Things to do in Costa Rica

Costa Rica holds around 5% of the world's known species on 0.03% of its land. Guided wildlife walks are the difference between seeing a rainforest and seeing what lives in it.

Both two-toed and three-toed sloths live here, and they are genuinely hard to spot without a guide holding a scope. Sanctuaries and guided walks both work; the good ones do not let you hold the animals.

Over 900 recorded species, including the resplendent quetzal in the cloud forests and scarlet macaws on the Osa. Early starts are non-negotiable.

Nesting is seasonal and location-specific - greens at Tortuguero from July, leatherbacks at Playa Grande from October, olive ridley arribadas at Ostional. Tours are strictly guided for the turtles' sake.

Humpbacks migrate past the South Pacific coast twice a year - northern populations roughly December-April, southern July-November. Uvita's Marino Ballena is the center of it.

Six of the country's volcanoes are active. Arenal is the icon, Poás has a drive-up crater, Rincón de la Vieja bubbles mud, and Irazú looks over both oceans on a clear day.

La Fortuna's 70-metre drop, Nauyaca's two tiers in the south, Río Celeste's improbable turquoise, and Llanos de Cortés hidden off the Liberia highway.

A quarter of the country is protected. Entry to the popular parks is capped and often sells out - a guided tour usually includes the reservation.

Forest that lives in permanent cloud at altitude - dripping, mossy, and completely unlike lowland rainforest. Monteverde and Santa Elena are the accessible ones.

Geothermally heated rivers at the foot of Arenal, ranging from luxury resort complexes to a free public river bend locals use.

Walkways strung through the canopy at eye level with the birds - the calm, non-adrenaline way to experience the forest's top layer. Good for mixed-ability groups.

Most rainforest species are nocturnal. A guided night walk with a good spotter turns a quiet forest into frogs, snakes, kinkajous, and sleeping birds.

From twenty-minute boardwalks at Manuel Antonio to multi-day Corcovado traverses and the Chirripó summit at 3,820 meters.

Back roads, river crossings, and viewpoints you cannot drive a rental car to. Dusty in dry season, muddy in green season, fun in both.

The canopy tour was invented in Monteverde, and the country still does it better than anywhere. Monteverde has the longest lines; Arenal has the best views.

Beach rides in Guanacaste, volcano-flank trails at Arenal and Rincón de la Vieja. Sabanero (cowboy) culture is real here, not a costume.

Rappelling down waterfalls in the Arenal and Turrialba canyons. Physically demanding and genuinely thrilling.

The Pacific sunset catamaran is a genuine Costa Rica ritual - usually snorkeling, usually open bar, always the sunset. Flamingo, Tamarindo, and Quepos run the most.

The Pacuare is regularly called one of the world's best rafting rivers - Class III-IV through a gorge with no road access. The Sarapiquí and Balsa are gentler.

Mangrove estuaries at Damas and Sierpe, the calm Golfo Dulce, and Lake Arenal under the volcano. Best at first light.

Better on the Caribbean reef at Cahuita and Manzanillo than on the Pacific, though Caño Island and the Catalinas are strong exceptions.

Two coasts, year-round swell, and beginner-friendly beach breaks at Tamarindo, Jacó, and Sámara. Advanced surfers head for Pavones, Witch's Rock, or Santa Teresa.

World-class billfishing off both coasts - sailfish and marlin offshore, roosterfish inshore. Billfish are release-only in Costa Rica by law.

Big-animal diving rather than coral gardens: bull sharks at Bat Islands, mantas and whitetips at Caño Island. Visibility varies hard by season.

Indigenous Bribri, Maleku, and Boruca communities run their own visits; the museums in San José hold the pre-Columbian gold and jade.

Beyond gallo pinto: San José's Mercado Central, Caribbean rondón on the coast, and cooking classes that start at the farm.

Costa Rica grows only arabica by law. The Central Valley estates walk you from cherry to cup, and the good ones let you taste the difference between processing methods.

Cacao was currency here before it was dessert. Farm tours on the Caribbean side and around Arenal grind it by hand and let you drink it the pre-Columbian way.

Nosara and Santa Teresa built entire economies on this. Elsewhere it is spa days and jungle massages, often paired with hot springs.

Your group only, your pace. Roughly half of Costa Rica's Viator inventory offers a private option - worth it for families and mixed-ability groups.

Distances in Costa Rica take longer than the map suggests. Shared shuttles run the main tourist routes; private transfers cost more and leave when you do.

Full-day tours that reach a major sight and get you back the same evening - how most people see Arenal or Manuel Antonio from a beach base.

Built around ship schedules from Puntarenas and Puerto Limón, with return times guaranteed against the sailing.

Packaged itineraries that cross regions - usually volcano, cloud forest, and beach - with transport and lodging handled.