Traveling in Costa Rica

 

Visitors enjoy seeing the wildlife and enjoying the beaches at Manuel Antonio National Park. The park has endless stretches of sand and dense forest.

Guided walks are available through the park. Even on your own, you’ll have fun spotting howler monkeys,  squirrel monkey, capuchins, sloths and many different types of birds.

You’ll also enjoy taking a look at the small town of Manuel Antonio. There is a lovely oceanfront beach where you can see soccer games and surfers enjoying the waves. You can wander through the stores on the hillside and relax at the restaurants.

The Arenal Volcano National Park is located in the rugged Cordillera de Tilaran and is one of the top volcano viewing areas in the country. The main attraction here is the Arenal Volcano that reaches 1,633 meters. It was dormant from 1500 AD until a massive eruption occurred on July 29, 1968, killing 82 people and destroying two villages. Ever since there has been regular volcanic activity.

The park is also well-known for its wide range of biodiversity with about half of all Costa Rican birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

The Arenal Observatory Lodge was established in 1987 and is the only lodge within the Arenal Volcano National Park boundaries. It is located on a macadamia nut farm on the south side of the volcano.

From the lodge, visitors can get awesome views of the volcano and Arenal Lake. There are numerous hiking trails which lead to waterfalls or old and recent lava flows.

The Cloud Forests have become popular ecotourism destinations in Costa Rica. Here visitors can see unique plants and wildlife. There are clouds covering the forests that provide moisture. There is also plenty of bird watching to do in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve.

You can see all kinds of mammals and amphibians. There are jaguars, pumas, monkeys and even frogs among others. One of the best ways to see everything is to take an organized hike. There are also canopy tours.

The two main tourist centers are Monteverde and Santa Elena offering accommodation, restaurants, shops and art galleries.

If you’re looking for a tropical backpacker’s haven head for Dominical. You’ll find dirt streets, lovely beaches, cheap accommodation, open-air restaurants and an easy kind of lifestyle. It is loved by surfers. If you prefer you can find small luxury inns and bed and breakfast place on the outskirts or in the hill that overlooks the town. You can see howler monkeys and toucans.

The town is known for its wide stretch of open beach, with shady trees and vendors who set up tables and sell crafts.

Tamarindo on the Nicoya Peninsula is a great place for surfing and relaxing on the beach. This was once a fishing village that turned into a tourist haven. Visitors can find great accommodation and good food. The town stretches along the Tamarindo Beach. For surfers, the biggest waves can be caught in November and December. The area around here is known for its eco-friendly adventures. Some of the activities here include snorkeling, diving, horseback riding, zip-lining and turtle watching. Nearby you’ll find Playa Grande which is one of Costa Rica’s most important nesting grounds for leatherback turtles. In October and March over 100 turtles can be found nesting and laying their eggs overnight.

Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast can be accessed only by boat or plane. This is an important breeding ground for the green sea turtle and turtle watching is one of the top activities here. There are many beaches but they are not suitable for swimming since the currents are rough and strong. Sharks come around too. There are hiking trails and you can take boat rides along the canals. Visitors enjoy seeing the monkeys, sloths, and kinkajous.

Other wildlife includes peccaries, tapirs, freshwater turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, and toads.

In the far south of Costa Rica, you’ll find the remote Osa Peninsula. This is the place where you can find some of Central America’s best stretches of coastal rainforest. Some of the popular activities are diving, snorkeling, and fishing. Puerto Jimenez is the area’s largest town.

Corcovado National Park was established in 1975 and protects what is looked at as the best remaining stretch of Pacific coastal rainforest in Central America. There is an extensive trail system and visitors enjoy taking long-distance hikes.

The Irazu Volcano is the highest active volcano in Costa Rica at 3,342 meters. The summit of the volcano is a lunar-like landscape with craters. Marked trails lead to the craters.

Braulio Carrillo National Park there are rugged mountains, waterfalls, canyons, dormant volcanoes and virgin rainforest. It is close to the main gateway of Costa Rica and here you can see unique plants and wildlife. There is the Barva Volcano and the Caribbean lowlands. You can see jaguars, pumas, tapirs, sloths, and monkeys. Among bird species, there are the Quetzal the national bird, toucans, and eagles.

The Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is the main attraction in the park. The last time the volcano erupted was in 2011 so the hiking trails to the top are not open. There are plenty of trails that lead to waterfalls and hot spring. You can see tapirs, sloths, monkeys, jaguars, puma, and ocelot.

 

http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/costa-rica-crc.htm

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