Walk a hanging bridge trail
Suspension bridges strung through the canopy at Monteverde or Arenal put you at eye level with the treetops instead of looking up from the forest floor.
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Central America
Things to do in Costa Rica
Rainforest canopy, volcanic coastline, and a national obsession with slowing down.
Explore Costa Rica on the map →Budget$$
Best for10-14 days
CapitalSan Jose
VisaVisa-free for most US/UK/EU travelers, typically up to 90 days
CurrencyCosta Rican colón (CRC), USD widely accepted
LanguagesSpanish
InternetGood
Typical lodging$30–$90/night
Driving sideRight
Power & voltage120V / 60Hz (Type A/B plug)
Time zoneUTC-6
Emergency number911
Dialing code+506
★★★★★ Wildlife★★★★★ Adventure★★★★★ Beaches
Visa rules and emergency numbers can change without notice. Confirm the specifics for your nationality and dates before you travel.
Travel smart
Bottled or filtered water recommended. 10% at restaurants is common.
Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and put the savings into parks, schools and health care instead, a quarter of the country is now protected land. It sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so active volcanoes are a normal part of the scenery, and the two coasts are different enough in feel and weather that picking one over the other changes the whole trip.
When to go
Dry seasonDecember–April
Verano: sunny skies, calm Pacific seas and the busiest, priciest window. Book Easter week (April 5–12, 2026) well ahead.
Green seasonMay–November
Invierno: afternoon showers, lush landscapes, thinner crowds and lower prices. Mornings are usually still clear.
Caribbean dry spellSeptember–October
The Caribbean coast doesn't follow the same pattern as the Pacific side: this is its driest, sunniest stretch.
Peak green seasonSeptember–October
Heaviest rain on the Pacific side, but also the emptiest beaches and the best hotel rates of the year.
21 things to do
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Wildlife & nature
7Watch scarlet macaws in Carara
One of the most reliable spots in the country to see the birds in the wild, flying in pairs at dawn and dusk between the park and the coast.
Spot sloths at your own pace
They're everywhere once you know how to look: Manuel Antonio and Cahuita both have guides skilled at spotting them, but a slow walk anywhere in the canopy usually works.
Watch turtles nest at Tortuguero
Leatherbacks, greens and hawksbills come ashore on the Caribbean coast, reachable only by boat or small plane through a maze of canals.
Hike Corcovado National Park
National Geographic once called it the most biologically intense place on earth: tapirs, all four Costa Rican monkey species and jaguar tracks, reachable only with a licensed guide.
Stand at the edge of an active crater
Poás and Irazú both have drivable access to viewpoints over steaming, sulfur-yellow craters, Poás can close on short notice depending on activity.
Go night walking in the rainforest
A different set of animals comes out after dark, red-eyed frogs, tarantulas, kinkajous, best done with a guide's spotlight and local knowledge.
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Food & markets
2Try a soda for lunch
Family-run diners serving casado, rice, beans, plantain, salad and a choice of meat or fish, are the honest, everyday version of Costa Rican food.
Drink coffee where it's grown
The Central Valley's volcanic soil produces some of the country's best beans, tours around Naranjo and Tarrazú walk the process from cherry to cup.
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Adventure & outdoors
3Zipline through cloud forest canopy
Monteverde popularized the zipline circuit and still runs some of the longest lines, gliding over a forest that's usually wrapped in mist.
Raft the Pacuare River
Class III–IV whitewater through a jungle gorge, often run as a multi-day trip with riverside camps rather than a single-day rush.
Whitewater raft the Sarapiquí
A gentler, more accessible run than the Pacuare, close enough to San José for a day trip and still genuinely fun.
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Coast & water
4Surf the Pacific coast
Tamarindo and Santa Teresa are the well-known breaks with schools for beginners; Pavones has one of the longest lefts in the world for the experienced.
Snorkel or dive Isla del Caño
A protected biological reserve off the Osa Peninsula with visibility and marine life well beyond what the mainland coast offers.
Watch the sunset from Manuel Antonio's beaches
A small park with an outsized reputation, packing rainforest, monkeys and a handful of postcard beaches into a couple of square miles.
Kayak through mangroves
Damas Island near Manuel Antonio and the canals around the Nicoya Peninsula are quiet enough to paddle past herons, caimans and monkeys without a motor.
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Cities & design
1Cross to the Caribbean side
Puerto Viejo and Cahuita move at reggae-inflected, Afro-Caribbean rhythm that feels like a different country from the Pacific beach towns.
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Slow days
4Soak in hot springs below a volcano
Arenal's eruptions stopped in 2010, but the geothermal water it left behind still feeds pools ranging from resort-fancy to a free river soak.
Ride a horse through Guanacaste ranchland
The country's cowboy heartland, dry and dusty compared to the rest of Costa Rica, with working cattle ranches that take guests out on horseback.
Spend a slow day at an eco-lodge
Much of the appeal here isn't a single activity but the pace: a hammock, birdsong, and no schedule, which is the point for a lot of visitors.
Watch the Arenal volcano from a distance
On a clear night the cone is lit by the moon and, occasionally, still glows, even dormant it dominates the skyline around La Fortuna.
Common questions
▾Is Costa Rica safe to visit?
Yes. Costa Rica is one of the safer, most stable countries in Central America and a well-established destination for independent travel. Standard precautions around petty theft in tourist areas and rental car break-ins apply, but violent crime against tourists is rare.
▾How much do Costa Rica's national parks cost to enter?
Most parks charge foreign visitors somewhere in the $8-20 range per day, with the well-known ones toward the higher end, Corcovado runs around $15 per person per day and Tortuguero around $17. Costa Ricans and residents pay substantially less at the same gates, a common pattern across the park system rather than an exception at any one park.
▾How many days do you need in Costa Rica?
10-12 days covers a solid mix of rainforest, volcano and coastline without too much time spent on the road, since driving distances between regions add up more than the map suggests. A tighter one-week trip usually means picking one coast rather than crossing the country.
▾Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?
US, UK, EU, Canadian and most other passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 90 days as tourists. Check the current list for your specific nationality, since a smaller number of countries do need a visa arranged in advance.
▾What's the best time to visit Costa Rica?
December through April is the dry season and the most popular time to visit, especially on the Pacific coast. May through November brings more rain, usually in short afternoon bursts rather than all-day downpours, and comes with noticeably lower prices and thinner crowds.
▾Is Costa Rica expensive?
Costa Rica is pricier than most of its Central American neighbors: it markets itself on eco-tourism and conservation, and that positioning shows up in park fees, guided tours and accommodation costs. It's still less expensive than a comparable nature-focused trip in North America or Western Europe.