Costa Rica is one of the most popular South American countries to visit, in part because its jungles, rainforests, cloud forests, and gorgeous beaches are all rich with opportunities for adventure and exploration of the natural world. Costa Rica has a well-established network of national parks and reserves protecting around a quarter of the country, with a visitor infrastructure carefully designed to avoid endangering the incredible biospheres the park system is there to protect. So you’ll find some of our recommendations for the best places to stay in Costa Rica are right in amongst the most beautiful and protected regions: exceptional eco-hotels and lodges which bring money into the regions to feed back into conservation projects.
All this means that Costa Rica offers an unrivalled opportunity to experience the greatest density of plant and animal species in the world. For example it has around 1,500 different kinds of orchid! Its exotic animal life includes toucans and macaws, capuchins and howler monkeys, sloths, caimans and the beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly. Costa Rica is also renowned for its activities - watersports and hiking, surf schools, yoga retreats, epic zip lines, caves to explore and mountains and volcanoes to ascend, on two feet or two wheels. It's also at the cutting edge of sustainable tourism, with infrastructure favouring alternative power sources and blazing a trail in farm-to-table dining.
Where to stay - which region?
- Alajuela is part of the central region, spreading out from, and around the capital San José.
- Puntarenas is on the central Pacific coast, much loved by beach-lovers, those looking for an incredible backdrop against which to relax, and avid explorers - this is where the dense rainforests and jungles can run right up against the ocean.
- Limon is on the quieter, more isolated Caribbean side, loved by whitewater rafters, sea turtles and mosquitos.
- Guanacaste is where you’ll find the volcanoes, dry forest parks and some fabulous surf beaches.
- Arenal, and the sparse plains and mountains around it are sparely populated, but a fantastic place for a farm-stay or a horse trek.
- While the southern stretch, heading down towards the Osa Peninsula and the South Pacific, is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, loved by naturalists, botanists and explorers alike, and anyone seeking a really beautiful, and remote, tropical beach.
- You’ll find the coffee plantations around Heredia.
- The best hot-springs are around Quesada.
This fascinating country is so diverse that choosing the best places to stay in Costa Rica really depends on why you're planning to visit. Is it for the beaches? For the wildlife? Or for the volcanoes and rainforests? Use our guide to the best hotels, lodges and resorts below and start planning your trip.