Travel guide
Costa Rica Travel Guide
Costa Rica is small — a day's drive from the Pacific to the Caribbean — and that compactness is the whole proposition. Volcanic highland, cloud forest, dry tropical forest, lowland rainforest and two entirely different coastlines sit within a few hours of one another, which means a week here can hold more distinct landscapes than a fortnight almost anywhere else. The country protects roughly a quarter of its land in parks and reserves and holds an estimated 5% of the world's species on a fraction of a percent of the planet's surface, and that density is what visitors actually come for: wildlife here is met on ordinary walks rather than sought on expeditions. The two coasts read as different countries. The Pacific side is drier in the north, wetter and wilder in the south, and carries a long surf culture; the Caribbean side runs on Afro-Caribbean rhythms, cocoa and a slower pace. Two international airports — one in the central valley, one serving the north Pacific — make a two-region trip straightforward without backtracking. Getting around is by road and it takes longer than the map suggests. What Costa Rica does not offer is grand architecture or old cities; what it offers is the most efficient access to tropical nature anywhere in the Americas, and a tourism industry mature enough that the sustainability claims are more often real than not.
Updated 2026-08-16
Ways to Experience This Destination
National parks, cloud forests and rainforest reserves for travellers prioritising biodiversity and guided nature experiences.
Zip-lining, rafting, canyoning, hiking, and volcano trails across regions such as Arenal, Monteverde, and Pacuare.
Pacific and Caribbean coasts with routes through Tamarindo, Santa Teresa, Puerto Viejo, and other beach hubs.
Arenal, Poas, Irazu, and Rincon de la Vieja for volcanic landscapes, crater viewpoints, and hot spring circuits.
Retreat-based itineraries combining yoga, thermal waters, and nature-focused accommodation with lower travel intensity.
Deep dives
City guides
Frequently asked questions
Ten days is the honest minimum for two regions done properly, and fourteen is comfortable. The country is small but the roads are slow, so a week realistically holds one volcano-and-forest region plus one coast — trying to add the other coast turns the trip into driving. If you have only a week, pick a side rather than crossing the country twice.
They are genuinely different countries. The Pacific has the surf culture, the drier north, the famous national parks and the bulk of the tourism infrastructure — easier, busier, more expensive. The Caribbean around Puerto Viejo is slower, greener, wetter, cheaper and culturally distinct, with Afro-Caribbean food and music and far fewer visitors. First trips usually go Pacific; second trips often prefer the Caribbean.
A car gives you the country and most independent travellers hire one. It is not difficult so much as slow: distances are short but roads wind through mountains, and journeys routinely take half again as long as a map suggests. A four-wheel drive is genuinely useful for some lodge access roads in the wet season. The alternative is the well-developed shuttle network between tourist towns, which is comfortable and removes the parking and navigation problem entirely.
Entry rules, visa types and practical notes live on the Costa Rica overview.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.