Pura Vida Compass

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Pick up to four destinations. Scores are our editorial Pura Vida Index, applied consistently across every destination on the site.

Destination comparison
Category	UvitaPV Index 7.4	MonteverdePV Index 7
nature	9/10	10/10
wildlife	8/10	9/10
beaches	8/10	1/10
adventure	7/10	8.5/10
relaxation	9/10	6/10
culture	5/10	6.5/10
food	7/10	7/10
value	7.5/10	7.5/10
accessibility	6/10	6/10
sustainability	8/10	9/10
crowd comfort	7/10	6/10
Recommended stay	2–4 nights	2–3 nights
Best months	Whale seasons peak roughly July–October and December–March. December–April is the driest.	Quetzal season runs roughly February–July. December–April has the least rain; September–October is quietest.
Is a car useful?	Strongly recommended. Hotels are spread across steep hills and the best waterfalls and beaches are several kilometres apart.	Not required. Shuttles connect Monteverde with La Fortuna, San José and the Pacific coast, and most tours include pickup. If you do drive, higher clearance is welcome on the final approach.

Which should you choose?

Want wildlife above all: Monteverde
Want beach days: Uvita
Want adventure activities: Monteverde
Want to slow down: Uvita
Travelling on a budget: Uvita
Want to avoid crowds: Uvita
Travelling without a car: Uvita

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