Arenal Volcano above Costa Rica’s green landscape

Costa Rica, let nature set the pace

Costa Rica.
A little wilder.

Cloud forest, river country and a coast worth slowing down for.

Choose your Costa Rica →

Photo: Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons ↗, CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗. Display cropped to fit; archival photographs do not establish current access.

Start here

Find your kind of Costa Rica.

Six first-time highlights.
Six discoveries beyond the main route.

Come for a volcano or a forest by the sea. Stay curious for coffee communities, botanical gardens and the quiet of a highland river valley. Choose a few places, then leave time to enjoy them.

Six first-time highlights

Six discoveries beyond the main route

Different perspectives on Costa Rica, rather than a promise of empty trails. Río Celeste is well known, while the other choices invite a less familiar chapter.

Hotels & places to stay

Choose the right base.

Explore selected hotels and lodges in each destination, with addresses, telephone numbers and links to their own websites. Check the setting carefully, a forest lodge, a town hotel and a boat-access property offer very different stays.

For individuals, families and small groups needing fewer than 15 rooms, contact the property directly. These are selected contacts, not a nationwide hotel database.

Large groups, 15 rooms or more

Ask ATA for low group hotel rates.

We use existing hotel agreements where available and negotiate for your group when needed, backed by over 35 years of group travel experience.

We respond within 48 hours, allowing for time zones worldwide. “Instant” rates do not always give you the lowest rates.
Request low group rates →

Fewer bases, richer days

Leave room for the journey.

Mountain roads, rain and boat connections make distance a poor guide to travel time. These are separate route ideas, not a suggestion to cover all twelve destinations in one holiday.

A first Costa Rica chapter

Start with a cultural day in San José, then choose La Fortuna and Monteverde for contrasting forest landscapes. Allow proper transfer days.

Two Caribbean chapters

Tortuguero needs a boat or flight connection, while Puerto Viejo is reached along the southern coast. Combine them only with a planned transfer and enough nights in each.

A little preparation goes a long way

Make the visit work for you.

Reserve popular national parks through official SINAC services and check each park’s operating days. Private reserves, guides and lodge excursions can need separate bookings.

Pack for your regions, warm layers for the highlands and rain protection throughout. Follow beach and river safety guidance, keep wildlife wild and confirm entry requirements for your nationality before travel.

Costa Rica Tourism Board ↗Tourist information ↗Official SINAC park reservations ↗National park information ↗National Meteorological Institute ↗Entry requirements & current travel advice ↗
Sources & photograph credits

Published October 25, 2026. Official visitor resources and accommodation contacts are linked beside the relevant information. Suggested stays and route combinations are ATA editorial guidance.