Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica — Travel Guide

Last Updated on June 21, 2026 by I Love Spanish Club

Costa Rica is Central America’s crown jewel — a tiny country that punches far above its weight when it comes to natural beauty, biodiversity, and sustainable travel. With active volcanoes, pristine rainforests, stunning Pacific and Caribbean beaches, and an extraordinary variety of wildlife, Costa Rica is a dream destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. And the best part? It’s one of the friendliest Spanish-speaking countries in the world for travelers. In this guide you’ll find the best places to visit in Costa Rica. ¡Pura vida! (Pure life — Costa Rica’s famous motto!)

🇨🇷 Quick Facts About Costa Rica

🏙️ 1. San José — A Gateway to Adventure

San José is Costa Rica’s vibrant capital and the main entry point for most travelers. While it may not be the most glamorous capital in Latin America, it has a lot to offer — world-class museums including the Jade Museum (home to the largest pre-Columbian jade collection in the world) and the National Museum, a lively Central Market (Mercado Central) bursting with local food and color, and a thriving café culture. San José is also the perfect base for day trips to surrounding volcanoes, coffee plantations, and cloud forests.

🏖️ 2. Manuel Antonio National Park — Beaches & Wildlife Together

Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s most beloved national parks — and for good reason. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can walk through tropical rainforest in the morning, snorkel in crystal-clear Pacific waters at lunch, and watch scarlet macaws fly overhead in the afternoon. The park is home to white-faced capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloths, squirrel monkeys, iguanas, and hundreds of bird species. The beaches inside the park are among the most beautiful in Central America.

🌋 3. Arenal Volcano — Fire, Hot Springs & Adventure

Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica’s most iconic landmarks — a near-perfect conical volcano rising 1,670 meters from the northern lowlands, surrounded by a lush national park and the stunning Lake Arenal. The area is a paradise for adventure lovers: zip-lining through the cloud forest canopy, white-water rafting on the Sarapiquí River, hanging bridges through the jungle, and soaking in natural hot springs heated by volcanic activity. The Arenal region is also home to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve nearby — one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth.

🐢 4. Tortuguero National Park — The Amazon of Costa Rica

Tortuguero National Park on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast is one of the most wild and magical places in Central America. Accessible only by boat or small plane, the park protects a network of jungle canals, lagoons, and beaches that are the most important nesting ground for green sea turtles in the Western Hemisphere. From July to October, thousands of giant sea turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs — witnessing this is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. The park is also home to manatees, caimans, tapirs, jaguars, and hundreds of bird species.

🌟 More Reasons to Visit Costa Rica

🗣️ Useful Spanish Phrases for Costa Rica