If you are a nature lover and explorer than Costa Rica is the place for you. Venture into the rainforest, climb up volcanos, or relax on the beach in Costa Rica. The country offers beautiful scenery and constant warm weather. Here are our top five places to visit in Costa Rica.
Beaches
How about lying back on white sand and listening to the sound of the waves
on your average Saturday afternoon? Costa Rica has amazing beaches. Some of the most popular beach destinations are Manuel Antonio Beach, Santa Teresa, and Malpais Beach. A couple beaches that are less frequented are Conchal Beach and Nacascolo Beach. There are also great surfing beaches, such as Tamarindo Beach and Nosara Beach.
Volcanos Galore
Costa Rica is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Central America Volcanic Arc. There are 200 volcanic formations with half classified as active! The Arenal Volcano is one of the most famous volcanos in Costa Rica. It has been inactive since 2010, but you can still explore the national park. The park is also home to La Fortuna Waterfall! Another volcano to check out is the Irazú Volcano. Irazú is one of the only volcanos that you can drive all the way to the top. It is still considered active, but the main eruptions occurred in the 1960s.
Mangrove Forest of Sierpe Terraba
Exploring the mangrove forest is an experience of a lifetime. A mangrove is a small tree or scrub that grows in brackish waters and plays a huge role in protecting the coastline from erosion. The Sierpe Terraba mangrove forest is the place to visit to see the mangroves as well as a variety of animals native to Costa Rica. In the forest, you can find crabs, caimans, crocodiles, boas, tree frogs, river turtles, iguanas, white-faced capuchin monkeys, and an immense variety of birds. If you would like to learn about the wildlife, a professional naturalist can guide you through the rainforest and teach you about all the species.
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Whale Watching Excursion
Costa Rica is an animal lover’s paradise, but seeing giant whales will be the ultimate experience. Humpback whales migrate to Costa Rica from Antarctica between December and April. Killer and pilot whales are also seen inhabiting the waters. The Marino Ballena National Park has whale-watching tours where you can see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. These tours are a perfect way to spend an afternoon in Costa Rica. Since the whales migrate to Costa Rica every year, you are bound to see a couple of these gigantic creatures.
View from above
Seeing Costa Rica from the ground is beautiful, but seeing it from the sky is something you cannot miss! There are two ways to view the beautiful landscape from the sky. One way is to take a hot air balloon around the country. From the sky, you will be able to see the volcanos, wildlife, towns, beaches, and valleys. Serendipity and Centaura are two companies that will expertly lift you into the air at sunrise and take you around the beauty landscape.
The other way to see the amazing views is a helicopter ride. At HeliJet Aviation, you can pick the route with your favorite aspects of the country such as volcanos, coastal areas, rainforests, or cities. You can also customize your flight. What better way to explore Costa Rica than from the sky!
If you want to more information about Costa Rica, check out our our blog about things to know before moving to Costa Rica!
