungle trips are other options with one of the many tour operators in this fantastic area.
Cocos Island National Park:
The Cocos Island National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Pacific Ocean over 500 kilometers from the mainland of Costa Rica and is famous for its spectacular diving with chances to see sharks, big tunas, rays and dolphins. Apart from the marine ecosystem there is very dense rain forest on the island itself with a very rich biodiversity. It doesn't come cheap to visit this place but it is well worth the effort and money.
Corcovado National Park:
Corcovado NP is located on the Osa peninsula in the south of Costa Rica and its main access point is Puerto Jimenez. It still is one of the more remote national parks though but with excellent wildlife watching. Species include the scarlett macaw, many other species of birds, frogs, spiders, reptiles, tapir and even large predators like jaguar and puma, although there are much harder to spot, especially during daytime. The waterfalls, beaches and rain forest make this park a real gem and not to miss when you are in Costa Rica.
Canopy Tours:
There are more than 120 places in Costa Rica to do canopy tours, allowing you to experience the rain forests from a bird's eye view. Some of the canopy tours are set up as sky walks and visitors can walk amongst the treetops. Many others have zip-lines hooked up between trees and visitors are strapped in to a harness and sent flying past the canopies. Be aware that not all tour operators maintain high safety standards. It is worth researching the operator you plan to use in advance!
Other Sights and Activities:
Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves
Tenorio Volcano National Park
La Amistad National Park
Beaches near Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Jaco and Pochote
White water raft the Pacuare river
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