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One week Begin in San Jose, with side trips to Manuel Antonio National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Arenal Volcano, plus the central coffee area
Two weeks Head to the Caribbean coast for some beach time, followed by jungle treks and river safaris in Tortuguero National Park
Three weeks Venture south to the Osa peninsula to escape the crowds and experience Costa Rica's most pristine ecosystems
A tight budget Costa Rica's rattly old public buses travel everywhere and are very cheap -- but do note that journey times are long and you'll get to know your neighbours extremely well
At 680 hectares, this may be Costa Rica's most diminutive national park, but its proximity to San Jose makes it handy for wildlife watchers with limited time. Encompassing a varied terrain of beaches, jungle and craggy coastline, it offers a good chance of seeing many of Costa Rica's signature species, including toucans, sloths and capuchin monkeys. Arrive early to avoid the crowds, or better still buy your tickets the day before. It is also Costa Rica's most popular national park, so come in the low season to see it at its best.
Just outside the park, La Vela is a friendly hotel with cheery flamingo murals and a pleasant, palm-shaded pool. Some of the 21 bedrooms come with terraces, and there are suites and family options too.
Manuel Antonio is one of the easier parks to reach from San Jose, so makes the perfect stop on Destination Services' affordable and practical seven-day self-drive tour.
Dominated by the brooding cone of the Arenal Volcano, this verdantly forested national park feels like a set from Jurassic Park. Having lain dormant for centuries, the volcano burst unexpectedly back into life in 1968, and carried on spewing out smoke, lava and ash until 2010, when it fell silent again -- for now. With various signed trails winding among the old lava flows, the area is perfect for a hike: keep your eyes peeled for sloths, howler monkeys and white-faced capuchins as you go. The park is about a three-hour drive northwest of San Jose.
Chic, timber-beamed bungalows, hot tubs and a series of natural pools combine with majestic volcano views at indulgent spot Amor Arenal.
Exodus Adventure Travels' classic eight-day Natural Highlights of Costa Rica route incorporates all the mainstays of the central region, including time spent at Arenal and the nearby adventure hub of La Fortuna. This loop also takes you to Monteverde and Tortuguero.
Cruising the waterways of this coastal park, with its network of rivers and canals, feels like a lost-world adventure. Tangled jungle cloaks the banks right down to the water's edge -- and at dawn or dusk, guided boat safaris go in search of wildlife, from caimans to macaws and night herons. The most memorable experience here is the spectacle of sea turtles laying their eggs on inky-black beaches, and you can do your bit to counter poachers by joining a torchlit night patrol. Tortuguero is on the northeast coast, about four to five hours' drive from San Jose.
Tortuga (Tortoise) Lodge offers river views from its balconies, and has its own private nature reserve to explore.
Read our full review of Tortuga Lodge
Indus Travels' ten-day loop heads up to Tortuguero after a couple of days in San Jose, then circles back via volcanoes, cloud forest and tropical beaches.
Well off the beaten track, this southern peninsula is the place for a properly wild experience. The highlight here is the wildlife-rich Corcovado National Park, one of the country's last remaining lowland rainforests and a refuge for the endangered Baird's tapir, as well as anteaters, crocodiles, scarlet macaws and some of the oldest trees anywhere in Costa Rica. The peninsula is also adventure central: you can dive with sea turtles and manta rays at Caño Island Biological Reserve, or watch whales at Drake Bay.
Costa Rica's original eco-lodge, Lapa Rios, sits on the tip of the Osa peninsula, with luxurious stilt bungalows rising out of primary rainforest.
Adventure travel specialist YellowWood Adventures has a nine-night trip with stops at Corcovado and Caño Island, as well as Drake Bay and Marino Ballena National Park.
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Snaking between the Osa peninsula and the mainland, the remote Golfo Dulce is one of Costa Rica's premier locations for whale-watching. Several types of cetaceans can be found in the gulf, including bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins, orcas, false killer whales and humpbacks. September is peak whale-watching time, as the creatures migrate here in the winter to calf in the calm waters.
Cielo (Sky) Lodge lives up to its name. Its bedrooms come with terraces and hammocks that perch above the forest, offering fabulous views out to the coast.
Exodus Adventure Travels' premium 15-day Coastal Secrets tour takes in both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts: coral reefs in Cahuita, snorkelling near Caño Island, whales in Drake Bay and more.
Balmy, laid-back and dotted with surf towns, Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is the place to go to spend a few lazy days on the sand. There are scores of beaches to discover here -- some busy and well-known, others secret and secluded -- meaning it's easy to top up your tan or catch a wave. The surf haven towns of Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Manzanillo make fun bases.
Outside Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Banana Azul offers cabins, villas and sumptuous suites, as well as a fabulous treetop hideaway. There's a lovely tropical garden, and it's steps from Playa Negra.
Bamba Travel's eight-day Nature Explorer tour offers surfing, snorkelling and beach time in Puerto Viejo, followed by rainforest walks, canyoning and wildlife watching in Arenal and La Fortuna.
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Costa Rica's rich soil and tropical climate are ideal for coffee growing. This central valley southeast of San Jose is home to some of Costa Rica's top coffee plantations, including Finca Cristina, an organic farm that's been in business since 1977. Take an in-depth tour to learn about the cultivation and roasting of its arabica beans, and of course taste the goods. It makes a good day-trip from San Jose.
Rio Perlas is a hillside resort in the Orosi Valley near Cartago. It has a good choice of rooms and suites, and a spa with natural hot springs to relax in.
Visit the Orosi Valley, Irazu Volcano and San Jose on Destiny Travel Costa Rica's affordable five-day tour.
Four hours due west of San Jose, Nicoya is Costa Rica in a nutshell. There are beaches galore -- from famous Playa Grande to little-known spots San Miguel and Coyote. There are also boho surf towns such as Montezuma, Santa Teresa and Nosara. And there's adventure aplenty, whether it's snorkelling with leatherback turtles in Marino Las Baulas National Park, spelunking in the limestone caves of Barra Honda National Park, or spotting monkeys among the mangroves at the Curu wildlife refuge.
Casa Chameleon offers glamorous villas with private plunge pools overlooking Nicoya's idyllic Guanacaste coast.
Nicoya's beaches, forests and coastline are the focus of G Adventures' 11-day Epic Costa Rica tour -- which has stops at La Fortuna and Monteverde en route.
Pick up a paddle and prepare for an adrenaline rush because rafting the Pacuare River is a heart-in-the-mouth, seat-of-the-pants experience. Ranked among the world's great whitewater destinations, the Pacuare plunges through narrow, jungle-cloaked canyons, offering terrifying swells and surges that will leave you soaked to the skin but smiling ear to ear. Expeditions head out from Turrialba to different sections of the river depending on the season. June to October is the best time of year, although the river is at its wildest from around October to December.
Adrenaline ahoy: G Adventures' 13-day trip takes in rafting on the Pacuare, trekking, biking, horse riding, kayaking and ziplining.
For the ultimate whitewater adventure, raft into the rainforest and stay overnight at luxury Pacuare Lodge. Chill out in your timber bungalow, then head out with guides for birdspotting, hikes, ziplining and waterfall swims.
Costa Rica's cloud forests are unique, precious habitats. Mountainous and drenched in mist, they are home to an astonishing array of flora and fauna, from towering ferns to colourful bromeliads, buzzing hummingbirds and noisy toucans. The most famous cloud forest is Monteverde, where Quaker settlers arrived in the 1950s, and were enlightened enough to protect the area from exploitation. At an altitude of 1,500m, the reserve contains an amazing 50 per cent of Costa Rica's total biodiversity -- including 3,200 species of plant, 425 birds, 120 mammals and 101 reptiles. Guided walks explore the forest, with the highlight a creepy-crawly-filled night walk. Three hours west of San Jose, it makes a good combo with the Arenal volcano.
Intrepid Travel has a ten-day, family-orientated trip that features cooking lessons with a local farming family, guided wildlife walks in Monteverde, volcano hikes in Arenal and even more wildlife in Manuel Antonio.
Go glamping in the cloud forest at Chira, where the bubble-shaped geodesic domes allow you to sleep out in nature without sacrificing comfort. You even get your own hot tub.
Costa Rica has no shortage of mountains, but Cerro Chirripo is the highest at 3,820m -- and the most dramatic. The trek to the top is a dream for many hardcore hikers, but it's no easy feat -- the usual route covers more than 2,000m of elevation gain, and generally requires three days to complete, with two nights of camping on the mountain. Reservations are essential as there's a limited number of permits available every year. Late December to April are the most popular months, as they usually have the best chance for clear weather at the top. Even if you don't make the trek, the surrounding area is well worth experiencing, with a mix of lush lowlands, wildlife-rich forests and alpine tundra to explore.
Practise your yoga poses, perfect your tai chi and trek the trails at the indulgent Rio Chirripo Lodge, an activity-focused eco-retreat with epic views of the mountain.
It's a good idea to hire a guide for the hike to the summit. Sumak Travel has you covered on its ten-day tour, which also includes visits to local farms and coffee plantations along the way.