From ethereal cloud forests, magnificent coastlines, active volcanoes and lush rainforests, Costa Rica’s diversity inspires wonder and a spirit of discovery. Limiting the best resorts in Costa Rica is a difficult task, but we have done our best to condense the places into easily digestible guidebooks, where all the sights, sounds and adventures await us.
Costa Rica is home to numerous cultural sites and museums that give an insight into its history. Here are some adventurous activities that you will find exciting and give an insight into the real Costa Rica.
Cahuita National Park
Established in 1982, Cahuita National Park is one of the best free child-friendly activities in Costa Rica. Everyone’s favorite price is zero dollars, and you can enjoy a variety of activities and attractions for children in the park. Curi Cancha Reserve is an educational, child-friendly, private wildlife reserve in central Costa Rica.
Costa Rica, a beautiful landscape that comprises 5% of the planet’s biodiversity, is one of the top five blue zones and is considered one of the happiest countries on earth. Tourists from all over the world are an attraction, but Costa Rica has much more to offer than just Costa Ricans calling themselves Ticos or Tica. The only thing more beautiful than Costa Rica is to be a Tica and to live there.
San Jose, Costa Rica
San Jose is the heart of Costa Rica, home to half of the country’s 4.9 million people. San Jose, Costa Rica, is often forgotten as a destination in Costa Rica itself. On the way in and out of the country, however, San Jose will likely discourage you from taking the beautiful route to other destinations like Monteverde.
Some call San Jose a working-class city and compare it to cities like Glasgow or Chicago. It’s one of those cities that won’t thrill you until you’ve got your feet on the ground, but it’s easy to appreciate its modest mix of tradition, grit and culture.
Located in the Central Valley, San Jose combines ancient and modern elements without losing its unique Costa Rican traditions. Due to its location in the central valley of Costa Rica, it is an ideal base camp for discovering the country.
When you visit Costa Rica you focus a lot on nature and nature, and I think that San Jose is the only place to learn about the history of the country. When I think of city tours, San Jose (free or paid) is my first choice for activities in San Jose.
San Jose is home to many great museums that give an insight into the history, culture and politics of Costa Rica. The National Theatre (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica) is one of the most prestigious buildings in San José. The Costa Rican’s beautiful National Theatre is located on the south side of Plaza La Cultura in San Jose, one of the most notable buildings in the city and a must for art and architecture lovers.
National Theatre of Costa Rica
The beautiful National Theatre of Costa Rica was built in 1897 in a neoclassical style and includes an elaborate marble lobby and an auditorium decorated with paintings depicting life in Costa Rica in the 19th century. The National Museum of Costa Rica is situated in the old Bellavista fortress, built in 1917 and used as a military barracks.
Costa Rica’s Independence Day
Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821 as the rest of Central America on the same day. The national celebration starts with parades, traditional dancers and street parties and culminates in the arrival of the Freedom Torch (Cartago) delivered from Nicaragua and relayed to runners in Costa Rica who stop and sing the national anthem. National day in honor of the patron saint of Costa Rica, La Negrita. The dating app Benaughty has rated this amung the most fun things you can do on a date in Costa Rica.
Tamarindo Beach
Costa Rica has over 200 volcanic formations and has a number of hot springs and mud baths. Last but not least, Tamarindo is on our list of fun activities in Costa Rica. TamarINDO (Guanacaste) is a large and well developed seaside resort known for its ecotourism and surfing.
Visiting Tamarindo Beach should be top of your list of fun things to do in Costa Rica with the kids. Costa Rica Backpackers – Costa Rica Backpackers are an inexpensive option in the center of San Jose. Read more here about a great 1-week trip to Costa Rica that takes you from San Jose to Jaco, Manuel, Antonio and UVita.
Gulf of Papagayo
Located on Culebra Bay on the Gulf of Papagayo, it offers stunning ocean views and its own beach. It is one of the best hotels in La Fortuna for families but also ideal for couples, weddings and honeymoons. Located in a secluded area of the Gulf, you can enjoy an intimate honeymoon in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is world famous for miles of beaches along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts and a rich biodiversity and offers its visitors an unparalleled holiday destination. The country is home to several active volcanoes, large protected areas of jungle with unique wildlife and offers outdoor enthusiasts a wide variety of exciting activities.
Every year, thousands of people visit Costa Rica with only one thing on their mind….surfing! Costa Rica has long been a favorite with the surfing crowd because of its abundance of beaches, most of which are very suitable for riding the waves. Several beaches, such as Playa Hermosa, Jaco, Tamarindo, and Pavones attract surfers year-round because of their excellent waves.
Cabinas Las Olas at Playa Hermosa
Hotel David at Playa Hermosa
Fish Costa Rica/Americana Sportfishing will tailor your hotel accommodations to your preferences. Enjoy carefully selected angler-friendly beachfront hotels and fishing lodges, chosen in the same way that we have always chosen Costa Rica’s top captains. There is nothing like a good hearty meal and a cool drink to cap a satisfying day of fishing in Costa Rica!
CAPTAIN BOBBY McGUINNESS – TWICE WORLD’S TOP CAPTAIN! The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) chose Captain Bobby McGuinness, who fishes out of Golfito in the South Pacific, as its world’s top captain/guide for 2010. This was number two for Bobby, who also won the award in 2006. Bobby also received an IGFA 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. As well as his two world’s top captain diplomas, Bobby has a long string of IGFA achievements: he made the IGFA’s Top 10 list of guides and captains from around the world in 2008, tying for 5th place that year with 13 IGFA world fishing records. He also boasts an IGFA 3rd place certificate for 2009, and a 2nd place IGFA Saltwater Captain diploma for 2004. Bobby has set more world records than any captain fishing in Costa Rica. For example, in just two days in June 2009, he set an amazing 16 saltwater fishing world records! So charter a great trip out of Golfito or Puerto Jiménez with Captain Bobby McGuinness — call or e-mail us today!
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Costa Rica adventure travel offered by Aventuras Naturales will provide you with the blissfully unique opportunity to explore and discover some of the most diverse eco-systems in the world. Use the capital city of San José as a base for getting to some of the most remote areas you can imagine in Costa Rica. It´s as easy as one-, two- or three-day tours! You can make your vacation truly one of a kind by customizing your itinerary to include white water rafting through steep mountain canyons and past cascading waterfalls. Learn that beneath the broad leaves of the rainforest lies a majestic world of rarely seen animals, such as the jaguar.