13 Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
Are you looking for the best places to visit in Costa Rica? Costa Rica is one of the best destinations in the world for nature or adventure lovers and wildlife watching.
Ecotourism is important for Costa Rica, making it one of the most environmentally friendly countries. So come to Costa Rica and explore this beautiful country with our detailed Costa Rica Itinerary.
Costa Rica is well known for its tropical beaches, stunning waterfalls, lush rainforests, best surfing spots, biodiversity, and famous coffee.
If you’re wondering what to do in Costa Rica, here are the best places to visit in Costa Rica.
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- 13 Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
- Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
- 1. Punta Uva Beach
- 2. La Fortuna Waterfall
- 3. Manuel Antonio National Park
- 4. Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park
- 5. Take a Chocolate Tour in La Fortuna
- 6. Rio Celeste Waterfall
- 7. Go Surfing
- 8. Arenal Volcano 1968 Trail
- 9. Marino Ballena National Park
- 10. Try the Caribbean Food
- 11. Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
- 12. La Fortuna – Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
- 13. Experience the Pura Vida Feeling
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Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
1. Punta Uva Beach
One of the best things to do in Costa Rica is to visit the tropical beaches. Costa Rica has many beautiful beaches, and some of the best beaches are located near Puerto Viejo. But we think the most beautiful beach in Costa Rica is Playa Punta Uva.
Its tropical white sandy beach with lots of palm trees and crystal clear turquoise waters is the perfect place for beach lovers.
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If you have a drone, bring it with you because the views from above are stunningly beautiful.
If you’re looking for adventure, you can rent a kayak at Punta Uva. Paddle down the river to Punta Uva, a fantastic way to watch wildlife closely and get a great experience.
Book your kayak tour HERE.
Spend some relaxing hours at Punta Uva beach, swim, snorkel, and enjoy the most beautiful sunset in Puerto Viejo.
Are you looking for more top places to visit in Costa Rica? We’ve put together a list of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica.
2. La Fortuna Waterfall
This country is home to many magical waterfalls, which makes Costa Rica one of the best destinations for chasing waterfalls.
All the waterfall is beautiful and unique, so whichever one you visit, you won’t be disappointed.
The impressive 70-meter-high Catarata La Fortuna is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica. If you’re in the Arenal or La Fortuna area, it’s a must-see sight attraction.
Read the full post → Guide to La Fortuna Waterfall
The La Fortuna Waterfall is only 5 km from the town of La Fortuna, which you can reach in less than 10 minutes. Once you arrive, you can start the easy hike to the waterfall.
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The best way to visit the Catarata La Fortuna is to buy your ticket online and skip the line.
At Catarata La Fortuna, unlike other waterfalls in Costa Rica, you can swim at the bottom of the falls, which is a fantastic experience.
See also → Best Waterfalls in Costa Rica
3. Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica, just 1-hour drive from Uvita.
Although it is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, it is one of the best places to see the diverse wildlife.
Along the park’s well-maintained hiking trails, you will pass the lush green jungle, chill out on untouched beaches, and watch beautiful wildlife. During your visit, you can see monkeys, sloths, snakes, reptiles, beautiful birds, and much more.
The tropical white sandy beaches of Manuel Antonio are the perfect place to relax and enjoy a refreshing swim. You can easily spend a whole day exploring the Manuel Antonio National Park.
Book your Manuel Antonio National Park tour from San Jose HERE.
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Don’t miss Corcovado National Park, the largest national park in Costa Rica.
Read the full post → Manuel Antonio National Park Guide
4. Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park
Are you looking for more top places to visit in Costa Rica? Take a walk above the rainforest at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, just a 30-minute drive from La Fortuna.
You can visit Mistico Hanging Bridges Park self-guided or with a guided tour. Along the way, you can see one waterfall and many animals, such as monkeys, toucans, and sloths, and enjoy a fantastic view of the Arenal Volcano.
Book your full-day tour, which includes the impressive La Fortuna Waterfall, Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, and Arenal Volcano Hike.
You can’t leave Costa Rica without walking across the suspension bridges in Monteverde or La Fortuna.
The trail is about 3.2 km long, and you can walk across 16 bridges, including 6 suspension bridges.
The tour takes about 2.5 hours at a comfortable pace and with photography.
More about Costa Rica → Things to Do in La Fortuna
5. Take a Chocolate Tour in La Fortuna
One of the best things to do in Costa Rica is to take a chocolate tour.
Although Costa Rica is famous for its delicious coffee, you shouldn’t forget the chocolate. For the best experience, join a combined coffee and chocolate tour guaranteed to wake up your taste buds.
Book Coffee and Chocolate Tour.
Take a chocolate tour and find out how cacao beans are grown, then left to dry, and finally see the process from harvesting to grinding and chocolate making.
You can taste the chocolate you have made yourself, which is a fantastic experience on your Costa Rica trip.
Recommended post → Chocolate Tour in Costa Rica
6. Rio Celeste Waterfall
Visiting the Rio Celeste Waterfall is one of the best things to do in Costa Rica. The scenery at Catarata Rio Celeste is stunning, like a fairy tale with magical shades of blue.
You can book a full-day tour from La Fortuna to Rio Celeste Waterfall.
Spend at least 3 hours in the Tenorio Volcano National Park, hike the rainforest trails, and explore other beautiful attractions.
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Always be ready to take photos, as you will see lots of wildlife in the trees and the paths.
Read our → Rio Celeste Waterfall Guide
7. Go Surfing
Costa Rica is one of the most popular surfing destinations in the world. Whether you are a beginner surfer, intermediate, or advanced, the country offers the perfect beaches for enjoying the waves or taking surf lessons.
Santa Teresa is one of the best surfing spots.
However, we also recommend Tamarindo Beach, Espedilla Beach, Jaco Beach, Hermosa Beach, Dominical Beach, and Playa Cocles Beach.
Recommended post → How to Get from San Jose to Santa Teresa
8. Arenal Volcano 1968 Trail
Arenal Volcano is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica, so you can’t miss it on your Costa Rica Itinerary.
There are many different trails available around the volcano. You can hike for a few hours or spend a whole day. Get the most out of your experience and choose the Arenal 1968 Trail, which offers the most beautiful view of the Arenal Volcano.
We started the day exploring the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, then visited the Arenal Volcano and enjoyed the hot springs in La Fortuna.
Book your full-day tour, which includes the impressive La Fortuna Waterfall, Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, and Arenal Volcano Hike.
Read the full post → How to Hike Arenal Volcano
9. Marino Ballena National Park
One of our favorite places to visit in Costa Rica was the beautiful Marino Ballena National Park.
The Marino Ballena National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, and you can spend a whole day relaxing on the beach, sunbathing, and swimming.
Book your Marino Ballena National Park boat tour HERE.
The best attraction in the Marino Ballena National Park is the Whale Tail. But you can only see it at low tide and you’ll need a drone to capture this beautiful moment. Walking on the Whale Tail sandbar at low tide is a fantastic experience. Just a 20-minute walk from the entrance.
See also → Things to Do in Uvita
10. Try the Caribbean Food
One of the best things to do in Costa Rica is eat! If you visit Costa Rica, especially Puerto Viejo, you should try the delicious Caribbean food, which is heavenly.
Since they always use fresh ingredients and seafood is available everywhere, it’s the best place to experience local flavors and try some international dishes.
In the country, you can find many local restaurants (soda), vegan options, national foods, or trendy restaurants with all budgets.
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Don’t forget to try the famous Costa Rican coffee during your trip.
11. Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Monteverde is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica and should not be missed.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was established in 1972 to protect this area. The cloud forest is home to diverse wildlife, and you can easily visit it from Santa Elena by car, bus, taxi, or shuttle.
You can visit the cloud forests on a self-guided tour or join a guided tour to learn more about the cloud forests and see the wildlife.
There are six main trails in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, with a total distance of 13 km.
Read our → Monteverde Guide
12. La Fortuna – Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica
La Fortuna is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica.
Most people call La Fortuna the “adventure capital” of Costa Rica because all outdoor activities are available here. Going ziplining over the jungle, horseback riding, joining a canyoning tour, going white-water rafting, taking ATV tours, and tubing.
For the best experience, join a La Fortuna tour, which includes the La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Volcano, and hot springs.
Read our → La Fortuna Guide
13. Experience the Pura Vida Feeling
Have you heard about “Pura Vida”? Pura Vida means pure, simple life.
Most locals use Pura Vida to say hello or goodbye and are always used when something good happens and if they’re happy. But it means much more than two words, this a lifestyle that makes Costa Ricans so happy and kind.
So come to Costa Rica and enjoy the feeling of Pura Vida and explore the best places to visit in the country.
We hope our list of the best places to visit in Costa Rica will inspire you to visit this magical country. If you have any questions or thoughts, let us know in the comment below.
Travel Resources
Hotels – Booking.com
Car Rentals – Discover Cars
Flights – Skyscanner
Travel Insurance – SafetyWing
Tours & Attractions – GetYourGuide
Bus/Transfer – Bookaway
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