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Where to base yourself in Costa Rica

Costa Rica looks small until you drive it. These are the places worth staying, grouped by region - because your base decides most of what you’ll actually see.

Guanacaste & the Gold Coast

1,911 tours

The northwest Pacific coast, with a pronounced dry season, a string of very different beach towns, and Liberia's international airport serving direct US flights. The closest beaches are about 30 minutes from the terminal, with Tamarindo around an hour and Nosara or Samara closer to two. A strong base for beach time, with Rincon de la Vieja volcano and dry forest reserves in reach.

Nicoya Peninsula

65 tours

The peninsula's southern tip - Santa Teresa, Montezuma, Mal País. Harder to reach, and that is the point: surf towns and yoga retreats that never quite industrialized. Expect dirt roads and a slower pace.

Northern Plains & Arenal

1,083 tours

Costa Rica's adventure heartland. Arenal Volcano over La Fortuna, geothermal hot springs, waterfalls, hanging bridges, and Monteverde's cloud forest on the ridge above. The single densest concentration of things to do in the country.

Central Valley & San José

848 tours

The highland region around San José, Alajuela, and the coffee country, sitting near 1,150 meters. The country's main international airport is here, so most itineraries pass through. Worth a day for coffee estates, the Poás and Irazú volcanoes, and city museums and food.

Central Pacific

741 tours

Jaco, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio - an easy drive from the capital, with Jaco about 90 minutes away. Manuel Antonio packs monkeys, sloths, and beach into one small national park, which is exactly why it is busy.

South Pacific & Osa

216 tours

Uvita, Dominical, Drake Bay, and the Osa Peninsula - Corcovado National Park holds a meaningful share of the planet's biodiversity in a corner most visitors never reach. Whale watching in season, and genuine remoteness.

Caribbean Coast

269 tours

Afro-Caribbean and Bribri culture, different food, different rhythm. No road reaches Tortuguero, so the last leg is by boat or small plane to its canals, with turtles nesting in season, while the south offers Puerto Viejo's protected reef and rainforest.