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Volcan Arenal, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

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Things to see and do in Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica’s most active volcano, Arenal erupts on average 41 times a day. Obviously, you can’t climb it, but visitors flock here for the night views. When the sky is clear, the views of the lava eruptions and flows are absolutely spectacular.

Centro Neotrópico Sapapiquí

Learn something about Costa Rica's neglected contemporary indigenous cultures at the Centro Neotrópico Sapapiquí (www.sarapiquis.org), in the Northern Lowlands. This superb museums honours the various tribes and exhibits examples of their pottery, bows and arrows, clothing and other artefacts, and shows a fascinating video.

Cultural San Jose

Costa Rica’s capital is busy and bustling, and full of colour and life. It is also hot and sticky, with none of the coastal breeze or the highland fresh air. It holds half the country’s population, and so is the place to go to see Costa Rican life. The markets are excellent – the food markets in particular; check out Mercado Central – and the country’s top restaurants are here.

You can find a mixture of traditional and modern Spanish architecture in the capital. Places of interest include the Teatro Nacional (www.teatronacional.go.cr), the Legislative Assembly building and the Catedral Metropolitana. The National Museum (www.museocostarica.go.cr) and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold (www.museosdelbancocentral.org) are also worth a visit.

Fishing

Wrestle a marlin in the Pacific coast, which offers excellent sport fishing from Gulf of Papagayo to Golfito. Sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo are among the catches. The Tortuguero Canals and the area around Barra del Colorado offer world-class battles with tarpon.

Isla Tortuga

Cruise aboard the Calypso catamaran to Isla Tortuga (www.calypsocruises.com). This day-long excursion makes for a relaxing and enjoyable day from Puntarenas. This gorgeous island is rimmed with palm-shaded white sands shelving into turquoise waters, good for snorkelling. Watersports are offered, and a traditional beach barbecue rounds out the day.

Lake Arenal

Whizz across the waters of Lake Arenal, one of the world's top windsurfing spots. Situated at 5,580ft (1,700m) above sea level, the lake offers its best windsurfing between April and December.

Liberia

Wander the historic centre of Liberia, which is home to the most typical colonial-era architecture in the nation. Most important buildings are concentrated along and around Calle Real, one block east of the main plaza.

Monteverde Cloud Forest

One of Costa Rica’s main attractions, Monte Verde Cloud Forest is cool and damp, and here you can see some of the most diverse wildlife in the world. It holds over 400 types of birds including the rare and beautiful quetzal. Get a guide – it’s not to be missed.

Montezuma

One of the southern Nicoya peninsula’s most bohemian areas, Montezuma is a minor mission to get to, but once you’re here you might not leave. The beaches are glorious and excellent for surfing – careful of the current – and there’s quite a hippy ex-pat population around.

Osa Peninsula

Hard to get to by land, but worth it: the Osa peninsula is reckoned to be one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica and over half the species in the country can be found here. The main city is Puerto Jimenez and the Corcovado National Park in this region is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth.

Quetzal

Seek out a quetzal, the Holy Grail of Costa Rica's tropical birds, and considered the most beautiful bird in the Neotropics. The most popular place to see them is in the green haven of the Monteverde Biological Cloud Preserve.

San Jose's parks

Relax in San José's numerous parks (www.sinaccr.net), including Parque Nacional, Parque Central and Parque Morazán. Avoid them at night, however. Tree-shaded Parque Nacional is the most interesting for its national monument, various busts and statues.

Santa Elena

This little town right next to Monteverde Cloud Forest is a good base for the many forest-type activities that are so popular here. One of the best is canopy walking, moving through the cloud forest on a series of rope bridges and platforms high above the ground, coming face to face with the wildlife and affording great views.

Tortuguero National Park

Explore Tortuguero National Park by boat to admire the rainforest. The various levels of soaring forest ecosystem are easily identified from the canals, and a guide can explain the ecology of each level and the various common species, including sloths and monkeys.

Trekking

Trek to the summit of Cerro Chirripó. It is easily done with advance reservations through the national park office. All you need is stamina and the proper hiking gear. After a night in a lodge near the summit, trekkers are up before dawn to reach the summit before the clouds.

Turtle spotting

Witness marine turtles laying their eggs in soft sands along both Caribbean and Pacific shores. Strict rules are enforced when viewing hawksbill, green, loggerhead, Ridley and leatherback turtles, which lay at predictable times of year. Tortuguero National Park is one of the best places.

Visit the coffee plantations

One of Costa Rica’s main exports is coffee, and you can visit the plantations. Book yourself on a tour in the nearby University town of Heredia and you can learn about the coffee produced here, or stay on a farm within the plantations.

Volcanoes

Drive to the summit of smouldering Poás volcano, which has the country's only dwarf cloud-forest. You can also drive to the top of Irazú volcano, offering fantastic views over the Caribbean and Pacific on clear days. Both national parks have hiking trails, although be sure to stick to official trails and keep away from the crater edge.

Whale watching in Drake Bay

Down in the Osa Peninsula is Drake Bay, and here is the best place in Costa Rica for seasonal whale-watching. From August through to March, humpback whales migrate from both the north and south through Drake Bay, along with bottlenose and spotted dolphins. Drake Bay has the longest humpback whale season in the world.

White-water rafting

Be thrilled by a white-water raft trip. Two of the country's best rivers for rafting are the Reventazón (class III) and Pacuare (class IV). The best times to go are from May to November.

Zipline canopy tour

Be Tarzan for a day. Harness up and swing through the rainforest on a canopying ecotour, enjoying the up-close view of tree-dwelling wildlife including monkeys and birds. Tours are available in several locations, including Rincón de la Vieja national park.

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