Volcano · Northern Zone
Arenal Volcano
The volcano most of our clients build a trip around, quiet since 2010, with rainforest trails across its old lava flows.
Things to do in Costa Rica
Eleven places our clients build their days around, on one map. A volcano with hot springs, a cloud forest, a national park on the beach and the museums of the capital.
The short answer
What should you do in Costa Rica?
Most of our clients see Costa Rica in two halves: three nights by the rainforest, usually at Arenal Volcano with its hot springs, then four at a beach. Manuel Antonio is a favourite for that second half, because the national park runs right down to the sand. With nine or ten days there is room for a third stop, often the Monteverde cloud forest or the canals of Tortuguero. San José, 30 minutes from the airport, is worth a night for the National Theatre and its museums. Our private drivers take you between all of them, so nobody has to drive.
The map
Costa Rica attractions map
The eleven, numbered from the ones our clients visit most.
Eleven things to do in Costa Rica
Each one links to our full guide. Beaches, volcanoes, parks and waterfalls each have their own map further down.
Hot springs · Northern Zone
Hot springs
Water warmed by the volcano, mostly around Arenal and La Fortuna, where several of our hotels have springs of their own.
Lake · Northern Zone
Lake Arenal
The largest lake in Costa Rica, made by a dam, on the far side of the volcano. Most of our clients cross it by boat on the way to Monteverde.
Cloud forest · Northern Zone
Monteverde Cloud Forest
A small mountain town wrapped in cloud forest, with three reserves, hanging bridges and the night walk our clients book most.
National park · Central Pacific
Manuel Antonio
Rainforest that runs down to white sand beaches, with capuchin monkeys and sloths often in the trees right above the sand.
Museums · San José
Museums in San José
The National Museum inside the old Bellavista Fortress, and the Jade Museum, with more than 7,000 pieces. The Gold Museum is beneath the Plaza de la Cultura.
Theatre · San José
National Theatre
Finished in 1897 and paid for with a tax on coffee. By day you can walk through it on a self-guided tour.
National park · Caribbean
Tortuguero
Canals through the rainforest, reached only by boat or small plane, where green turtles nest from June to October.
Guide · Rainforest and cloud forest
Rainforests
Where to walk into the rainforest and the cloud forest, from Monteverde to Tortuguero and Corcovado on the Osa Peninsula.
Ruins · Cartago
Ruins
The church ruins in the centre of Cartago, never rebuilt after the 1910 earthquake, and the colonial church at Ujarrás in the Orosi Valley.
Archaeological site · Central Valley
Guayabo National Monument
The largest archaeological site found in Costa Rica, on the slope of Turrialba Volcano, with an easy 1.6 km trail past stone mounds and aqueducts.
Good to know
Costa Rica questions we answer every week
What are the best things to do in Costa Rica?
The ones our clients plan most: the hot springs and rainforest trails at Arenal Volcano, a night walk and the hanging bridges in the Monteverde cloud forest, and a guided morning in Manuel Antonio National Park, where monkeys and sloths are often in the trees above the beach.
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
December to April is the dry season at Arenal, Manuel Antonio and San José, with the clearest skies. May to November is the green season: afternoon rain, fewer people and the forest at its greenest. Two exceptions run the other way. Green turtles nest at Tortuguero from June to October, and the southern Caribbean is at its best in September and October.
How many days do you need in Costa Rica?
Seven nights is the trip we plan most: three by the rainforest, usually at Arenal, and four at a beach. Nine or ten days leaves room for a third destination, such as Monteverde between Arenal and the coast.
Can I see a volcano, the rainforest and a beach in one trip?
Yes, that is the classic trip. Arenal gives you the volcano and the rainforest in one valley. From there a private transfer reaches Manuel Antonio in about 5 hours, or Liberia, the gateway to the Guanacaste beaches, in about 3.
What is there to do in San José?
The National Theatre, the Gold, Jade and National museums, and the Central Market. A city tour covers the highlights in one afternoon, and Poás Volcano is about an hour away for a day trip.
Do I need a car to get around Costa Rica?
No. Our clients travel with a private driver who leaves on their schedule and stops whenever they want, for a bathroom, fresh mango by the road or a photo of a sloth.
Your Costa Rica, planned by people who live here
Tell us what you love. A Costa Rica Specialist builds a custom itinerary around it, with private transfers, hotels we know and our team on call 24/7 while you travel.
Since 2004 in Costa RicaOver 25,000 clients1,200+ five-star reviewsICT licensed, Declaratoria Turística