Costa Rica

What to do in Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs Tour

Start with a visit to rushing waterfalls and the 2 rustic towns of Naranjo and Zarcero. Next, descend to the San Carlos Plains to witness the glowing orange explosions of the Arenal Volcano from a safe distance, and wind down with a soothing bath in the volcanic Tabacón Hot Mineral Springs.

Reventazón White Water Rafting

Perfect for beginners, this trip offers adventure without danger, first along a series of relatively easy rapids, after which you hurtle through El Gordo and Hueco Santo, the most challenging rapids of the run. All around is picture-book scenery and a numbing profusion of wildlife.

Aerial Tram Rain Forest Tour

Cross over the Continental Divide and continue on a + hour ride through Braulio Carrillo National Park for what may be the most amazing journey of your life through a canopy of ancient trees dripping with mosses, ferns, and orchids. Bring binoculars and you'll get once-in-a-lifetime views of the wildlife nesting, feeding, playing, mating, sleeping, and battling along the way!.

Poas Volcano, Chubascos and Sarch Oxcart Factory Poas is believed to be the world's largest geyser, which you reach through a network of trails that take you right to the emerald lagoon of its extinct crater. Continue to the town of Sarchi, the home of Costa Rica's native art where primitive local artists began the tradition of painting and decorating their oxcarts with intricate and colorful designs.

Folklore Show at Pueblo Antiguo

Professional actors portray a slice of Costa Rican history in this bilingual multimedia show that dramatizes notable elements of the country's turn-of-the-20th-century life. Marimba music, dance groups, and masked mythical figures entertain you in a lovely theme park. After a traditional dinner, you are treated to a native folkloric dance show.

Carara Biological Reserve and Jaco Beach

The Old Spanish Route, one of Costa Rica's most scenic roads, takes you to the 11,750-acre reserve where striking animals such as scarlet macaws, rare monkeys, and dazzling butterflies make up the tropical web of life. Explore this habitat via trails sheltered under a cathedral canopy of enormous trees and then head on to the beach for lunch and seaside rest or play, as you wish! .

Corcovado National Park

A huge range of habitats covers this park from seemingly impenetrable rainforest to dripping, steamy cloud forest, oak forested seashore, and swamp. Located on the Osa Peninsula of the southern Pacific coast, lengthy, wide beaches fringe its western side. The Corcovado lagoon and swamp harbors large crocodiles and many of the park's 140 mammal species, and monkeys swing above every trail. All the country's big cats, such as the jaguar, live in there and can occasionally be seen on the beach. Over 400 species of birds and the largest population of scarlet macaws in Central America also live here. For advanced hikers only!.

Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

The country's most important historical museum is housed in a former army barracks that was the scene of fighting during the civil war of 1948. Hundreds of bullet holes can still be seen on the turrets at the corners of the building. Displays of Costa Rican history and culture from pre-Columbian times to the present feature a 2,500-year-old jade carving shaped like a seashell and etched with an image of a hand holding a small animal.

Museo de Arte Costarricense

Costa Rica's most celebrated artists present their diverse work, including sculptures, paintings, and prints as part of the permanent collection. Rotating exhibits are also featured and the conference room's unusual bas-relief walls, which chronicle the history of Costa Rica from pre-Columbian times to the present, are a popular attraction.

Zoo Ave (Bird Zoo)

Get a closer look at the birds you'll spot in the wild as you visit dozens of rescued injured or abused scarlet macaws, reclusive owls, majestic raptors, toucans, and other brilliantly colored birds from Costa Rica and around the world. Large iguana, deer, monkeys, and a 12-foot crocodile have also found a safe home here.

Pre-Columbian Ruins

In the Guayabo National Monument is a collection of building foundations and cobblestone streets predating the arrival of European man. Tour them on your own, or request a guide. Buses depart daily from Turrialba.

Mercado Central

This is the sort of marketplace every traveler anticipates finding in a foreign land, and no trip to San José is complete without a round of this indoor labyrinth of shops, stalls, and restaurants. Everything from crafts and clothing to freshly picked coffee is sold here, and the surrounding streets host a daily farmers market.