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So you have decided you would like to travel to Costa Rica but do not know where or how to start? Here is a blueprint on what the country offers and a guide on how to make the most out of your visit to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a country that offers a wide array of choice s for nature fan s, adventure enthusiasts and beach connoisseurs. Let’s break down topic by topic and how to approach each.

BEACHES: Costa Rica has seashore on both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.The Caribbean Coast and the Pacific shoreline which we divide into North Pacific, Central Pacific and South Pacific.

The Caribbean Coast: located in the state of Limon we find the main area of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita with its Afro-Caribbean culture and a relaxed atmosphere. The Caribbean coastline offers a great alternative during April through November, what the Costa Ricans consider the “ green season”.

The Pacific Coast:

• North Pacific includes beautiful beaches such as Papagayo Bay (with plenty of large resort type accommodations); the area of Tamarindo,  Pinilla, Flamingo, Conchal which stand out as very popular destinations including Playa Grande where tourists flock during the whole year to observe the turtles hatching; and ultimately Samara, Nosara and Islita on the Nicoya Peninsula with incredibly beautiful shores.
• Central Pacific has very popular luxury hotels such as Marriott Los Sueños and Villa Caletas, with average beaches and few outstanding features. The area that does stand out in this region includes the Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos which offer an active nightlife along with highly populated beaches.
• South Pacific we find Dominical, Golfo Dulce and the Peninsula de Osa. Due to the distance from San Jose (5-7 hrs) this area is less traveled and still offers pristine, untouched areas.

NATURE: we find plenty of National Parks all with different ecosystems, flora and fauna. Biodiversity in Costa Rica is abundant and unique.Birdwatching offers over 800 species of birds and park wildlife includes: sloths, tapirs, a variety of monkeys and occasional big cats among others.

• Caribbean: Tortuguero National Park is humid and hot! Jungle lodges abound. This area is known as the “Amazon of Costa Rica” because it resembles Peru and Brazil’s Amazon area and its lodging alternatives. The Cahuita National Park has the largest system of coral reefs. Fishing is very popular.
• Northern Zone: this area hosts the very popular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Nature lovers and birdwatchers nirvana, this destination has developed into the perfect adventure/nature combination.
• North Pacific: Rincon de la Vieja National Park (inland) usually combined with Guanacaste Beach experience due to the proximity; it offers a fantastic nature alternative for those seeking to visit as much as possible within a short period of time. Marino Las Baulas (coast) is where we find Playa Grande and the turtle hatching coastline.  Finally, the Ostional Wildlife Reserve (coast) great for turtle watching as well as for Dolphin and Whale watching tours.
• Central Pacific: here we find the Carara National Park (inland) with many nature and adventure alternatives. The Manuel Antonio National Park (coast) has incredible views and fauna observation opportunities. Its main advantage is the possibility of combining nature and beach within this beautiful spot. In addition, the distance from San Jose is approximately 4.5 hours making it very accessible.
• South Pacific: a bit farther away we find the Marino Ballena National Park (coast) with incredible marine wildlife opportunities. Finally we find the Corcovado National Park (coast) which is considered a MUST for nature experts and recommended by Natinonal Geographic. If you are a nature lover, it does not get any better than this!

WILDLIFE OBSERVATION: The Turtle Observation activity deserve s a paragraph of its own. When is it a good time to undertake this activity?

North Pacific:

• November to April: you can see the Leatherbacks at Playa Grande and Playa Langosta in the Marino Las Baulas National Park.
• July to December: Ostional National Park for the Leatherbacks and the Olive Ridley turtles.

South Pacific:

• June to October: observe the Hawksbill Sea Turtles at the Corcovado National Park.

Caribbean:

• July to September: you can see Green Sea Turtles, Loggerheads and Leatherbacks.

Another big wildlife activity to do in Costa Rica is the observation of Marine Wildlife. Good areas to do this are the North and South Pacific followed by the Caribbean Coast. Dolphin and Whale watching tours (including sightings of Killer Whales) provide optimum results between July and December.

VOLCANOES: One major attraction for visitors is the array of Volcanoes Costa Rica has.With about 122 volcanoes, Costa Rica has much to offer in this front but two especially deserve to be mentioned: the Peas Volcano which has a crater of 1.5 kms making it the second widest crater worldwide, and the Arenal Volcano which has become the most popular Volcano in the country. Tourists flock to see the spectacle of this mountain of fire spitting lava in the dark. During the day, the destination offers all sorts for nature and adventure options to choose from. Other volcanoes include the Barba, the Riau, the Rincon de la Vieja and the Turrialba among others.

ADVENTURE: everywhere! But to summarize it in an orderly manner:

• Arenal: Canopy, Hiking, Canoeing, Water Rappelling, Horseback riding, ATV, Hanging Bridges, Sky Tram & Sky Trek, White Water Rafting and one hour away, you find one of the few arqueological sites, the Venado Caves.
• Monteverde: Zip lines, Sky Tram, Horseback riding, ATV, Canopy Tours, Hanging Bridges and Hiking options.
• Sarapiqui: Wet forest hiking, Night Wildlife observation tours (ex: Bat tours), Rappelling, Canopy and White water rafting.
• Turrialba: offers the top Whitewater Rafting adventure in the country– the Pacuare Lodge. You enter and exit the lodge rafting! Here you can take 2 or 3 day packages and stay in this superb lodge which offers plenty of activities. Apart from the Pacuare River water adventures, you can find Turrialba Volcano Hiking activities as well as some pretty good Hiking and Canyoning tours.
• Rincon de la Vieja: Canopy, Rappelling, Horseback Riding, and visit to the Volcano and Waterfalls.
• Tamarindo: ATV, Canopy, Horseback Riding, Whitewater Rafting, Canopy, Diving, Snorkeling, Sailing, and Sea Kayaking Tours.
• Nosara/ Samara: Snorkeling, Turtle Observation, Dolphin Sightseeing and Mangrove tours.

 And the list goes on.

To make the most out of your Costa Rica Vacation, you can contact a Costa Rica Travel Agent that works with packages that can be customized to your specific needs.