There are so many amazing places to visit in the world, and to make sure that Costa Rica is on your bucket list I am sharing 10 reasons to visit Costa Rica.
1. Volcanoes
Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, and a lot of that is attributed to volcanoes. To be considered active, a volcano must have erupted at least once in the last 10,000 years. Otherwise, a volcano can be dormant or extinct. In Costa Rica there are active volcanoes like Turrialba, Poás, Rincon de la Vieja, El Arenal, Tenorio, Miravalles, and Irazú. Why are volcanoes interesting to visit? Every volcano is very different but is impressive to see and they have such much flora and fauna around that just being nearby a volcano is worth the visit. For example, when you visit Arenal, you can stop by the Arenal waterfall which is very pretty and Tenorio has the Rio Celeste. If you would like to learn more about volcanoes, check our blog ‘Can you visit volcanoes in Costa Rica?
2. The rainforest
Costa Rica is famous for its rainforests and their protection. There are different types of rainforests that you can visit, each of which has its own unique flora and fauna. A beautiful lowland rainforest to visit is Corcovado, the famous high land rainforest is Monteverde. In a cloud forest, it doesn’t rain as much as it does in other types of rain forest. Altitude also plays an important role, as does humidity. Sometimes people ask us if these national parks don’t get busy as they are famous, but the thing is that there are so many different access points for example in Monteverde and so many tour options that it never gets really crowded. Except for Manuel Antonio, for that reason, we advise visiting for example Baru and Marino Ballena National Park instead.
3. Adventure
I always say that simply traveling or driving through Costa Rica is already an adventure. However, if you are a real adrenaline junkie or simply want more action then Costa Rica has tons of options. For example white water rafting, bungee jumping, canyoneering, surfing, paddle boarding. However, if you want to adventure with a little bit less adrenaline you can do things like walking over the treetops via the hanging bridges in Monteverde and Arenal, horseback riding, or floating on several rivers in the country. It’s often possible to book things at the same time so that members of the family can enjoy the things most suited for their adventure wishes.
4. The animals
So many amazing animals you have a chance to see in Costa Rica, I write ‘chance’ because Costa Rica is not a zoo. We care deeply about the well-being of the animals so there are no fences in the forest. You must be willing to get up early, which is easy in Costa Rica, I promise, plus often you will need help from the local tour guide to spot for example a sloth high up in a tree. I have written a few blogs about the amazing animals in Costa Rica, simple click on the links to learn more: Monkeys, Sloths, Birds (tucan, macaw, quetzal, and many many more) Whales & Dolphins, Reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles) and of course Frogs. There are also dogs, cats, horses, but for some reason, some people don’t get so excited about those.
5. The beaches
There are soo many beautiful beaches in Costa Rica that is really hard to find a crowded beach. I would say the beach that gets most crowded as it’s the closest to San José is Jaco. However places like Uvita, Potrero, Nicoya Penisula you will often find yourself on an almost deserted beach. Costa Rica has very strict rules when it comes to the protection of its beaches. No construction is allowed on or close to the beach, the beach is always public so there are no such things as a privately owned hotel beach. Which makes all beaches accessible. One point of caution, not all beaches have lifeguards and the currents can be very strong, so be aware and careful when you go swimming. Ask the staff at your hotel for the guidelines of the specific beach you are planning to visit.
6. The waterfalls
Another beautiful reason to visit is the waterfalls in Costa Rica. For example Rio Celeste Waterfall, La Fortuna Waterfall (under this one you are allowed the swim), La Paz close to the central valley, Nauyaca close to Uvita, LLanos de Cortés, and many more.
Waterfalls will provide you with that perfect vacation selfie, and they are refreshing. You have to be willing to put in the effort because the walk and steps are often a really good workout.
7. The coffee
For the coffee lovers out there Costa Rica is a paradise, not because of any cappuccino or latte style coffee, no, it’s because of the 100% arabica beans. Costa Rica is small and has only limited space to grow coffee, so the government decided years ago that is only allowed to grow the best quality coffee in the country, the arabica bean. That is why when you buy 100% Costa Rican coffee it’s simply delicious.
Another reason why coffee is on this list, it’s because besides drinking coffee are the super interesting coffee and chocolate tours that you can enjoy for example at Café Britt or in Monteverde. It’s so nice to understand the full process of making coffee and chocolate, plus of course the tasting at the end of the tour.
8. The golf courses
If you are a golfer then Costa Rica is an amazing destination to combine golf, with nature, beach, and adventure. Some golf clubs in Costa Rica won’t allow people to play if their golf handicap is too high, but other places are great for the more amateur or beginning golfer. If you want to read more about playing golf in Costa Rica, check out the blog post ‘Playing golf in Costa Rica’
9. Eco travel
Costa Rica has received a 2019 Champions of the Earth Award, the highest environmental honor by the UN, for its role in the protection of nature and its commitment to ambitious policies to combat climate change. As travel can have a negative impact on nature protection, the tourism industry in Costa Rica is focused on achieving a positive impact instead. For example, reforestation happening since the opening of Hacienda Baru. (Order their book to learn more about this amazing story). We have many eco-lodges in our portfolio, from very rustic to super luxury. It’s absolutely a reason to choose Costa Rica as your next travel destination. We are also starting to include a carbon footprint reduction in our trips, so we can also be part of helping future generations to enjoy Costa Rica.
10. The food
Costa Rica is not known as the top foodie destination, however, simply by tasting the amazing tropical fruits, you will understand why we added food to this list. Costa Rica’s food is focused on using fresh ingredients, if you want to learn more about Costa Rican cooking and maybe already test out a few recipes at home check out our food blogs. I love cooking these typical dishes that you can find in many Costa Rican restaurants.
Vacation fun for everyone
Sometimes it’s very hard to find a vacation destination that everybody in the family enjoys, you don’t have to worry about that when visiting Costa Rica. As you can see by the long list above with the adventure, animals, natural wonders, beaches, golf and so much more. We can build you a trip with highlights for each member of the family, does not matter what age or interest. Contact us today for more information.
