Costa
Rica - What to Do
Costa Rica has an abundance of warm
weather activities and vacation things to do. Try your hand at white water
rafting on our wild and scenic rivers. Or, if you prefer, try river kayaking or
ocean kayaking. Whatever class of river you want to run, you'll find it here in
Costa Rica.
ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK:
Famous for its
nighttime lava fireworks, Arenal Volcano towers above a lovely lake of the same
name. The area has plenty of natural activities, eco-adventures, and the lake
is particularly popular with fishermen and
windsurfers.
MONTEVERDE:
The 10,526-hectare/26,000-acre
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, nestled in moisture-filled hanging clouds,
provides a home to thousands of species of plants, animals and insects. It
offers a unique opportunity to experience, up close, the beauty of nature
unspoiled – the reason we all come to Costa Rica. See page 208. If you
can’t make it here, try the Los Angeles Cloud Forest or
Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte Cloud Forest.
MANUEL ANTONIO:
Manuel Antonio National Park has three white sandy connecting beaches
and a forest filled with a variety of monkeys. It sits at the base of a
mountain on a peninsula that eagerly stretches out to greet the Pacific Ocean
beyond and boasts magnificent flora and fauna, as well as fantastic views both
in and out of the park.
TORTUGUERO:
Bordered by the Caribbean
Sea, Tortuguero National Park contains an incredible network of navigable
canals, and boats are the only way to get around. Mangrove forests that edge
the canals are the place to look for wildlife. The park’s 37 km/23 miles
of beaches are protected nesting grounds for the green sea turtle. In season
(July to October), you can accompany a guide to the beaches at night and watch
turtles lay their eggs. It is a memorable experience. Other seasons offer
plenty of non-turtle related nature sightseeing.
WHITEWATER RAFTING:
Costa
Rica is famous for its whitewater river raft trips through the rain forest.
Rafting is one of the best ways to spend a day. You can even opt for an
overnight trip with a stay in a riverside lodge deep in the rain forest. Our
favorite ride is on the Pacuare River, where you are rushed through primary and
secondary forests and an impressively deep gorge. The Class III and IV rapids
will thrill experienced rafters. Safety-oriented professional guides provide a
trip well suited for everyone from Grandma to Junior. Exciting, exhilarating,
and intoxicating. Other regional rivers also offer challenging rides.
CANOPY TOURS:
Most of the rainforest’s life dwells in
the canopy, high above ground. Consequently, there are a large number of
“canopy tours” offered. Most are geared to having a wild ride rather
than studying wildlife – but what fun it is. In the popular and ubiquitous
versions you slide from tree platform to tree platform, safely attached in a
harness, on a thick cable. It is thrilling to zip across the forest like a
high-tech Tarzan, and kids love it.
IRAZU VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK:
The 11,260-foot-tall Irazú Volcano is the highest in Costa Rica
and still considered active, even though its last major eruption was on March
19, 1963, the day that President John F. Kennedy arrived in Costa Rica. Today,
a few puffs of steam and smoke are the most activity you’re likely to see.
To get here you’ll cross a wide expanse of dark gray barren land
resembling a moonscape. At the rim, the sight of the crater filled with
pea-green sulfur-laden water – surrounded by a rugged rocky cliff face
– leaves one breathless.
POAS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK:
A
long, panoramic, twisting road wends its way through fertile farmland and
forest stands, leading up the mountainside to the Poás Volcano. Its
crater, filled with turquoise water, is over a mile across and is said to be
the second-largest active volcano crater in the world. Occasionally, the crater
still boils and shoots steam geysers. Poás Volcano is situated in a
protected national park of the same name that offers visitors an information
center, a colorful slide show about the volcano, and is the starting point for
several well-marked trails around the moonscape crater’s rim.
CAHUITA:
Cahuita is laid back and friendly, a place to rest
and rejuvenate during the day – and the hot spot for dancing at night. It
contains two inviting beaches, one white and one black. Cahuita National Park
offers it all – camping, biking, hiking, snorkeling, and more – and
is guarded from the treetops by vociferous howler monkeys.
NATIONAL
THEATER & GOLD MUSEUM:
Right in the heart of San José,
alongside the Plaza de la Cultura, is the imposing National Theater (right).
Designed by Belgian architects and decorated by Italian artists, the 1,000-seat
stone and metal structure offers performances by the world’s most famous
of artists. Don’t miss seeing its fabulous gold gilt interior and be sure
to have afternoon tea in the theater’s café.
BEACHES,
RIVERS, WATER EVERYWHERE!:
plethora of beaches await you on the
Caribbean and Pacific Ocean coasts of Costa Rica. They come in a variety of
colors with sands that run from white to black and textures ranging from powder
soft to coarse and gritty. Public beaches, isolated beaches, great surfing
beaches, laze-around beaches – whatever you prefer, it’s there. If
sand between your toes is not your style, then swim
FISHING:
A growing number of qualified operators offer competitive, world-class
sport-fishing charters on both coasts. In the Pacific, marlin, sailfish, tuna
and dorado lure the enthusiastic angler. In the turquoise waters of the
Caribbean, at the mouth of the Barra del Colorado in particular, tarpon and
snook are yours for the catching (and releasing). The beautiful 35-km-long
(22-mile) Arenal Lake contains freshwater rainbow bass (guapote). In their
eagerness to get hooked, they will practically pull you into the water. In the
mountains, a short drive from San José, you will find fishing locations
for trout and other freshwater species.
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