Costa Rica: San José, Tortuguero, Arenal and Manuel Antonio

About the destination: San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, has a very different vibe than most of Latin America with a lot more American influenced architecture and a Mediterranean climate. San Jose is a town in the middle of nature. Located in the Central Valley, the city is surrounded by the most varied forms of wildlife as well as the volcanos, Poás and Irazú. It is also the central point from where you can reach the country’s rich National Parks, its gorgeous beaches, its amazing rivers and its pristine mountains.San José has certain attraction on its own like the National Theatre, the Central Market, the National Museum or the Metropolitan Cathedral. Moreover, its friendly people give a lively vibe to the city, something you can appreciate in the city’s many restaurants and bars. Some museums and buildings give away their colonial past and European artistic influences. San Jose also has much to offer and it is a city of great historical and cultural significance.

About the destination: Tortuguero is a small fishing village in the far northwest corner of Costa Rica located on a narrow spit of land between the Caribbean Sea and the Tortuguero Canal. Tortuguero is one of the most remote places in Costa Rica and is only accessible by boat or plane. The main reason why most people travel to Tortuguero is to see turtles lay eggs on the beach and to visit Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero National Park is one of the most visited national parks in Costa Rica.Tortuguero is the perfect tropical rainforest, mosaic of little canals and deltas, wealth of exotic wildlife, stretch of seemingly endless expanse of sandy beach, peace and quiet. Tortuguero is true nature.

About the destination: Arenal is situated north of San Jose. An active volcano, waterfalls, hot springs, and a big lake is what makes Arenal an interesting place to visit. The volcano is visible from all parts of the Arenal area and you can actually feel the volcano too, there are tremors and small eruptions constantly. There is a very nice, safe path through the rain forest. The scenery is beautiful along with all the animals and nature. It is relaxing just taking in the sights. The volcano is the area’s main draw, but there are plenty of things to do around the Volcano. Enjoying the beauty of the hot springs, water rafting, visiting the Arenal Butterfly Conservatory and going on one of the many hiking tours, which display all the natural beauty and wildlife. In one of the hiking tours you can go unguided and follow the path which leads to a beautiful waterfall. It is quite lovely to cool off in the waterfall after that long hike.

About the destination: Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica. Located in the Central Pacific region, is known for its beautiful beaches and rich wildlife. Manuel Antonio Village is the perfect base to visit the Manuel Antonio National Park, the main reason why people visit this town. Manuel Antonio Village is a tiny and pleasant place that has some decent shopping, dining and lodging options. Although it is Costa Rica's smallest national park, Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse areas in the country. Manuel Antonio contains a charming combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs. The beaches are one of the most beautiful in the country. The forest is home for sloths, iguanas, howler monkeys, white-face monkeys and the rare squirrel monkeys.One of the special features of the park is Cathedral Point. With its forest topped cliffs this peninsula was once an island, but is now connected to the coast by a thin strip of island. This land bridge now forms the spine separating the parks two most popular beaches, Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio.Welcome to Costa Rica’s untouched tropical paradise.