There's something for everyone in Costa Rica. We hope you can find
time to enjoy the country, either by taking day trips from the capital or traveling around
and spending time at some of our favorite places. For suggestions on places to stay in these
locations, visit the Where to Stay page. To get to these locations, check out the tips on
the travel page under traveling through Costa Rica.
Organized Day Trips and Tour Agencies
You may wish to book these tours before you
leave, although many of the day tours can be booked once you are in Costa Rica as it is the rainy season and
they are not likely to be full. If you will be visiting with a large group, consider planning ahead. Whatever
you decide, it is a good idea to have an idea of what you want to do before you go down to Costa Rica. Some hotels
may charge a fee to book the trips for you, so ask before you agree to have them do that for you. If so,
visit this site again once you're in Costa Rica and book online or give them a call directly.
Costa Rica Experts: A great planning resource! Their website offers information about the country, offers sample itineraries
and travel tips, suggets great hotels, and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about traveling in Costa Rica.
Calypso Cruise:
A full day trip that starts with breakfast on the trip down to the coast. From the town of Puntarenas
on the Pacific coast, a catamaran with jacuzzi and full bar on board picks you up and takes you to
a private island. Enjoy the afternoon on the beach by renting snorkel equipment or just laying
out and soaking up the sun. A full gourmet lunch rounds out the day and the catamaran takes you back
to shore.
Highlights Tour: This trip is the one to do if you can't
do anything else. Breakfast at a coffee plantation, a trip to Poas Volcano, a walk through the cloudforest,
coffee break at the hummingbird gallery overlooking waterfalls, lunch at a jungle lodge, wildlife boat trip down
the river,and a drive back through the rainforest. A long day, but definetly worth it. Call the
1-800 number on their site to book.
Cafe Britt Coffee Tour:
This coffee plantation offers a number of different tours that take you from the plant to the cup. The tour is informative
and rather entertaining! Some are half day, others offer lunch and one can even be combined with a tour of the butterfly farm.
The gift shop has a great collection of coffee and Costa Rican treats. To book, click on reservations.
Desafio Tour Company: This tour agency
works out of the Arenal/Monteverde area and specializes in white water trips. They also have great suggestions for
hotels in the area, horseback riding trips, liquid lava tours of the volcano, cave and canyonering trips, zip line tours,
and all things adventure! The people are really friendly and speak great English. We took a great trip with them that
started in Monteverde with a zip line tour followed by horseback riding to Arenal Volcano and white water kayaking the next day.
Costa Rica Expeditions: The oldest and most established
local tour agency, you can't go wrong with these experts. They have a variety of trips to choose from, or you can create a custom
trip for any size group, from one-day to a whole week or more. They are on the pricier side, but you're paying for experience and
expertise. The website is a great resource for starting your planning. |
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Beaches
Manuel Antonio: Located on the Pacific coast,
Manuel Antonio is known for having more monkeys than people. The beach is located in a protected national park with primary forests
and plenty of nature trails to take it all in. A great spot for those seeking adventure or a relaxing beach destination.
Jaco: The most popular beach destination in the country for both tourists and natives alike thanks to its
proximity to the captial, just a 2.5 hour drive. The town of Jaco is rather touristy with lots of nightclubs and restaurants. The surfing is great on the beach and the array of hotel options
makes this an affordable place to stay.
Tortugero: One of the farthest beaches from the capital and the most
remote. Don't expect to sit out on the sand and sip from a cocktail here. This beach is for those seeking dense jungle and wildlife. Most
of the region is only accessibile by boat or air.Volcanos
Poas Volcano: The closest
semi-active volcano to the capital and a great option for a day trip. Get there early in the morning
to catch a glimpse of the crater (you can stand right up near it, be prepared for the sulphur smell)
as during the rainy season it tend to get foggy early on. Poas is often part of day trip tours and is easily combined
with other sights.
Arenal Volcano: Arenal is a good 5 hours from the capital and worth
visiting and spending at least one night at. As a truly active volcano, you can see some
spectacular views of lava flowing down the sides of the mountain, especially beautiful at
night. Visit the thermal hot springs and soak in the warm water while watching! The Arenal Lake
boasts great fishing and the area has several canopy zip-line tours, horseback riding tours
and white water rafting or kayaking.
Cloud/Rainforests
Monteverde:
A cloud forest located about 4 hours north of San Jose where you can take zip line tours through the
canopy, visit the cheese and ice cream factory set up by Quakers when the town was first established, take
wilderness hikes where you might catch a glimpse of the quetzal bird, hummingbirds, butterflies, and much more.
Warning, the roads to Arenal and Monteverde are really bad. The distance isn't so far, but the trip takes a long
time because of the poor road upkeep, especially in the rainy season. The trip is not for the faint of heart!
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