The Best of Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio Beach

Best time to travel: Jan-April, mid Dec
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

Sandy stretch inside Manuel Antonio National Park, with swimming, birds, trees full of monkeys

Best time to travel: Jan-April, mid Dec
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

Active andesitic stratovolcano in the province of Alajuela
Geologically, Arenal is considered a young volcano and it is estimated to be less than 7,500 years old
The volcano was dormant for hundreds of years and exhibited a single crater at its summit, covered by dense vegetation
In 1968 it erupted unexpectedly, destroying the small town of Tabacón
Arenal’s eruption from 1968 to 2010 is the tenth longest duration volcanic eruption on Earth since 1750
Since 2010, Arenal has been dormant

Best time to travel: Jan-April, mid Dec
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

Small national park just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas,
Established in 1972, it is considered the smallest of any Costa Rican national park
It is well known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails
Tour of a sustainable organic coffee farm

Best time to travel: Jan-April, mid Dec
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

Highest mountain in Costa Rica, with an elevation of 12,536 feet, located in Chirripó National Park, and noted for its extremely high biodiversity
Snow has not fallen on the peak in the past 100 years
Climbing Mount Chirripó is possible by obtaining a permit from the National Park office in San Gerardo de Rivas
From the trailhead, the summit can be reached via a 12.1 mile hike

Best time to travel: Jan-April, mid Dec
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

Costa Rican reserve within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces
The Reserve consists of cloud forest that consists of 6 ecological zones, 90% of which are virgin forest
A high biodiversity, consisting of over 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn both scientists and tourists alike

Best time to travel: Jan-April, mid Dec
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

National Park in Osa Canton, the largest park in Costa Rica, it is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national parks and biological reserves spread across the country, a visitor can expect to see an abundance of wildlife
Historically, logging has taken place in lowland areas because those areas are more easily accessible and contain the largest and most economically valuable trees
But those habitats, which feature diverse vegetation, are also usually the richest in biodiversity
So even though approximately half the tropical forests on Earth remain, what is left of the originally rich lowland forests is usually in too small an area to support the original natural biodiversity

Best time to travel: Sept-Oct
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

National park in the Limón Province
Despite its remote location, reachable only by airplane or boat, it is the third-most visited park in Costa Rica
The park has a large variety of biological diversity due to the existence within the reserve of eleven different habitats, including rainforest, mangrove forests, swamps, beaches, and lagoons