The most accessible wilderness in the Americas — cloud forest, volcanoes, two coastlines and a national park system covering a quarter of the country.
Before you go
When to go
December to April is the dry season. The green season, May to November, is wetter, cheaper and greener.
- Dry Dec–Apr
- Green season May–Nov
- Caribbean side differs
- Turtle nesting varies by coast
How long you need
Ten to fourteen days covering two or three ecosystems.
- 10–14 days
- Arenal, Monteverde, a coast
- Short internal flights
- Slow roads
Getting around
Roads are slow and often unsealed. Domestic flights save whole days.
- 4WD in the wet season
- Domestic flights save time
- Shuttle services common
- San José as the hub
Wildlife
Sloths, quetzals, macaws and turtle nesting, with guides who genuinely change what you see.
- Hire local guides
- Monteverde cloud forest
- Tortuguero by boat
- Osa for the most biodiversity
Highlights
Arenal and the north
A near-perfect volcanic cone, hot springs at its base, hanging bridges and the country's best-organised adventure activities.
- Hot springs at La Fortuna
- Hanging bridges canopy walk
- Rio Celeste's blue river
- Zip lines and rafting
Monteverde cloud forest
Permanently misty highland forest where resplendent quetzals nest, and the reason many people come.
- Quetzals Feb–Jul
- Night walks
- Slow, rough access road
- Book guides, not just entry
The coasts
Manuel Antonio and the Osa on the Pacific for wildlife, Tortuguero and Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean for turtles and a different culture entirely.
- Osa: most biodiverse
- Tortuguero by boat only
- Turtle nesting varies by coast
- Caribbean side is Afro-Caribbean
Planning notes
Costa Rica packs an extraordinary amount into a small country, but the roads are slow and often unsealed, so distances that look short take half a day. Domestic flights save whole days and are worth the cost on the longer legs. The green season from May to November is wetter but far cheaper and greener, with rain usually confined to the afternoon. Guides make a genuine difference here — wildlife you would walk straight past becomes visible.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.
- Journal in Costa Rica
- Things to do in Costa Rica
- Tours in Costa Rica
- Talk to a Cooee travel specialist