Posts
March 12, 2026 / March 12, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
El Tigre Waterfalls Monteverde: What’s Covered El Tigre Waterfalls is a self-guided 5-mile (8 km) waterfall hike about 20 minutes from Santa Elena in Monteverde, featuring four waterfalls, ten rustic bridges, and natural swimming pools through the cloud forest. The Full Package costs $66 per adult (includes horseback/4×4 return and lunch), while the Big Hike […]
Read more »
Rincon Thermals & Adventures: What’s Covered Rincon Thermals & Adventures (formerly Vandara) packs hot springs, ziplining, horseback riding, a 1,300 ft (400 m) waterslide, and volcanic mud baths into one day on 350 acres of Guanacaste rainforest near Rincón de la Vieja volcano. The Explorer Pass (~$95/adult) covers everything; the Nature Pass (~$65/adult) focuses on […]
La Paz Waterfall Gardens: What’s Covered La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park packs five waterfalls, Costa Rica’s largest animal sanctuary, and 2.2 miles of paved trails into a 70-acre rainforest property just 45 minutes from SJO airport. Admission runs $52–$78 per adult, depending on whether you add the buffet lunch. No 4×4 or guide needed […]
AI Overview Box: Hacienda La Chimba Costa Rica Hacienda La Chimba is a 65-hectare working coffee farm and adventure park in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, about 25 minutes from San José. It offers hiking trails, an immersive coffee tour through a solar-powered Beneficio, ziplines, high ropes, and a traditional restaurant — all on one property. […]
February 26, 2026 / March 9, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Llanos de Cortes Waterfall: What’s Covered Llanos de Cortes is absolutely worth the detour if you’re anywhere near Guanacaste’s Golden Coast. This stunning 12-meter-wide cascade tumbles into a refreshing swimming hole just 35 minutes from Liberia Airport, making it one of the most accessible waterfalls in Costa Rica. Unlike Rio Celeste’s blue waters, where swimming […]
February 26, 2026 / February 26, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Jaguar Rescue Center Puerto Viejo: What’s Covered The Jaguar Rescue Center is a working wildlife rehabilitation facility in Playa Chiquita, just 3 miles south of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. This isn’t a zoo—it’s where 500-700 injured, orphaned, and displaced animals receive care annually, with your $25 entrance fee directly funding their survival since the center […]
February 23, 2026 / February 23, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
La Fortuna Coffee Tour: What’s Covered La Fortuna coffee tours offer something the big Central Valley plantations don’t—an intimate, hands-on experience where you actually pick, peel, and roast the beans yourself. While La Fortuna sits at a lower elevation than Costa Rica’s premium coffee regions, small family farms like Arenal Vida Campesina combine coffee, chocolate, […]
February 23, 2026 / February 26, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Peñas Blancas Safari Float: What’s Covered The Peñas Blancas Safari Float is one of the best ways to see Costa Rica’s wildlife without hiking for hours through humid rainforest. This gentle river float takes you through the Tilarán Mountain Range, just 30 minutes from La Fortuna, where monkeys, sloths, caimans, and dozens of bird species […]
100% Aventura Monteverde: What’s Covered If you’re looking for a zipline experience that pushes your limits without throwing you completely off the deep end, 100% Aventura in Monteverde delivers exactly that. This family-owned adventure park has been perfecting its canopy tour for over 18 years, and they’ve figured out something important: the best way to […]
February 19, 2026 / February 26, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Boat Tours from Playas del Coco: What’s Covered Boat Tours from Playas del Coco: What’s Covered Playas del Coco sits in a protected cove in the Gulf of Papagayo, but the real magic happens when you leave the main beach behind. Just around the corner from Coco’s dark sand shores lie some of Costa Rica’s […]
January 26, 2026 / January 26, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Guayabo National Monument: What’s Covered Costa Rica’s most significant archaeological site sits in the misty highlands near Turrialba, where stone pathways, aqueducts, and mysterious mounds tell the story of a civilization that thrived for over 2,000 years—then vanished without explanation. Guayabo National Monument protects the remains of an ancient city that once housed up to […]
January 19, 2026 / January 19, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Sierpe to Drake Bay Boat: What’s Covered The boat ride from Sierpe to Drake Bay takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, costs $20 USD per person on the public colectivo, and runs twice daily at 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM. You’ll cruise through the Sierpe River mangroves, then merge into the Pacific Ocean before landing […]
January 12, 2026 / January 12, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Peñas Blancas Border Crossing: What’s Covered The Peñas Blancas border crossing sits about 90 minutes north of Liberia on the Pan-American Highway, making it Costa Rica’s only land crossing into Nicaragua. You’ll need your passport (valid for at least six months), small USD bills for various fees totaling around $25-27, and proof of onward travel […]
Heredia Cultural Tour: What’s Covered Heredia is absolutely worth visiting if you want to experience authentic Costa Rican culture beyond the beaches and rainforests. Known as the “City of Flowers,” this Central Valley province sits just 10 kilometers north of San José and offers colonial architecture, traditional mask-making artisans, vibrant local markets, and a window […]
Arenal 1968 Reserve: What’s Covered The Arenal 1968 private reserve offers one of the best Arenal Volcano hikes in Costa Rica, combining dramatic lava field terrain with panoramic views of both the volcano and Lake Arenal. Located just 15-20 minutes from La Fortuna, this 7-kilometer trail system takes you directly through the path of the […]
January 9, 2026 / January 9, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Pacuare River Rafting: What’s Covered The Pacuare River consistently earns its spot among the top five white water rafting destinations on the planet, and it’s not hard to see why. This 108-kilometer river carving through Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope delivers Class III-IV rapids wrapped in untouched rainforest, cascading waterfalls, and wildlife encounters you simply won’t […]
Treetopia Park Monteverde: What’s Covered Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde) combines Costa Rica’s only cloud forest aerial tram, ziplines reaching 328 feet above the canopy, and six hanging bridges across nearly 2 miles of pristine forest—all in one location about 20 minutes from Santa Elena. If you’re looking for that quintessential Monteverde adventure experience […]
Rainforest Adventures Braulio Carrillo: What’s Covered Just 45 minutes from San José, there’s a 475-hectare private reserve bordering one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse national parks—and most travelers have never heard of it. Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic offers the longest aerial tram in the country, a 10-cable zipline course, and the kind of wildlife […]
Museo Finca 6 Stone Spheres: What’s Covered Over 300 perfectly round stone balls scattered across southern Costa Rica—some weighing up to 16 tons—remain one of archaeology’s most puzzling mysteries. The Diquís stone spheres have baffled researchers since the 1930s, and the best place to encounter them is Finca 6, a UNESCO World Heritage Site tucked […]
Arenal Horseback Riding: What’s Covered Riding through lush rainforest trails with Arenal Volcano rising behind you isn’t just for experienced equestrians—it’s one of the most accessible adventure activities in Costa Rica’s Northern Zone. Most Arenal horseback riding tours cater specifically to first-timers, using gentle, well-trained horses that follow established trails through private nature reserves. Tours […]
January 9, 2026 / January 10, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Los Chorros Waterfalls: What’s Covered Los Chorros Waterfalls sits just 45 minutes from San José, making it one of the most accessible waterfall destinations in Costa Rica. Located near the charming town of Grecia in Alajuela Province, this pair of cascading waterfalls offers the kind of local experience that most tourists miss entirely. The name […]
January 8, 2026 / January 9, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Catarata del Toro: What’s Covered There’s a waterfall in Costa Rica that plunges 270 feet (82 meters) into an extinct volcanic crater, and somehow it still flies under most tourists’ radar. Catarata del Toro sits nestled in the misty highlands of Bajos del Toro, about two hours north of San José which is close enough […]
January 6, 2026 / January 6, 2026 by Zachary Ellison
Cascada El Pavon: What’s Covered Cascada El Pavon is one of those Costa Rica waterfalls that most visitors drive right past without knowing it exists. Tucked away on a back road near Ojochal in the Costa Ballena region, this small but charming cascade drops into a natural swimming pool where locals gather on weekends to […]
December 10, 2025 / December 15, 2025 by Zachary Ellison
Turrialba Volcano National Park: What’s Covered Turrialba Volcano National Park offers one of Costa Rica’s most dramatic volcanic experiences—a 4.5-kilometer hike to the rim of an active stratovolcano that regularly reminds visitors why it earned the indigenous name “Tower of Fire.” At 3,340 meters, this is Costa Rica’s second-tallest volcano and its most consistently active, […]
