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The best way to embrace the country’s pura vida is by staying in one of these nature-surrounded rental properties.

Whether you’re looking for sun or snow, a city break or a nature-filled escape, these editor-approved spring break travel destinations are foolproof.

With so many things to do in Costa Rica, here’s what you need to know about when to visit.

Its rainforests are legendary, but there’s more beyond the jungles of Costa Rica that belong at the top of your list.

Enjoy an enlightening trip when you visit one of these destinations filled with Hispanic culture and history.

Featuring maps, images of favorite destinations, and art from around the world, these grown-up pastimes will keep even the most ardent globe-trotter entertained while stuck at home during these puzzling times.

Dine in style with the littles at these Windy City eateries that cater to kids, too.

Adventure travelers who want to experience the pura vida of this Central American country can choose from zip lines, scuba diving, horseback excursions, and more

Many of the most famous spots in the world’s first and most aggressively marketed eco destination are showing signs of wear and tear. Here’s where to go instead.

Monteverde, one of the world’s most celebrated wildlife refuges, also attracts humans in search of their own wild lives. Adrenaline bursts can be administered according to each visitor’s tastes. Airborne adventures include 2,460-foot zip-line rides with fantastic canyon and canopy views. The park also offers tree climbing, hikes along suspension bridges over old- and new-growth forests (in the company of expert guides), and the chance to get close to tarantulas, lizards, boas, and Costa Rica’s red-eyed frogs. Catch your breath—and breathtaking views of the jungle canopy—aboard cable-borne gondolas.

The combination of a Top Chef alum slash James Beard Award winner, a buzzing Chicago neighborhood, and an in-house pastificio (Italian for “pasta factory”) was a surefire recipe for success for this Italian hot spot. It’s here that chef Sarah Grueneberg is in her element, serving up pasta-centric fare with far-reaching influences, from gnocchetti con pesto to the Cacio Whey Pepe, which includes Mancini bucatini pasta, pecorino Romano, and ricotta whey. Grueneberg’s prowess extends far beyond noodles, too—take, for example, the Octopus Speidino, a grilled favorite that comes with aioli, leeks, pimentón, and shishito peperonata and that was inspired by Japanese yakitori. In between bites guests can check out the “pasta TV”—an antique mirror that reflects the pasta team’s made-to-order work.

Who wouldn’t want to get lost in Monteverde’s lush forests and waterfalls? Valle Escondido has an extensive trail network through the world-famous Puntarenas cloud forest. Seven accessible decks overlook a landscape of giant ficus trees and other breathtaking natural marvels. Tours focused on wildlife or birdwatching, and special tours at night bring visitors up-close to beautiful and often endangered mammals, birds, and reptiles, which, happily, are protected here. That protection means that visitor numbers are capped to avoid environmental and ethical disruptions to the preserve. Use their website to plan and book your visit.

Monteverde’s vibrant pizzeria and trattoria is an enclave of local flavor—from its excellent menu of fritti (fried starters), sfizi (delicious antipasti), and pizzas to its busy clientele. Owner Giancarlo Casa is a pizza perfectionist, and each month the blackboard menu features a dedicated pizza, often a creative pie not found anywhere else. Beer and spirits lovers will appreciate the extensive libations menu, which includes five pages of beer and a selection of fine whiskey and grappa.

I was walking through the Parque Nacional de Cahuita on the Caribbean coast one morning and this brilliant eyelash viper caught my eye from well off the trail. I have always wanted to see one of these unique snakes in the wild and now, after several trips to Central America, I got my chance. The snake stayed completely still accept for the occasional flicker of its tongue.

Approximately 100 women are members of this artisans’ cooperative, which was established in a kitchen by a group of eight women in 1982. Today, it has a full-fledged shop (CASEM Store) where you can pick up handmade textiles, clothing, jewelry, toys and carved objects. Sixty-five percent of each purchase goes back to the artists, while the remainder is reinvested in the co-op.