Are you planning a trip to Costa Rica?
If you intend on coming to an amazing part of the world like Costa Rica, you’ll need to be ready for each Costa Rica tourist attraction.
So, when planning an adventure in Costa Rica, where, should your compass take you?
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Planning a Trip to Costa Rica
If you are serious about enjoying yourself in Central America, then nations such as Costa Rica can be essential to making that possible.
Many people believe Costa Rica is Safe for travelers and therefore choose to visit Costa Rica over other countries in Central America.
Why Visit Costa Rica?
Known for its tranquil beaches and rare wildlife, in Costa Rica you get to enjoy a far more robust and satisfying experience.
Just some of the reasons to come here include:
- A continuously quality climate, makes it easy to relax and enjoy the sun.
- Costa Rica’s famously friendly people make it easy to feel welcome.
- The country’s Rich biosphere makes coming here very much enjoyable.
So, what reasons should bring you all the way to Costa Rica? Why is it a place you should make a habit of coming and visiting later on?
Planning a Trip to Costa Rica
Now you have more than one good reason to travel here, let us begin to look at some of the best places to visit in Costa Rica!
San Jose
The first place that I recommend you come and check out, is San Jose. A stunning place most of the year, this is a location that I recommend you take the time to look beyond the immediate impression.
It can seem a bit tough and a bit unwelcoming at first, but you will soon see beyond that gruff image.
If you can stay in a place like Casa del Parque you’ll easily meet others to hang out with.
Just always keep your hands in your pockets: like most major cities, some people are not afraid to see what you’ve brought with you.
Manuel Antonio and Quepos
As I mentioned in my places to visit in Central America guide. This amazing national park is one of the best places to come to, with the nearby town of Quepos giving you a fine place to come and stop off.
I recommend you come here as the architecture is amazing in the city, and the beautiful rainforest hillsides make an excellent hiking spot for you to work those leg muscles.
Make sure you’ve got a robust pair of hiking shoes with you if you want to get adventurous.
Overall, though, just be sure to come here with plenty of space for photos: the biodiversity will be enough to make your mouth drop open with sheer amazement!
Puerto Jimenez
This small town might not look like much on arrival, but it is a beautiful place to spend your time if you are ready to do so. Be sure to visit the Corcovado National Park.
This stunning park is one of the most impressive in the whole continent and will ensure you get to enjoy some special views up-close and personal.
However, don’t flaunt wealth too much here; like most of Costa Rica, poverty is rife, so don’t flaunt excessively.
Tortuguero
This national park is one of the best to visit if you’re looking for a way to enjoy the ecological diversity of Costa Rica.
It’s accessible by most forms of transport, so I recommend that you book a bus and come along from San Jose to see it. My friend Greta arrived here via ferry on her 10 days in Costa Rica and had a blast.
Just be sure to listen to any instructions given; most of the areas here are conserved, so tampering with or damaging them could be an issue long-term.
Liberia
A trip to the White City of Costa Rica is a major boon for anyone who wants to see the best of Costa Rica. So, when you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, make sure you come here.
It’s a stunning city and is a fine place to stop off during your travels. You can check out Hospedaje Dodero it’s only 100 metres from the bus station. I recommend stopping off here if you want to spend the day at the beach, too; it probably has the best beaches the country can offer.
- Travel Journals for your Next Adventure
- Facts About Honduras
- Hostels in San Jose
- Party Hostels in Central America
Puerto Viejo
This fun little part of the history of a major place to come and see when planning a trip to Costa Rica.
With things costing more than other countries in Central America, no matter what your budget for Costa Rica is, here in Puerto Viejo you’re bound to have fun without worrying about what you’re spending so much.
There are a lot of things for you to do and see, making sure you can spend time relaxing and seeing the sights. It’s a good place to use for resting at the beach.
Also, be sure to make use of the density of tourist activities; in such a normally spread-out nation, major attractions are often just around the corner from you.
Monteverde
If you are a fan of extreme sports, you will love Monteverde. From ziplining to hiking to extreme sports, you will find that this is a fine place for you to come to spend your time.
It’s a major part of the tourist industry here, though, so you will find that it is often very busy.
If you like to take on more ambitious and robust experiences, though, you will have no problem in coming to a city like Monteverde; the perfect choice for daredevils who are planning a trip to Costa Rica.
Jaco
If you ever intend on coming to Costa Rica, you would do well to come on down to Jaco. It’s a surfing site for many people, who use it as their ideal place to catch some waves and enjoy the top-quality water of Costa Rica.
However, if you are going to come surfing, just be sure to check out the local cuisine and cultural landmarks: there is much more to enjoy here than just going on the sea!
Tamarindo
If you ever intend on planning a trip to Costa Rica, though, make sure you come to Tamarindo.
It’s a fine place to spend your time as it has some of the best seafood that you will ever try in your life. The local cuisine is amazing, including their sushi and their tacos.
For foodies who are on a trip to Central America, you would do well to find food that is better than the seafood that’s served up here!
Samara
For those who enjoy horseback riding, add Samara to your Costa Rica itinerary. Few other parts of the world can be quite so welcoming as Samara, with its amazing horseback riding sessions being a high point.
Hostel Las Mariposas is one of the most popular places to stay with most backpackers being just 50m from the beach.
You can also boot along the beach using an ATV, or you could go surfing.
Basically, if you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, and you want some high-intensity action, you would want to come on down to Samara: a place that can make you feel like an action movie star!
The weather can get hot and sticky so if you can carry some lightweight clothing to prevent you from getting flustered and to protect your skin during the night.
Costa Rica Travel Tips
With every travel guide, I write on layer culture my aim is to give some practical travel tips that you can make use of right away.
Books about Costa Rica
Interested in learning more about Costa and it’s culture? Here are some books that may interest you:
- The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics – An informative, historical journey through Costa Rican culture. The different forms of content (poems + stories) give you a holistic understanding of the culture.
- The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica – A book about Costa Rica, it’s people, their history, their beliefs and why they are the way they are. It is an eye-opener. This book helps you learn what makes Ticos tick and why they are so special in Central America.
- Monkeys Are Made Of Chocolate: Exotic And Unseen Costa Rica – This book is full of engaging stories which are descriptive and tell you more about the real Costa Rica than any guidebook can.
- The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide – One of the best bird books out there. The pictures are well done and are big enough that you can pick out details. If on the lookout for birds this is an outstanding resource.
- Two Weeks in Costa Rica – A good travel book for people who like to read about travel adventure and value a well-written clear narrative.
There you have some great reads if you wish to learn more about the Peruvian culture before you head out on your adventure.
Travel Insurance for Costa Rica
Whenever you are staying in Costa Rica for one week or traveling in Latin America long-term, it’s wise to ensure a reliable insurer covers you.
Planning on staying in one of the many hostels in Costa Rica or even Couchsurfing?
I always recommend backpackers and travelers (no matter who you are) use World Nomads Insurance for fully comprehensive cover.
If you are due to travel soon, you can get a Get A Free Quote by clicking the link or the image above and filling out your details – that way you’ll get instant cover from the exact date that you choose.
On many occasions World Nomads has provided me with reliable insurance cover for travel in Latin America and the rest of the world.
Planning a Trip to Costa Rica
As you can see, with places like Arenal Volcano and the abundance of beaches, there is much to love about taking a trip to Costa Rica.
So as long as you are open-minded about the challenges of the day to come, then you should have all the help that you need to really enjoy the wider experience.
With such a variety of Costa Rica tourist attractions to think about and consider, you might just find that your best chance of enjoying the nation is to be open-minded!
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