15 Best Tourist Attractions Destination in Costa Rica - Costa Rica Travel Guide
Costa Rica, located between Nicaragua and Panama in
Central America, has plenty of natural attractions and is popular with ecotourism
and wildlife travelers. Outdoor opportunities include hiking, riding on
horseback and rafting on the river, while galore sandy beaches offer diving,
snorkeling and sport fishing. Costa Rica's natural beauty and friendly people
keep tourists returning for more.
Costa Rica, with its volcanoes, beaches, cloud
forests and unique wildlife, is a wonderland of natural attractions. This is a
country that appeals as much to surfers and backpackers as it appeals to
birdwatchers and luxury-focused travelers. San Jose's busy city is home to the
best museums and beautiful squares in the country, but the real treasures lie
beyond the capital, in the woods and small coastal villages. The Pacific Coast
lines endless stretches of beach, with small towns that serve surfers and sun
seekers. Inland, the mountains covered with forests offer their own adventures,
from volcanoes and waterfalls to ziplining and extraordinary viewing of
wildlife. Costa Rica also has Caribbean shoreline. While this is a
lesser-visited area of the country, it offers something slightly different in
terms of culture and attractions, and is particularly known as a green sea
turtle breeding ground.
01. Manuel Antonio
National Park
Wildlife, beaches and fun attract visitors to Manuel
Antonio National Park and Manuel Antonio's neighboring town. The park is known
for its lovely stretch of sand, forest, and the wildlife inhabiting the area.
The small town of Manuel Antonio, known for its lively atmosphere, stands in
sharp contrast to this tranquility. The area lends itself to a longer stay for
visitors who can embrace both. The city has plenty of hotels and restaurants
and is a short walk from the park.
Guided walks through the park make it easy to spot
wildlife, but even those who walk alone in the park will have no trouble
finding monkeys, sloths, and all sorts of birds. The trails usually show howler
monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and the hard-to-miss capuchins that frequent the
city and park. Tour guides often carry tripods and telescopes that are an added
bonus for photography and viewing.
Most of the city's action centers around the
beautiful oceanfront beach, where soccer matches break out at noon, and surfers
enjoy the usually gentle waves. (This is a popular place for surf lessons.)
Restaurants and shops are located across the road from the beach and higher up
the hillside, some of which can get quite loud at night. Equally attractive
beaches can be found inside the park for those who want to escape the main
beach activity.
02. Arenal Volcano
(Volcan Arenal)
The National Park of the Arenal Volcano is located
in the rough Cordillera de Tilarán and is one of the country's top viewing
volcano areas. The Arenal Volcano, reaching 1,633 meters, is the main
attraction in the park. It looks just as you could imagine a volcano; a
cone-shaped mountain streaming from the crater with huge ash columns.
From 1500 AD to a massive eruption on July 29, 1968,
Arenal was dormant, killing 82 people and destroying two villages. Since then,
it has seen regular activity and visitors can expect to see anything flowing
down the mountain, depending on the day or week, from an ash cloud to glowing
red lava.
The park is also known for its wide range of
biodiversity with approximately half of all Costa Rican birds, reptiles,
amphibians, and mammals represented somewhere within its boundaries.
The Arenal Observatory Lodge is the only lodge
within the boundaries of the Arenal Volcano National Park, originally a private
observatory established in 1987. It is located on the southern side of the
volcano on a macadamia nut farm. From the lodge, in the opposite direction,
there are excellent views of the volcano and Arenal Lake. In the area there are
numerous hiking trails, some leading to waterfalls, as well as old and recent lava
flows.
03. Monteverde and
the Cloud Forests
In Costa Rica, the cloud forests near Monteverde and
Santa Elena have become popular destinations for ecotourism. This is definitely
the place to come for those who itch to immerse themselves in nature and see
unique plants and wildlife without going too far off the beaten path. The
clouds covering these forests provide the necessary moisture to sustain the
unique habitats of the area that are found only here. The Monteverde Cloud
Forest Reserve and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve support all kinds of
mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, from jaguars and pumas to frogs and monkeys.
Organized hikes are one of the best ways to see the forest, along with canopy
tours that may involve zip-lines or bridges and even cable cars.
The two main tourist centers in the region are
Monteverde and Santa Elena, with accommodation, restaurants, and even shops and
galleries for artists. Located northwest of San Juan, this area is just over
four hours by bus. Since the area is cooler and known for its cloud cover,
after seeing the sights, visitors do not tend to stick around long, with many
travelers choosing to go down to the beaches along the coast.
04. Dominical
Dominical is the haven of a tropical backpacker with
dirt streets, beautiful beaches, cheap accommodation, casual open-air
restaurants and a unique atmosphere of its own. Surfers coming here find it
difficult to leave, and visits often turn into long stays. But Dominical also
attracts an upper-end crowd that can find small luxury inns on the outskirts or
in the hills overlooking the city. These places are often set off on their own
and enable close-up viewing of wildlife, with howler monkeys waking morning
guests and toucans flying by the pool.
The main claim to fame of the city is a wide stretch
of open beach, backed by shady trees, where vendors set up tables and sell to
tourists crafts and other items. Outside the city there are quieter beaches
where everyone can find a peaceful space for themselves. Even in the dry
season, when northern areas are dusty and the trees have dropped their leaves,
it is lush and steamy due to Dominical's southern location.
05. Tamarindo
Tamarindo is the place for surfing, beaching and fun
on the Nicoya Peninsula. Tamarindo, once a quiet fishing village, is now a
tourist haven where visitors can find good food and accommodation as well as
other tourist amenities of all kinds. Tamarindo Beach, which runs for about 1.5
kilometers, spreads the city. The area is known for surfing, including breaks
for experienced surfers and learner areas. Generally, the largest waves are in
November and December.
Also known for its eco-friendly adventures is the
area around Tamarindo and activities that include snorkeling, diving, horseback
riding, ziplining and seasonal tortoise watching. Nearby Playa Grande is one of
the most important leatherback turtle nesting grounds in Costa Rica. Over 100
tortoises can be seen nesting and laying their eggs overnight throughout
October and March.
06. Mal Pais and
Santa Teresa
Mal Pais on the Nicoya Peninsula is a coastal area
known for great waves attracting surfers from all over the world. The city of
Santa Teresa is the area's main hotspot, but along the Mal Pais lies a chain of
villages and beaches, including Mal Pais and Manzanillo villages. The area
today is a mixture of backpackers, surfers who have never been able to leave,
and tourists who wish they had planned a longer holiday. The area is trendier
and has more of a scene than places like Dominical, and it has become more
upscale with development in the area.
07. Jaco
Jaco is a good choice for anyone looking to get out
of San Jose but still wanting a larger city or city's comforts and amenities.
Here the beach is spacious and pleasant, but Costa Rica standards at best
average. Surfing here is very good and the waves are less dramatic than other
coastal areas, which means swimming is usually safe. What Jaco has is set apart
from the many coastal towns along this stretch of the Pacific is modern
apartments and shops, good restaurants and hotels, and other modern conveniences
that made it a popular choice for expats and retirees. Even travelers staying
in nearby villages like Esterillos tend to gravitate towards Jaco for a day
here and there, either for shopping or a nice dinner out.
08. Tortuguero
National Park
Visitors may want to head to Tortuguero National
Park on the Caribbean Coast for something a little different and a little off
the beaten track. This area, which can only be accessed by boat or plane, is
one of the country's wettest areas and offers something other than the rest of
Costa Rica. The park is a very important breeding ground for the green sea
turtle and as a result, the main activity here is to watch the turtle.
While there are many beaches, as surfing and
currents are rough and strong, the coastal area is not suitable for swimming.
It's common to sharks. It is possible to see hundreds and thousands of green
and leatherback turtles (guides are needed) nesting and laying eggs overnight
on the beaches. Conservation efforts have increased the number of nesting
tortoises in the area.
The coastal area is not suitable for swimming,
although there are many beaches, as surfing and currents are rough and strong.
Sharks are common. Hundreds and thousands of green and leatherback tortoises
(guides are needed) can be seen nesting and laying eggs on the beaches
overnight. The number of nesting tortoises in the area has increased in
conservation efforts.
09. Osa Peninsula
and Corcovado National Park
The remote Osa Peninsula is located in the far south
of Costa Rica, beyond Dominical's beautiful beaches. The Dulce Gulf divides the
peninsula from the rest of the province of Puntarenas. Some of the best
stretches of coastal rainforest in Central America are found on the Osa
Peninsula and protected in the National Park of Corcovado. Other popular
activities in the region are diving, snorkeling, and fishing as well as
surfing, which is one of the main highlights. Puerto Jiménez is the largest
town in the area, and in the Drake Bay area, several fine lodges can be found.
Corcovado National Park was established in 1975 and
protects what is considered to be the best remaining stretch of Pacific coastal
rainforest in Central America. It has an extensive trail system and is popular
with travelers who enjoy long-distance hikes.
10. The National
Theater in San Jose
Costa Ricans are proud of the National Theater,
considered to be San José's most impressive building. The ruling coffee barons
voted in the 1890s for a tax on coffee exports to fund the theater
construction, and the building was designed by European artisans.
The building was completed in 1897 and features a
classic Renaissance column façade with statues that symbolize dance, music and
fame. Inside, the pink marble foyer features allegorical comedy and tragedy
figures, as well as painted murals depicting Costa Rican life themes.
The most famous of the paintings is one that shows
coffee harvesting and export painted in Milan in 1897 by Arturo Fontana. The
mural highlights the auditorium in the form of a three-story horseshoe that
sits 1,040 people. There are regular theater performances and a gallery
featuring local artists ' changing art shows.
11. Irazu Volcano
National Park
The Irazú Volcano is Costa Rica's highest active
volcano at 3,342 metres. The national park protects a land area of 2,309
hectares around the volcano base. The volcano's summit is a lunar landscape
with craters. Irazú's Principal Crater is 1,050 meters in diameter and 300
meters deep, and the Diego de la Haya Crater is much smaller and contains a
small, sometimes red, lime-green lake.
These craters and two other smaller ones are led by
marked trails, one of which also contains a lake. It is also possible to see a
pyroclastic cone formed from fragmented volcanic rock. It is possible to look
out on clear days from the summit to the Pacific and the Caribbean.
12. Braulio
Carrillo National Park
National Park Braulio Carrillo, just a 30-minute
drive from bustling San Jose, includes rough mountains, waterfalls, canyons,
dormant volcanoes, and virgin rainforest. The proximity of the park to the main
gateway of the country means that it is an easy way to see some of the unique
plants and wildlife of Costa Rica. Because of the variety in elevation ranging
from the top of the Barva Volcano (2,906 meters) to less than 50 meters in the
Caribbean lowlands, there are many different habitats in the park. The park is
home to mammals like jaguars, pumas, tapirs, sloths, and monkeys, but several
bird species, including the Quetzal (national bird), toucans, and eagles, are
easier to see and hear.
13. Rincón de la
Vieja National Park
The Volcano Rincón de la Vieja is the park's main
attraction. This active volcano last erupted in 2011 and as a result, hiking
trails to the summit are no longer open, but trails leading to waterfalls and
hot springs are still hiking in the area. This park is also home to a wide variety
of wildlife, still inhabiting the park with tapirs, sloths, monkeys, and big
cats like the jaguar, puma, and ocelot.
14. Pre-Columbian
Gold Museum in San Jose
This museum houses one of America's largest
collections of gold pieces from pre - Colombia. In the museum complex, which
also showcases coin and stamp collections as well as a display of Costa Rican
art, there are more than 20,000 troy ounces of gold in some 2,000 objects.
15. Wildlife
Costa Rica is one of those rare countries that can
be worth the trip to wildlife alone. What the country may lack in cultural
attractions is more than the unique and prevalent experiences of wildlife.
Visitors rarely need to search for animals, with monkeys regularly appearing
around towns, scarlet macaws and toucans nesting just beyond the pool, and some
animals that may not even be recognized by visitors as roaming the parks. While
wildlife opportunities are not limited to any area, visiting the parks or
organizing tours with knowledgeable guides will improve the chances of seeing
some of the more elusive species.
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