Costa Rica · best-of list
The 11 Best Outdoor Spots in Costa Rica
All 11 outdoor spots our route editors picked in Costa Rica, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
11 outdoor spots in Costa Rica, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
La Fortuna 4 picks
Arenal 1968
La Fortuna · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Private reserve with lava-field trails and lake views.
Photo: Ariel Araya · Google
Arenal Volcano National Park
La Fortuna · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Trails over 1968 lava flows with views of the volcano's cone.
Tip: Mornings are clearest; the summit is often cloudy by noon.
Photo: Adlira512 · CC BY-SA 4.0
La Fortuna Waterfall
La Fortuna · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
70-meter waterfall reached by about 500 steps.
Tip: Swim downstream from the falls, not below them.
Photo: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Arenal
La Fortuna · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Large reservoir below the volcano.
Photo: Kim Schulze · Google
Manuel Antonio 4 picks
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Small park of rainforest trails and beaches.
Tip: Buy tickets online ahead; closed Tuesdays.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Jakes19 assumed (based on copyright claims) · Public domain
Playa Biesanz
Manuel Antonio · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Sheltered cove for snorkeling.
Photo: Gilad Levy · Google
Playa Espadilla
Manuel Antonio · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Long beach outside the park.
Photo: Yarixa Ortiz · Google
Rainmaker Conservation Project
Manuel Antonio · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Rainforest reserve with bridges.
Photo: Rainmaker · Google
Monteverde 3 picks
Curi-Cancha Reserve
Monteverde · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Private reserve good for birding.
Photo: Cephas · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Monteverde · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Cloud-forest reserve with quetzal habitat.
Tip: Arrive at opening with a guide to see quetzals.
Photo: Haakon S. Krohn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Monteverde · On our Costa Rica Pura Vida route
Higher, less-crowded cloud forest.
Photo: Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in Costa Rica?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 11 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Costa Rica has the most outdoor spots on this list?
La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio lead with 4 each; the other picks are spread across 1 more destination.
Are any of these free?
3 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Playa Biesanz, Lake Arenal and Playa Espadilla. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Costa Rica
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- La Fortuna 4 on this list
- Manuel Antonio 4 on this list
- Monteverde 3 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.