Arenal & the Northern Zone
The volcano defines the region — cone-shaped, constantly smoking, surrounded by hot springs and hanging bridges. Beyond the icon is some of Costa Rica's most diverse wildlife territory.
🌊 Waterfalls
Catarata La Fortuna
A dramatic 70-metre waterfall, tropical rainforest, wildlife, and swimming
La Fortuna
👨👩👧 Family Friendly
Termales del Bosque
Thermal pools in old-growth forest, best after the sun goes down
Ciudad Quesada
🔭 Viewpoints
Mirador del Volcán Arenal
One of the southern-facing viewpoints around Arenal Lake and the lava flow side of the volcano.
La Fortuna
🏊 Swimming
Tabacón Thermal Region
Volcanic-heated rivers on the flank of Arenal — the free access is at the public river bend
La Fortuna
💎 Hidden Gems
Bajos del Toro
Remote cloud forest valley with one road in and almost no one using it
Bajos del Toro
🥾 Hiking
Cerro Chato
A collapsed volcano crater now holding a cold green lake, climbed through Arenal's shadow
La Fortuna
🦜 Wildlife
Tapir Valley Nature Reserve
A model for ecotourism and habitat restoration in northern Costa Rica.
Upala
🔭 Viewpoints
Mirador El Silencio
One of the best panoramic viewpoints in the entire Arenal region
Arenal
🥾 Hiking
Mistico Hanging Bridges
A network of trails and suspension bridges overlooking the forest, Lake Arenal, and the Arenal Volcano
La Fortuna
🌊 Waterfalls
Blue Falls of Costa Rica
Six turquoise pools of volcanic mineral water — each a different temperature
Bijagua
🥾 Hiking
Juan Castro Blanco National Park
One of Costa Rica's most underrated national parks
Ciudad Quesada
🔭 Viewpoints
Mirador Colada
One of the most scenic viewpoints inside the Arenal Volcano area
San Carlos
🏊 Swimming
El Salto Rio Rope Swing
Swing, jump, and swim at a local favorite where a rope swing launches adventurers into crystal-clear turquoise waters beneath cascading waterfalls.
San Carlos
🦜 Wildlife
Bijagua
Cloud forest community between two volcanoes — Río Celeste gateway, tapir habitat
Bijagua
🏊 Swimming
Isla del Caño Biological Reserve
The finest reef on the Pacific coast of Central America, twelve kilometres offshore
Drake Bay
🏊 Swimming
Parque Nacional Cahuita
One of Costa Rica’s most beautiful Caribbean national parks
Cahuita
🌊 Waterfalls
Cataratas Llanos de Cortez
The most accessible major waterfall in Costa Rica — and the most generous
Bagaces
🦜 Wildlife
Playa Grande
Leatherback turtles nest here in darkness — the beach is theirs first
Playa Grande
🏕️ Camping
Estación Sirena, Corcovado
The most biologically intense place on Earth — no services, no shade, no compromise
Osa Peninsula
🌊 Waterfalls
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
One of Costa Rica’s most famous eco-attractions, located in the cloud forest between Poás Volcano and Sarapiquí
Heredia Province
🦜 Wildlife
Canales de Tortuguero
Boat through rainforest canals watching caimans, sloths, and river otters
Tortuguero
🥾 Hiking
Sendero Las Pailas, Rincón de la Vieja
Active mud pots, fumaroles, and howler monkeys in a single morning hike
Rincón de la Vieja NP
🥾 Hiking
Savegre Valley Trail
Network of cloud-forest hiking trails around San Gerardo de Dota and the upper Río Savegre
San Gerardo de Dota
🥾 Hiking
Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco
Costa Rica's first protected area ends in a wild beach almost nobody reaches
Cabo Blanco