Costa Rica Family Adventure, Honeymoon, Vacation Packages, Custom Trips, Tour and Transportation Services
Having Visited Costa Rica, I have compiled a list of the best locations to
visit. This list is by no means comprehensive or complete, it is just a checklist
of all the places I would visit when I go to Costa Rica.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Most famous for being associated with the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve,
the tiny community of Monteverde is a small village located near the
entrance of the cloud forest. Monteverde was founded by the Quaker community
that migrated from North America to Costa Rica in the 1950’s. In town, which
is actually Santa Elena, you’ll find banks, drug store, a local hospital,
book store, gas station, ATM machine, police station, post office,
supermarkets, internet cafes, restaurants
As the weather here is quite chilly and misty, due to the village being high
up in the Tilaran Mountain Range, you should bring some thick clothes and a
light jacket to stay warm. When here, do remember to try out the delicious
local cheeses, which are a treat to eat. If you are a bird watcher, this
village offers some lovely bird watching opportunities, even though you are
not in the cloud forest itself. However, if you prefer to do the more
touristy thing, visit the local craft centers, the women’s co-op center, the
butterfly garden and the Hummingbird Gallery in town.
Dominical Beach
Located on Costa Rica’s amazingly beautiful Central Pacific coastline, the
small village of Dominical is a surfer’s paradise where waves can reach over
10 feet high, a place rich in island biodiversity and amazing underwater
flora and fauna. It is the perfect combination between the extensive golden
coasts full of scenic beaches & luscious mountains.
Dominical is a 4 km long beach strip, with a few hotels, lodges, resorts and
restaurants in the area. While swimming here is near impossible with the
strong swells and rip tides, one can kayak off the coast or enjoy some
diving or snorkeling opportunities in the area. Horseback tours can also be
arranged to the nearby Nauyaca Waterfalls, or one can visit the Marino
Ballena National Park, which is home to a number of marine mammals like
turtles and whales that come here seasonally to mate and nest. If you like,
you can take a short day trip to the lovely Ca?o Island just off the coast.
This island is considered one of the best adventure diving spots in the
world and is home to an impressive array of underwater marine life.
Tortuguero
Tortuguero National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most biologically diverse
wildlife areas. Featuring one of the most verdant landscapes in the country,
the 26,156 hectare park was created with the main purpose of protecting the
green sea turtle nesting area. Tortuguero owes its very wet tropical forest
to the 5000 to 6000 millimeters of rain it receives per year. These climatic
conditions are favorable to more than 400 tree species, around 2200 species
of other plants and more than 400 birds, 60 amphibian and 30 fresh water
fish species, as well as several endangered animals including tapirs,
monkeys, ocelots, jaguars, manatees and sloths. Tortuguero is characterized
by beautifully scenic canals, lagoons and rivers that may be toured by boat,
canoe or kayak. In addition to the green turtle, three other sea turtle
species nest on the park’s beaches.
Arenal Volcano
The Arenal Volcano area is one of Costa Rica’s top attractions. Only 3 hours
away from San Jos?, in the town of La Fortuna, stands a majestic 1,633m
volcano, known to be one of the most active in the world. Despite its
constant activity, the volcano is very safe to visit as long as you stay
within the safety perimeter. In this area take advantage of the pristine
natural surroundings! Go fishing, horseback riding; take a canopy tour,
rafting or experience a tremendous canyon expedition. Whatever you decide,
be sure to visit the relaxing hot springs in the area, the most famous being
Tabacon and Baldi.
La Fortuna and Surroundings
Often simply referred to as La Fortuna, the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos
is the gateway to the magnificent Arenal Volcano. A charming and quiet town,
La Fortuna is easily accessible from the capital city San Jose, and offers
some panoramic views of the spectacular Arenal, Costa’s Rica’s most active
volcano. Sitting around 10 kilometers away from town and regularly spewing
smoke and ash for some time now, the Volcan Arenal is the country’s top
rated tourist attraction and is indeed a sight to behold.
Over the last few years in particular, La Fortuna has become quite a
bustling town. However, there are plenty of accommodations, hotels and
resorts here to suit every budget. A must try when in La Fortuna are the
amazing resort spas surrounding the volcano. On a clear day you can watch
the volcano erupt and if you wait for nightfall, the Arenal puts on a
brilliant show with bright red rocks tumbling down its sides.
Beside the volcano, this town has other great tourist attractions like the
La Catarata de la Fortuna, Tabacon Hot Springs, white water rafting, hiking
excursions, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, canopy tours and
Ca?o Negro Boat Tours are just some of the many activities that one can
enjoy while you are here.
Malpais
Malpais is situated on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica on the southern tip
of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Also known as the Hawaii of Latin America, there are several beaches to
swim, dive or snorkel though it’s main attraction is it’s unique conditions
for surfing and it’s pristine subtropical nature. Horseback riding,
sportfishing, canopy tours, scuba, and nature tours make up some of the
other popular activities nearby. Malpais is a community unlike any other in
Costa Rica with a strong surf culture and a the laid-back atmosphere that
maintains the type of earthy tourism that made Costa Rica famous.
MalPais boasts a great selection of places to stay and eat from camping on
the beach to luxurious resorts and a wide range of activities. Without a
doubt it’s a very attractive place to relax and enjoy the golden rays of the
Pacific sunset.
Turrialba Valley
With some stunning views of Costa Rica’s rural countryside, Turrialba is a
charming little town in the lush and beautiful Central Valley in Cartago
province. Famous for being a white water rafting hotspot and base camp, this
town lies 53 km east of the capital city San Jos? and is an excellent place
to tour the pre-Columbian ruins at Guayabo National Monument, or the rarely
visited but lovely Parque Nacional Volcan Turrialba. A quiet town, Turrialba
with its charming street corners and gorgeous surrounding sceneries is among
the few places in Costa Rica with direct access to a volcano’s crater. From
the summit of the volcano, you can on a clear day, see the Irazu, Po?s and
Barva volcanoes in the distance Botanists and gardeners will want to pay a
visit to the Center for Agronomy Research and Development (CATIE), which is
located 5km (3 miles) southeast of Turrialba on the road to Siquirres. This
center is one of the world’s foremost facilities for research into tropical
agriculture.