Surprises of
COSTA RICA
Welcome to Costa Rica
Words: Rachel Truman
The sun is setting on the Pacific, and I stand warming my face in the glow of the billowy pastel skies. My blissful state of peace is interrupted by a troop of shrieking capuchin monkeys. This cheeky white-faced crew are raiding the exact mango that I’d had my eye on for breakfast. With a cursory glance from one fuzzy-browed gang member, they high-tail it into the swaying trees as I look on helplessly from my balcony perch. It is one of many moments on my trip to Costa Rica where I feel like I’ve stumbled onto the set of a nature documentary.
Wherever I went in Costa Rica, from the cool mountains and humid jungle-edged beaches to the city streets and cloud forests, vegetation seemingly tried to cover everything in sight. Nature definitely rules here, and the nation has embraced this with enthusiasm. Costa Rica has long been a trailblazer for conservation, and as I travelled around the country, I found that genuinely sustainable practices are the norm here, rather than the exception. Whether it was the restaurants I ate in, the tours I took or the B&Bs and ecolodges in which I spent my nights, a deep-rooted respect for the land and dedication to protecting and preserving its abundant natural charms were a given.
Wanderlust has compiled this full guide to the country’s sustainable and authentic experiences so that you, too, can find surprises in Costa Rica.
Explore the map below to get started on your Costa Rican adventure...
Cultural Costa Rica
Costa Rica's music traditions are deep-rooted, with some of its oldest found in the Guanacaste province. Its folkloric music features the quijongo (a musical bow) and oboe-like chirimía, and it dates to pre-colonial times. Visit on Guanacaste Day in July, when the annexation of Nicoya from Nicaragua to Costa Rica in 1824 is celebrated, to see performances in costume. The province is also known for its dancing, influenced by Andalucian flamenco.
Nature and wildlife
This Caribbean province has the highest percentage of protected land in Costa Rica, and one part of that is the Tortuguero National Park where green sea turtles come to nest and, later, where hatchlings scurry down to the shoreline.
Culinary Costa Rica
Capital San José is home to some of the country’s top food experiences. Highlights include walking tours of its historic Central Market, refined dining experiences at the likes of Silvestre and coffee farm experiences in the hills above San José
Nature and wildlife
Alajuela is home to the Caño Negro Wetlands, an off-the-beaten track haven for howler monkeys, turtles, big cat species, a plethora of birdlife and so much more.
Sustainable Stays
Costa Rica offers some seriously wild, eco-friendly and luxurious stays. And where better to head for a nature-immersed retreat than the lesser-visited Osa Peninsula in the Puntarenas province? SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge is hidden in a private reserve in the Osa Peninsula. This newly renovated five-star lodge has opened a cross-discipline research centre where local marine biologists and international scientists work on a pioneering ocean-land collaboration. Guests can also participate in citizen-science projects, tracking turtles or recording pods of migrating humpback whales.
Nature and wildlife
Hidden in Heredia province is Sarapiqui where the Macaw Recovery Network is on a mission to bring parrot species such as the great green macaw back from the edge of extinction. As well as these colourful birds, visitors to Sarapiqui can enjoy sightings of other incredible wildlife such as howler monkeys and poison dart frogs.
Cultural Costa Rica
Celebrations take hold of the entire country on September 15, a national holiday that marks the date that Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821. A ‘freedom torch’ is carried through El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua before reaching Costa Rica’s former capital, Cartago. You’ll also see patriotic street parades, folk dancing and flag waving erupt around the country.
