If you are planning your first trip to Costa Rica, you might also want to check out this post about 21 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Costa Rica

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1. Zip lining through Monteverde cloud forest

The first of the 10 best things to do in Costa Rica is one that no trip to Costa Rica would be complete without – zip lining! That might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Costa Rica, but I’ll tell you why it’s a must. Not only do you get a birds-eye view of the lush green cloud forest, it will also fulfill your adrenaline needs. It’s truly an unforgettable experience! There are plenty of zip lines all over Costa Rica, but the one in Monteverde is the one I’d recommend.

In Monteverde there are a couple of companies offering zip lining, so you’ll have a few options to choose from. The five main ones are:

• Selvatura Park – includes 13 zip lines, Superman and a Tarzan swing
• 100% Aventura Park – includes 10 zip lines (one of which is the longest in Costa Rica), Superman and Tarzan swing
• Sky Trek – includes 7 zip lines, open-air gondola and a vertigo drop
• Extremo Park – includes 16 zip lines, extreme Tarzan swing, giant rappel, Superman and a subterranean zip line. If you want to do bungee jumping, this is the only one that offers it.
• Original Canopy – includes 14 zip lines, 1 vertical descent (repel) and a Tarzan swing

As you can see, all of them are quite similar. I would recommend reading the reviews for each of them and choose based on that. I have done the Original Canopy and Selvatura Park and can recommend both.

2. Surfing

Costa Rica has become a popular surf destination, and understandably so. With favourable surfing conditions year-round, as well as consistent water temperatures around 28°C (82°F), it’s easy to see why surfers are drawn to Costa Rica. From beginner friendly waves to world-class breaks, Costa Rica has waves to suit all types of surfers. Note that surfing is mostly limited to the Pacific coast, with popular destinations including Santa Teresa, Tamarindo and Jacó. If you want to try surfing, Costa Rica is definitely the place for it!

For those looking for laid-back surf lifestyle, Santa Teresa is a must visit! It’s a small town on the Pacific coast, offering amazing surfing conditions for every level and gorgeous sunsets. It’s one of my favourite places in Costa Rica! This is my top choice for a hostel in Santa Teresa.

3. Relax at Tabacón Hot Springs

Situated in the heart of the rainforest, at the base of Arenal Volcano, are the Tabacón Hot Springs. These naturally flowing thermal mineral springs offer a unique blend of nature and relaxation. The lush tropical gardens will make you feel like you’re in another world. It’s pure magic. Spending the day jumping from one hot spring to another, walking through all the greenery and then watching the stars after the sun went down is pure bliss. Visiting Tabacón was certainly one of the highlight of my time in Costa Rica.

It’s not cheap, but in my opinion it’s well worth the price. If you can afford the splurge I’d definitely recommend it! I have visited other hot springs in the Arenal region, and none of them compare to Tabacón. You really get what you pay for.

You can visit the Tabacón Hot Springs as a part of an organized day trip, by purchasing a day pass or if you want to really treat yourself, you can stay at their hotel, the Tabacón Resort.

4. Visit the Arenal Volcano National Park

Arenal Volcano is among the most visited places in Costa Rica and certainly its most well-recognized volcano. It became famous since it erupted consistently from 1968 until 2010, when it returned to a dormant state. Even though you won’t see any lava, the perfectly symmetrical volcano is still very impressive. Hiking through the Arenal Volcano National Park offers amazing views and you’ll be able to walk on top of cooled lava. There is also plenty of wildlife in the park. You can for example expect to see jaguars, deers, racoons, sloths as well as various types of monkeys. It’s also a great area for bird watching, as there are over 850 species of birds found within the park.

5. Walk through Monteverde Hanging Bridges

You can’t list the top 10 things to do in Costa Rica without including the hanging bridges in Monteverde! Wandering through the lush green cloud forest is a unique experience and makes you feel like you’re in a postcard. The cool temperatures in Monteverde, as well as the mist, creates a magical contrast to all the greenery. My top pick would be the hanging bridges tour at Selvatura Park. I’ve done that one two times and it’s amazing. You’ll cross 8 hanging bridges that range from 50-170 meters (150-510 feet) in length. The trail between the bridges is well kept and relatively flat, making it easy to navigate.

6. Visit Rio Celeste

Nestled in the Tenorio Volcano National Park, is Rio Celeste, a waterfall famous for its majestic turquoise blue waters. There are many beautiful waterfalls to be found within Costa Rica, but the teal blue waters you see in Rio Celeste puts it on top of the list. Not too many years ago Rio Celeste was a pretty well kept local secret, but today the Tenorio Volcano National Park is one of the most visited national parks in Costa Rica.

As there are only a certain number of visitors allowed in the park each day, make sure to plan accordingly, especially if you’re visiting in the high season (December-April). The latest you can enter is at 2pm and it closes at 4pm. Keep in mind that he trail can get very muddy so do not attempt to do the hike in flip flops :)))

It’s most common to visit Rio Celeste on a day trip from La Fortuna, which is 1,5 hours drive away. The best way to get there is by renting a car. There is a wide variety of accommodation in La Fortuna for all budgets.

7. Snorkeling

With its extensive roughly 1200km coastline, bordering both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica is a world-class destination for snorkeling. On a good day you can expect to see corals, turtles, starfishes and tropical fishes. The best time for snorkeling is during dry season, as rainfall decreases the visibility. On the Caribbean coast the driest months are September and October, while on the Pacific side the dry season lasts from December through April. Cahuita national park, located in the Caribbean, is home to one of the biggest coral reefs in costa rica. Other popular destination for snorkeling include Isla Tortuga and Tamarindo.

8. Go Sunset Paddle Boarding

What better way to enjoy the sunset than from a paddle board in the ocean. The sunsets on the Pacific coast are amazing, so I’d recommend doing paddle boarding there rather than on the Caribbean side. For example in Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, Santa Teresa or Uvita.

9. Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park

Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park is a must for anyone interested in observing the Costa Rica wildlife. Within the park you have a couple of trails that will lead you through the rainforest. You’re likely to see monkeys, sloths, agoutis, iguanas as well as hundreds of bird species. What’s more, there are two gorgeous beaches in the park, Espadilla Sur Beach and Manuel Antonio Beach.

I would highly recommend getting a guide when you visit the park, as it’s surprisingly hard to spot the animals yourself. The first time I visited I went without a guide, thinking it was completely unnecessary and that I’d easily be able to spot the animals myself. I turned out to be very wrong about that – I only saw a few monkeys out of pure luck, they just happened to be right next to the trail. The second time I went with a guide, and it was a completely different experience. I saw all sorts of animals that I never would have spotted myself.

You can book a guided tour or you can show up at the entrance of the park and there you’ll have the option to hire a guide.

10. Take a trip to Tortuguero National Park

The last of the 10 best things to do in Costa Rica! Tortuguero National Park is the Amazon of Costa Rica. Located on the Caribbean coast, this remote natural paradise is named for the famous sea turtles that come to the area to nest (Tortuguero means place of turtles). The park can only be accessed by a boat or a plane, and the main mode of transportation within the park is via fresh water canals. Floating down the canals with rainforests on both sides might just make you feel like you’re in the Amazon. As you cruise through the waterways you can spot monkeys, parrots, sloths and crocodiles, along with other exotic animals. The area is also home to beautiful dark sand beaches, but due to strong currents and risks of shark attacks, swimming there is not safe.

It’s worth noting that Tortuguero receives frequent rains, so don’t go there expecting to be sunbathing, there are other places better suited for that! Tortuguero is more of an exotic adventure type of place.

When visiting Tortuguero National Park, one option is to stay in Tortuguero, a small village at the heart of the national park. If you’re short on time, you can also do a day trip from San José. For those that want to explore Tortuguero National Park in depth, this all inclusive 3-day tour from San José is worth checking out.

I hope this post inspired you to visit Costa Rica and that these 10 things to do in Costa Rica gave you an idea about the best things to do in this magical country. If you want to get notified when I publish new posts, just click the red bell in the lower right corner, or follow me on Instagram where I usually announce new blog posts :)))

If you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, you might also want to check out:

• 21 Things you must know before visiting Costa Rica
• My trip to Costa Rica
• Mistakes to avoid when backpacking

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With everything going on in the world, I wanted to go somewhere I knew pretty well, since I wasn’t really in the mood to having to figure things out or having to think too much. I just wanted something easy and trouble free. With Costa Rica’s borders being open to tourists for a couple of months already, and direct flights from Spain, it was a pretty easy choice. I spent most of the time in Santa Teresa, which is one of my favourite places on this planet. I also visited Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna.

Getting from Valencia to Costa Rica

I didn’t really believe I was actually going until I actually had the boarding pass in my hand. Up until that moment, I just felt like anything could happen But it all worked out and I landed in San José around 9pm after a 17 hour journey from Valencia, with a layover in Madrid. Since I do not have the ability to fall asleep on airplanes (yes very unfortunate), I was struggling to keep my eyes open when I landed. Luckily it only took about 30 minutes to clear immigration & customs. They check that you have a valid health insurance that meets their requirements, and that you have filled out a health declaration, which is a pretty basic questionnaire that you fill out online. Those are the two requirements to enter Costa Rica at the moment, they don’t require a PCR test to enter. You can see the entry requirements here.

Landing in San José

Normally when I land in Costa Rica, I buy a sim card at the airport and then get an Uber to my hostel. But since my flight didn’t land until 9pm, the stand where they sell the sim cards was closed, and therefore didn’t have internet connection to book an Uber. When you get out of the airport it’s very chaotic and you pretty much have everyone and their grandmother coming up to you asking where you’re going, telling you special price for you my friend, and all that. Another thing I want to mention is that there are people at the airport offering you a ride that aren’t official taxi drivers, so if you end up having to take a taxi, make sure it’s an official one and not just a random person that has a car.

I checked into my hostel and they gave me a private room instead of the shared one I booked – which was just what I needed after a long flight. I always stay at Hostel del Paseo when I’m in San José, I’ve stayed at a few hostels around San José but this one is my favourite. I don’t think anyone goes to Costa Rica to explore San José, but you usually need to stay there at least one night after you arrive and before you leave.

You might also like: How to Choose a Hostel

I fell asleep within minutes and was expecting to sleep until at least 11am since I had been awake for well over 24 hours, but at 7am I was wide awake, thanks to the 7 hour time difference between Spain and Costa Rica I really needed some coffee so I walked to one of my favourite cafés in downtown San José and then walked around for a couple of hours. Basically all my trips to Costa Rica start like this – and I always go the same café (it’s called Spoon) in San José haha It felt so surreal to finally be back, San José always feels like home to me.

Santa Teresa

The following morning I got on a 6am shuttle to Santa Teresa, a surf town on the pacific coast. A true happy place. The journey is about 7 hours, including an hour on the Puntarenas Ferry. After getting off the ferry it’s a very sweaty ride, the tropical climates really starts to kick in Arriving in Santa Teresa was such a surreal feeling. Honestly don’t think I’ve ever been more grateful to be anywhere.
The biggest problem (and probably the only problem) I’ve had with Santa Teresa in the past is that there were no nice hostels. I’ve stayed at many of them and not one was even remotely close to being nice. But this time when I opened up Hostelworld there was a hostel rated 9/10. I thought to myself well that can not be right, no one would rate any of these god awful hostels 9/10. But it turned out that this was a new hostel. It had those jungle vibes, a pool, and just looked really adorable. They even had ice coffees and avo toasts. I was sold. You can check it out here.

After checking in, I really needed something cold so I went out for a smoothie bowl & an ice coffee. Truly one of the top activities in Santa Teresa. And in the world :)))

One of the many things I love about Santa Teresa is that pretty much all the restaurants have these tropical jungle vibe going on, and are either outside, or at least partly outside.

On my way back I stopped at the beach, thinking I’d chill there for a little while. Ended up being a very short visit since I didn’t have any water with me. After almost passing out from the heat, I decided it was time to head back to the hostel.

I don’t know if it was because of the time difference or the fact that the sun comes up around 5.30 – but I woke almost every morning around 6am. Which is extremely out of character for me since normally I can not get up before 8am unless my life depends on it I’m just not a morning person. Unless when I’m in places like Costa Rica, apparently.

There is something really magical about early mornings in Santa Teresa – it’s very quiet and since the sun has just started to come up, the light is kinda misty and magical. The few people that are on the streets are usually going surfing or coming back from surfing.

In the afternoons everyone would head to the beach to watch the sunset. The sunset in Santa Teresa is really an event, and it’s magical. Both wifi and cell phone signal are pretty much non existent in Santa Teresa – so if you haven’t managed to get a hold on someone, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find them at the sunset :)))

We made an effort to try a new restaurant every night, but yet I didn’t get a chance to visit half the restaurants I wanted to try haha Most of them are vegetarian friendly and some were even completely vegan or vegetarian.

Some nights there was a bonfire at the beach or something going on at the hostel – but most nights everyone was passed out by 10pm.

Manuel Antonio // meeting monkeys & chill

My next stop was Manuel Antonio, also on the pacific coast, and one of the most visited place in Costa Rica. I stayed at a hostel in the jungle, where you could expect to see monkeys and sloths any minute. They even had a sign in the kitchen reminding you to not leave any food lying around since the sloths would take it

It’s something about just chilling in the jungle, away from everything, that’s so relaxing. So I loved hanging out at one of the hammocks or in the pool at the hostel. There was about 15 minute walk from the hostel to the next town, Quepos. That sounds like an easy walk, but because of the heat & the humidity, it feels more like a marathon than a short walk. Don’t think that stopped me from going there for my morning coffee though. Here are some photos I took one morning when I went there for coffee.

One of the main attraction in Manuel Antonio is the national park, where you can see a very wide range of animals – that is unless you are dumb enough to not get a guide, which is what we did :))) They ask at the entrance if you want to get a guide, but we kinda just wanted to go at our own pace and didn’t really feel the need to bring a guide along with us. Thinking they would mostly be stopping next to all the different trees and plants and tell us all about it, something we were quite okay with missing out on. But that’s really not what they do – as we found out, it was almost impossible to see any of the animals without a guide. We definitely didn’t see that coming haha – I mean how hard can it be? If there is a monkey or a slot up in the trees, it can’t be that difficult to spot them? But yeah as it turns out, you need to really know where to look and preferably also have a binocular, which the guides of course had :))) So if you go to the Manuel Antonio national park, make sure to get a guide haha, they are more important than you’d think.
I have seen sloths and all sorts of animals in Costa Rica before though, so it wasn’t too disappointing, but would have been fun to see them since that’s mostly what this park is about. We did see a monkey though, only because he was directly in front of us haha.

A part from cute monkeys, the park also has amazing beaches and viewpoints.

Just like in Santa Teresa, and all of the pacific coast really, the sunsets in Manuel Antonio are pretty damn amazing. This is what the view was like from my hostel every night.
I loved just chilling in a hammock and watching the sun go down. Or we would grab a pizza or some drinks. Either way, I never missed the sunset :))

La Fortuna

My last stop was neither on the beach nor was it warm. It was up in the mountains, a small town called La Fortuna. It’s one of the most visited places in Costa Rica, but since there are so many activities in the area but yet it doesn’t get overcrowded with tourists. There are hot springs, zip lining, rain forests, waterfalls, volcano – all the typical Costa Rica activities.

Due to its location, the climate is very different from that in the rest of the country, it’s really its own thing. Rainy days are not uncommon in La Fortuna even during the dry season (december to april/may). This is something I should have known damn well as this was my third time there, but somehow I completely forgot about it so when I arrived it was pouring rain, and I was like ahh yeah that’s right, it rains a lot in La Fortuna :))) It ended up raining two out of the three days I was there. So keep that in mind if you plan to visit. Luckily there was a very cute doggo at my hostel so I could chill with him in the rain. It wasn’t all bad. For whatever reason I didn’t take any photos of the dog, but here are some photos of me & the hostel.

I did mange to visit the volcano in between rain sessions. It wasn’t like a went very far out of my way to visit it though – I literally walked about ten minutes up the street from my hostel to get a slightly better view of it, but mostly I wanted to snap a few photos :))) I didn’t wanna go all the way up to the volcano since it looked like it could start raining any minute, and I wasn’t equipped for rain in any shape or form.

So because of the seemingly never ending rain – I ended up not doing a whole lot. I had planned to visit the Tabacon hot springs, it’s basically hot springs that are a part of a resort hotel, Tabacon, it’s pretty damn expensive to stay there but you can purchase a day pass for a pretty decent price. I’ve been there once before and would definitely recommend it. I’ve also been to Baldi hot springs, which is a cheaper option, so if you’re on a budget it’s a great option. But in my opinion, Tabacon is worth the extra money.

I did do a zip lining tour one afternoon – I think I’ve done one of those every time I’ve been to Costa Rica, it never gets old. You basically zip line through the jungle, so it’s a bit of an adrenaline rush and then there is the added bonus of seeing the jungle from above.

La Fortuna was my last stop before heading back to San José to catch my flight back. In San José I met up with two girls from Iceland and stayed with them my last night. They live in this cute colonial style house with a very pretty backyard, which was a perfect place for our morning coffee :))) As always, I was pretty sad about leaving Costa Rica, but I will probably be back there next year, or maybe earlier.

Will end this post with a couple of photos taken around La Fortuna <3

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