Slow Travel in Costa Rica
Costa Rica rewards patience. The places that reveal themselves slowly — a highland valley, a coastal village, a coffee-growing community — are rarely the ones on the surface itinerary. These are worth staying for more than a night.
🚗 Scenic Drives
Valle del Río Orosi
A 37-kilometre valley loop through coffee terraces, colonial churches, and four ecosystems
Orosi
☕ Scenic Cafés
Café Finca Los Sueños
Espresso on a working coffee farm with valley views
Naranjo
🌅 Sunset Spots
Playa Santa Teresa
Bohemian surf village with the finest sunsets on the Nicoya Peninsula
Cobano
☕ Scenic Cafés
Dota Coffee Region
One of the most beautiful and prestigious coffee-growing areas
Valle de Dota
🚗 Scenic Drives
Los Santos Region
Three cantons, one coffee landscape — volcanic ridges and wet mill terraces
Valle de Los Santos
🔭 Viewpoints
Hacienda Sitio de Mata
A historic coffee and sugarcane estate overlooking the stunning Turrialba Valley.
Turrialba
🦜 Wildlife
Bijagua
Cloud forest community between two volcanoes — Río Celeste gateway, tapir habitat
Bijagua
💎 Hidden Gems
Hacienda Pozo Azul
Rainforest serenity where natural hot springs, jungle trails, river adventures, and farm experiences come together in one unforgettable destination.
Sarapiquí
👨👩👧 Family Friendly
Territorio de Zaguates
An inspiring animal sanctuary, spend the day surrounded by hundreds of happy, rescued dogs roaming freely across rolling green hills.
Carrizal
💎 Hidden Gems
Finca Bellavista
An extraordinary off-grid treehouse community surrounded by hundreds of acres of pristine rainforest
Golfito
🚗 Scenic Drives
Santa María de Dota
The cooperative coffee town that proved altitude and cold can produce exceptional coffee
Santa María de Dota
☕ Scenic Cafés
Aquiares
A community where culture, agriculture, and conservation are deeply intertwined
Turrialba
💎 Hidden Gems
Bajos del Toro
Remote cloud forest valley with one road in and almost no one using it
Bajos del Toro
💎 Hidden Gems
Mal País
Dirt roads, rocky beach, tide pools — the raw end of the Nicoya Peninsula
Mal País
💎 Hidden Gems
Copey de Dota
One of the most beautiful highland regions in Costa Rica
Dota
🚗 Scenic Drives
Atenas
National Geographic's best climate — agricultural town forty minutes from San José
Atenas
🦜 Wildlife
Golfito
Costa Rica’s most underrated destinations
Golfo Dulce
🦜 Wildlife
Matapalo
Remote Osa beach — macaw flyovers at dawn, surf at the cape, jungle to the waterline
Matapalo
🚗 Scenic Drives
Tarrazú
Volcanic altitude coffee — hand-picked harvest, specialty roasters, micro-lot single-origins
Tarrazú
🥾 Hiking
Hacienda La Chimba
A scenic hike through coffee plantations that leads to the iconic La Mano del Mantra viewpoint—a giant hand sculpture overlooking the Central Valley
Santa Ana
💎 Hidden Gems
Pavones
The second longest left-hand wave in the world — 750 metres, no banks, two hours of dirt road
Pavones
🦜 Wildlife
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca
Diverse coastal wilderness where lush rainforest, pristine beaches, coral reefs, and mangrove lagoons come together in a spectacular Caribbean setting.
Talamanca