Literally, Costa Rica means rich coast in Spanish. The country truly lives up to its name. There are four national parks within the country that must be on the itinerary of every adventure traveler.  Corcovado National Park and Chirripo National Park are both fantastic for hiking and have an abundance of wildlife not seen elsewhere in the world.  Chirripo also boasts Cerro Chirripo, the highest mountain in Costa Rica, which has rainforest at lower elevations and cloud forest at higher elevations making for incredible biodiversity.  Cocos Island National Park is in the Pacific Ocean 340 miles off the Costa Rican coast and is one of the top adventure scuba diving locations in the world.  Cahuita National Park is also known for its scuba diving because of the Coralline Reefs and the large population of sea turtles in its waters.  Costa Rica is known for its amazing beaches which are a must-visit for their natural beauty and the wealth of adventure options that they provide.  The best  beaches in Costa Rica include Dominical, Montezuma, Playa Grande, and Tamarindo and offer adventure activities such as surfing, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and ecotourism.  Montezuma in particular, is a reasonably priced hiking and beach destination with numerous waterfalls including the Montezuma Falls, within a half day’s hike.  Tortuguero beach is also well known, but more for the nesting of its endangered turtles than is surfing.  

For water adventure travelers, Costa Rica could be just what the doctor ordered.   Whitewater rafting trips for avid adventurers take place on the Pacurare and Pascua Rivers, both roaring with class V rapids.  For more moderate rafting voyages, try the Reventazón and Naranjo Rivers.  If you would rather surf, then you need to head to the Pacific Coast.   Pavones, Jaco, and Hermosa are three very popular surfing spots, while Matapalo gives a truly remote adventure surfing experience.  Fresh water fishing and fly fishing in the Colorado River are also quite popular while sport fishing, or salt water fishing, is phenomenal heading out from the coastal towns of Quepos, Puerto Jiminez, and Golfito.

For hiking, mountain biking, and adventure enthusiasts, the Arenal Volcano is a must see.  The Arenal volcano is the largest and most active of seven active volcanoes in Costa Rica.  It is also home to Lake Arenal, one of the top windsurfing destinations in the world and a great sailing and fishing site.  The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve is a tropical rainforest and one of the most popular ecotourism destinations in the world.  Two other volcanoes ripe for hiking and mountain biking include the Turrialba and the Irazu.

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