Costa Rica Experiences: Jungles, Mangroves, Volcanoes, Waterfalls
If you’ve thought of visiting Costa Rica but adrenaline-spiked adventure experiences are not your thing, fear not. You can enjoy the best Costa Rica experiences, however you prefer.
Indeed, the lesser known “other side” of this happiest of countries invites you to come and play, however you please, in nature-crafted wonderlands. You can easily repel gushing waterfalls one moment, and laze in mineral rich hot springs the next.
Being tucked in between the Pacific and Caribbean, favors Costa Rica with a cornucopia of things to do & experience – from rugged to the sublime. And, thanks to the protective blanket cast over 28% of the country, jungles flourish, wildlife thrives, beaches remain crystalline and the natural balance survives.
For an invigorating adventure experience balanced with laid back leisure activity, consider these 4 top areas with the most popular travel experiences in Costa Rica.
Manuel Antonio National Park – Experience the Jungle
To breathe in raw nature, explore the top 12 world-ranked Manuel Antonio Park. Bordered by jungled hills and jaw dropping white beaches, the park is as inviting to humans as it is to its abundant wildlife residents.
Follow trails winding throughout the park remaining vigilant as they uncover rare wildlife discovery on the ground, in flight and “in camouflage”. Spurring you on, the wildlife choir (howler, capuchin and white-faced monkeys, two and three toed sloths, anteaters, lizards, ocelots, toucans, hummingbirds, and more) serenades you with their critter-chatter symphony accompanied by the pulsating jungle heartbeat.
At trail’s end, gently drop onto Playa Manuel Antonio where giant rock pillars jutting out of the Pacific’s bluest of blue waters abruptly greet you. And, while gazing at the (screensaver worthy) idyllic beach, wildlife antics entertain as they go about their busy day beachside.
Damas Island Mangrove Forest – Boat Safari’s
Glide through Damas Island Mangrove waterways feeling waves lazily lap against the boat and a deafening silence wash over you. There’s a sense of eyes following you…and they are. White faced monkeys, silky anteaters, and exotic bird life subversively observe your every move from their swampy hideaway.
Beware of clever monkeys hoping to share lunch – one white faced monkey in particular. Skilled in branch-bridging, he reaches out to the unsuspecting by bending tree limbs, ever-hopeful of a tossed tidbit or two.
Arenal Volcano National Park Experiences – Zip lining, Hiking, Hot Springs
Famous for adventure diversity, Arenal Volcano dominates the park acting as a movie set prop for activities inspired by the rainforest rimming it, wildlife trails hugging it and hot springs misting it.
You can zip line the forested canopy and automatically win a play date with gobs of hilarious monkeys frolicking in their jungle-gym habitat. Inside the 30,000 acre park you can safari among jaguars, eyelash pit vipers, spider monkeys, and fiery-billed aracari. And, below the volcano, you can indulge in mineral fed thermal springs – complimentary to all guests – steeped in the volcano’s majesty.
Arenal’s list is long and varied – there is something for everyone here.
Horseback Riding Excursion to La Fortuna Waterfalls
A fun experience is to saddle up and trot through outlying fields and streaming creeks to La Fortunat Waterfalls. The jaunt resembles a scene out of the old west except that the backdrop is not a desert. It is an iconic 3,500 year old volcano and a cloud-kissed mountain nature-scape.
When close enough to almost touch the falls, sheer size dwarfs and natural beauty awes. Immediately, you recall the phrase used to describe the Costa Rica lifestyle – la vida pura (the pure life) — and you understand completely.
Recommended Costa Rica Experiences:
For travel experiences in Costa Rica, see here. For info on where to stay & find accommodations, see here.
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