Costa Rica travel sights and activities are diverse and abundant. There's a travel sight for every type of traveler and for nearly every type of interest.

Costa Rica's top travel sights and activities have been listed by geographic region below.

Costa Rica Sights — Pacific Coast & Northern & Costa Rica are listed below:

Central Pacific Coast

• Crocodile riverboat trip: A riverboat cruise where visitors will see crocodiles on the Rio Tarcoles and view a spectacular number of birds.
• Carara National Park: An easily accessible national park, this area borders on moist and dry topical ecosystems and provides a great chance to see macaws, monkeys, and sloths.
• Rainmaker Conservation Project: Elevated boardwalks in the sky lead visitors through the forest canopy of a private reserve.
• Manuel Antonio National Park: A popular and well-visited rainforest reserve, this park offers wildlife, nature trails and beautiful beaches.
• Baru National Wildlife Refuge: Spanning numerous ecosystems including mangroves and montane rainforest, this reserve is rich in wildlife.
• Parque Reptilandia: A reptile zoo that offer dozens of snake species from around the world. This is an great place for reptile lovers.
• Marino Ballena National Park: Whale watching in the park of the same name is near Uvita and best during the birthing season.

Peninsula de Nicoya

• Guaitil: Witness ceramics being crafted in an age-old fashion at this charming village.
• Tempisque Safari Ecological Adventure: This is a wilderness rescue center and zoo and is Costa Rica's finest. A visit to this sight includes a boat tour on the river.
• Santa Teresa and Malpais: A great place to surf and worship the sun. These quiet and off-the-beaten path destinations are popular with surfers.
• Isla Tortuga: A little island off southeast Nicoya, there are stunning teaches, lovely nature trails, warm turquoise waters and a choice of water-base activities at this destination.
• Cabo Blanco Absolute Wildlife Reserve: Unrivaled for wildlife viewing, this remote reserve is Costa Rica's oldest protected area.
• Playa Grande Marine Turtle National Park: Leatherback turtles come to this beach and lay eggs. Boat trips to look for crocodiles, birds and wildlife are available. This is a premier surf spot.
• Ostional National Wildlife Refuge: This is a site of a unique mass turtle nesting.
• Nosara: A great destination, this town offers beautiful beaches, great surf, abundant wildlife and a good selection of accommodations.

The Golfo Dulce & Osa Peninsula

• Terraba-Sierpe Wetland Reserve: Teeming with wildlife, this 22,000-hectare (54,000-acre) mangrove is an eco-visitors must-see destination.
• Drake Bay: A good base to explore Corcovado National Park, Drake Bay offers a variety of lodges and activities like sport fishing, snorkeling, diving and even a nighttime insect tour.
• Corcovado National Park: A rugged rain forest reserve, this park has an abundance of wildlife that is easily seen, including scarlet macaws, monkeys, snakes, crocodiles, turtles and tapirs.
• Playa Zancudo: A laid-back beach retreat, this magnificent beach is below the estuary of the Rio Coto Colorado and is a fabulous spot to curl up in a hammock and hang out in beachwear.
• Pavones: A surfer's paradise, visitors will find plenty of budget services, including accommodation and food, while relaxing on this beautiful beach.
• Cocos Island National Park: Off-limits to everyone except experienced scuba divers, this is a great place to spot whale sharks, rays and hammerhead sharks.

Southern Costa Rica

• Los Quetzales National Park: Costa Rica's newest national park offers a chance to see quetzals.
• Cloudbridge Nature Reserve: This reserve permits visitors to wander around with one's head in the clouds.
• Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary: A sanctuary and museum on the grounds of a farm that was once home to the great ornithologist, Dr. Alexander Skutch, author of A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica.
• Rio Chirripo Valley: Tucked in the Talamanca mountains, this scenic valley is home to Chirripo National Park where visitors can climb to the summit of Chirripo.
• Durka Biological Reserve: An eco-sensitive commune provides a unique experience for visitors looking to live in a communal lifestyle.
• Las Cruces Biological Station: A reserve and research station, this reserve has miles of nature trails through montane ecosystems offering a chance to see wildlife.
• La Amistad Friendship Park: Shared with Panama, this park is the ultimate rugged, remote mountain terrain. The trails lead into a private cloud forest reserve where visitors can stay at a lodge.

Northwestern Costa Rica

• Monteverde, Cerro Plano and Santa Elena: Popular mountain communities that are famous for their cloud forest reserve and wildlife viewing.
• Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve: This is a truly spectacular biological reserve with nature trails and a fabulous chance to see wildlife.
• Selvatura: Offering a canopy tour and other attractions, this activity center has an insect collection and an outstanding nature display.
• Las Pumas Rescue Center: Wildcats are rescued and rehabilitated here.
• Las Hornillas Volcanic Activity Center: Watch the volcanic activity from this facility and then enjoy a geothermal bath.
• Rincon de la Vieja National Park: This national park highlights trails, mud pools and gorgeous scenery.
• Santa Rosa National Park: The beaches at this park are a surfer's dream destination. This dry forest reserve is off-the-beaten-path but worth the effort.

The Northern Lowlands

• The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge: Visitors can watch raptors and spoonbills in a croc infested swamp area.
• Rio San Juan: A remote spot where visitors can take a boat ride along the river. The boundaries are Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
• Sarapiquis Neotropical Center: A dangling 267m (880 ft) suspension bridge connects the center to Tirimbina Rainforest. This educational center offers a museum of indigenous culture and an archaeological park with nature trails.
• Selva Verde: A dedicated nature lodge that offers instant access to wildlife-rich terrain. This spot is perfect for hiking and canoeing the Rio Sarapiqui.
• Helconia Island: Take a guided tour of this beautifully landscaped botanical garden where smelling fragrant rare blossoms is the primary way to pass the time.

The Caribbean Coast

• Rainforest Aerial Tram: A ride through the rainforest canopy on a tram provides a fabulous introduction to the tropical ecology of the region.
• Tortuguero National Park: Teeming with wildlife, this watery world is an eco-tourists paradise. Everyone gets around by boat at this park. The beach is a prime nesting site for marine turtles, the national park is tops for wildlife viewing and birding.
• Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge: This is an anglers prime destination for catching big fish.
• Cahuita: This small village has a charming character, great beaches, diverse wildlife, and great local cuisine.
• Puerto Viejo: A low-key funky spot, this town is one of the most happenin' spots in Costa Rica.
• Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Reserve: Crocodiles, monkeys, manatees, turtles and more. This reserve is a great destination as it encompasses several ecosystems and can be reached by bike.

San Jose Costa Rica

• Pre-Columbian Gold Museum: A wonderful collection of gold and jade displays of indigenous ornaments and artifacts are housed in this museum.
• Parque Nacional: This is the setting for the Monumento Nacional, a massive monument commemorating the War of 1856. The statue depicts the spirits of the Central American nations defeating the American adventurer William Walker.
• National Theater: A beautiful architectural building, this building was recently restored and gleams.
• Central Market: A great place to buy Tico products, this is an incredible experience of tight-packed stalls and stores. Be sure to guard your wallet.
• Fidel Tristan Jade Museum: A collection of pre-Columbian jade ornamentation is exhibited in displays throughout the facility.
• Barrio Amon: Stroll through this pleasant neighborhood and see some of the few remaining colonial districts in San Jose. This neighborhood has many of the city's mansions and some have been converted into cafes, restaurants, and hotels.

Central Valley & Highlands

• White water rafting: Some of the best white water rafting in the world can be accessed from the Central Valley region.
• Rancho San Miguel: Offering a dramatic display of horsemanship, this stable has night time horse shows.
• La Paz Waterfall Gardens: This is the world's largest butterfly enclosure show casing an aviary, snake and frog exhibits. There are hiking trails, waterfalls and a theme park.
• Poas Volcano National Park: Drive into this national park and park near the summit of this volcano, then walk to the crater rim and enjoy the views.
• Bosque de Paz Rain/Cloud Forest: A rain forest that gets a lot of rain, visitors can view great birds and wildlife in this remote destination.
• Flor de Mayo: A private breeding center for endangered macaws, visitors can book an appointment to visit this facility.
• Zoo Ave: A zoo that offers close-up encounters with animals and birds, this place is great for visitors to see monkeys and big cats.
• Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve: A mountain-crest mist-shrouded forest, this spot is great for sloth, monkey and bird viewing. There are nature trails and a short zipline canopy tour.
• Irazu Volcano National Park: Offering magnificent views from the top, the drive to this volcano is scenic.
• Cafe Britt: Workers dressed in traditional outfits provide theatrical skits about coffee and offer visitors a beverage.
• Las Fiestas de Palmares: A 10-day beer and carnival festival with a parade, fireworks, discotheques, live music, dancers and fried local food, this festival is one of the biggest events in the country.