You've probably never heard of these
Nothing gets listed without being checked first. A neighbourhood restaurant and a beach hotel come through the same door: what we look at is whether it's worth going, not what it costs.
The places listed here pay a flat fee, the same for every one of them. We take no commission on bookings and nobody can pay to rank higher: the listing decides the order, not the invoice.
Restaurante Pico Colorado
Costa Rican cooking with a valley view, from the same owner as Hotel Pico Colorado.
Hotel Pico Colorado
Twelve-dome glamping site on the Aserrí hillside, with a private jacuzzi and breakfast included.
Hotel Pico Colorado
Twelve-dome glamping site on the Aserrí hillside, with a private jacuzzi and breakfast included.
Destinations
Where to go in Costa Rica, region by region.
Aserrí
Mountain town on the edge of San José, known for its chorreadas and valley views from the hilltop.
1 day suggested
Bagaces
Guanacaste's middle town: it sits on the Interamericana between Cañas and Liberia, and most people drive straight past without knowing the county holds three big things. To the north, the Llanos de Cortés waterfall and its turquoise pools. Higher up, Miravalles volcano and the geothermal field that heats its waters. And to the south, dropping toward the Tempisque river, Palo Verde National Park: the wetlands where thousands of water birds gather in the dry season. Bagaces is dry heat, flatland and cattle country.
2 days suggested
Bahía Drake
A hamlet on the northern coast of the Osa Peninsula, reached by boat up the Sierpe river or by small plane. It's one of the entrances to Corcovado National Park, and outside the village there's no paved road and not much phone signal. You come for the forest and the sea, not for comfort.
3 days suggested
Cahuita
A small, slow Caribbean town right beside Cahuita National Park. The park trail follows the coast between forest and beach, and off the point there's a coral reef you can snorkel. It's the quiet neighbour to Puerto Viejo, half an hour north.
2 days suggested
Jacó
The big beach closest to San José — a little over an hour down the coastal highway. It's long and dark-sanded, with steady waves for learning to surf and nightlife that doesn't stop. It isn't a hidden village and doesn't pretend to be one.
2 days suggested
La Fortuna
The town at the foot of Arenal volcano, with the cone in view from almost any corner when the sky clears. Around it are hot springs, a waterfall, hanging bridges and Lake Arenal. It's one of the most tourism-ready places in the country, and you can tell.
3 days suggestedMore destinations
- Liberia Guanacaste
- Manuel Antonio Puntarenas
- Monteverde Puntarenas
- Nosara Guanacaste
- Playas del Coco Guanacaste
- Puerto Jiménez Puntarenas
- Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Limón
- Quepos Puntarenas
- Río Celeste Alajuela
- Sámara Guanacaste
- San Gerardo de Dota San José
- San José San José
- Santa Teresa Puntarenas
- Tamarindo Guanacaste
- Uvita Puntarenas
- Tortuguero Limón
Guides
What we'd tell a friend coming to visit.
The best time to visit Costa Rica — and why rain is not the enemy
Dry season, green season, what actually changes in price, and the one thing most trip planners get wrong: the Caribbean coast runs on a different calendar from the rest of the country.
Cabinas, cabins, hostels, glamping: what the words mean in Costa Rica
«Cabinas» does not mean «cabins», and booking sites translate it wrong every day. The seven ways to sleep in Costa Rica, what each one really gives you, and the five questions to ask before you book.
Colones or dollars in Costa Rica?
Both work, but not in the same places. ATMs, cards, how much cash to carry, and why paying in dollars usually costs you more than it should.