Blessed with staggering tropical forests that roll down to equally dramatic coastlines, it’s no wonder pura vida—the Costa Rican catchphrase for appreciation, relaxation, and blissed-out simplicity—is the phrase on repeat here.
Costa Rica is the world’s 129th largest country—right between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovakia, and smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia—yet it lays claim to more than 5 percent of the planet’s entire existing biodiversity. This pans out to an extraordinary abundance of plant and animal species, rivers and waterfalls, forests, (the six types here include from cloud forests and mangroves), and memorable coastlines.
Naturally, active adventures lead this list on the best things to do in Costa Rica, but there’s more in terms of sheer beauty (when you go, please be on a mission to spot the resplendent quetzal bird) and engaging with the culture (don’t miss Caribbean outposts, like Puerto Viejo).
Here are 10 of the best things to do in Costa Rica.
1. Explore a rainforest
Costa Rica is home to six different kinds of forest, and nearly 25 percent of the entire country consists of untouched primary forest. Rainforest ecosystems, in particular, have an extraordinarily diverse array of flora and fauna, including howler and spider monkeys, sloths, multiple species of toucans and macaws, and thousands of species of trees.
Amazing parks pepper the entire country, but set your sights on the west coast and Manuel Antonio National Park, with its lovely beaches, or northwest of San José for Arenal Volcano National Park, where visitors can take in the park’s namesake dormant volcano and natural hot springs. Corcovado National Park, far to the southern edge of the country on the remote Osa Peninsula, is the largest park in Costa Rica at 164 square miles. It’s packed with rainforests, lagoons, mangrove swamps, and rivers. It’s also home to tapirs, jaguars, and scarlet macaws—which you may see flying in pairs.
Tip: Take your time as you explore, look up and around often, and hire a guide. Every layer of the forest is ridiculously dense, and without a trained eye pointing out its marvelously disguised creatures, you’re sure to miss much of the beauty of this environment. Even better, go during the green season (from May through November) to experience a rain shower in a Costa Rican rainforest.
Surfing is a year-round sport in Costa Rica.
Courtesy of Unsplash/Frames For Your Heart
2. Surf the Pacific coast
Costa Rica’s consistent year-round swell and pleasant water temperatures (you won’t need a wet suit) have made it one of the world’s best destinations for surfing.
The most famous break is located along Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast in Pavones, where surfers can catch the longest left-hand wave in the world—up to a half-mile long—for a ride that can last up to two minutes. Seeking a spot for advanced waves farther north, near the Papagayo Peninsula? Get a pulse from locals on swell conditions at Roca Bruja, where right- and left-hand waves, and the chance to ride a chute, are the draw. More consistent waves are available at Jacó Beach, a popular surf spot with locals and partygoers near the mouth of the Gulf of Nicoya.
Where to stay
- Book now: Kalon Surf Resort
Surf camps abound in nearly as many spots. Pair an itinerary of expertly run surf lessons with a comfortable stay, yoga, and massage at Kalon Surf Resort. The resort is situated near Playa Linda, a mostly undeveloped and clear sandy beach with blue waters and palm trees. This is a place for everyone, with both long whitewater for beginners and big swells for big riders, plus a gentle beach break. Dolphins and whales make appearances here, too.
Visitors who zip-line have the chance to see every layer of the forest—from the floor to the emergent layer beyond the canopy, each teeming with its own species—while getting the adrenaline rush of flying through it.
Courtesy of Perry Grone/Unsplash
3. Zip-line across thrilling vistas
Modern zip-lining originated in Costa Rica in the 1970s, thanks to a wildlife biologist in search of a better way to explore the forest. Fast forward to today, and this eco-tour adventure abounds around the world, although Costa Rica remains one of the most exceptional places to zip-line.
Want an especially notable ride? Try the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a place revered for its conservation efforts and birthplace of the first recreational zipline. The high-altitude forests here are dramatic thanks to clouds and mist, which you can cruise through by dropping (no kidding) into the canopies of towering trees and Tarzan-like vines and mosses. It’s also home to the elusive, resplendent quetzal, a shimmery green and red bird that’s among the rarest to spot and found only in cloud forests habitats. While there, set out for a jaunt on Costa Rica’s hanging bridges, another way to access and experience the upper layers of its forests.
Where to stay
- Book now: Hotel Belmar
A number of hotels are scattered across Monteverde and the next-door town of Santa Elena, but a stay at Hotel Belmar feels like you have the jungle—and swirling cloud forest views from your room’s private balcony—all to yourself. The hotel offers excursions into the private Savia reserve, including climbing up or rappelling down trees, going on an eye-opening night tour, and eating a meal in the treetop canopy, high above the ground. And since Belmar was Monteverde’s first certified carbon-neutral hotel—with regenerative dining, a carbon offset program, and technology like a solarium, biodigester, and solar panels—staying here helps keep those immersive forest views for years to come.
More than 50 species of hummingbirds live in Costa Rica.
Courtesy of Frander Rosales V/Unsplash
4. Bird-watch like there’s no tomorrow
Big-deal wildlife sightings in Costa Rica, from humpback whales to jaguars, often overshadow the 850 different species of birds found here. The avian assortment here is so spectacular, it’ll quickly convert nonbirders to the club. In addition to the quetzal, look for pairs of scarlet macaws flying over the Osa Peninsula. Prolific numbers of migratory birds travel during the rainy fall season at Palo Verde National Park, when the Tempisque River floods, creating a broad marsh. Aquatic bird-watchers: look for the jabiru, tiger heron, and white ibis. At Carara National Park, spot the laughing falcon, yellow-naped parrot, and dazzling rufous-tailed jacamar. Even the treetops at your hotel pool are likely to have toucans, macaws, and more.
Head to Costa Rica’s Marino Ballena National Park for amazing sunsets.
Courtesy of Selina Bubendorfer/Unsplash
5. Hit the beach
Visiting a beach is unquestionably one of the best things to do in Costa Rica. Choose between shady palm trees along the north Pacific coast, wild jungles going right up to the water along the south Pacific coast, and soft white sand on the Caribbean side. Thankfully, most of the beaches here are not a place for cabanas or a chaise, but a blanket and cooler filled with local Imperial beers.
Starting up north, Guanacaste National Park’s Playa Grande and Santa Rosa National Park’s Ostional Wildlife Refuge and Playa Nancite are excellent spots to witness the late-summer and wintertime arribada (arrival) of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles, which lay their eggs on shore. Head to Playita Beach in Arenas Del Mar (which feels like a private beach) or Avellanas for the chance to sit barefoot oceanside while eating shrimp tacos, fried calamari, and fresh juices at Lola’s. Surf and play in Tamarindo with its golden beaches and lively nightlife.
Nature starts changing around Playa Nosara, where the surrounding tropical dry forest becomes more lush; this intensifies in lovely Santa Teresa, where a relaxed Bohemian ambiance and great surf breaks make for a laid-back beach vibe. In Uvita, check out the Cola de Ballena, a giant rock and sand formation in the shape of a whale’s tail, jutting into the ocean. The vibrant green jungle and dark-sand beach mix in Dominicalito, which feels like a little island with gentle waves. Want soft white beaches and Caribbean waters? Head to Costa Rica’s far southeast coast and less frequented Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
Colorful Puerto Viejo is the hub of Costa Rica’s Afro-Caribbean population.
Photo by phortun/Shutterstock
6. Experience Caribbean culture
Speaking of the Caribbean side, don’t miss it. Places like Puerto Viejo de Talamanca are known and frequented by Ticos (the nickname for local Costa Ricans), but these towns are mostly off the beaten path for everyone else, and they’re completely different from the Pacific side of the country. It is a little more difficult to get here, but the payoff means no big brand hotels and franchises; instead, you’ll find small towns with boutique shops and restaurants, handmade clothes for a steal, and makers selling textiles and jewelry.
You’ll discover dishes with a Caribbean twist (like rice and beans with coconut milk), and easy access to Costa Rican nature. Snorkeling is a must-do in Cahuita National Park, abundant with coral reef formations and more than 120 species of fish.
Where to stay
- Book now: Hotel Aguas Claras
Spend the rest of your time on the Caribbean coast unwinding at Hotel Aguas Claras: Sip a freshly made piña colada at the beach bar with a disco ball, lounge under poolside trees where sloths are known to climb, or relax on the veranda of your private bungalow.
Looking for an activity that’s particularly refreshing? Go on a waterfall hike.
Photo by Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock
7. Dive into waterfalls and rivers
Beyond its long coastlines, Costa Rica is also home to a number of rivers and streams. While these attract kayakers and rafters from all over the world for high-stakes action, it’s definitely part of Tico culture to take a refreshing swim in a waterfall or stream. Try a hike on the Osa Peninsula, which boasts many hidden waterfalls and pools.
The town of La Fortuna is home to numerous rivers and waterfalls, where visitors can try tubing (also in Manuel Antonio National Park) and the adventure sport of canyoning (rappelling down cascading waterfalls and rock formations). For rafting die-hards, the best spot is the Pacuare River. At its peak from mid-May through November, it’s the country’s longest river, best explored on a two-day trip, and easily accessible from San José.
Hikers to the summit of Cerro Chirripó often spend the night at Crestones Base Camp, 11,155 feet above sea level.
Photo by world_xplorer/Shutterstock
8. Climb a mountain
At 12,530 feet, Cerro Chirripó is the highest mountain in the country and a must-do adventure for those in the know. It isn’t a technical climb, but reaching the summit involves a 23-mile round-trip hike that gains over 8,600 feet of elevation and is typically doable in two days.
The climb offers the chance to experience different climates and parts of the ecosystem change on the way up. The abundant lower-lying vegetation shrinks with elevation, and the park is home to more than 400 species of birds and 260 species of amphibians and reptiles. The trek is challenging—especially climbing the Cuesta de los Arrepentidos, or Hill of Regrets—and is best for experienced hikers, but the view, which encompasses the Pacific and the Caribbean on a clear day, is worth it.
9. Taste local coffees
The cups of joe (josé?) in Costa Rica are on the short list for best in the world, thanks to the crops thriving in the mild climate and high altitude, producing coffee that tends to be more herbaceous and less acidic than that grown in other locales. Coffee has been cultivated here since the late 18th century, and it has long been carefully regulated: From 1989 until 2018, national law prohibited the planting of Robusta beans in favor of higher-quality Arabica; the rule has been rescinded, but the vast majority of coffee produced here remains Arabica. The country has eight unique coffee-growing regions, and many farms, or cafetales, offer tours. Ones to look for include Tio Leo in Guanacaste, Finca Rosa Blanca in Santa Bárbara de Heredia, and Hacienda Doka in Alajuela. Some companies, such as North Fields, go the extra mile and do combined coffee and chocolate tours.
10. Don’t skip urban attractions
Don’t overlook Costa Rica’s cultural attractions. In the capital city, San José, check out the National Theater, an 1,100-seat landmark that opened in 1897 and features lavish decorations, including a mural by Milanese artist Aleardo Villa. Catch a performance by the National Symphonic Orchestra, or take a guided tour (available in both English and Spanish).
Also in San José’s city center is the Mercado Central, a market that originally opened in 1880 and today stretches more than the length of a full city block. It’s home to lots of shops selling keepsakes and lots of great food stalls, called sodas. This is the place to try signature dishes such as gallo pinto (a hearty rice-and-bean-based breakfast), empanadas, and arroz con camarones (fried rice with shrimp). Don’t leave without getting house-made ice cream from the famous Sorbetera de Lolo Mora soda and, of course, a cup of coffee.
This article was originally published in 2023 and was updated in July 2025 with new information.
