Top attractions in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is small and densely biodiverse: cloud forest at Monteverde, volcanoes around Arenal, and two coastlines with different weather patterns — Pacific and Caribbean — within a few hours' drive of each other.

The guides on this page cover Costa Rica as a whole. The dry season on the Pacific side runs December to April; the Caribbean coast follows a different pattern and is often driest in September and October. National parks charge entry and several, including Manuel Antonio, cap daily visitors and require advance booking. Roads are slower than distances suggest, and a four-wheel drive helps outside the main routes.