Things to do in Costa Rica
The question isn’t what to do, it’s how to squeeze it all in! Costa Rica is brimming with active adventures, taste-bud-teasing tours, and wildlife wonders, as well as tantalising options for some indulgent R&R. Even a simple rainforest tour can be taken countless ways – fancy an aerial view? Soar over the treetops on a zipline. Prefer to sit back and relax? Try river tubing or a boat safari. Want to explore under your own steam? Then opt for a guided hike or kayak trip.
You can go big on soft adventure in Costa Rica or dial down your stress levels with a rejuvenating spa experience. Whatever you want, we’ve got you covered. Below are just a few of our favourite things to do in Costa Rica, but our team of Travel Specialists are on hand with their lovingly tested recommendations to create a holiday full of immersive experiences to ensure you embrace pura vida.
1. Reach for the cloud forests
Monteverde cloud forest is the most famous of Costa Rica’s many high-elevation cloud forests, known for their incredible biodiversity. Adorned with bromeliads, ferns and orchids, a hike in the forest may reveal mischievous monkeys and sleepy sloths, plus hundreds of flamboyant bird species. For the full picture you need an aerial view – stroll across hanging bridges or take a zip-line over the canopy.
2. Sea turtles on the Caribbean coast
Marvel at the sheer determination of these fascinating creatures as they slowly make their way up the beaches to nest. As the eggs hatch, hundreds of tiny baby turtles defy the odds as they are drawn instinctively into the pounding surf… Turtles can be seen around Costa Rica’s coastlines but one of the top spots is Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast, an important nesting site for the endangered green turtle. Visit in July-August for nesting, or September-October for hatching.
3. Go with the flow river rafting
This chilled mode of transport offers a completely different perspective of Costa Rica’s rivers and rainforests. Feel at one with nature as you float down the sparkling waters of the Rio Celeste on a raft, through a lush tropical paradise all the while keeping an eye on the treetops overhead for wildlife watching. The occasional gentle rapid provides some extra excitement along the way!
4. Meet the locals
Embrace the local lifestyle and hang out with the ticos and ticas – the Costa Rican locals. Choose to spend the night in a homestay, learn how to cook the Costa Rican way and share an authentic dish, or uncover the traditions of the indigenous people. Pura vida!
5. Soak in natural hot springs
Costa Rica’s geothermally heated waters are a real treat for sore muscles at the end of a day’s heady adventures. At Arenal Volcano you’re spoilt for choice, but if we must pick, our favourite hot spring in the area is Ecotermales. Offering a selection of hot and cool water pools, with waterfall features and lush vegetation, it’s the ideal spot to relax.
6. Looking resplendent in green
With over 900 species of birds to choose from, it’s the resplendent quetzal that is perhaps Costa Rica’s biggest draw. With its vivid, iridescent plumage and punky hairdo, and unique 20” tail feathers, it has to be seen to be believed! Take a dawn tour into the cloud forest from San Gerardo de Dota for your best chance at spotting this elusive beauty.
7. Meander through the mangroves
Costa Rica is home to one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world, the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetlands, as well as smaller areas including Tortuguero, Rio Esquinas and Manuel Antonio National Park. To get your mangrove fix you’ll need to take to the water on a leisurely boat cruise or kayak trip, drifting amongst the partially submerged tree roots. Search for lizards, caimans, kingfishers, egrets, herons, sloths, monkeys and so much more as you go.
8. Costa Rican nightlife
No, we’re not talking about the clubs of San Jose – although there is that too… but the nocturnal jungle critters that really shouldn’t be missed. Take a guided night walk into the rainforest and discover a whole new world where snakes, insects and amphibians take centre stage. Look out for brightly coloured parrot snakes, tiny but tantalising tree frogs and maybe an opossum. And then there’s the arachnids of all shapes and sizes…
9. Whale watching on the Pacific coast
With humpbacks from both the northern and southern hemispheres choosing the Marino Ballena National Park on the Pacific coast as their preferred breeding ground, you’ve got a great chance to witness these marine giants off the Costa Ballena. The best whale watching seasons are December to April and August to October. But several species of dolphin can be spotted at any time of year.
10. Wake up and smell the coffee
It’s the perfect combination of climate, rich volcanic soil, and altitude that results in prime conditions for producing Costa Rica’s world-renowned coffee beans. No trip would be complete without a visit to a coffee plantation, of which there are many, for a tour and tasting. And if coffee’s not your thing, try a chocolate tour instead!
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