Costa Rica destinations

Costa Rica's adventure capital sits at the foot of a near-perfect volcanic cone. Hot springs, waterfalls, hanging bridges and rafting are all within a 40-minute drive, which is why almost every first-time itinerary starts here.

A misty mountain town wrapped in cloud forest, founded in part by Quaker settlers and now one of the most biologically studied places in the tropics. Cool, green, and unlike anywhere else in the country.

Costa Rica's most efficient wildlife-and-beach combination: a small national park where monkeys and sloths live above white-sand coves, ten minutes from a road lined with restaurants and hotels.

The gateway to Marino Ballena National Park and its famous whale-tail sandbar. Greener, wilder and cheaper than the Central Pacific, with waterfalls in the hills behind town.

Costa Rica's Caribbean coast runs on a different rhythm: Afro-Caribbean and Bribri culture, reggae on the beach road, rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, and a string of beaches you reach by bicycle.

Guanacaste's most developed beach town: consistent beginner-friendly surf, the widest restaurant selection on the coast, and an easy 75-minute drive from Liberia airport.

The wildest corner of the country and one of the most biologically intense places on the planet. Corcovado National Park holds tapirs, all four monkey species and the largest scarlet macaw population in Central America.

A roadless village between jungle canals and the Caribbean, reachable only by boat or small plane. Green turtles nest here in enormous numbers, and boat safaris at dawn are the main event.

Most trips start and end here. Not a postcard city, but the food scene, markets and museums reward a day, and it beats a 4 a.m. drive to catch a flight.

The practical airport town: quieter than San José, ten minutes from SJO, and a short drive from Poás Volcano and coffee country.

The working town next to Manuel Antonio. Cheaper beds, real restaurants, a marina, and a bus to the park every few minutes.

A dirt-road surf town with strong waves, a yoga-and-smoothie culture, and Nauyaca Waterfalls in the hills behind.

Reached by boat up the Sierpe River or a small plane. The most convenient base for Corcovado's Sirena station and Caño Island.

The Osa's main town: a road-accessible base for Corcovado's southern sectors, mangrove kayaking and Golfo Dulce dolphin tours.

A quiet, upscale white-sand bay with a marina, sheltered swimming and easy access to Conchal and Brasilito.

A beach made of crushed shells with the clearest water in Guanacaste. Best visited early before the day-trip crowd and vendors arrive.

The closest beach town to Liberia airport and the region's diving hub, with a lively local town feel rather than a resort strip.

A dispersed, jungle-backed surf and yoga community around Playa Guiones, with strict building rules that keep the coastline green.

A reef-protected crescent bay with gentle water, a walkable town, and prices that haven't run away. One of the best all-round family beach towns.

A long dusty road behind a long perfect beach: excellent surf, superb sunsets, an international crowd and some of the best restaurants on any Costa Rican coast.

A tiny bohemian village where a waterfall drops almost into town. Cheap, arty, and pleasantly stuck in another decade.

A sleepy Caribbean village next to a national park where a coastal trail runs past white sand, coral reef and an unusual density of sloths.

Lowland rainforest and river country with serious birding credentials, biological stations, and far fewer visitors than it deserves.

A volcanic river that turns an unreal turquoise where two streams meet. The park hike is the whole reason to come, and it's worth it.

An active volcano with bubbling mud pots, dry forest trails, waterfalls and a cluster of adventure lodges — Guanacaste's inland counterweight to the beaches.

The provincial capital and site of LIR airport. Mostly a transit point, but a practical first or last night for Guanacaste trips.

Costa Rica's first capital, home to the country's most important basilica and the road up to Irazú Volcano's crater.

Costa Rica's whitewater capital, plus the Guayabo archaeological monument and some of the country's best coffee farms.

The nearest real beach town to the capital: a wide grey-sand surf beach, loud nightlife, and a convenient first or last stop.

A long black-sand beach with heavy, experienced-surfer waves and a seasonal olive ridley nesting programme, ten minutes south of Jacó.

A high mountain valley of oak cloud forest and trout rivers, and the most reliable place in the country to see a resplendent quetzal.