10+ Incredible Things to Do in Costa Rica for First-time Visitors
When I booked my trip to Costa Rica with EF Ultimate Break, I had no idea I was in for ten days of pure adrenaline-inducing adventure!
Though in hindsight, I should’ve known, as zip-lining and whitewater rafting were on the activities list…
Over a year ago when I reserved my spot on the New Year’s Eve Costa Rica Adventure trip with EF Ultimate Break, I simply wanted to book an adventure that aligned with my company’s paid holiday shutdown.
Zero work. Full pay. Limited PTO taken.
Costa Rica was the perfect place for a Colorado girl, sick of the cold weather, to visit. I yearned to hear ocean waves lapping against Central American sand. And prior to my adventure in Costa Rica, I had not yet ventured further south, beyond Riviera Maya in Mexico.
The stars aligned. Costa Rica was the perfect place to spend New Year’s, recharging after a year of hard work and dedication to my very corporate nine-to-five job.
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A year after booking my trip, I found myself stuffing my suitcase (I tend to overpack…) for ten days in Costa Rica with EF Ultimate Break.
I traversed mountains, journeyed through cloud forests (in the pouring rain, I must add!), and wandered along sandy beaches.
Between kayaking Lake Arenal, visiting one of Costa Rica’s most incredible waterfalls, and drinking Costa Rican coffee, I experienced almost everything Costa Rica had to offer!
Did I mention I saw BOTH of Costa Rica’s species of sloth (two- and three-toed sloths!)?
I loved every moment I spent in Costa Rica and I can’t wait to go back someday and explore even more of the beautiful country (and hopefully see more adorable sloths!).
Here are 10+ Things to Do in Costa Rica for First-Time Visitors
12. Enjoy One of Costa Rica’s Hot Springs
One of the most relaxing experiences, on a trip otherwise VERY adventurous, was a dip in one of Costa Rica’s natural hot springs.
Costa Rica has between 100–120 volcanoes, with seven of them actively erupting. Millions of years ago, the country was formed because of these active volcanoes!
Daring adventurers might hike to the top of Cerro Chato Volcano or journey around Arenal. However, travelers looking for a more relaxing experience will opt for a dip in a natural hot spring, Costa Rica’s mecca for relaxation.
Hot springs form via rainwater deposits, which are heated by magma beneath the earth’s surface.
Our tour group visited Baldi Hot Springs, a hotel/hot springs resort with several heated pools of different temperatures, multiple swim-up bars, and a restaurant. This is one of the BEST Costa Rica attractions for visitors looking for ultimate relaxation.
Here’s your ticket to Ultimate Relaxation! BOOK HERE ⬇️
Spending an afternoon at Baldi Hot Springs was one of my favorite activities in La Fortuna.
With incredible views of Arenal Volcano, Baldi Hot Springs is the perfect destination for ultimate relaxation. The resort includes changing rooms with showers, and a place to rent towels and lockers. My favorite part of Baldi Hot Springs was the hidden sauna located at the top of the resort.
Other popular natural hot springs include Eco Termales, a more secluded sanctuary, which is great for guests visiting during the less-busy weekdays, and Tabacón, a luxury hot springs experience within a beautiful resort. Many of these resorts also offer massage and other spa services!
11. Enjoy Lunch or Dinner at a Costa Rica “Soda”
Everywhere we went in Costa Rica, we would see signs outside small restaurants that said, “Soda”.
And truthfully, an ice-cold soda did sound nice after our adventure activities!
But the little “mom and pop” shops with the “Soda” signs go beyond just providing soda to thirsty adventurers.
Before Costa Rica became the international destination for adventure, local restaurant owners would advertise their international drink selection, including western soda like Coca-Cola, by displaying large signs outside their restaurant that read, “Soda”.
This marketing tactic – meant to draw travelers and locals into the restaurant to eat traditional Costa Rican food, with an ice cold soda to wash it down – eventually became more than just a way to advertise the restaurant’s drink selection.
Alas, the Costa Rican “Soda” was born: a local restaurant that not only serves ice cold soda, but also traditional “Tico” food (“Tico” means Costa Rican).
When you plan on visiting Costa Rica, make sure to add “eat at a traditional Soda” to your bucket list! Many Sodas serve traditional dishes like casados – rice, beans and plantains, served with chicken, beef or fish. One of my favorite meals was at traditional Costa Rican Soda!
10. Discover the Lifecycle of Costa Rican Coffee
Costa Rica’s central valley province is one of the country’s ideal locations for growing every not-a-morning-person’s holy grail: COFFEE!
Even as a non-coffee drinker (I prefer tea), the coffee I tasted at Doka Estate was incredible! Doka Estate is a great place to learn about eco-tourism in Costa Rica.
Our guide showed us the ways in which coffee beans are picked, peeled, dried, and roasted!
Fun fact, darker roast = more flavor, but less caffeine!
9. Tour a Local Pineapple Farm
Costa Rica’s tropical climate makes it the perfect place for growing a variety of crops including the country’s three major exports: pineapples, bananas, and coffee!
One of the first activities I did in Costa Rica was tour a local pineapple farm on the way to La Fortuna.
The way in which pineapples grow, like a little piece of art displayed on a leafy pedestal, was fascinating to learn about. Our group experienced The Best Pineapple Pineapple Tour in Costa Rica, exploring the farm in the back of a tractor.
Our tour guide made sure that there was no shortage of pineapple to taste, and I can confidently say that the pineapple I ate on the tour, freshly picked from the field, was the BEST pineapple I’ve ever had.
At the end of the tour, we were offered fresh virgin piña coladas, with the option to add Costa Rican moonshine! A tour of a pineapple farm is the best way to explore eco-tourism in Costa Rica!
8. Discover the Magic Behind Costa Rican Chocolate
Call me Willy Wonka, because I love chocolate more than life itself!
A tour of a local chocolate farm, at Rainforest Chocolate Tour (in the La Fortuna area), was certainly one of my Costa Rica highlights.
On this tour, I got to see the bizarre ways in which cacao beans grow, learn how cacao is dried, roasted, and made into delicious chocolate, and most importantly learn about the ways in which Costa Rica is changing the chocolate industry (for the better).
This local chocolate farm tour was truly eye-opening experience, especially as a former (somewhat) Snickers lover.
I highly recommend booking a tour of a chocolate farm – one of the best examples of eco-tourism in Costa Rica. After my tour, I left the farm with a bag full of local, fair trade chocolate that didn’t even last a week!
7. Visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest
Located in the mountainous province of Puntarenas just outside of Monteverde is one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse, peaceful nature reserves.
Santa Elena Cloud Forest, given its name due to the high elevation of the rainforest, is a must visit when you plan your trip to Costa Rica! This nature reserve is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica!
Our group trekked along the one-mile Youth Challenge loop trail, discovering Costa Rica’s unique plant and wildlife. This trail is perfect for families with young kids, and for travelers looking for an easy stroll through the cloud forest.
Don’t let clear skies fool you! Weather can strike at any moment. The cloud forest can get over ten feet of rain annually, so come prepared with a rain poncho, an umbrella, long pants, and hiking shoes.
6. Enjoy Life on the Water – Costa Rica Catamaran Cruise
There’s nothing quite like cruising on open waters, exploring Costa Rica’s pacific coastline by catamaran!
One of my favorite memories from my adventure in Costa Rica was an afternoon catamaran cruise. Starting in Quepos, a quaint town near Manuel Antonio, we ventured along the coastline in search of sea animals!
Though the weather was overcast and rainy for part of the cruise, I had so much fun cruising on the ocean. Fortunately, as we pulled up to a small cove for snorkeling and jumping off the top deck, the rain cleared, and we were met with perfect conditions for swimming!
I tackled my fears and jumped off the top deck of our boat, the Ocean King! On this cruise we were also served a delicious dinner which included fish, rice and beans, and other goodies.
BOOK Your Manuel Antonio Catamaran Cruise HERE ⬇️
Did I mention the boat has a bar? Our cruise included four drinks (alcoholic or not), and even more if you flirted with the bartenders (wink, wink!).
The sunset catamaran cruise in Costa Rica was an incredibly memorable activity! We ended the cruise by viewing an incredible sunset (I highly suggest doing the cruise in the afternoon, for this reason!)!
5. Kayak Lake Arenal
Volcanoes don’t exist in Colorado, so getting to see Arenal protruding monumentally above La Fortuna was a spectacular sight!
I couldn’t believe the natural structure that likely formed Costa Rica millions of years ago was right in front of me!
Just beneath the Arenal Volcano is Lake Arenal, one of Costa Rica’s largest man-made lakes.
Because 80% of the country’s energy is derived from hydropower, Lake Arenal provides energy for Ticos all across the country. However, the lake is not just strictly functional. It also serves as a perfect place for watersports such as kayaking and paddle boarding, and makes a perfect place to view the monumental volcano that transcends above it!
Viewing Arenal from onboard a kayak was a surreal experience – one of the best activities in Costa Rica. We paddled along the biodiverse coastline, searching for birds and monkeys hanging in the trees.
The guides also brought us to a “secret location”, the site of a floating water slide, and a large platform to dive off of, into the lake!
Kayaking Lake Arenal is a great experience for travelers of all ages – one of the best activities for families in Costa Rica!
4. Visit Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica’s BEST National Park
Nature is at the forefront of exploration in Costa Rica.
Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by nature! Even the country’s capital city, San Jose, is surrounded on all sides by lush green mountains.
And because of the country’s rich biodiversity – “Costa Rica” translates to “rich coast” – nature lovers will feel right at home when visiting Central America’s hidden gem.
There are nearly 190 protected areas in Costa Rica, with over thirty national parks.
Whether you prefer to explore Costa Rica from one of its mystical hanging bridges (Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges), or you’d rather watch monkeys peek through people’s backpacks (this happened to me at Manuel Antonio), a visit to a Costa Rica national park or a nature reserve is the best way to explore the country’s rich biodiversity.
Fun Fact!
Though Costa Rica accounts for only 0.03% of the world’s landmass, this biodiverse country supports 5% of the global biodiversity!
I loved visiting Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the BEST places to visit in Costa Rica.
Manuel Antonio beach requires you to walk less than a mile (~1km) through dense vegetation.
This is the perfect way to spot Costa Rica wildlife, such as monkeys, sloths, and crabs! Costa Rica has four kinds of monkeys: Howler, Spider, Capuchin and Squirrel monkeys! See if you can spot them all or book a guided wildlife tour in Manuel Antonio to get help from a local.
There are a lot of restrictions for visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park so be sure to check my guide ➡️ HERE ⬅️
3. Visit Costa Rica’s Iconic Waterfalls
One of Costa Rica’s MOST popular tourist attractions is La Fortuna Waterfall.
Towering at nearly 75 meters tall, La Fortuna Waterfall is a spectacular site! To reach the waterfall, you will need to descend nearly 500 steps before reaching the base of the waterfall. It is most definitely worth the climb up and down!
Oftentimes swimming is permitted at La Fortuna Waterfall, DEPENDING on weather conditions.
I arrived at the waterfall the day after a big rainstorm, so swimming was NOT permitted at the base of the waterfall. However, in the nearby streams, swimming was allowed. Be sure to check the conditions prior to your visit! Seeing the immense power of the waterfall took my breath away!
2. Zip-line in Monteverde
Monteverde’s high elevation makes the quaint mountain village feel like a completely different climate than La Fortuna, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio.
As a Colorado girl, I felt most at home in Monteverde. The vibes were similar to a Colorado mountain town…if it was tropical, and Spanish!
The high elevation of Monteverde, ~4,600ft – nearly as high as the Mile High City, Denver! – makes it a PERFECT place to zip-line, high above the tropical forests.
Our tour group stayed at a beautiful hotel called El Establo, which was situated high on top of one of the town’s massive hills (“hill” cannot even describe it!). At the top of El Establo was a private reserve for zip-lining.
As a thrill-seeker, I love adventure activities. And before this trip, I’d never actually been zip-lining! But I’m so glad I got to experience zip-lining in Costa Rica, high above the beautiful mountainous landscapes!
1. Whitewater Rafting on the Sarapiqui River
My MOST memorable experience in Costa Rica was whitewater rafting on the Sarapiqui River!
Whitewater rafting is one of the BEST adventure activities in Costa Rica.
Due to the intense rain La Fortuna experienced the night before, we were in for a real surprise for our half day rafting trip with Epic Adventures! It was a VERY bumpy, exhilarating surprise.
Our guide, Wilmur, taught us exactly what to do in the case of intense rapids, which happened quite frequently during the whitewater rafting excursion. Every time we hit a major bump our crew, “Las Piñas”, we called ourselves, screamed in excitement! The water was so refreshing, even when it splashed me right in the face!
Little did I know, the rafting experience would also double as a Costa Rica river safari. All along the river banks, we saw lots of birds and monkeys! This activity is fun for all ages, but it is recommended only for experienced swimmers!
Have fun planning your adventure in Costa Rica! Pura Vida!
Want to explore even MORE Costa Rica content?
Check out my latest Costa Rica blog Posts BELOW ⬇️
The Perfect 10-Day Costa Rica Itinerary for Daring Adventurers
Ultimate Guide to Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica
