The treasure map
Top 10 destinations
1Arenal Volcano Alajuela28°CThe perfect cone above the rainforest, with hanging bridges, a 70-metre waterfall and hot springs for the evening.
2Monteverde Puntarenas20°CWalking through the clouds, among moss, orchids and hummingbirds, with the country's longest ziplines.
3Manuel Antonio Puntarenas30°CSloths and monkeys above white bays: the park with the most animals per metre.
4Tortuguero Limón29°CBy canoe through the canals, and from July to October green turtles on the beach at night.
5Corcovado Puntarenas30°CThe wildest rainforest in Central America: tapirs, macaws and all four kinds of monkey.
6Río Celeste Alajuela27°CA river as blue as paint, with a waterfall in the rainforest of Tenorio volcano.- 7Uvita and Marino Ballena Puntarenas30°CHumpbacks with their calves off the Whale's Tail, from July to October and December to March.
8Tamarindo Guanacaste31°CGuanacaste's most cheerful beach, for your first surf lesson and sunsets over the sea.- 9Santa Teresa Puntarenas31°CWaves, yoga and the country's finest sunsets, at the end of a dirt road.
10Puerto Viejo Limón29°CCaribbean and laid back, with palm beaches, reggae and sloths; at its best in September and October.
Destination of November
Puerto Viejo, Limón
29°C by day in November
Caribbean and laid back, with palm beaches, reggae and sloths; at its best in September and October.
Fly-drive tours from Amsterdam
10 days · ± 600 km · SJO → SJO
Pura vida in 10 days
Arenal volcano, the Monteverde cloud forest and the monkeys of Manuel Antonio: the best of Costa Rica in ten days, with short drives.
from €1,850 a person
15 days · ± 900 km · SJO → SJO
The classic in 15 days
By boat to Tortuguero, then Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the whales of Uvita: the tour nearly everyone takes, without the rush.
from €2,450 a person
16 days · ± 800 km · LIR → SJO
North to south in 16 days
Land at Liberia, drive south past the volcanoes and fly home from San José: Rincón de la Vieja, Río Celeste, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and Uvita.
from €2,400 a person
12 days · ± 300 km · LIR → LIR
Guanacaste and Nicoya beaches
A volcano to begin with, then three beaches along the Nicoya coast: Tamarindo, Nosara and Sámara. Sun, surf and turtles.
from €2,100 a person
12 days · ± 700 km · SJO → SJO
The Caribbean coast
Rafting at Turrialba, canals and turtles at Tortuguero, then reggae and palm beaches at Cahuita and Puerto Viejo.
from €2,100 a person
14 days · ± 800 km · SJO → SJO
Osa and Corcovado
Quetzals in the mountains, whales at Uvita, then by boat to Drake Bay for Corcovado and Caño Island. Costa Rica at its wildest.
from €2,600 a person