Mountains dominate this country, which has a total area of 19,730 sq. miles or 51,100 km2, representing only 0,03% of all the Planet´s surface. Regardless of its size, Costa Rica seems to contain the entire world within its small compass: several microclimates dispersed all over the country, from cool Swiss mountains to steamy Amazonian lowland jungle. A glance at a map explains why. Costa Rica lies at the threat-thin southern end of the Central American isthmus separating two dramatically disparate continents. It is also a land between two seas: the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. These two are separated by a mountain backbone that is being pushed skyward by awesome tectonic forces that erupt in volcanoes and earthquakes.

Nature lovers describe Costa Rica as the Nirvana or the Garden of Eden. Although it is located on the tropics between 8º and 11º to the north of the Ecuador, the country contains 12 different ecological zones and almost 5% of the Planet´s biodiversity. This jewel of the natural world is, without a doubt, a unique and surprising destiny that any visitor who loves nature and the simple aspects of life, will certainly want to return! 

Costa Rica does not have a specific winter period and the sun shines during all year long. During the day, there are over 12 hours of sunlight (it is dawn by 5am and the sun sets around 6 pm) and this schedule only varies half an hour during the year. In Costa Rica the annual temperatures range between 69,8ºF and 51,8ºF (21ºC a 11ºC) depending on the different regions of the country. It has no summer or winter, only the dry season (from December to April) and the wet season (from May to November) and, depending on the region, there is an enormous variation between the average precipitations. 

 

Several valleys where the main cities and most of the Costa Rican population live, form the Central Valley. The volcanic slopes protect it and its average elevation is 5,000 feet above sea level. The climate is idyllic with average temperatures between  70ºF and 75ºF (20ºC and 25ºC), which contrasts enormously with the warm weather of the coastlands, not only on the Pacific but also on the Caribbean.

Volcán Poas National Park
One of the most incredible volcanoes of this country, with an elevation of 8,871 feet above sea level (2,704 m) From its summit you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Park has 13,838 acres (5,600 hectares), a one mile-wide caldera and the rest of the area is covered by an impressive cloud forest surrounding the volcano. From the summit, you can easily see the main crater with its fumaroles and boiling pools in activity. The average annual temperature here is 57,2ºF or 14ºC.

Braulio Carrillo National Park
Rugged to the point of being almost impenetrable, this 108,970-acre or 44,100-hectare park is considered one of the Costa Rican natural jewels. Less than a 40-minute drive from San Jose, this park contains 5 different Holdrige Life Zones, ranging from windswept cloud forest at higher elevations to lowland rain forest in the soggy Northern Lowlands barely 100 feet above sea level. Hiking the rugged trails is a guaranteed way of seeing wildlife including more than 500 species of birds, from quetzals to toucans and almost 150 mammal species, including jaguars, peccaries, pumas, monkeys and agoutis, as well as one of the most impressive examples of this type of fauna. This park offers a unique opportunity to ride through the forest canopy aboard the “Aerial Tram”.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens
This private reserve offers well-maintained nature trails that lead to a series of waterfalls, walking through the jungle and over the suspension bridges. The trails are easy and you can actually walk behind La Paz Waterfall, without getting wet. This place also offers a butterfly farm and an orchid garden.

Vulcán Irazú National Park
From the summit of this volcano, on a clear day (11,260 feet of 3,432 m) you can take in the view of the shimmering waters of both the Caribbean and the Pacific. This park encompasses 5,705 acres of primary forest including cloud forest. The volcano - whose name means "thunderpoint" and comes from the indigenous word ara-tzu - has two craters. The smaller of the two, Diego de La Haya crater, cradles a mineral-rich lake that changes hue from jade green to bloody red.

Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve
The Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve is a private 2,000-acre reserve ranging from 2,100 to 5,400 feet in elevation. In this incredible reserve, you can find more than 200 species of birds, plus monkeys and cats such as ocelots and even jaguars.

Bosque de Paz Private Reserve
This private natural reserve with 960 acres or 390 hectares is a natural wildlife safeguard due to its mountainous rain-soaked terrain. The existent fauna and flora are in perfect state of conservation and the trails through the lush forest offer an opportunity to spot scores of rare birds, big cats, brocket deer and primates. 

Main Activities and Attractions
- Visit to the San José capital
- Fauna and Flora observation
- Visit to the volcanoes
- Ride on the “Aerial Tram” of the Braulio Carrillo rainforest
- Visit to the “Butterfly Farms”
- Hiking
- River Rafting
- Canopy Tours
- Rappel
- Golf

The wide lowlands of Guatuso, San Carlos and Tortuguero are located in the northern part of this country, next to Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea. The climate in this region is very humid and hot with high temperatures between 69,8ºF and 87,8ºF (21ºC and 31ºC) and without a specific dry season, creating the perfect conditions for a tropical vegetation.

Tortuguero National Park
This 47,000-acre or 19,000-hectare park encompasses diverse wetlands penetrating inland for 9 miles, a 14-mile long section of shorelines which are the Caribbean´s premier nesting site for green turtles, and ocean waters that stretch 18 miles offshore. Tortuguero is also astonishingly rich in wildlife making it an attraction worth seeing. You can only reach this park by either boat or airplane due to the wide-ranging water canals. The boat tours along the Tortuguero canals are one of Costa Rica´s most rewarding journeys, full of natural wildlife. Between the months of February and November the leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles come to lay their eggs. Tortuguero is known though, for being the primary green turtle hatchery on the Caribbean. This is, without a doubt, a unique and unforgettable nature demonstration that should not be missed.

Cahuita National Park
This park covers 2,711 acres or 1,097 hectares and it is nestled between the Caribbean Sea, tropical rain forests, deserted white-sand beaches and coral reefs. The beauty of this region is exceptional and the variety of fauna that can be seen without even leaving the beaches is impressive. White-faced monkeys, black howler monkeys, white-nosed coatis, anteaters and armadillos as well as an enormous variety of birds, is some of the fauna easily seen in this park. You can also see the hawksbill, greens and leatherback turtles on certain times of the year. Ideal place for snorkeling and diving.

Vulcán Arenal National Park
One of Costa Rica´s main attractions, the active Arenal Volcano is a sight not to be missed. Its environs offer soothing hot springs and fabulous hiking on the tropical forest. The volcano has an elevation of 5,389 feet or 1,643 meters and encompasses the 26,690-acre or 10,800-hectare Volcán Arenal National Park. In 1968 a fateful earthquake awakened the slumbering giant. It has simmered ever since and barely a day goes by without a minor eruption. The pyrotechnics show is especially spectacular at nigh when the red hot lava oozes down its steep slopes.

Vulcán Tenório and Rio Celeste National Park
This unexplored region offers incredible views of savannah, montane rain forests and cloud forests. This is a wildlife-rich zone where you can easily spot monkeys, sloths, agoutis, pacas and even ocelots, cougars and jaguars. The incredible Rio Celeste ("Sky Blue River") belongs to this park. This river is named after the amazing blue colour of its waters produced by a chemical reaction when the blending of the volcanic minerals and the river water occurs. Another story tells that when God finished painting the sky, he washed his brush on this river, giving its distinctive colour...

Main Activities and Attractions:
- Fauna an Flora observation
- Green turtle nesting observation in Tortuguero (between February and November)
- Visit to the volcanoes
- Visit to the “Tabacón Hot Springs”
- Hiking trails through the “Hanging Bridges” of Arenal National Park
- Hiking
- River Rafting
- Canopy Tours
- Rappel
- Windsurfing
- Kitesurfing
- White-sand beaches
- Sportfishing
- Snorkeling and Scubadiving
- Surfing
- Boat Tours
- Sea Kayaking

On the Nicoya Peninsula and the Guanacaste plains there is a different climate from the rest of the country. It is the nation´s dry quarters with only a short wet season from August to November with temperatures between 68ºF and 89,6ºF (20ºC and 32ºC). The Tempisque River is the soul of the dry forest´s ecosystem and it flows through this entire region.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Considered the jewel in the crown of cloud forests, its worldwide popularity attracts thousands of visitors a year. This reserve squats upon a plateau 3,500 feet or 1,065 meters above sea level near the crest of the Cordillera de Tilarán. Mists swirl overhead and the alpine climate is a constant interplay of drizzle and warming sunshine. In 1951 U.S. Quakers fled the draft and moved to neutral Costa Rica, settled here and founded the Santa Elena community. They brought with them 50 Jersey cattle and established a cheese-making industry - still the bedrock of the local economy. The Quaker settlers have been at the forefront of conservation of the area, along with the international scientific community. Together in 1972 they founded the reserve in order to protect the watersheds and the unique species for which it provides a habitat. The access is through a narrow, serpentine road in poor conditions. 

Santa Rosa National Park
This 122,350-acre or 49,512-hectare park was the first one to be established in Costa Rica. It boasts an abundance of habitats, 115 species of mammals and more than 250 species of birds. Due to its landscape of dry deciduous forests it is easy to spot its fauna during all year round. This park is one of the best and largest examples of this habitat in this region. Playa Naranjo is within the park and it is where the famous Witche´s Rock is located, one of the best surf spots in the country.

Rincón de la Vieja National Park
The volcano dominates the landscape of northern Guancaste and offers travelers a variety of interesting attractions within the 34,800-acre or 14,080-hectare park. This region is characterized by dry tropical vegetation and also a wide variety of fauna, typical of this region.

Palo Verde National Park
The 32,266-acre or 13,057-hectare park encompasses 15 distinct habitats from mangroves, grassland and scrubland, to tropical dry forest. Due to its location and characteristics, it is advisable to visit it only during the dry season mainly due to the difficulty in crossing the dense vegetation during wet season. A bird haven, this is the perfect place for birdwatching.

Marino Las Baulas National Park
This marine park protects 1,100 acres or 445 hectares of Pacific shoreline and an additional 54,000 acres or 21,850 hectares out to sea, safeguarding environments vital to the endangered leatherback turtle, whose females lay their eggs on Playa Grande. During the cool nights of October to May, preferring full moon, the females arrive to this beach to hatch. Local tours are arranged to watch the awe-inspiring spectacle during a 2-hour ordeal, since they emerge from the ocean, dig their holes in the sand and lay an average of 107 eggs before returning to the sea.

Ostional Wildlife Refuge
One of the most impressive spectacles of the Costa Rican wildlife is seen here at this reserve, in Ostional beach. It is called the "arribada" where tens of thousands of Olive Ridley Turtles congregate offshore then surge ashore on full moon to lay their eggs and offer an incredible sight of the wonders of Nature. Each arribada can occupy an entire week and it takes place between the months of July and December. This 613-acre or 248-hectare refuge protects three critically important nest sites for the Olive Ridley turtles - Playa Ostional, Playa Nosara and Playa Guiones.


Main Activities and Attractions:
- Fauna and Flora observation
- Leatherback turtle nesting observation in Playa Grande (between October and May) and the Olive Ridley in Playa Ostional (between July and December)
- River Floating
- Canopy Tours
- Golf
- Quad Tours
- Extensive beaches
- Sportfishing
- Snorkeling and Scubadiving
- Surfing
- Boat Tours
- Sea Kayaking

It is a region with a wet and rainy climate where it is visible the transition from dry to wet life zones and where the biodiversity emerges from every corner. The tropical forests maintain both the dry and the rainy tropical habitats so there is an enormous variety of biodiversity typical of both ecosystems that are protected in different nature reserves.

Carara National Park
Small it may be, Carara is astoundingly rich in biodiversity as it lies at the meeting point of the dry and wet climatic zones. Carara - a Huetar Native American name meaning "crocodile" - protects the last major stand of transitional forest on the isthmus. With only 11,613 acres or 4,700 hectares the fauna and flora variety is immense and representative species of both ecosystems abound. Walking through the trails, you are almost sure of seeing monkeys, coatis, peccaries, anteaters, wild boars, ocelots and poison-arrow frogs. Birding is especially rewarding: parrots, toucans, the fiery-billed aracari and the scarlet macaw are some of the many bird species that gather around this park.

Manuel António National Park
This park owes its enormous popularity to the concentration of diverse attributes that visitors hope to see in Costa Rica in such a small and easy to access area: white sand beaches, coral reefs and rainforest teeming with wildlife. The 1,685-acre or 682-hectares park is set on a peninsula backed by the Pacific Ocean. All the park trails are in perfect conditions and, due to the concentration of animals, it is easy to spot sloths, the white-faced monkey, the black howler monkey, several species of iguanas, toucans, parrots, scarlet macaws and, with some luck even the spider monkey. In addition, the Pacific Green and Olive Ridley turtle lay their eggs on the park beaches.

Marino Ballena National Park
9 miles or 15 kms of shoreline from Punta Uvita to Punta Piñuela is protected within the Marino Ballena National Park. The park forms a quadrant that extends 10 miles out to sea, encompassing 11,120 acres or 4,500 hectares of inshore ocean. It is named after the Pacific humpback whales that gather here at predictable times to mate and give birth. You can also see Bottlenose and common dolphins all year round. The nation´s largest coral reef is found within the park so the undersea world here is enthralling. Snorkeling and scubadiving are available but snorkelers should beware of the rough seas. Between September and October it is also possible to see the Olive Ridley and the Hawksbill turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

Main Activities and Attractions:
- Fauna and Flora observation
- Observation of several species of dolphins and four species of Pacific whales in the Marino Ballena National Park (whales only between December to April and July to October)
- Canopy Tours
- Golf
- Quad Tours
- Wide deserted beaches
- Sportfishing
- Snorkeling and Scubadiving
- Surfing
- Boat Tours
- Sea Kayaking

This is the rainiest region of Costa Rica (with 4.300 mm. annually) and the hottest, with temperatures that vary between 69,8ºFa and 91,4ºF (21ºC and 33ºC). Known for its lush forests and abundant wildlife, this rain-soaked southwestern part of the country protects the largest stand of primeval rainforest along the Pacific coast of Central America. The difficult accesses have kept large parts of this region untouched, and the Corcovado National Park in the Osa Peninsula is a unique example of this still untouched primary forest.

Corcovado National Park
This mini-Amazon has such incredible appeals that it is worth the discomforts of sodden humidity and rains. From crocodiles in the wetlands to jaguars on the prowl, Corcovado is a treasure well hidden, considered to be one of the best examples of tropical rainforest in the region. The park was established in 1975 to protect 103,259 acres or 41,787 hectares of tropical rainforest in addition to seven other distinct habitats. This lush ecological Eden boasts wildlife in astonishing abundance. Around one-tenth of all mammal species in the Americas live in the park. Corcovado is one of the few places in the country where sightings of jaguars and other big cats are common. The only way to see this park is on foot, exploring along poorly maintained footpaths and without the comfort of a restaurant or a bathroom, but none other will more richly reward the investment thus spent. 

Chirripó National Park
In the indigenous dialect, Chirripó means "Land of Eternal Waters". This impressive national park is known for its high levels of rainfall (between 3,500 and 5,000 mm. annually) and extreme temperatures between 51,8ºF and 82,4ºF (11º to 28º C). The "Cerro Chirripó" is the highest peak of all Costa Rica and it reaches 12,530 feet or 3,820 meters above sea level. Within the park, there are several life zones and it is possible to see an enormous variety of fauna and flora. The best time of the year to visit the park is from December to May, during the dry season.

Main Activities and Attractions:
- Fauna and Flora observation
- Turtle observation
- Hiking
- Canopy Tours
- Wild deserted beaches
- Sportfishing
- Snorkeling and Scubadiving
- Surfing
- Boat Tours
- Sea Kayaking