Active adventures in Costa Rica

Watersports in Guanacaste's Tamarindo

Day 1–2 in Guanacaste National Park

Sandwiched between Santa Rosa National Park and Rincón de la Vieja National Park -- the other two parks in the Guanacaste Conservation Area trio -- this incredibly diverse and endearingly rustic national park is one of Costa Rica’s least visited.

Hiking trails connect the park’s various biological stations and sectors, offering intermediate to difficult paths for which a professional guide is highly recommended.

Learn to surf in Playa Santa Teresa

Day 3–4 in Santa Teresa

A small beach village in the Puntarenas Province, Santa Teresa’s beach is famous amongst surfers for its fast and powerful beach break and consistent waves. With a long, palm-lined beach and laid-back vibes, you could easily spend a few days relaxing and munching on street food.

Surfers shouldn’t miss Ria Mara (meaning Suck Rock), a fantastic point break at the northern end of the beach which is a local favourite.

Spot wildlife in Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve

Day 5 in Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve

The first national park in Costa Rica, Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve is part of the Tempisque Conservation Area in the province of Puntarenas. Visitors can enjoy hikes to secluded beaches filled with a diverse array of waterfowl, such as frigate birds, brown pelicans and Costa Rica’s largest population of brown boobies. When walking the forest trails it is possible to spot plenty of wildlife, including armadillo, anteaters, deers, coyotes and several monkey species.

Hit the beach in Manuel Antonio National Park

Day 6–7 in Manuel Antonio National Park

If you imagine Costa Rica to be a paradise of pristine beaches, exotic flowers, thick rainforests, and crystal-clear waters, where monkeys and sloths and scarlet macaws frolic freely, then you have Manuel Antonio National Park in mind.

The smallest national park in the country, this is also the most visited — a true paradise for beach-goers and nature lovers, where emerald rainforest spills into the turquoise sea.

Get cultural in gritty San José

Day 8 in San Jose

At first glance, San Jose might not seem like the prettiest of cities but delve a little deeper into the colonial mansions of Barrio Amon, the restaurants of Barrio Escalante and the many live music clubs, and you’ll soon uncover the beating cultural heart of Costa Rica’s capital.

Lose your head in the clouds at Monteverde

Day 9–10 in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Boasting an incredible ecosystem and home to approximately 5% of the planet’s total bird species, 130 mammal species and more than 3,000 plants, the cloud forests of Monteverde are a nature lover’s dream. Visitors can explore an array of trails which wind through 13km of forest and enjoy bird’s-eye views from the many skywalks, hanging bridges and zip lines throughout the reserve.

Visit the (for now) dormant Cerro Arenal Volcano

Day 11–12 in Arenal Volcano National Park

For several decades, the Cerro Arenal Volcano was the most active in Costa Rica, spewing molten lava and red hot boulders into the surrounding darkness. Since 2010, activity has been limited to puffs of smoke and the occasional rumble, but that hasn’t stopped visitors exploring the adjacent Arenal Volcano National Park.

Float down the canals of Tortuguero

Day 13–14 in Tortuguero National Park

This wild and interconnected web of canals is an aquatic fairyland, where gavilan trees stand sentry at the water’s edge, caiman snouts poke out of canals, tiger herons perch atop driftwood, and four species of endangered sea turtle travel thousands of miles every year to lay their eggs on the beaches where they once hatched.

In this truly unique and special place, days are spent exploring motoring through amaretto-, emerald- and black-hued canals, and evenings are dedicated to watching returning sea turtles conclude their epic journeys.

Return to San José and depart

Day 15 in San Jose

Head back to San José for your onward departure.