Touring in Costa Rica

Compact Costa Rica dazzles with its incredible biodiversity, and landscapes that range from idyllic beaches and mangrove swamps to towering volcanoes and mist-shrouded cloud forest. A holiday here is all about wildlife, and you’ll see everything from tiny tree frogs and brightly-beaked toucans to acrobatic howler monkeys and slumbering sloths. Costa Rica is at the forefront of the eco-tourism movement, and offers a superb choice of low-key accommodation options pioneering the latest sustainable practices.

The diminutive size of the country means that you can pack a lot into an escorted tour, visiting both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, spending time in the cloud forest and exploring national parks such as Manuel Antonio and Tortuguero. Costa Rica is ideally suited to the more adventurous traveller, with activities including rafting, ziplining and hiking on offer, but it’s also very accessible for those who aren’t so mobile, with excellent tourist infrastructure compared to other countries in Central America.

Touring Highlights of Costa Rica

• The fertile region surrounding the dormant Arenal volcano offers superb hiking routes, rejuvenating hot springs and wildlife including sloths and coatis.
  
  The misty Monteverde cloud forest is a unique ecosystem where high levels of moisture allow orchids, epiphytes and bromeliads to flourish. It’s also one of the few places where you can still find all six of Costa Rica’s native cat species, including jaguars, ocelots and pumas.
• Jump in a boat and explore the creeks and lagoons of Tortuguero National Park, an important nesting ground for sea turtles on the Caribbean coast.
• Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the highlights of the Pacific coast, home to some stunning beaches where the rainforest grows right up to the shoreline.
• Costa Rica is an adventurer’s paradise, with a host of adrenaline-pumping activities on offer, including white water rafting, ziplining, hiking, mountain biking, surfing and kayaking through the jungle.