Posts
July 24, 2026 / July 24, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Playa Cabuyal: Quick Guide Playa Cabuyal is a free, uncrowded white sand beach on Guanacaste’s Gulf of Papagayo, 30 minutes from Liberia Airport via Route 253. Inside a UNESCO World Heritage conservation area — no hotels, no vendors, strong wildlife. A standard rental car works in the dry season. Quick Facts: 0.87 miles (1.4 km) […]
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Playa Cocles, Costa Rica: Quick Guide Playa Cocles is a 1.2-mile (2 km) Caribbean beach 1.5 miles south of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, known for consistent surf, an Afro-Caribbean atmosphere, and a Blue Flag designation. Strong rip currents make it a surf and sunbathing beach, not a casual swimming spot. A standard rental car reaches […]
Uvita Waterfall: What’s Covered Catarata Uvita is a 33-foot (10 m) jungle waterfall with a natural rock slide polished smooth by centuries of water. Entry runs 2,000 colones (about $4), and it sits a 10-minute drive from Uvita town. Any standard rental car handles the road — no 4×4 needed. Quick Facts: Open daily 8 […]
Playa Cocolito & El Chorro Waterfall: What’s Covered Playa Cocolito sits 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula, where El Chorro Waterfall spills onto white sand and into the Pacific. No road reaches the beach, which keeps it empty. Come by hike, horseback, or car to a nearby trailhead. Quick Facts: […]
Playa San Juanillo: Quick Guide Playa San Juanillo is a white-sand, double-bay beach on the northern Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste — genuinely uncrowded and free of resort development. Getting there requires a high-clearance vehicle via Route 160, roughly 2 hours from Liberia Airport. A 4×4 is essential from May through November. Quick Facts: Two beaches […]
Playa Iguanita Guanacaste: Quick Guide Playa Iguanita is a dark-sand, calm-water cove inside the Iguanita Wildlife Refuge on Costa Rica’s Nacascolo Peninsula, 14 miles (23 km) from Liberia Airport. No restaurants, vendors, or lifeguards — just calm, clear water inside a protected wildlife refuge. A rental car is the only way in. Quick Facts: 14 […]
Playa Grande, Costa Rica: Quick Guide Playa Grande is a wide Pacific surf beach inside Marino Las Baulas National Marine Park in Guanacaste, 40 miles (64 km) from Liberia Airport on fully paved roads — no 4×4 needed. It’s one of the Pacific coast’s most significant leatherback sea turtle nesting sites and a top Guanacaste […]
Dominical Beach, Costa Rica: Quick Guide Dominical Beach is a 2.5-mile (4 km) South Pacific surf break for intermediate to advanced surfers, 3.5 hours from San José Airport via the paved Costanera Sur. The Costa Ballena puts waterfalls and whale watching within 30 minutes. A rental car is essential. Quick Facts: Waves suit intermediate–advanced surfers; […]
July 4, 2026 / July 4, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste: What’s Covered Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, is a calm, Bandera Azul–certified beach in the Gulf of Papagayo, just 30 minutes from Liberia Airport. It suits families and couples seeking quiet over nightlife, with Playas del Coco handling services 15 minutes south. A rental car is essential here. Quick Facts: 25 km (15 miles) […]
Playa Buena Vista Costa Rica: Quick Guide Playa Buena Vista is a dark-sand Pacific beach on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, 2 miles north of Samara in Guanacaste. Strong rip currents make swimming unsafe, but the beach draws surfers and sunset-seekers. A high-clearance or 4WD rental is needed, depending on the season — ~2 hours from […]
Costa Rica Helicopter Tours: What’s Covered Costa Rica helicopter tours run $200–$600 per person for 25–90 minute scenic flights, most departing from Liberia Airport in Guanacaste. Coastal, volcano, and combination routes reveal hidden beaches and steaming craters. Pair one flight with a rental car and you get Costa Rica from both the ground and the […]
Whale Watching in Costa Rica: What’s Covered Costa Rica has one of the world’s longest humpback whale seasons, and Uvita’s Marino Ballena National Park is the epicenter. Peak sightings hit August–September and January–February, with activity July–October and December–March. Tours run $75–145 for 2.5–3 hours. A rental car makes those early departures and coastal detours easy. […]
June 26, 2026 / July 2, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Hacienda Orosi Hot Springs: What’s Covered Hacienda Orosi is a quieter thermal hot springs resort in the Orosi Valley, about an hour southeast of San José. Its mineral pools sit at 95–100°F (35–39°C), heated by tectonic activity rather than volcanic sources, with panoramic valley views. Quick Facts Location: Orosi Valley, Cartago province — about 1 […]
June 26, 2026 / June 26, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Chocolate Tours in La Fortuna: What’s Covered Chocolate tours in La Fortuna take you from cacao pod to finished bar in about two hours, with unlimited tastings at the end. Most run $30–45 per person, operate rain or shine, and welcome kids — one of the area’s most family-friendly activities. Quick Facts Duration & cost: […]
Bogarin Trail, La Fortuna: What’s Covered The Bogarin Trail is a 1.2-mile (2 km) flat loop in downtown La Fortuna where guided visitors typically spot 5–6 sloths in an hour. Just a 10-minute walk from the central park, it’s one of Costa Rica’s most accessible, reliable sloth-viewing spots. Quick Facts Location: downtown La Fortuna, ~10-minute […]
Rio Frio Safari Float: What’s Covered The Rio Frio Safari Float is a quiet, raft-based wildlife tour about an hour north of La Fortuna in Guatuso. Over roughly two hours on the slow-moving river, small groups of 5–6 drift past sloths, monkeys, caimans, and tropical birds — no motor, no crowds. Quick Facts Duration: about […]
Monteverde Night Walk: What’s Covered A Monteverde night walk turns the cloud forest into a different world after dark — tarantulas emerge from burrows, red-eyed tree frogs call from leaves, and two-toed sloths finally start moving. Two-hour guided tours on lit trails reveal wildlife you’d never spot by day. Quick Facts Duration: 2-hour walks starting […]
June 19, 2026 / June 19, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
The Sloth Institute, Costa Rica: What’s Covered The Sloth Institute, Costa Rica, is a research and conservation center in Manuel Antonio — not a public sanctuary — that rescues, rehabilitates, and releases orphaned and injured sloths back into the wild. It sits about 97 miles (157 km) south of San José. Quick Facts Not open […]
Diamante Eco Adventure Park: What’s Covered Diamante Eco Adventure Park packs Costa Rica’s longest zipline — nearly a mile flying face-first over the Pacific — plus Guanacaste’s largest animal sanctuary, a cultural tour, and private beach access into one day, just 40 minutes from Liberia Airport. Quick Facts Location: 40 minutes from Liberia Airport, between […]
Tortuga Island, Costa Rica: What’s Covered Tortuga Island, Costa Rica, is a Blue Flag-certified beach in the Gulf of Nicoya, reached by a scenic 90-minute boat ride from Puntarenas. Day tours run $90–150 and include breakfast, lunch, snorkel gear, and about five hours on the sand. Quick Facts Location: 90-minute boat ride from Puntarenas, itself […]
May 8, 2026 / June 26, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Coffee Tourism in Costa Rica: What’s Covered Costa Rica’s coffee tourism spans eight growing regions — most within two hours of San José — where farms offer bean-to-cup tours covering harvest, wet milling, and cupping. Harvest runs from November to March. A rental car opens access to the best farms. Quick Facts: Harvest season: November–March, […]
May 8, 2026 / June 19, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Puntarenas to Paquera Ferry: What’s Covered The Puntarenas to Paquera ferry crosses 11 nautical miles (20 km) of the Gulf of Nicoya in 70-80 minutes, connecting San José travelers to Santa Teresa, Montezuma, and Tambor while cutting 4+ hours off the overland drive. Quick Facts: Crossing time: 70-80 minutes, 8 daily departures each direction (4 […]
Selvatura Park Monteverde: What’s Covered Selvatura Park is absolutely worth visiting if you want the full Monteverde cloud forest experience packed into a single day. This 850-acre adventure eco-park sits at nearly 1,600 meters (5,250 feet) elevation—high enough that you’ll literally walk through clouds while crossing suspension bridges or zip past misty treetops on one […]
April 23, 2026 / June 19, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Nauyaca Waterfalls: What’s Covered Nauyaca Waterfalls is absolutely worth the effort, ranking among the most spectacular waterfalls in Costa Rica. These twin cascades plunge through dense rainforest about 10 kilometers from Dominical, creating a natural swimming pool that draws visitors from across the country. Located just 45 minutes from Manuel Antonio and 25 minutes from […]
