The Best Hotels on Costa Rica and Full Travel Guide 2023
The Best Hotels on Costa Rica and Full Travel Guide 2023
Discover the best hotels on Costa Rica, the best restaurants, traditional food to try and advices about shopping , where to find the best vacation packages and the cheapest flights. In our article you will find averything you need for a perfect vacation in Costa Rica!
Costa Rica has a population of around 5 million in a land area of 51,060 square kilometers (19,714 square miles). An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José, with around 2 million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.
Table of Contents
Costa Rica Map
Informations
Temperature:Although the dry season, extending from mid-December to mid-April is the best where weather conditions are fantastic, unfortunately you will not find too many festivals occurring at this time.
Language:The official language is spanish.
Currency: Costa Rican Colón (CRC) aprox. 1$ =616 CRC 1€=749 CRC
Food Prices:Meal in a cheap restaurant=8 USD,Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=41 USD
You can find more information about the visa here.
Things to do
Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal
Arenal Volcano National Park is a protected area in northern Costa Rica. It’s known for its hot springs, active Arenal Volcano and wildlife, including jaguars and tree frogs. Las Coladas Trail winds through forest to a cooled lava field. Rainbow bass inhabit the waters of Lake Arenal, which is popular for water sports thanks to its reliable winds. Southeast, the crater of dormant Cerro Chato Volcano features a lake.
Irazú
The Irazú is at 3432 m the highest volcano in Costa Rica. The stratovolcano is one of the most dangerous and unpredictable volcanoes in the country. It erupted for the last time in 1994 with a level 2 on the volcanic explosive index. The volcano is one of those that have a rain-fed acid lake in their crater lake. It is green in color. The dangers that emanate from this volcano relate primarily to a landslide on the thin crater wall.A special feature of this volcano is that on a clear day you can see two seas, the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, from its top.
Rincón de la
Vieja National Park
The Rincón de la Vieja National Park around the active Rincón de la Vieja volcano in Costa Rica is one of the most diverse national parks in the country. The park offers a wide variety of biomes from the moist tropical rainforest in the northeast of the country to the dry forest in the south, as well as numerous volcanic phenomena such as fumaroles or active mud volcanoes..Since 1999, the park has been part of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cahuita National Park
Cahuita National Park is a terrestrial and marine national park in the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area of Costa Rica located on the southern Caribbean coast in Limón Province, connected to the town of Cahuita. It protects beaches and lowlands and attracts tourists and other visitors who are able to snorkel in the protected marine area which contains the coralline reefs, as well as being a nesting ground for sea turtles. It covers a land area of 2,732 acres (1,106 ha), and a marine area of 55,200 acres (22,300 ha).February through April typically have the best underwater visibility. This is also one of the nicest and least developed beaches in Costa Rica
Braulio Carrillo
National Park
The Braulio Carrillo National Park, known for its jungle cable car, is located north of San José in Costa Rica. The flora and fauna represented in this national park include giant ferns, bromeliads, orchids, as well as hummingbirds, poison dart frogs, butterflies, coatis and a wide variety of reptiles. A special feature is the “Teleferico” jungle cable car, from which you can observe the different vegetation zones and altitudes of a tropical rainforest.The Braulio Carrillo National Park is frequently visited by tourists who are on their way to the Tortuguero and Cahuita National Parks on the Caribbean coast.
La Paz Waterfall
La Paz is a waterfall in central Costa Rica.In Spanish, it is known as Catarata de La Paz. It is 31 kilometres (19 mi) north of Alajuela, between Vara Blanca and Cinchona.
The waterfall is located immediately alongside Route 126. The River La Paz forms the waterfall after traversing 8 kilometres (5 mi) of volcanic terrain, and then continues through the rainforest of the eastern side of Poás Volcano. A short path leads behind the waterfall, where a small shrine had been located. Upstream from the waterfall is La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a hotel and park, where visitors can observe many different species of local wildlife.The waterfall and surrounding area were severely damaged in the 6.1 magnitude earthquake of January 8, 2009.Landslides damaged the road that runs alongside the waterfall.
Playa Conchal
We tend to choose our beaches based on the activities they offer or are known for. But what about a beach that’s just too beautiful to resist? Playa Conchal welcomes visitors drawn to its stunning beaches, adorned with shell chips and coral framing sparkling, turquoise waters.
Museo Nacional de
Costa Rica
The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica in the capital San José provides information about the geology, archeology, pre-Columbian, religious, colonial and modern history of Costa Rica. Among other things, pre-Columbian stone tablets and ceramics are exhibited, as well as gold objects in the Sala de Oro and some of the stone balls from Costa Rica in the courtyard.
Parque La Sabana
La Sabana Metropolitan Park (Spanish: Parque Metropolitano La Sabana) is located in downtown San José, Costa Rica. It is the country’s largest and most significant urban park.La Sabana is considered “the lungs of San José” by Costa Ricans.
Basilica Nuestra
Señora de los Ángeles
The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Our Lady of the Angels Basilica) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Costa Rica, located in the city of Cartago and dedicated to the Virgen de los Pardos, officially known as Virgen de los Ángeles (the Lady of the Angels). The basilica was built in 1639 and was partially destroyed by an earthquake. The basilica has since been restored and constitutes a unique mix of colonial architecture as well as 19th century Byzantine style, the current building dates back to 1939.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Over 350 different plant species, there are 109 different mammal species, for example sloths, white-nosed coatis, capuchin monkeys and armadillos. Almost all reptiles on the Costa Rica Pacific coast can be found there. For example, adult black iguanas can be observed at close range. There are several public beaches in the park where you can snorkel. You have the opportunity to observe a large number of fish species. In general, warnings are given against touching all animals and plants. Among other things, there are poisonous manzanilla trees there.
Monteverde Biological Reserve
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde) is a Costa Rican reserve located along the Cordillera de Tilarán within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces. Named after the nearby town of Monteverde and founded in 1972,the Reserve consists of over 10,500 hectares (26,000 acres) of cloud forest. It draws roughly 70,000 visitors a year. The Reserve consists of 6 ecological zones, 90% of which are virgin forest.A high biodiversity, consisting of over 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn both scientists and tourists alike.
Nauyaca Waterfalls/Cataratas Nauyaca
These majestic waterfalls are one of the main attractions of the southern region in Costa Rica, not only for their natural scenic beauty, which offers the tourist moments of recreation and fun, but also to participate in different activities such as horseback ridign tours, swimming, climbing, jumping and to observe much of the beauty of the tropical rainforest, among others.
Nauyaca Waterfalls is the ideal place, not only for those in search of tranquility and nature, but also for adventure and excitement lovers. They are a reference point for adventure ecotourism as they are recognized worldwide for their beauty and the excellent services they provide. Details about the Nauyaca waterfalls can be found here.
Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio
Tenorio Volcano National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio) is a National Park in the northern part of Costa Rica, which forms part of the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area. The jewel of the National Park is the Tenorio Volcano, from which it receives its name. The volcano was made part of the National Park in 1995 and is located about 26 miles northeast from the town of Fortuna in the Guanacaste Province.
Where to stay
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. Costa Rica offers its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature – Costa Rica‘s hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
We managed to find the best three companies that offer hotels, holiday homes and transportation. These are: Booking.com, Trip.com and Vrbo. We have already tested these companies and we warmly recommend them. As a result this will just bring you good deals for your next vacation in Costa Rica.
Top hotels we recommend in San José: Studio Hotel Boutique, Posada el Quijote, Auténtico Hotel
Saving Tips
If you do not go by car and need to know more informations about the tours, things to see and do, we recommend this two companies that are offering tours for any kind of activity you want to do and where you can buy trips much cheaper than if you buy them when you arrive at your destination. It is always good to be able to save some money! Switzerland Bern
Viator and Get Your Guide : the best activities in town!
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Hey very interesting blog!
Thank you very much for your feedback!We appreciate!Alex and Christian