San Jose, affectionately known to its residents as 'Chepe', lies in the heart of Costa Rica and is home to almost two-thirds of the country’s population. With few buildings over 100 years old, the mountainous capital is relatively modern compared to its Latin American counterparts, but still has a significant amount of culture, art and history for visitors to discover. With a number of theatres full of Costa Rican culture, museums that include the largest collection of American jade in the world, and streets full of bright murals and painted buses, San Jose is an eclectic city waiting to be experienced.
Once the most important river port of Costa Rica, this quaint market town lies on the confluence of the Rio Sarapiqui and Rio Puerto Viejo in the northeastern part of the country. Visitors are drawn to the area for its natural beauty - awe-inspiring tropical rainforests beckon to be explored. Enjoy sublime hiking, excellent birdwatching, and riverboat tours that give visitors the chance to see toucans, monkeys, sloths, and crocodiles in their natural habitat. Alternatively, visitors can take in the abundant scenery and wildlife on horseback, while thrill-seekers can experience the adrenaline-fuelled activities of kayaking, white water rafting, and zip-line forest canopy tours. Gain insight into local ancient traditions with a visit to the fascinating Museum of Indigenous Cultures, filled with musical instruments, masks, and shamanic healing tools.
The small town of San Gerardo de Dota is strung along a quiet road in the Talamanca Mountains roughly three hours from the capital, San Jose. One of the main attractions here is Los Quetzales National Park, famous among the world’s bird watching fraternity as one of the best places to view the resplendent quetzal, with its vivid green and red plumage that has earned it a reputation as one of the world's most beautiful birds. For exercise and outdoor enthusiasts, hiking is a must-do activity in the region, with fantastic paths leading through the national park and across the Rio Savregre.
Situated in southern Costa Rica, along its beautiful southwestern Pacific Coast, Dominical is a quaint beachside village best known for its excellent surfing. It boasts some impressive waves which make it popular with surfers who flock here from all corners of the globe. This village is surrounded by the lush jungle-clad foothills of the Talamanca Mountains and features scenic landscapes boasting various estuaries, mangroves, marshes, and sheer cliffs plunging into the ocean. Visitors can enjoy the long stretches of black-sand beaches, spot dolphins in the surf, and visit the Marino Ballena National Park for some of the best whale watching in the area. Don't miss the opportunity to hike to the magnificent Nauyaca Waterfalls. Other popular activities include thrilling canopy tours, hiking, horse riding, surfing, fishing, sea kayaking, bird watching and wildlife viewing.
One of Costa Rica’s most important ecological areas, Corcovado National Park, was once described by National Geographic as ‘the most biologically intense place on earth'. This rich ecosystem stretches along the southern Pacific coast and encompasses beautiful ocean bays, tropical rainforest teeming with wildlife, Central America’s largest wetland area, and the country’s biggest mangrove forest, sprawled over 20 000 hectares. Its myriad exotic creatures include jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, red macaws, quetzals, and red-eyed tree frogs – not to mention the dolphins and humpback whales that breed in the coastal waters. Nature and adventure lovers will be in their element here, with a host of outdoor activities on offer, including wildlife viewing, fishing, surfing, and jungle treks.
As previously described
