Choosing where to go in Costa Rica is tantamount to being a child in a huge sweet shop – the choice is daunting and you want to do it all… immediately. Given the amount of choice, it is worth doing a bit of planning. The longer you have the better, but even with just a few days, you can visit a couple of spots and still have time to relax on a beach before heading back home. Below are a few suggested itineraries on where to go in Costa Rica.
Most people arrive in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, where you can spend a couple of days sightseeing. It is really the only place in Costa Rica with any significant cultural attractions, so if you like museums, art galleries and cerebral fodder you should stop for a couple of days in San José. Beyond the capital, the Central Highlands are a tidy mosaic of coffee plantains, and volcanic hills dotted with towns normally close to a national park. Typical day trips from the capital take in the craft town of Sarchí with a steady climb to the huge crater of Volcán Poás. A tour of the scenic Orosi valley, is easily followed by a steady climb to the steaming vents of Volcán Irazú. Or ride a ski lift through the rainforst canopy in National Park Braulio Carrillo, just 90 minutes from San José.
North of San José, Volcán Arenal leaves onlookers trance-like as the glowing lava crashes down the mountainside. Nearby the world-famous cloud forests around Monteverde provide a brief insight into magnificent diversity of the highlands.
Guanacaste to the northeast draws visitors to the volcanic landscape and bubbling mudspots of Rincón de la Vieja, the birder´s wetlands paradise of Palo Verde and the Tempisque river basin, the dry forests of Santa Rosa and the cultural landscape of the sabanero – Costa Rica´s very own cowboy.
Beach Lovers and surfers can pick almost any spot from the Nicoya Peninsula down to the Central Pacific coastline to find a personally tailored version of paradise with lively resorts and quiet hideaways covering all budgets and tastes of travelers.
Southern Costa Rica is generally a tougher option. Traveling overland down the mountainous spine of Costa Rica, Chirripó Grande is Costa Rica´s highest peak and a challenge for the trekker, and to the south on the Osa Peninsula, the pristine National Park Corcovado is a moment of magic for the adventurer and wildlife lover.
The Caribbean divides neatly in two halves. North of Puerto Limón, the canals of Tortuguero provide a quiet moment of awe struck contemplation encountering the wildlife and vegetation of this aquatic inland water-world, while on the coast turtles nest on the beaches as they have for millions of years. South of Limón – the carnival capital of Costa Rica – the discerning traveller can find a blend of comfortable, laid-back retreats offering personal service, sometimes at a price, and quiet undeveloped beaches – perfect for the budget traveller.
Pura Vida!
