The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one of the top backpacker destinations in Central America, mainly because it’s such an easy country to travel through while still feeling incredibly wild and full of nature. You’ve got volcanoes, waterfalls, surf towns, jungle, and beaches all packed into one relatively small country, and the wildlife here is honestly everywhere. Infrastructure wise, Costa Rica is much more developed for tourism than a lot of neighboring countries, so getting around is pretty straightforward with buses and shuttles connecting most places. It’s definitely one of the more expensive countries in the region, but the adventure activities are elite.
Capital: San Jose
Currency: Costa Rican Colón
Language: Spanish
When to visit: November to April
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1) La Fortuna
La Fortuna is a small jungle town in northern Costa Rica, and it’s one of the country’s biggest adventure hubs thanks to the huge Arenal Volcano sitting right behind it. The town itself is pretty relaxed, but it’s especially popular with backpackers because there’s so much to do nearby.
Things to do:
The best thing to do is get out into the nature surrounding the town. Everywhere you look you can see the huge Arenal Volcano rising above the jungle, and one of the best hikes is through Arenal Volcano National Park, where you walk across old lava fields and rainforest trails with amazing volcano views the whole time. Another huge highlight is visiting La Fortuna Waterfall, which is one of the most famous swimming spots in the area and definitely worth the walk down the staircase to swim there. You should also check out the Mistico Hanging Bridges, where you walk high above the rainforest canopy on suspension bridges with chances to spot monkeys, toucans, and sloths in the trees around you. After a day exploring, most people end up relaxing in one of the natural hot springs around town like Tabacón or Baldi, which are heated by the volcano itself and are perfect at night.
How to get there:
To get around Costa Rica the main starting point is San Jose, the capital. From there you can take a shuttle bus to La Fortuna.
2) Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park is an incredible place because it is a spot where you get to see the tropics of the rainforest right next to some of the most beautiful beach spots in the country. It’s a relatively small national park on the Pacific coast, but is still breathtaking and you can often see amazing animals up close.
Things to do:
The main base is the nearby town of Quepos, or the road stretching down toward the park entrance, where you’ll find hostels and stuff. From there you can just explore any of the jungle trails you come across, because they are easy to walk and easy to find wildlife like sloths or monkeys. The best beaches are around Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur, which are just SO gorgeous to relax at. Quepos also has boat tours, fishing trips, and sunset catamaran cruises if you want to get out on the water.
How to get there:
From San José, you can take a direct public bus to Quepos, or a shuttle from La Fortuna.
3) Monteverde
Monteverde is an adventure haven in Costa Rica, and is incredible place to put your eyes on thanks to its misty cloud forests which rise up ahead. It’s a green, wet area and a prehistoric-feeling place to walk through.
Things to do:
The main thing to do in Monteverde is explore the cloud forest reserves themselves. The most famous is Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, where you can hike through the misty jungle trails. For some fun, go to Treetopia Park where you can zipline through the rainforest and it is one of the most famous destinations to do so. I’d base yourself in Santa Elena when you’re here, and you have a lot of good food spots and viewpoints in this area too.
How to get there:
Get to San Jose, then take a bus or shuttle to Santa Elena.
4) Santa Teresa
Going back over to beautiful beach towns, Santa Teresa is one of the most popular, especially with backpackers and surfers. Sitting out on the Nicoya Peninsula, it’s a long stretch of beach and jungle with a very laid back vibe. It is just amazing since it mixes good nightlife and the social backpacker energy most of us want.
Things to do:
For things to do in Santa Teresa I’d say honestly just live the beach lifestyle for a while. Most days revolve around surfing and swimming, and hanging out with the people you meet out on the beach, by the bars, and all that. Santa Teresa Beach is very long, and a big highlight is the sunset every evening. If you don’t know how to surf, you should take some surfing lessons because you’re at one of the coolest spots for it. If you want, you can also head to nearby spots like Montezuma for waterfalls and jungle walks, or take boat tours and snorkeling trips out along the coast.
How to get there:
I would get to the city of Liberia, likely from San Jose, then travel by shuttle or bus to Santa Teresa.
5) Tamarindo
Now over to Tamarindo, which is one of the busiest and most social beach towns in Costa Rica, especially popular with surfers, backpackers, and people looking for a mix of beach life and nightlife. It sits on the Pacific coast in the Guanacaste region and all I can say is that it is simply just energetic.
Things to do:
Tamarindo Beach is right in the middle of town, so you naturally spend a lot of time there swimming, surfing, watching sunset, or just hanging around the bars and cafés nearby. The town itself is a lot livelier than somewhere like Santa Teresa, especially at night, so there’s usually something going on somewhere. Boat trips, snorkeling tours, fishing trips, and again, sunset catamarans are also really popular here, so it’s a place where it’s very easy to fill your days without doing anything too complicated.
How to get there:
Get to San Jose or Liberia, then take a bus or a shuttle. It's also connected to nearby beach towns.
6) Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is one of the more unique beach towns in Costa Rica, sitting on the Caribbean coast right near the border with Panama. Compared to the Pacific side of Costa Rica, the Afro-Caribbean culture is much stronger here. The vibes are high, the colors are stronger, and the atmosphere is electric at the right times.
Things to do:
For things to do, you pretty much end up splitting your time between the beaches and just cruising around the coast. Playa Cocles is the main surf spot right by town, so you’ll usually find people in the water or just hanging out on the sand most of the day. A bit further down, Playa Punta Uva is way more chilled and has that classic calm turquoise water vibe that’s perfect for swimming. The town itself is small but pretty social, so it depends how active you wanna get. If you want to mix it up, Cahuita National Park is just up the coast and is a really easy day trip for walking through jungle trails and spotting monkeys or sloths.
How to get there:
A bus from San Jose is the most convenient option.
7) Nosara
Finally, the last beach town on the list, Nosara. You can find it out on the west coast, and it’s more of a wellness, retreat style place instead of full on surf, but that is what stands out to a lot of people. It isn’t a party town at all, but it has a nice balance of everything you need.
Things to do:
As mentioned, a lot of people come here for surfing, yoga, and all the health based stuff. The main beaches here are Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada, which are the heart of everything. Guiones is the main surf beach with consistent waves and lots of surf schools, while Pelada is a bit quieter and more chill for swimming and sunsets.
How to get there:
Take a bus from San Jose or Liberia, or one of the other beach towns along the coast.
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