The Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica: A UK Traveller's Guide

Costa Rica packs more into a small space than almost anywhere on earth. It's roughly the size of Wales, yet it holds active volcanoes, cloud forests, two very different coastlines, and around 5% of the planet's wildlife. The upside is that you can see a remarkable amount in a week or two; the catch is choosing where to point your time. These are the places we send UK travellers to most, and why each one earns its spot.

If you're still deciding whether Costa Rica is the right trip at all, our Costa Rica vs Cuba comparison and the guide to whether Costa Rica is safe are good background. Otherwise, read on.

The short version

If you only have a week, the classic first-timer's route is Arenal Volcano for the rainforest-and-hot-springs introduction, Monteverde for the cloud forest, and Manuel Antonio for wildlife on the beach. With longer, add Tortuguero on the Caribbean side or the wild Osa Peninsula in the south, and finish on a Guanacaste or Nicoya beach. The 10-day Costa Rica itinerary shows how these link together.

1. Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna

The country's most popular base, and rightly so. The near-perfect cone of Arenal rises over the town of La Fortuna, surrounded by rainforest, natural hot springs, hanging-bridge trails and the thundering La Fortuna waterfall. It's the easiest place to get a first hit of Costa Rica's nature without straying far from comfortable hotels, and it works for families and couples alike. Two nights is the usual minimum.

2. Monteverde Cloud Forest

A few hours from Arenal, Monteverde sits high in the mountains where the forest disappears into permanent mist. This is the home of the zip-line and the hanging-bridge canopy walk, and one of the best places in the country to spot the resplendent quetzal. Bring a fleece — it's cooler and wetter than the lowlands, which is exactly what makes the ecosystem so unusual.

3. Manuel Antonio National Park

The most accessible wildlife on the Pacific coast: a compact national park where rainforest runs right down to white-sand coves. Sloths, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, and scarlet macaws are common sightings, often a few metres from the path. It's busy by Costa Rican standards, so go early, but few places combine wildlife and a swimmable beach so easily.

4. Tortuguero National Park

Reachable only by boat or small plane, Tortuguero on the northern Caribbean coast is often called Costa Rica's Amazon — a maze of jungle canals you explore by kayak, alive with caimans, river otters and birds. Between July and October it's one of the most important green-turtle nesting beaches in the world. It's a proper adventure, and unlike anywhere else on a standard route.

5. The Osa Peninsula and Corcovado

For travellers who want the wild end of Costa Rica, the remote Osa Peninsula in the deep south is unmatched. National Geographic once called Corcovado National Park the most biologically intense place on earth, and it's one of the last strongholds of tapirs, scarlet macaws and big cats. You trade comfort and convenience for genuine wilderness, which is the whole point.

6. Guanacaste and Tamarindo

The dry north-west is where Costa Rica does the classic beach holiday. Guanacaste has the most reliable sunshine, the widest choice of resorts, and the surf town of Tamarindo as its hub. It's the easiest region for a sun-and-sand stretch at the start or end of a trip, and Liberia airport makes it simple to reach.

7. The Nicoya Peninsula: Santa Teresa and Nosara

Just south, the Nicoya Peninsula is Costa Rica's boho beach heartland — Santa Teresa for surf and sunset bars, Nosara for yoga and wellness, both backed by jungle and far less developed than Guanacaste. This is one of the world's "Blue Zones", where people live unusually long lives, and the slow pace is part of the appeal.

8. Rincón de la Vieja and Río Celeste

If you'd rather skip the crowds, the volcanic north has quieter showpieces. Rincón de la Vieja National Park bubbles with mud pots and fumaroles and offers excellent waterfall hikes, while nearby Río Celeste runs a startling milky turquoise where two rivers meet. Both reward travellers who want active nature without the queues.

9. Puerto Viejo and the Caribbean coast

The southern Caribbean coast feels like a different country — Afro-Caribbean in culture, reggae-paced, and refreshingly low-key. Puerto Viejo and nearby Cahuita have palm-lined beaches, a distinct food scene, and the Cahuita reef for snorkelling. It rains more here and the vibe is laid-back rather than polished, which is exactly why people love it.

How to put it together

You don't need all nine. Most first trips pick three or four and link them at a sensible pace, while two-week trips add a Caribbean leg or the wild south. The regions pair naturally — volcano and cloud forest, then a Pacific beach to finish — and a local driver-guide makes the mountain transfers painless. For the practicalities, see when to go and browse our Costa Rica holidays or the flights from the UK.

Ready to turn this into a trip? See our private Costa Rica Coast to Coast holiday, and time your visit with our Costa Rica wildlife calendar.

Tell us which places are calling and we'll shape the route. Start planning your Costa Rica trip and we'll model it around your time and pace.