# Pura Vida Pass — Costa Rica travel guide

> Pura Vida Pass is a curated, source-backed guide to things to do in Costa Rica: tours and adventures, hot springs and day passes, wildlife, beaches and food — with start times, how long each activity takes, prices as published by each place, practical tips distilled from traveler reviews, and secret spots (waterfalls, viewpoints, swimming holes, trails) with coordinates from OpenStreetMap and free-licensed photos from Wikimedia Commons. 716 places and 1096 secret spots across 9 regions. Updated 2026-10-14.

Each page lists its sources. Prices and hours are as published by the places themselves and can change — check with the place before you go.

## Regions
- [Arenal & La Fortuna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/arenal): 128 places, 96 secret spots
- [Guanacaste](https://puravidapass.online/guide/guanacaste): 108 places, 204 secret spots
- [Nicoya Peninsula](https://puravidapass.online/guide/nicoya): 78 places, 165 secret spots
- [Central Pacific](https://puravidapass.online/guide/central-pacific): 96 places, 100 secret spots
- [Jacó & Herradura](https://puravidapass.online/guide/jaco): 90 places, 77 secret spots
- [Monteverde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/monteverde): 40 places, 38 secret spots
- [Caribbean Coast](https://puravidapass.online/guide/caribbean): 49 places, 72 secret spots
- [Osa Peninsula](https://puravidapass.online/guide/osa): 47 places, 101 secret spots
- [San José & Central Valley](https://puravidapass.online/guide/central-valley): 80 places, 243 secret spots

## Places
- [ABC Canyoning (Peñas Blancas canyon)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/abc-canyoning-penas-blancas-canyon): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Canyoning outfitter with certified bilingual instructors that rappels waterfalls in the Peñas Blancas River canyon (about 40 minutes from La Fortuna), including a 70 m finale; ages 7-70.
- [Antojería La Street](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/antojeria-la-street): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. A casual downtown La Fortuna spot for Costa Rican food and antojitos, a favorite of travel bloggers looking for something other than tourist menus; think loaded tortillas with vegetables and guacamole.
- [Arenal Adventure ATV](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-adventure-atv): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. ATV operator on the east side of La Fortuna running a 2-hour ride over rocky, muddy trails with stream crossings; the route starts right behind the office, so there is no transfer.
- [Arenal EcoGlide](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-ecoglide): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-friendly zipline park close to town: 11 short double-cable lines, a Tarzan swing and a suspension bridge.
- [Arenal Mundo Aventura](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-mundo-aventura): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Adventure and nature park founded in 2005 on the road to the La Fortuna waterfall, combining ziplines and rides with guided night walks, birding, horses and a Maleku cultural visit; guides are ICT-certified.
- [Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge (night frog tour)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-oasis-eco-lodge-night-frog-tour): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A small eco-lodge and wildlife refuge five minutes from downtown La Fortuna, with rainforest, gardens and spring-fed ponds.
- [Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-observatory-lodge-trails): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. The only lodge inside Arenal Volcano National Park, with a 350-hectare private reserve that day visitors can explore on 11 km of jungle trails.
- [Arenal Rafting Company](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-rafting-company): Surf, Boats & Diving, Arenal & La Fortuna. Whitewater rafting outfitter in La Fortuna with trips on the Balsa and Sarapiquí rivers, from family-friendly runs to more adrenaline-filled ones.
- [Arenal Vida Campesina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenal-vida-campesina): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Self-sufficient organic farm and cultural learning center 3 km south of La Fortuna where guests learn about coffee, sugar cane and cacao, grind cacao pods, make tortillas and taste local fruit.
- [Baldi Hot Springs (day pass)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/baldi-hot-springs-day-pass): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. One of La Fortuna's biggest thermal resorts: a day pass opens 25 spring-fed pools, waterfalls and a grotto, with optional lunch and dinner packages; the pools stay open until 10 pm.
- [Bijagua Ranas – Frogs, Coffee, Cacao & Sloth Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bijagua-ranas-frogs-coffee-cacao-sloth-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small Bijagua operator with gardens and trails where locals guide frog night walks and coffee, cacao and sloth tours.
- [Bio Thermales Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bio-thermales-hot-springs): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Low-key eco hot-springs park north of Aguas Zarcas: 15 free-form mineral pools, from steaming upper pools on a thermal creek to a cool spring pool with a slide, set in rainforest with picnic ranchos — a fraction of the price of the La Fortuna resorts.
- [Butterfly Conservatory El Castillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/butterfly-conservatory-el-castillo): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small butterfly and frog garden in the village of El Castillo, 800 m up the cement road, with a life-cycle demonstration, an insect museum and a short guided tour; open every day of the year.
- [Café Con Amor](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-con-amor): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Gourmet coffee shop and restaurant 200 m south of the gas station with Lake Arenal views from the patio, big sandwiches, Geisha coffee and local-liquor cocktails.
- [Café La Semilla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-la-semilla): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. A tiny café on Bijagua's main road, across from the Mega Super, with good coffee, a surprisingly long menu with vegan options, and homemade sweets.
- [Casa del Agua (Mery's Coffee)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/casa-del-agua-mery-s-coffee): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Café between Tilarán and Río Piedras with a lake view from the porch, good coffee and food, art, and a used-book exchange.
- [Casa Fortuna, Restaurante Familiar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/casa-fortuna-restaurante-familiar): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run local restaurant near the center with seafood and casados at fair prices; a long-time favorite on budget lists.
- [Casa Italia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/casa-italia): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. A small Italian kitchen just outside the center of Nuevo Arenal run by a Sicilian owner: homemade pasta (carbonara, alla Norma, ragù), pizza and desserts finished in a wood-fired oven.
- [Chifa La Familia Feliz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/chifa-la-familia-feliz): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Unassuming Peruvian-Chinese kitchen where chef Martin chats with guests and recommends dishes; known for causa rellena, pineapple chicken and wok noodles with a Costa Rican twist.
- [Chocolate Fusión](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/chocolate-fusion): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Air-conditioned chocolate and pastry shop by the central park—a sweet break with good coffee.
- [D'mi Tierra Comida Típica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/d-mi-tierra-comida-tipica): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small, well-priced restaurant of Costa Rican and Caribbean-style comfort food in La Fortuna, with a bilingual menu, friendly service and dishes like chifrijo and casados.
- [Desafío Adventure Company](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/desafio-adventure-company): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Long-running adventure company in La Fortuna that runs its own rafting, canyoning and river float tours, plus transfers around Arenal and Monteverde.
- [Don Juan Coffee and Chocolate Tour (Don Juan Arenal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/don-juan-coffee-and-chocolate-tour-don-juan-aren): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run plantation tour 1.3 km north of the Banco Nacional in La Fortuna: a 2-hour walk through coffee and cacao with tastings, plus an evening version that adds a night wildlife walk.
- [Don Olivo Chocolate Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/don-olivo-chocolate-tour): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small family farm east of La Fortuna where Don Olivo's family walks you through cacao from pod to wood-fired roasting oven and stone grinder, finishing with tastings of fruit, nibs and hot chocolate.
- [Don Rufino](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/don-rufino): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. La Fortuna's best-known sit-down dinner: chef-driven Costa Rican cooking on a downtown corner since 2005, with ceviche, octopus tamale and desserts that reviewers single out.
- [Eco Garden Arenal (sloth, birding and night tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/eco-garden-arenal-sloth-birding-and-night-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small private ecological park southeast of La Fortuna run as a wildlife corridor: guided small-group walks to find sloths, toucans and, after dark, red-eyed tree frogs and poison-dart frogs.
- [Ecocentro Danaus](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ecocentro-danaus): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small nature center east of La Fortuna with forest trails, wildlife, a butterfly garden and a Maleku cultural presentation.
- [Ecotermales Fortuna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ecotermales-fortuna): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Quiet hot springs 3.5 km from La Fortuna's church with natural-style pools in a garden; they cap daily guests (about 100), so it never feels crowded.
- [El Chante Verde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-chante-verde): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Modern, clean restaurant on the south side of La Fortuna mixing plant-based dishes with traditional Costa Rican plates; the tableside guacamole and grilled pineapple get the most praise.
- [El Sabor de Doña Carmen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-sabor-de-dona-carmen): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. A favorite local soda tucked on a side street just south of the Bijagua high school, serving generous casados with fish, chicken or beef and several side salads at local prices.
- [El turnito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-turnito): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. SODA El Turnito is a family-run Costa Rican soda in La Fortuna serving authentic typical dishes such as casados, empanadas, patacones, and fresh fruit juices and smoothies.
- [Enter Costa Rica (Pacific Trade Winds)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/enter-costa-rica-pacific-trade-winds): Trip Planners, Arenal & La Fortuna. Inbound tour operator by Lake Arenal that has been building fully customized Costa Rica trips since 2007.
- [Estación Biológica Pocosol (Children's Eternal Rainforest)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/estacion-biologica-pocosol-children-s-eternal-ra): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Remote research station of the Monteverde Conservation League in the Children's Eternal Rainforest, at 720 m on the Caribbean slope.
- [Finca Luna Nueva (One Day Pass & farm tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-luna-nueva-one-day-pass-farm-tours): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Biodynamic farm and eco-lodge 25 minutes from La Fortuna; non-guests can buy a One Day Pass (trails, a bamboo lookout tower, pool and lunch) or join farm, chocolate and night tours.
- [Finca Paraíso Orgánico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-paraiso-organico): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Organic family farm south-east of La Fortuna offering farm tours with tastings of what they grow.
- [Finca Verde Lodge (wildlife tours and Hummingbird Café)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-verde-lodge-wildlife-tours-and-hummingbird): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A rustic, locally run lodge, organic farm and reforestation project at the edge of Bijagua, backed by forest.
- [Frog's Paradise](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/frog-s-paradise): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A family project on a former cattle farm turned secondary forest in Bijagua, run by owner Miguel; its night walks find red-eyed tree frogs, poison dart frogs and more, and are loved by families.
- [Fusion Arenal Mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/fusion-arenal-mirador): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Semi-open restaurant on the El Castillo road with big views of Lake Arenal and the volcano; seafood is the specialty and sunsets are the draw.
- [Gingerbread Restaurant & Hotel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/gingerbread-restaurant-hotel): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Lively, quirky restaurant on Route 142 by Nuevo Arenal where chef Eyal often cooks off-menu for each table.
- [Gustitos Criollos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/gustitos-criollos): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Spotless little soda in Nuevo Arenal with home-style Costa Rican food, a warm owner and a balcony with a view.
- [Harmony Relaxing Spa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/harmony-relaxing-spa): Yoga & Wellness, Arenal & La Fortuna. Independent day spa in La Fortuna offering massages, scrubs, wraps and volcanic-mud facials at roughly half of what resort spas charge, with praised therapists.
- [Heliconias Rainforest Lodge – Hanging Bridges](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/heliconias-rainforest-lodge-hanging-bridges): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A rustic lodge on the edge of Tenorio Volcano NP with a 2.5 km trail through mostly primary rainforest and three hanging bridges up to 105 m long and 35 m high — quieter than the big bridge parks.
- [Horseback Riding Costa Rica (La Fortuna)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/horseback-riding-costa-rica-la-fortuna): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Local horseback operator running guided rides with Arenal Volcano views (2 h) or down to the La Fortuna waterfall (3 h); riders are matched with horses by experience and all gear is provided.
- [Jalapas Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jalapas-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Husband-and-wife restaurant in Monterrey, north of La Fortuna, with creative home cooking and very warm service.
- [Jungle Life Costa Rica (sloth, bird & night tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jungle-life-costa-rica-sloth-bird-night-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A family eco-tour operator on almost two hectares of primary and secondary forest near Bijagua, about 13 minutes from Río Celeste, with short sloth walks and night tours with bilingual guides.
- [Kalambú Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kalambu-hot-springs): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. A relaxed, good-value hot springs water park opposite Baldi on the road to Arenal Volcano.
- [Kantala Restaurant (Río Celeste Hideaway)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kantala-restaurant-rio-celeste-hideaway): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. The fusion restaurant of the Río Celeste Hideaway hotel, open to the public for lunch or dinner with a reservation — the area's fine-dining option.
- [La Casona del Maíz (Bijagua corn shack)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-casona-del-maiz-bijagua-corn-shack): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. A corn-everything stop on the main road as you enter Bijagua from the south, easy to spot by the giant corn cob statue out front.
- [La Casona Río Fortuna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-casona-rio-fortuna): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. The old country house of Costa Rican president Rafael Yglesias, from which settler families spread out to found the villages around La Fortuna.
- [La Fortuna Hikes and Trails](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-fortuna-hikes-and-trails): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Private trail network a short drive north of the center with ponds and a remote feel; flags mark recent sloth sightings.
- [La Fortuna Rafting (Arenal River Tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-fortuna-rafting-arenal-river-tours): Surf, Boats & Diving, Arenal & La Fortuna. Rafting outfitter with an office in Barrio Dora offering a mellow class II-III trip and a more intense class III-IV run, each with lunch, a fruit snack and pickup from main hotels.
- [La Piedra del Indio Waterfalls](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-piedra-del-indio-waterfalls): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A tall (about 90 m) waterfall near San Miguel de Tilarán, reached by a 30-minute walk past a large pre-Columbian rock; a small pool higher up the trail is good for a dip.
- [La Tigra Rainforest Lodge (frog tour and trails)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-tigra-rainforest-lodge-frog-tour-and-trails): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A rainforest lodge in the hills of La Tigra, on the road between San Ramón and La Fortuna, that is quietly reforesting an old farm.
- [La Ventanita (El Castillo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-ventanita-el-castillo): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Motorcycle-themed restaurant in El Castillo with 80s music, big burritos, chalupas and tico bowls, and views over Lake Arenal and the volcano; a go-to after the butterfly garden or a hike.
- [La Vieja Adventures — Ciudad Esmeralda canyon (Río La Vieja)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-vieja-adventures-ciudad-esmeralda-canyon-rio-): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Guided wade-and-hike through a narrow, moss-walled canyon of the Río La Vieja above Ciudad Quesada, ending at the Zafiro waterfall and its turquoise pools.
- [Laberinto (San Francisco de La Palmera)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/laberinto-san-francisco-de-la-palmera): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family day-out spot north of Ciudad Quesada built around a garden maze, with playgrounds, a restaurant, picnic area and cabins.
- [Laberinto de Katira](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/laberinto-de-katira): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Owner Rafael Arguedas grew two big hedge mazes and a park of about 30 topiary animals 500 m north of Katira's center; climb the platforms for views.
- [Laberinto Río Celeste](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/laberinto-rio-celeste): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A 4,600 m² hibiscus hedge maze 150 m from the Tenorio Volcano NP entrance — find your way to the lookout platform in the middle.
- [Lago Tortuga Bijagua](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/lago-tortuga-bijagua): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A family-run lake and reforestation project near Bijagua's center where you can paddle a kayak, walk forest trails, camp, or learn to make tortillas.
- [Lake Arenal Hotel & Brewery (brewpub and La Vista restaurant)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/lake-arenal-hotel-brewery-brewpub-and-la-vista-r): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. A hillside hotel on the northwest shore of Lake Arenal that brews its own beer, a rarity in a region of light lagers.
- [Los Platillos Voladores](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-platillos-voladores): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Alien-themed Italian restaurant next to the Banco Nacional in Nuevo Arenal, with friendly owners, fresh pizza and pasta made with local ingredients; a little pricey but a crowd favorite.
- [Manakin Waterfalls (formerly Viento Fresco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/manakin-waterfalls-formerly-viento-fresco): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run private reserve 11 km from Tilarán with four waterfalls on one trail, including 75 m Rainbow Falls, with pools for a cold dip.
- [Mirador El Silencio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mirador-el-silencio): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Private reserve 1 km east of Tabacón on Route 142 with a long forest-and-lava hike, a green lagoon and open views of Arenal Volcano; booking ahead is recommended.
- [Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mistico-arenal-hanging-bridges-park): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Mistico is a family-owned private reserve of mature rainforest on the Lake Arenal road, 25–30 minutes west of La Fortuna, and the busiest hanging-bridges park around Arenal.
- [Moya's Place](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/moya-s-place): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Relaxed café-bar at the corner entrance to Nuevo Arenal with Costa Rican art, pizzas, wraps and live-music nights.
- [Natura Eco Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/natura-eco-park): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Private eco park with rainforest trails and bridges, a frog garden, butterfly garden and animals such as snakes and crocodiles; guided and night walks start from fixed times.
- [Nayara Resorts Arenal (Nayara Gardens, Nayara Springs, Nayara Tented Camp)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nayara-resorts-arenal-nayara-gardens-nayara-spri): Stays, Arenal & La Fortuna. Three small luxury properties side by side near Arenal Volcano: family-friendly Gardens, adults-only Springs with private hot-spring plunge pools, and a clifftop Tented Camp.
- [North Fields Café — Coffee & Chocolate Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/north-fields-cafe-coffee-chocolate-tour): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small family coffee and cacao farm near the La Fortuna waterfall road: walk the coffee rows, brew in a chorreador and make your own chocolate.
- [Onca Tours (Río Celeste tubing & hiking)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/onca-tours-rio-celeste-tubing-hiking): Surf, Boats & Diving, Arenal & La Fortuna. Local Katira family outfit that pioneered tubing on the Río Celeste, floating a special stretch of the river about 20 minutes from the park; also runs hikes and has treehouse lodging.
- [Organico Fortuna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/organico-fortuna): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run organic café 100 m east of the park, with a mostly plant-based menu of bowls, pancakes and smoothies made from local ingredients, plus a small shop of regional products.
- [Oropéndola Restaurante Mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/oropendola-restaurante-mirador): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Lookout restaurant on the north shore of Lake Arenal near La Unión, next to Hotel La Mansión, with sweeping lake views.
- [Paradise Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/paradise-hot-springs): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Paradise Hot Springs is a small thermal resort on Route 142, about 5 km (10 minutes) west of downtown La Fortuna, just past Baldi.
- [Pizzería El Barrigón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pizzeria-el-barrigon): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Bijagua's pizzeria on the main road, with an outdoor area and takeaway.
- [Proyecto Asis](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/proyecto-asis): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Wildlife rescue and sloth sanctuary near La Fortuna offering guided visits and hands-on volunteer experiences.
- [Pure Trek Canyoning](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pure-trek-canyoning): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Canyoning specialist near La Fortuna offering guided waterfall rappelling in a private rainforest canyon.
- [Rainforest Chocolate Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rainforest-chocolate-tour): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Guided cacao farm tour near the road to the La Fortuna waterfall that follows chocolate from the tree through drying, grinding and tasting, with a view of Arenal Volcano.
- [Rancho Maleku Tafa Uríjif](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rancho-maleku-tafa-urijif): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. A Maleku family's cultural rancho in the Guatuso indigenous territory, led by Hiqui Morera Castro, where visitors learn about the smallest indigenous people of Costa Rica, their language and crafts.
- [Recreo Verde Hot Springs & Spa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/recreo-verde-hot-springs-spa): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Hot-springs complex beside the Río Toro in the hills above Venecia, about 1 h 40 min from the airport: thermal pools, a spa, zipline and canyoning, trails to a small cave, a restaurant, cabins and a campground.
- [Red Frog Coffee Roasters](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/red-frog-coffee-roasters): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Colorful café 2 km west of the park that roasts its own coffee and serves big breakfasts all day.
- [Reserva Natural Montaña Sagrada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/reserva-natural-montana-sagrada): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. A 700-hectare community-funded reserve inside Juan Castro Blanco National Park, 9 km east of Sucre, protecting the springs that feed 200+ rural water systems.
- [Restaurante Brisas del Lago](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-brisas-del-lago): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Dinner spot at Puerto San Luis on the Tilarán side of the lake, recommended for its international plates at fair prices.
- [Restaurante Caballo Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-caballo-negro): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run restaurant beside the Lucky Bug Gallery on Route 142 where chef Monika mixes local ingredients with German recipes, served with lake-valley views and hummingbirds in the garden.
- [Restaurante El Patio al Carbón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-el-patio-al-carbon): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Charcoal-grill restaurant in El Castillo, busy with locals' cars out front and the smell of grilled meat in the air.
- [Restaurante Fortuneño](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-fortuneno): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Big, busy open-air restaurant 200 m east of the central park, known for its wood-fired roast chicken (pollo fortuneño), ribs and Costa Rican plates.
- [Restaurante Hotel Guadalupe (Tilarán)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-hotel-guadalupe-tilaran): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. A hotel restaurant in downtown Tilarán, the last town before the climb to Monteverde, serving traditional Costa Rican plates with good service: arroz con pollo, ceviche, olla de carne and casados.
- [Restaurante La Amistad (Río Celeste)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-amistad-rio-celeste): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family soda by the Posada La Amistad, east of the Tenorio entrance, serving casados — including a colorful vegetarian one — before or after the hike.
- [Restaurante La Casa de Doña Celina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-casa-de-dona-celina): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family soda in Nuevo Arenal with casados at fair prices and hummingbirds outside.
- [Restaurante La Mesa de Mamá](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-mesa-de-mama): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Friendly family kitchen in the village of El Castillo serving homemade Costa Rican food from breakfast to dinner.
- [Restaurante La Tortuga Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-tortuga-arenal): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Costa Rican restaurant with tables on a big front lawn looking out over Lake Arenal, plus a covered area for rain.
- [Restaurante Nene's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-nene-s): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. A La Fortuna classic since the mid-1990s, a block from the park, with a long Costa Rican menu of seafood and grilled meats.
- [Restaurante Tinajas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-tinajas): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Lakeside restaurant just outside Nuevo Arenal with Costa Rican, Italian and brew-pub dishes, indoor and outdoor seating and lake views.
- [Restaurante Tiquicia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-tiquicia): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family restaurant on the road out of town serving recipes from the owner's mother: casados, fish and shrimp in palm-heart sauce and fresh coladas, with fair prices and big portions.
- [Restaurante y Soda El Río](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-y-soda-el-rio): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Classic family soda in the center of town with a long menu of homemade Costa Rican food; staff love to talk about local fruits and sweets.
- [Ride CR](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ride-cr): Transfers & Rentals, Arenal & La Fortuna. Transport company in the Arenal area offering shared shuttles, private transfers and the lake crossing to Monteverde.
- [Selva Paraíso Coffee Shop & Souvenir](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/selva-paraiso-coffee-shop-souvenir): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Roadside coffee shop and souvenir stop on the lake road near La Unión, with hummingbird feeders.
- [Sky Adventures Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sky-adventures-arenal): Tours & Adventure, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run park at El Castillo on Lake Arenal with ziplines, hanging bridges and an aerial tram overlooking the volcano.
- [Sloffee Coffee Station](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sloffee-coffee-station): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Coffee station with a small farm setting near Hotel Arenal Paraíso that pairs Costa Rican Arabica with home-baked pies and croissants, with birdwatching and wildlife sightings around the grounds.
- [Sloth Tour La Fortuna (private sloth trail)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sloth-tour-la-fortuna-private-sloth-trail): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small-group sloth walk on a private trail about 1 km from downtown, with a guide and spotting scope, then fresh tortillas and a sugar-cane drink; also runs a night walk.
- [Sloth Watching Trail La Fortuna (Sloth, Night and Coffee Tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sloth-watching-trail-la-fortuna-sloth-night-and-): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Private trail 600 m east of the central park where guides use spotting scopes to find sloths; the same company runs night walks, birding and a coffee, cacao and sugar-cane tour with tastings.
- [Sloth's Territory](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sloth-s-territory): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Guided-only sloth-watching reserve east of La Fortuna; the drive out has volcano views.
- [Snappers House](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/snappers-house): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Breezy open-air seafood house (marisquería) near the center with Costa Rican and Caribbean flavors.
- [Soda Doña Eli](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-dona-eli): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. One of Bijagua's busiest sodas, on the main stretch through town, for typical breakfasts and lunches.
- [Soda La Hormiga](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-hormiga): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Open-air family soda next to the Mega Super and the bus stop, serving some of the best casados and rice plates in town in generous portions; easy for big groups.
- [Soda La Parada (Nuevo Arenal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-parada-nuevo-arenal): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family soda at the Nuevo Arenal bus stop that surprises travelers with hearty casados, arroz con pollo and soups at very fair prices, open from 5 am on weekdays.
- [Soda Mima](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-mima): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Popular soda behind the Arenal Container Hostel serving homemade casados and big breakfasts at budget prices, with a roomy covered terrace and a wall of guest art.
- [Soda River Blue](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-river-blue): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. A small, top-rated family soda on the Katira side of Río Celeste with cheap Costa Rican plates.
- [Soda Sabores Lulu](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-sabores-lulu): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small family-run soda in downtown La Fortuna where you watch the family cook breakfast at the counter; known for warm service, gallo pinto and fresh, well-seasoned casados.
- [Soda Víquez](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-viquez): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Busy family-run soda 75 m south of La Fortuna's central park, known for big casado plates and fish at local prices, with an owner who treats guests like family.
- [Soda y Rancho Doña Irma](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-y-rancho-dona-irma): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Rustic roadside rancho near the Tenorio park road serving typical Costa Rican food.
- [Soda y Restaurante Los Rodríguez](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-y-restaurante-los-rodriguez): Sodas & Local Food, Arenal & La Fortuna. Cozy family soda tucked down a green walkway in Barrio Sinaí, famous for its treehouse seating, hand-painted guest signs and friendly farm animals, plus generous plates of Costa Rican food.
- [Spring Paradise Bijagua](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/spring-paradise-bijagua): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Private property with primary and secondary forest just off the road to Tenorio Volcano NP, offering easy guided walks to see sloths, frogs and birds — handy before or after Río Celeste.
- [Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tabacon-thermal-resort-spa): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Hot springs resort at the foot of Arenal Volcano, built around a natural thermal river with waterfalls and pools.
- [Tapir Valley Nature Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tapir-valley-nature-reserve): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Private reserve at the foot of Tenorio Volcano, reforested around a large lagoon; a sanctuary for the endangered Baird's tapir with 440+ bird species.
- [Tapirus Paradise Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tapirus-paradise-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Popular restaurant 300 m east of the Tenorio Volcano NP entrance, a handy lunch stop right after the Río Celeste hike.
- [Termales del Bosque](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/termales-del-bosque): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Long-running hot-springs hotel in the forest outside Ciudad Quesada, with thermal pools by a river, an ecological trail and a spa; popular with Costa Rican families.
- [Termales La Cascada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/termales-la-cascada): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Local-style hot-springs complex on the thermal belt north of Aguas Zarcas: a dozen pools from warm to hot, plus covered ranchos with grills — a weekend favorite of Tico families, at an affordable price.
- [Termales Los Laureles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/termales-los-laureles): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Budget, local-style hot springs on the road to the volcano: hot and cool pools, waterslides, beach volleyball and grill huts where families spend the day.
- [Terrazas del Arenal (Restaurante, Cafetería y Mirador)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/terrazas-del-arenal-restaurante-cafeteria-y-mira): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small café-restaurant and lookout terrace near El Castillo where visitors spot scarlet macaws and toucans over the lake view; the owner happily shares local history.
- [The Phoenix Restaurante at Nepenthe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-phoenix-restaurante-at-nepenthe): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run restaurant at Nepenthe, 1 km south of El Castillo's police station, with good breakfasts and dinners from the garden.
- [The Springs Resort & Spa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-springs-resort-spa): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Arenal & La Fortuna. Independent hot springs resort above the Arenal valley with dozens of natural mineral pools.
- [The Wellness Park & Tierra Esencial Ecolodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-wellness-park-tierra-esencial-ecolodge): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Eco-lodge 2.5 km east of the Arenal Dam with private rainforest trails and a hanging bridge with big views, plus an on-site restaurant.
- [Tica Grill Authentic Costa Rican Kitchen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tica-grill-authentic-costa-rican-kitchen): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small, newer Costa Rican kitchen downtown, praised for fresh, lighter plates like salmon with sweet-potato purée.
- [Tierra Mía Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tierra-mia-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Small fusion restaurant in downtown La Fortuna known for grilled chicken breast, tenderloin, ceviche and sea bass in spinach pesto, plus passion-fruit juice and mint lemonade.
- [Tilapiera Los Laguitos y Restaurante Río Celeste](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tilapiera-los-laguitos-y-restaurante-rio-celeste): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Lunch spot 1.4 km from the Tenorio Volcano park entrance where the tilapia comes from its own ponds, with a pretty pond garden and canoe; a handy meal stop after the Río Celeste hike.
- [Tom's Pan German Bakery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tom-s-pan-german-bakery): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. The classic coffee-and-pastry stop on the lake road in Nuevo Arenal, run by a German family for 25+ years: fresh bread, strudel, cinnamon rolls, bratwurst and schnitzel.
- [Travesía Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/travesia-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Arenal & La Fortuna. Popular restaurant 400 m north of Banco Nacional mixing Costa Rican plates with tacos, ceviche and a tabletop mini-grill; book for 6–7 p.m.
- [WAVE Expeditions](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/wave-expeditions): Surf, Boats & Diving, Arenal & La Fortuna. Rafting and river-float company based in La Fortuna, offering whitewater trips for beginners to experienced paddlers and wildlife floats.
- [Zoológico y Centro de Rescate La Marina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/zoologico-y-centro-de-rescate-la-marina): Parks & Wildlife, Arenal & La Fortuna. Family-run, non-profit rescue center on a cattle ranch on Route 140, caring for around 80 native species — many confiscated pets — and known for breeding tapirs.
- [Aroma Coffee Bar & Breakfast](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aroma-coffee-bar-breakfast): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Cozy coffee bar in the middle of Cahuita serving brewed coffee and breakfast, with a mix of classic plates and local twists; a good first stop before the national park.
- [ATEC (Talamanca Association of Ecotourism and Conservation)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/atec-talamanca-association-of-ecotourism-and-con): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Community-run non-profit in Puerto Viejo whose local guides lead more than 50 tours.
- [Bread & Chocolate](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bread-chocolate): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Open-air wooden cafe in the middle of Puerto Viejo with home-made breakfasts, sandwiches and baked goods, plus its own chocolate made from locally grown cacao.
- [Budda Cafe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/budda-cafe): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Terrace restaurant in the middle of Tortuguero village with river views, a wide menu of traditional dishes with some creative touches and cocktails at sunset.
- [Cafe Rico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-rico): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Jungle-garden cafe on Avenida 69 known for big breakfasts, house-roasted coffee, a weekly special and a book-lined dining room with stone tables outside.
- [Cafe Viejo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-viejo): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Long-running Italian restaurant on the main street of Puerto Viejo, opposite the Casa de la Cultura, with homemade pasta, thin pizzas, Caribbean lobster and a large wine list.
- [Cahuita Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cahuita-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Local operator in Cahuita running snorkeling, wildlife hikes and cultural tours with the Bribri community, built around Cahuita National Park and the Afro-Caribbean history of the town.
- [Cahuita's Taste Caribbean Soul Food](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cahuita-s-taste-caribbean-soul-food): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Chef Doria Sequeira Sellers cooks Afro-Caribbean home food in Cahuita: coconut-braised rice and beans with seafood, marlin in her own Caribbean sauce and Caribbean meat pies.
- [Caribe Fun Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/caribe-fun-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Puerto Viejo tour operator and in-country travel planner offering Caribbean nature, culture and chocolate tours plus multi-day packages.
- [Caribe Horse](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/caribe-horse): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Family-run stable since 2007 offering ethical horseback rides on rescued horses along the beaches and rainforest trails around Puerto Viejo, from a 1.5-hour beginner ride to full days.
- [Caribe Shuttle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/caribe-shuttle): Transfers & Rentals, Caribbean Coast. Shuttle company based in Puerto Viejo running shared and private transfers across Costa Rica and to Panama and Nicaragua.
- [Caribe Sur Puerto Viejo Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/caribe-sur-puerto-viejo-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Small Puerto Viejo tour company with a clear-bottom kayak paddle in Punta Uva, sloth-spotting kayak-and-walk trips, hikes to Punta Mona and Kekoldi waterfall and snorkeling in Cahuita.
- [Caribeans Coffee & Chocolate](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/caribeans-coffee-chocolate): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Cafe and micro cacao farm a few steps from Playa Cocles: coffee roasted on site, smoothies, breakfast and mocha cake, and a daily chocolate tour with a short jungle hike and a bean-to-bar demonstration.
- [CHOCORART](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/chocorart): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Chocolate factory and cacao farm on the Playa Chiquita road south of Puerto Viejo, rated 4.9 on Google and 4.8 on Tripadvisor.
- [Cool & Calm Reggae Bar and Grill](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cool-calm-reggae-bar-and-grill): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Reggae bar and grill in Manzanillo village at the end of the road, praised for whole grilled red snapper and juicy ribs with a house basting sauce.
- [De Gustibus Bakery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/de-gustibus-bakery): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. European-style bakery and cafe in Puerto Viejo with chocolate cream puffs, cinnamon rolls, croissants, fruit tarts and tiramisu, breakfast such as French toast and a vegan lunch.
- [DelRita Patty](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/delrita-patty): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Tiny family stand on Cahuita's main road selling Caribbean patís, baked pastries with beef or sweet pineapple filling, until they sell out; visitors say it is worth going early.
- [El Refugio Grill](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-refugio-grill): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Calm, well-lit grill at the entrance to Playa Grande on the Manzanillo road, with a daily menu of the freshest fish and meats and a good wine list; a go-to for a sit-down dinner on the south coast.
- [Exploradores Outdoors](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/exploradores-outdoors): Surf, Boats & Diving, Caribbean Coast. Rafting and adventure outfitter with offices in San José and Puerto Viejo, known for Pacuare River trips and Caribbean coast tours.
- [Finca La Isla Botanical Garden](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-la-isla-botanical-garden): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Permaculture farm and botanical garden outside Puerto Viejo with labelled tropical trees, cacao, vanilla and annatto, poison dart frogs, a plant nursery and on-site chocolate.
- [Hotel Aguas Claras](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-aguas-claras): Stays, Caribbean Coast. Boutique hotel of brightly painted Caribbean-style bungalows right on Playa Chiquita, south of Puerto Viejo.
- [Hotel Banana Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-banana-azul): Stays, Caribbean Coast. Adults-only beachfront hotel on Playa Negra just outside Puerto Viejo, with a pool, a beach bar and villas with plunge pools across the road.
- [Jaguar Rescue Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jaguar-rescue-center): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Wildlife rescue center on the southern Caribbean coast where visitors take guided tours to learn about rehabilitated sloths, monkeys and other animals.
- [Jungle Night Walk Cahuita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jungle-night-walk-cahuita): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Small guided night walk near Cahuita led by a naturalist guide who finds frogs, snakes and tarantulas along the trail, including a river crossing in places.
- [KOKi Beach Restaurant & Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/koki-beach-restaurant-bar): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Beachfront restaurant and lounge bar in the center of Puerto Viejo, made from reclaimed wood and recycled materials, popular for sunset dinners, fresh seafood and cocktails.
- [La NENA](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-nena): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Family-style Caribbean restaurant in Cocles, a few minutes from Puerto Viejo, built around coconut rice and beans, whole red snapper in Caribbean sauce, jumbo shrimp and seafood bisque, with spiny lobster when in season.
- [Laguna Lodge Tortuguero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/laguna-lodge-tortuguero): Stays, Caribbean Coast. Jungle lodge between the canals and the Caribbean sea in Tortuguero.
- [Pacuare Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pacuare-lodge): Stays, Caribbean Coast. Luxury eco-lodge of 20 thatched bungalows on the banks of the Pacuare River.
- [Port Vell Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/port-vell-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Breakfast-and-lunch spot on Calle 213 serving big gallo pinto plates, pancakes, bagels and smoothies, with many vegan options and no added sugar in the juices.
- [Punta Uva Dive Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/punta-uva-dive-center): Surf, Boats & Diving, Caribbean Coast. Beachfront PADI dive shop at Punta Uva with shore and boat dives on the shallow Caribbean reef, courses from first-time Discover Scuba to Divemaster, and snorkel trips.
- [Rainforest Adventures Braulio Carrillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rainforest-adventures-braulio-carrillo): Tours & Adventure, Caribbean Coast. Atlantic-slope rainforest park near Guápiles with a cable-car tram through the treetops, a canopy zipline, hanging bridges and small orchid and butterfly gardens and snake and frog exhibits.
- [Restaurante Coral Reef](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-coral-reef): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Caribbean seafood restaurant just outside Cahuita with a bilingual online menu: red snapper in coconut sauce, rice and beans, seafood stews and rice, casados, and a large hall for events.
- [Restaurante Lidia's Place](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-lidia-s-place): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Owner-run local restaurant in a Puerto Viejo neighborhood, praised for coconut rice and beans, a casado visitors rank among the best in the country and fresh lobster and red snapper at fair prices.
- [Restaurante Mi Niño](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-mi-nino): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Local and traveler favorite right next to the boat dock in Tortuguero, known for its ceviche, shrimp in coconut sauce and fruit juices; there can be a wait at peak hours.
- [Restaurante Selvin](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-selvin): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Small family restaurant on the road to Punta Uva, known for coconut-rice-and-beans plates and the local rondón soup, with a lively atmosphere in the evening.
- [Rios Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rios-lodge): Stays, Caribbean Coast. Off-grid eco-lodge on the Pacuare River that guests reach by raft or on foot, inside a 1,000-hectare private rainforest reserve.
- [Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sloth-sanctuary-of-costa-rica): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. The first sloth-only rescue center, in operation since 1992 on the Caribbean coast south of Limón, where visitors can meet resident sloths on guided tours and see behind the scenes on the longer Insider's Tour.
- [Soda Kawe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-kawe): Sodas & Local Food, Caribbean Coast. Budget-friendly soda right by the Cahuita National Park entrance, good for gallo pinto and fruit plates before a hike or a casado after it.
- [Soda Tamara](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-tamara): Sodas & Local Food, Caribbean Coast. Popular Puerto Viejo spot for Caribbean home cooking with a reggae soundtrack: rondón stew, Caribbean ribs and chicken, seafood fried rice and big plates of patacones with guacamole.
- [Spicy Coconut](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/spicy-coconut): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Small Caribbean-style house in the Cocles jungle with an ocean view and a sloth-hosting almendro tree, serving poke bowls, ceviche and grilled meats with cocktails, plus a little shop.
- [Stashu's Con Fusion](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/stashu-s-con-fusion): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Second-floor open-air restaurant in central Puerto Viejo mixing Caribbean, Thai and Indian dishes (pad thai, butter chicken with sweet-potato roti, pakoras) with a cocktail list.
- [Surf the Jungle Surf School](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/surf-the-jungle-surf-school): Surf, Boats & Diving, Caribbean Coast. Surf school and camp in Puerto Viejo run by local pro surfers, teaching small groups at the beginner breaks and offering camps, SUP and kayak tours, a Cahuita snorkel trip and massage.
- [Taylor's Dine & Grill](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/taylor-s-dine-grill): Food & Coffee, Caribbean Coast. Busy Afro-Caribbean restaurant in downtown Limón, popular with locals for oxtail in coconut sauce, fried pork chop with rice and beans, grilled tenderloin and fresh juices, with English-speaking staff.
- [Terraventuras](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/terraventuras): Tours & Adventure, Caribbean Coast. Puerto Viejo tour operator since 1998 running canopy, snorkeling, horseback and rainforest tours on the southern Caribbean coast.
- [The Indulgence Spa (La Costa de Papito)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-indulgence-spa-la-costa-de-papito): Yoga & Wellness, Caribbean Coast. Treatment rooms in the gardens of La Costa de Papito in Cocles, open to non-guests, with massages, chocolate-based skin treatments, facials and a salon.
- [TOP Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/top-costa-rica): Trip Planners, Caribbean Coast. Costa Rican travel company with an online platform where agencies can book over 700 activities and custom trips in real time.
- [Tortuga Lodge & Gardens](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tortuga-lodge-gardens): Stays, Caribbean Coast. Riverside lodge in Tortuguero set in plantation-style gardens, offering guided boat, kayak and turtle-nesting tours.
- [Tortuguero Nature Native Guides](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tortuguero-nature-native-guides): Parks & Wildlife, Caribbean Coast. Local guides in Tortuguero running quiet paddle tours on the canals, national-park hikes, night walks and turtle-nesting tours; part of each fee goes to a local school and community.
- [Veragua Rainforest](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/veragua-rainforest): Tours & Adventure, Caribbean Coast. 200-acre private rainforest reserve less than an hour from Limón with guided trails, an aerial gondola over the canopy, a zipline course, wildlife exhibits and waterfalls on the grounds.
- [Agua Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/agua-azul): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Open-air restaurant on the upper floor above Hotel Villas El Parque with a wide Pacific view, known for seafood and for sunsets over the water.
- [Aguas Azules Parasailing (Playa Espadilla)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aguas-azules-parasailing-playa-espadilla): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Parasailing from Playa Espadilla with 10-13 minute flights over the Manuel Antonio coast, plus jet ski rentals and tours, banana boat, snorkeling, surf lessons and a sunset cruise.
- [Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/alturas-wildlife-sanctuary): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Alturas is a non-profit wildlife rescue center on a jungle hilltop between Dominical and Uvita, the only one covering this stretch of the southern Pacific.
- [Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/arenas-del-mar-beachfront-rainforest-resort): Stays, Central Pacific. Sustainable luxury resort set in 11 acres of rainforest next to Manuel Antonio, with direct access to two beaches.
- [Ballena Bistro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ballena-bistro): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A popular bistro on Highway 34 in Ballena, a little south of Uvita, inside the 'Goathouse' building, cooking the same reliable food for more than a decade: tuna poke bowls, mahi-mahi sandwiches, coconut-mango curry and homemade ice cream, with vegan and gluten-free choices.
- [Bar & Restaurante Los Laureles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bar-restaurante-los-laureles): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A long-standing, family-run favorite on Calle Uvita (the inland road with the BCR bank on the corner), loved by locals and expats for chifrijo, patacones, fish tacos, nachos and burgers.
- [Barba Roja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/barba-roja): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Bar and restaurant on the Manuel Antonio road with a broad view down the coast; macaws often fly past at sunset.
- [Birding Spots Manuel Antonio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/birding-spots-manuel-antonio): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Local birding guides based in Villa Nueva who run early-morning bird walks with a typical breakfast, plus night walks; they help you photograph through their scopes.
- [Brisa Elegante (wooden sailing ship)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/brisa-elegante-wooden-sailing-ship): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Day cruises aboard a classic wooden sailboat from Marina Pez Vela, with swimming, paddleboards and kayaks, and food on board.
- [Cafe Mono Congo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-mono-congo): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Riverside cafe at Pueblo del Río in Dominical with strong coffee, an in-house bakery, breakfast quesadillas, paninis and smoothies, plenty of vegan and gluten-free options and a back deck facing the river.
- [Campesinos Lodge & Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/campesinos-lodge-adventures): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Rural eco-lodge in the mountains east of Quepos, reached by a rugged road: a long suspension bridge, jungle trails to waterfalls and good home cooking.
- [Canopy Safari](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/canopy-safari): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. The original zip line operator in Quepos (since 1997): 11 lines, a Superman line, Tarzan swing and hanging bridge, plus a serpent house, butterfly garden and crocodile pond.
- [Canopy Tours Santa Juana Los Sueños](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/canopy-tours-santa-juana-los-suenos): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Zip-line tour in the mountain village of Santa Juana, inland from Quepos, with wide views and a meal after the ride.
- [Catamaran Manuel Antonio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/catamaran-manuel-antonio): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Morning and sunset catamaran cruises from Marina Pez Vela, with lunch or dinner, open drinks, a water slide and snorkeling gear on a four-hour trip along the Manuel Antonio coast.
- [Chicharronera y Marisquería Chepe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/chicharronera-y-marisqueria-chepe): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Family-run chicharronera and seafood spot on the Costanera in Parrita: whole fried fish, ceviche and chicharrón, and owners happy to give trip tips.
- [Chocolate Tour Manuel Antonio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/chocolate-tour-manuel-antonio): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A two-hour farm experience in a private jungle preserve about 15 minutes from Manuel Antonio: cacao from pod to chocolate, a coffee garden with a roaster, and an old sugar cane trapiche, with tastings and an optional lunch.
- [Citrus Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/citrus-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Chef-run creative cuisine in Plaza Tangara, Ojochal, with a modern dining room and a menu built around local seafood, crispy pork belly and house cocktails.
- [Club Pocares](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/club-pocares): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Simple local bar in the palm-plantation village of Pocares, between Parrita and Quepos, with a big reputation for ceviche made fresh to order.
- [Costa Canyoning](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-canyoning): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Guided waterfall canyoning near Uvita: a gradual progression from small drops to taller rappels, with safety-first guides, photos and a meal at the end.
- [Costa Rica Dive and Surf](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-dive-and-surf): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Dive and snorkel center in Uvita that also runs whale-watching trips; reviewers describe well-run boat days with manta rays, turtles and food served on board.
- [Costa Rica Surf Camp (Dominical)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-surf-camp-dominical): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Surf school and camp steps from Playa Dominical; reviewers praise patient instructors, small-group attention and a family-friendly, safety-first approach for all levels.
- [Crustáceo Parriteño](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/crustaceo-parriteno): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Family-friendly seafood restaurant in Parrita with a dedicated kids area, generous portions and fair prices.
- [Del Mar Taco Shop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/del-mar-taco-shop): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A super casual outdoor taco and burrito spot just off the main beach in Dominical, at the south end of town near the police station.
- [Dolphin Tours Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/dolphin-tours-costa-rica): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Uvita boat operator with 20+ years of responsible sea tourism: whale and dolphin watching in Marino Ballena, Caño Island snorkeling days, Corcovado hiking trips and sport fishing.
- [Dominical Surf Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/dominical-surf-adventures): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Local guides running white water rafting (Savegre, Guabo, Chorro, Coto Brus), surf lessons at Playa Dominical, river tubing and mangrove kayaking since 2005.
- [Eco Termales Quepos (Aguas Termales de Dos Bocas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/eco-termales-quepos-aguas-termales-de-dos-bocas): Yoga & Wellness, Central Pacific. Rustic, family-run natural hot springs in the hills behind Hatillo, between Quepos and Dominical: an upper pool split by low stone walls looking over the forest, a lower pool steps from a cool river with shallow swimming spots and a natural rock slide.
- [El Avión](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-avion): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Famous hilltop restaurant built around a Fairchild C-123 cargo plane, with a bar in the fuselage and sunset views over the ocean and jungle, about 150 m above the beach.
- [El Lagarto](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-lagarto): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Wood-fired grill house where meat and seafood are cooked over open flames in front of you, with sunset views from the dining room.
- [El Patio de Café Milagro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-patio-de-cafe-milagro): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Garden restaurant and bar from the Café Milagro roasters, in the middle of Manuel Antonio: breakfasts with their own coffee, fish tacos and ceviche for lunch, and live music most evenings.
- [El Ranchito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-ranchito): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Restaurant in El Cerro, on the road from Quepos up to Manuel Antonio, known for fresh catch of the day, friendly service and macaws that drop by.
- [Emilio's Cafe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/emilio-s-cafe): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Hillside cafe at the turn-off to Hotel Parador with a top deck looking over the ocean: big breakfasts, Mediterranean and Indian-leaning plates, fresh fish and famous homemade cakes.
- [Five Maes](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/five-maes): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A local-favorite burger and wings joint on the Costanera in Uvita's Plaza Pacific Pools building, just south of the Marino Ballena entrance road: custom burgers, wings, poutine and milkshakes, dine in or take away.
- [Fuego Brew Co.](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/fuego-brew-co): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Treehouse-style craft brewery in Dominical where the Barú river meets the Pacific: house beers such as mango IPA, cocktails, coffee and a kitchen serving Baja tacos and ceviche, with parrots and iguanas around the open-air bar.
- [Gaia Hotel & Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/gaia-hotel-reserve): Stays, Central Pacific. Boutique hotel on the road to Manuel Antonio beside its own private nature reserve, with a spa, pools and ocean-view dining.
- [Gusto Italian Restaurant (Ranchos Remo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/gusto-italian-restaurant-ranchos-remo): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Authentic Italian food high on the hill above Playa Hermosa, about five minutes north of Uvita, with a stunning ocean view: pizza, homemade pasta and gnocchi, beef tenderloin and grilled fish.
- [Heliconia Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/heliconia-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A jungle restaurant in Ojochal set on the bank of a small river, with trees growing right through the patio and capuchin monkeys sometimes watching the lunch crowd.
- [Hotel Cristal Ballena](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-cristal-ballena): Stays, Central Pacific. Hilltop boutique hotel south of Uvita with ocean views over Marino Ballena National Park, a large pool and a spa.
- [Iguana Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/iguana-tours): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Established Quepos tour operator, in Manuel Antonio since 1985, running nature walks, boat and kayak trips, rafting and canopy tours.
- [Indómitos Café & Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/indomitos-cafe-bar): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Uvita's go-to for vegans and vegetarians, on Calle Uvita: veggie burgers, burritos with soy meat, tofu salads and seitan tacos, with house-made sauces and rolls — the garlic vegenaise on the Beyond Burger is the star.
- [Jiuberth's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jiuberth-s): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Local seafood house on the hill above Quepos with a jungle view, art on the walls and huge seafood platters; a favorite for ceviche.
- [Jungle ATV Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jungle-atv-tours): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Four-to-five-hour ATV and side-by-side tours from the center of Uvita, over mountain tracks with ocean views, a coffee-farm tasting stop, stream crossings and a waterfall swim.
- [Kids Saving the Rainforest](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kids-saving-the-rainforest): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. GFAS-verified wildlife sanctuary and rescue center near Quepos.
- [Kurà Boutique Hotel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kura-boutique-hotel): Stays, Central Pacific. Adults-only design hotel with eight suites high in the hills above Uvita, looking out over the Pacific and Marino Ballena National Park.
- [La Choza de Alejo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-choza-de-alejo): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A big, airy Tex-Mex restaurant in Uvita, down the road from the Maxi Pali supermarket, with huge, nicely plated portions — tacos, burritos, chalupas, fajitas, enchiladas — and a 'museum bar' of tequilas and mezcals.
- [La Iguana Chocolate (bean-to-bar farm tour, Mastatal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-iguana-chocolate-bean-to-bar-farm-tour-mastat): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A small family cacao farm in the mountains of Mastatal making organic bean-to-bar chocolate.
- [La Junta Dominical](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-junta-dominical): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Laid-back bar and kitchen across from the soccer field in Dominical: organic and locally sourced food with tuna ceviche, birria tacos and burgers, craft beer, cocktails, live music and a few boutique cabinas.
- [La Langosta Feliz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-langosta-feliz): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Roadside seafood restaurant in Matapalo, on the Quepos-Dominical highway, popular with locals and travelers for shrimp ceviche, tuna steak and sushi, with a relaxed but tidy setting where kids are welcome.
- [La Panera Panadería](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-panera-panaderia): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Local bakery-cafe in central Quepos that opens early (fishing crews stop here before heading out): fresh bread, empanadas, casados, fresh orange juice and good coffee.
- [La Parcela](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-parcela): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A restaurant on a rocky point between Dominical and Dominicalito with the ocean on both sides — the view is the reason to come.
- [La Terraza Café Bar Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-terraza-cafe-bar-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Terrace restaurant next to Hotel La Arboleda with a wide Pacific view; best known as a sunset spot.
- [Makanda by the Sea](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/makanda-by-the-sea): Stays, Central Pacific. Adults-only hideaway of suites and private-pool villas in the jungle above Manuel Antonio, with a path down to a quiet beach.
- [Manuel Antonio Bee Farm](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/manuel-antonio-bee-farm): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Small family bee farm in Naranjito where owner Miguel explains beekeeping, opens the hives with you and serves a homemade lunch; honey for sale.
- [Mica Linda Bar & Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mica-linda-bar-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A small open-air bar and restaurant at the water's edge next to the boat launch for Isla Garza, south of Ojochal.
- [MidWorld Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/midworld-costa-rica): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Adventure park in the forested hills north of Quepos with a 3,000-foot "Superman" zip line, ATV tours with waterfall stops and a typical lunch.
- [Monkey Mangrove Tour Chino](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/monkey-mangrove-tour-chino): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Mangrove boat and kayak tours on the Damas estuary, where white-faced monkeys, caimans, iguanas and birds come close to the boat.
- [Morpho Beach Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/morpho-beach-bar): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Open-air beach bar and restaurant steps from Playa Espadilla near the park entrance, with live music and salsa nights; howler monkeys and birds in the trees around.
- [Nauyaca Waterfalls (Cataratas Nauyaca, Don Lulo family)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nauyaca-waterfalls-cataratas-nauyaca-don-lulo-fa): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Private entrance to the multi-tiered Nauyaca waterfalls above Dominical, run by the family of Don Lulo.
- [Panadería Aguilar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/panaderia-aguilar): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Traditional bakery in downtown Parrita, across from Banco de Costa Rica, for coffee, cakes with dulce de leche and sandwiches to go; opens at 5 am.
- [Parque Reptilandia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/parque-reptilandia): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Small reptile park near Dominical with crocodiles, caimans, snakes and frogs in spacious glass enclosures; no booking needed, and reviewers praise the owner for his hands-on explanations.
- [Phat Noodle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/phat-noodle): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A long-time Dominical favorite for Asian-inspired food in a quirky outdoor space where the kitchen sits inside an old school bus: pad thai, curry bowls, sesame tuna steak and lettuce wraps.
- [Que Tuanis Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/que-tuanis-cafe): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A laid-back café in the center of Bahía Ballena, across from the soccer field and run by local women: Costa Rican breakfasts and plates plus burritos, burgers and wraps, coffee and ice cream.
- [Rainmaker Conservation Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rainmaker-conservation-park): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. A 1,500-acre private reserve about 20 minutes from Manuel Antonio, with a canopy bridge walk, waterfalls and swimming holes along the river and a guided night tour for frogs and reptiles.
- [Rancho La Merced](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rancho-la-merced): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Working cattle ranch inside a national wildlife refuge by Playa Hermosa.
- [Rancho León](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rancho-leon): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Roadside rancho on the Costanera at Paquita, just north of Quepos, known for its ceviche and typical food; also rents rooms and hosts parties.
- [Real Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/real-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Small-group ATV tours starting deep in the oil-palm plantations near Parrita, through rivers and up to mountain views and waterfall swims, ending with a Tico meal.
- [Reserva Playa Tortuga (sea turtle hatcheries and releases)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/reserva-playa-tortuga-sea-turtle-hatcheries-and-): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. A local non-profit that protects sea-turtle nests on the beaches around Ojochal and Uvita from July to December, moving eggs to hatcheries.
- [Restaurante Exótica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-exotica): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Open-air fine dining under a thatched roof in the Ojochal jungle since 1998: French technique with Asian, Polynesian and Mediterranean touches, from sea bass carpaccio to duck breast and a chocolate dessert.
- [Restaurante La Cuchara de la Rana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-cuchara-de-la-rana): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Tiny family-run restaurant in central Quepos where chef Alex and Silvia cook casados, burritos and plates with house salsa at fair prices.
- [Restaurante Los Pilones](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-los-pilones): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Large family restaurant in Parrita, on the way between Jacó and Quepos, with seafood, steaks, pizzas and cocktails.
- [Restaurante Marlin (Playa Espadilla)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-marlin-playa-espadilla): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Beachfront restaurant facing Playa Espadilla, known for grilled calamari, octopus, whole fried fish and fish casados at fair prices, with cold beer and piña coladas and a relaxed family atmosphere.
- [Restaurante Scala](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-scala): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Hilltop restaurant in Escaleras with a wide view over the coast, between Dominical and Ojochal; reviewers praise fresh ceviche, pizzas, risotto and whole fried red snapper, with vegan options and warm service.
- [Restaurante Su Raza](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-su-raza): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Family-run restaurant in the center of Dominical known for traditional Costa Rican food at reasonable prices: chicken casado and arroz con pollo are the usual orders.
- [Ronny's Place](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ronny-s-place): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Hilltop restaurant on a 90-acre farm above Manuel Antonio (open since 2003) with a huge open dining hall, sunset views over the coast, a seafood-focused menu and live music some evenings.
- [Sabromar Marisquería](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sabromar-marisqueria): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Casual seafood restaurant by the water in Boca Vieja, Quepos, praised for fresh fish at reasonable prices: ceviche, seafood pasta in white sauce and octopus.
- [Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/si-como-no-resort-wildlife-refuge): Stays, Central Pacific. Eco-minded resort on the Manuel Antonio hillside with its own wildlife refuge.
- [Sibu Restaurant & Coffee Store](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sibu-restaurant-coffee-store): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Uvita restaurant and coffee shop on the main road with a polished menu of local fish ceviche, seared sesame tuna and burgers, plus cakes and desserts, with a view and attentive service.
- [Soda Come Bien (Quepos market)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-come-bien-quepos-market): Sodas & Local Food, Central Pacific. No-frills soda in the corner of the Quepos municipal market: daily casados with rice, beans, salad and plantain at some of the lowest prices on the coast.
- [Soda El Angel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-el-angel): Sodas & Local Food, Central Pacific. Small local soda on the road to Manuel Antonio, across from the ocean and the forest, serving fish and chicken casados and vegetarian burritos at everyday prices; parakeets and falcons often pass by.
- [Soda Ranchito Doña María](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-ranchito-dona-maria): Sodas & Local Food, Central Pacific. Family-run soda in Uvita just off the main road: arroz con pollo, gallo pinto, casados and fresh smoothies served by hosts who treat guests like family.
- [Soda Sánchez](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-sanchez): Sodas & Local Food, Central Pacific. Popular Quepos soda for Tico breakfasts, seafood soup and fish tacos at fair prices, with fresh juices (ask for less sugar).
- [Soda y Restaurante El Rincón de Domi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-y-restaurante-el-rincon-de-domi): Sodas & Local Food, Central Pacific. Family restaurant that has been running for about 37 years in Dominical, serving fish, casados, soups, empanadas and smoothies in a calm setting at local prices.
- [Sukia Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sukia-park): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Family eco-park on the Manuel Antonio road with a zip line canopy tour, day and night jungle walks and a butterfly garden with rescued reptiles, a few minutes from the big hotels.
- [Sunset Sails Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sunset-sails-tours): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Catamaran trips from Marina Pez Vela along the Manuel Antonio coast with snorkeling, swim stops, a meal and open bar; the sunset sail passes the cliffs at dusk.
- [Terraza by Issimo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/terraza-by-issimo): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Romantic terrace restaurant at Issimo Suites on the Parador road, with a sunset view over the ocean, live music after 6 pm and carefully plated dishes.
- [The Bakery Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-bakery-uvita): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Bakery and espresso bar in Uvita with croissants, sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and omelettes, an upstairs balcony and a patio; gluten-free and vegan options available.
- [Tiquicia Delicias](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tiquicia-delicias): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. Busy Costa Rican restaurant in downtown Quepos near the bus station with big portions of local dishes, fresh fruit drinks and breakfasts.
- [Titi Canopy Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/titi-canopy-tour): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Zip line tour near Quepos and Manuel Antonio: nine lines through the forest, rappelling, a Tarzan swing and a hanging bridge, about 2.5 hours with free parking or hotel pickup.
- [Tribu](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tribu): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A tiny, creative restaurant on the road up to the Uvita Waterfall serving bowls of simple, fresh ingredients — a Korean-style chicken bowl, a vegan bowl with homemade lentil croquettes — and great smoothies.
- [Tucanes Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tucanes-tours): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Family-owned operator since 1992 offering Manuel Antonio park walks, ocean kayaking, catamaran, rafting, horseback and chocolate tours, with free hotel pickup and certified bilingual guides.
- [Uvita Paradise Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/uvita-paradise-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. Zip line and waterfall day by the Uvita falls: zip lines, a guided rope drop, a natural waterfall slide and a swimming pool with a jump platform, with lunch at the end.
- [Uvita Surf and Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/uvita-surf-and-tour): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Surf school in Uvita with group, private and kids lessons and surf guiding; the site advertises 650+ Google reviews at 5.0.
- [Villa Vanilla Spice Farm (Rainforest Spices)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/villa-vanilla-spice-farm-rainforest-spices): Parks & Wildlife, Central Pacific. Organic spice farm in the hills of Villa Nueva: guided tours through vanilla, cinnamon, cacao and other spices, ending with tastings of homemade treats and ice cream on a patio with valley views.
- [Villas Mastatal Eco Lodge (guides, breakfast & lunch for hikers)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/villas-mastatal-eco-lodge-guides-breakfast-lunch): Tours & Adventure, Central Pacific. A small organic farm lodge in the Puriscal mountains that works as the base for hikes to the Las Gemelas waterfalls and Cerro Yarcazú: they line up local guides and serve home-cooked breakfast and lunch to day hikers, with a shower after the walk.
- [Vista Dorada, Chicharronera y Mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/vista-dorada-chicharronera-y-mirador): Food & Coffee, Central Pacific. A small local spot up a rough side road near Ronny's Place, with sunset ocean views, generous chicharrón platters and a very Tico atmosphere, sometimes with karaoke or live music.
- [Whale Watching Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/whale-watching-uvita): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Family-run whale watching tour in Marino Ballena National Park, 3-4 hours by boat with a second scout boat to find the humpbacks; the site reports whales spotted daily this season and a 95% success rate in peak season.
- [White Water Rafting Manuel Antonio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/white-water-rafting-manuel-antonio): Surf, Boats & Diving, Central Pacific. Rafting company with certified bilingual guides running half-day trips on the Naranjo and El Chorro rivers and three-quarter or full-day trips on the Savegre River.
- [Actúa DMC](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/actua-dmc): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Costa Rican DMC organizing incentive trips and corporate events since 1985.
- [Adobe Rent a Car](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/adobe-rent-a-car): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. One of Costa Rica's largest local car rental companies, with 16 offices around the country.
- [Alamo Rent a Car Costa Rica (Grupo ANC, also National)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/alamo-rent-a-car-costa-rica-grupo-anc-also-natio): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. Local operator of the Alamo and National car rental brands, with offices at the airports and in the main tourist towns.
- [Alojamiento y Mirador Bosque Alegre (restaurant above Laguna Hule)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/alojamiento-y-mirador-bosque-alegre-restaurant-a): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. A simple country restaurant and lodge on the rim above Laguna Hule, the deepest natural lake in Costa Rica.
- [Aquiares Coffee & Community Experience](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aquiares-coffee-community-experience): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. A large historic coffee estate near Turrialba that offers a two-hour coffee tour, a full-day estate program, horseback rides through the plantation and bird-watching walks.
- [ARA Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ara-tours): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. San José-based tour operator for German-speaking travelers, selling round trips, self-drive tours, hotels and transfers.
- [Bitzü Coffee Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bitzu-coffee-tour): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Small-group boutique coffee farm tour at the foot of Poás volcano: seed to cup, a look at the plantation, roasting and a live tasting with valley views.
- [Blue Falls of Costa Rica (Cataratas Las Gemelas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/blue-falls-of-costa-rica-cataratas-las-gemelas): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Private forest reserve next to Catarata del Toro with a chain of milky-blue waterfalls and pools colored by volcanic minerals; you can swim at any of them.
- [Bocadito de Cielo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bocadito-de-cielo): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Mountaintop restaurant on the road to Turrialba with panoramic views and old photographs of Cartago on the walls, serving Costa Rican plates with a coffee and crafts store at the back.
- [Botanical Orchid Garden La Garita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/botanical-orchid-garden-la-garita): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Small botanical garden near the airport with a self-guided path through the grounds, an orchid showroom with hundreds of blooms and koi ponds.
- [Britt Coffee Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/britt-coffee-tour): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Walk through Café Britt's working coffee farm near Barva volcano, from cherry to roast to a guided tasting, with a butterfly garden and a lunch restaurant on site.
- [Café Kahawa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-kahawa): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Cozy garden café in San Gerardo de Dota, popular after hikes in the Savegre valley for trout dishes, a trout and cream cheese sandwich, desserts with fresh fruit and good local coffee, with quetzals sometimes seen from the tables.
- [Café Rojo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-rojo): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Small, much-loved café-restaurant in Barrio Amón with a Vietnamese-inspired menu of noodle bowls and rolls and good vegan and vegetarian choices.
- [Cafeoteca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafeoteca): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Specialty-coffee house in Barrio Escalante that serves Costa Rican beans from eight growing regions by the cup and by the bag, with a daytime menu of brunch plates, salads and pastries.
- [Cafetería 1743 & Souvenir](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafeteria-1743-souvenir): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Cozy café-restaurant by the sports plaza in Orosí village, named after the 1743 colonial church nearby, serving coffee from the valley, cheese tortillas, sandwiches, pasta and homemade pastries, with a garden terrace.
- [Camino Travel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/camino-travel): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. San José inbound tour operator designing personalized trips for families, couples and groups since 1991.
- [Cascadas Pozo Azul (Caída Nieve y Paz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cascadas-pozo-azul-caida-nieve-y-paz): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Farm trail that drops past blue swimming holes and a natural slide to Caída Nieve y Paz, the tallest waterfall around Bajos del Toro at about 155 m.
- [Catarata Río Agrio, Pozas Celestes & Dino Land](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/catarata-rio-agrio-pozas-celestes-dino-land): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Family-run property where the acidic Río Agrio drops about 50 m into a steep canyon; the ticket also covers a lookout and the Pozas Celestes, cold baby-blue river pools down the road.
- [Catarata Tesoro Escondido](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/catarata-tesoro-escondido): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Privately run waterfall on the edge of Bajos del Toro with its own lookout; large signs on Route 708 point the way.
- [Cevichera Junior (Mercado de Alajuela)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cevichera-junior-mercado-de-alajuela): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Established seafood stall-restaurant inside the Alajuela market, praised for shrimp ceviche, breaded fish, paella and rice with seafood at low prices and big portions.
- [Costa Rica DMC](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-dmc): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Destination management company for corporate groups and incentive trips, with offices in San José and Liberia.
- [Costa Rica Expeditions](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-expeditions): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Long-established Costa Rican tour operator known for naturalist guides and custom-planned vacations.
- [Costa Rica Green Airways](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-green-airways): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. Domestic airline flying from San José airport to Manuel Antonio, Nosara, Santa Teresa/Montezuma and Puerto Jiménez.
- [Costa Rica Pura Vida Rafting](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-pura-vida-rafting): Surf, Boats & Diving, San José & Central Valley. Whitewater rafting on the Río Sarapiquí in class II-III or III-IV, as half-day or full-day trips, with private departures and a gentler safari float.
- [Costa Rica Sun Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-sun-tours): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Family-owned Costa Rican tour operator creating countrywide tour programs since 1988.
- [Costa Rican Trails](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rican-trails): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. San José DMC founded in 1989, designing luxury tailor-made trips across Costa Rica and Panama.
- [Destinos Tour Operator & DMC](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/destinos-tour-operator-dmc): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Costa Rican tour operator and DMC since 1993, with offices in Panama for combined itineraries.
- [Ecole Travel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ecole-travel): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. San José destination management company since 1993, known for sustainable tourism programs.
- [El Silencio Lodge & Spa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-silencio-lodge-spa): Stays, San José & Central Valley. Cloud-forest eco-lodge in Bajos del Toro, between Juan Castro Blanco and Poás Volcano national parks, with private waterfalls and a spa.
- [El Toledo Coffee Tour (organic coffee farm)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-toledo-coffee-tour-organic-coffee-farm): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Small organic coffee farm in the hills above Atenas where a family walks you through the plantation, then roasts, brews and serves coffee and tropical fruit; coffee wine tasting is an add-on and farm lunches can be arranged.
- [Expediciones Tropicales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/expediciones-tropicales): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. San José tour consolidator and transport company running day tours from the capital since 1993.
- [Fábrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/fabrica-de-carretas-eloy-alfaro): Tours & Adventure, San José & Central Valley. Traditional oxcart workshop and store in Sarchí where artisans hand-paint oxcarts and wooden pieces; visitors can watch the work, walk through the old factory and buy crafts.
- [Finca Cristina (coffee farm and store)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-cristina-coffee-farm-and-store): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Family coffee farm above the Orosi valley with a 90-minute plantation tour and tasting three days a week, a farm store, and a conservation area known for birds and other wildlife.
- [Foodie Tours Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/foodie-tours-costa-rica): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Small-group food walks in San José: a contemporary Costa Rican tasting route and a farm-to-table tour through Barrio Escalante, a city culture and coffee-workshop walk, and a day trip to a farm in Sarapiquí.
- [Hacienda Alsacia (Starbucks Coffee Farm)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hacienda-alsacia-starbucks-coffee-farm): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Starbucks' working coffee farm and research centre on the slopes of Poás: guided tours (reserve online) walk through the nursery, plantation and processing, and end with a tasting, with a café overlooking the farm.
- [Hacienda Doka](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hacienda-doka): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Historic coffee estate on the slopes of Poás Volcano offering guided tours of its plantation and traditional water-powered mill.
- [Interbus](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/interbus): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. One of Costa Rica's best-known shuttle companies, with shared minivans linking the main tourist towns for over 30 years.
- [Jardín Botánico Else Kientzler](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jardin-botanico-else-kientzler): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Botanical garden in Sarchí with winding trails among bamboo, palms, bromeliads and unusual trees, a plant nursery and a café, on Finca La Evita.
- [Jardín Botánico Lankester (University of Costa Rica)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jardin-botanico-lankester-university-of-costa-ri): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. University of Costa Rica botanical garden founded in 1973, famous for its orchid and epiphyte collections, plus a Japanese garden, bromeliads, heliconias and palms along shaded paths.
- [Jumbo Car Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jumbo-car-costa-rica): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. Car rental company with offices near San José and Liberia airports, known for low-season rates from about $15 a day.
- [La Casona de mi Tierra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-casona-de-mi-tierra): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Old-house restaurant in San Pablo, about 15 years old, serving home-style Costa Rican food such as chifrijo, gallo pinto breakfasts and casados in rooms filled with antiques.
- [La Casona del Cafetal (restaurant on Lake Cachí)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-casona-del-cafetal-restaurant-on-lake-cachi): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Lakeside restaurant (part of a small hotel) on a coffee estate above Cachí reservoir, with a large covered terrace over the water and traditional Costa Rican cooking such as gallo pinto.
- [La Criollita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-criollita): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Long-running Costa Rican restaurant in central San José serving generous plates of meat, chicken or fish with rice, beans and salad, Tico-style ceviche, chicken soup and daily specials, with a covered patio.
- [La Marta Wildlife Refuge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-marta-wildlife-refuge): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Private cloud-forest refuge with trails, a river, an old hydro-plant zone and guided day and night walks.
- [La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-paz-waterfall-gardens-nature-park): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Private cloud-forest park with a trail down past five waterfalls, plus a large wildlife sanctuary (cats, birds, frogs, snakes), a butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden.
- [La Tortillería (Cartago)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-tortilleria-cartago): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Cartago branch of a tortilla-based restaurant: freshly made tortillas topped or stuffed Costa Rican style, from tortilla de queso and chorreadas to the torticasado and pintortilla with gallo pinto.
- [Las Delicias del Maíz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/las-delicias-del-maiz): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Corn-focused Costa Rican restaurant west of Alajuela with casados, beef-rib soup served with corn cakes, vegetarian choices and a refreshing pineapple-mint drink; an English menu is available.
- [Lolo Mora's Ice Cream](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/lolo-mora-s-ice-cream): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Tiny stall in the central market that has long sold one thing: a cinnamon-vanilla ice cream served in cups.
- [Los Maestros DMC](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-maestros-dmc): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. San José DMC building custom Costa Rica itineraries since 2017, sold only through travel advisors and wholesalers.
- [Mapache Rent a Car](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mapache-rent-a-car): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. Locally owned car rental company with offices around the country, including at San José and Liberia airports.
- [Memorable Costa Rica (Memorable Travel Group)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/memorable-costa-rica-memorable-travel-group): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Luxury DMC that plans tailor-made trips in Costa Rica and Central America, sold only through travel advisors.
- [Miriam's Quetzals](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/miriam-s-quetzals): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Family-run restaurant and bird-watching stop in San Gerardo de Dota: gallo pinto breakfast, casado or whole fried trout for lunch, and a garden with hummingbirds and visiting quetzals.
- [Museo del Jade y de la Cultura Precolombina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/museo-del-jade-y-de-la-cultura-precolombina): Tours & Adventure, San José & Central Valley. Museum of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros with one of the largest jade collections in the Americas, plus ceramics, gold and stone sculpture in five themed permanent rooms and two rooms for temporary shows.
- [Poás Rent a Car](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/poas-rent-a-car): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. Costa Rican car rental company with more than 40 years in business, based next to San José airport.
- [Rancho de Ceci](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rancho-de-ceci): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Rustic, wood-trimmed family restaurant on Route 141 in Laguna, just north of Zarcero, serving home-style Costa Rican food for over 50 years — recommended by locals.
- [Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (formerly Zoo Ave)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rescate-wildlife-rescue-center-formerly-zoo-ave): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. 14-hectare wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary near the airport with birds, cats, monkeys and reptiles that are treated and released when possible; visits help fund the rescue work.
- [Restaurante Chubascos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-chubascos): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Garden restaurant on the way up to Poás volcano known for typical Costa Rican plates such as gallitos chubascos, strawberry juice and smoothies from local farms, hammocks and a pretty garden.
- [Restaurante Doña Marlen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-dona-marlen): Sodas & Local Food, San José & Central Valley. Small family soda in San Gerardo de Dota praised as one of the country's best: trout casados and whole fried trout, a succulent garden, fair prices and a famous house cocktail.
- [Restaurante El Mirador (San Juanillo de Naranjo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-el-mirador-san-juanillo-de-naranjo): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Roadside restaurant on Route 141 between Naranjo and Zarcero, running for over 30 years: big windows over coffee farms and the Central Valley, generous typical plates and fair prices.
- [Restaurante El Parquecito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-el-parquecito): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Family-run, very cheap buffet right across from Zarcero's topiary park, opened in 2019 — a warm spot to eat local food when the mountain fog and drizzle roll in.
- [Restaurante Mirador del Valle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-mirador-del-valle): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Hillside restaurant above Alajuela with sweeping Central Valley views, a big buffet-style spread of Costa Rican food, plenty of parking, and a pleasant lit-up terrace at night; close to the airport.
- [Restaurante Nuestra Tierra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-nuestra-tierra): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Rustic, folkloric-themed Costa Rican restaurant near the National Museum with big homemade plates, live music at times and late hours.
- [Restaurante Típico Toro Amarillo (Yellow Bull)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-tipico-toro-amarillo-yellow-bull): Sodas & Local Food, San José & Central Valley. Village restaurant on Route 708 in Bajos del Toro cooking on a wood-fired stove; travel writers rate its breakfast gallo pinto among the best they've had.
- [San José Free Walking Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/san-jose-free-walking-tour): Tours & Adventure, San José & Central Valley. Guided walk through central San José covering the main squares, the National Theater area and the historic centre, advertised as a free tour, with morning and afternoon departures and a Spanish-language tour.
- [Sansa Airlines](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sansa-airlines): Transfers & Rentals, San José & Central Valley. Costa Rica's main domestic airline, flying small planes from San José to beach and nature destinations around the country.
- [Sarapiquí Outdoor Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sarapiqui-outdoor-center): Surf, Boats & Diving, San José & Central Valley. Established rafting and kayaking base on the Río Sarapiquí with half- and full-day trips in class II-IV, a gentle wildlife safari float, and day trips to the Pacuare River.
- [Selva Verde Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/selva-verde-lodge): Day Passes & Hot Springs, San José & Central Valley. Pioneer eco-lodge in the Sarapiquí lowlands, about two hours from San José, with a 500-acre rainforest reserve and trails.
- [Soda El Kora](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-el-kora): Sodas & Local Food, San José & Central Valley. Tiny, spotless roadside soda in La Virgen where the street-food-style plates, especially tacos al pastor and tostadas con carne, and fresh batidos get near-perfect reviews.
- [Soda Tala #1 (Mercado Central)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-tala-1-mercado-central): Sodas & Local Food, San José & Central Valley. Soda Tala is a no-frills counter soda inside San José's Mercado Central, the 1880 market on Avenida Central, and it has been feeding locals for more than five decades.
- [Soda Tapia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-tapia): Sodas & Local Food, San José & Central Valley. Retro 1950s-style corner diner beside La Sabana park, open very late, known for fried chicken, grilled sandwiches, casados and milkshakes and sundaes.
- [Soda Yogui's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-yogui-s): Sodas & Local Food, San José & Central Valley. Family-run neighborhood soda near the university with simple decor, big casados and a long daily menu, known for the casado with carne en salsa and fresh cas juice.
- [Spirogyra Butterfly Garden](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/spirogyra-butterfly-garden): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Small, shaded butterfly garden inside the city, with native species flying free in a netted forest garden, a pupae display, and a trail along the river corridor.
- [Sueños del Irazú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/suenos-del-irazu): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Traditional restaurant on the way up to Irazú volcano with views of nature and a nearby river, known for hearty homemade soups, beef soup and fried fish.
- [Swiss Travel Costa Rica DMC](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/swiss-travel-costa-rica-dmc): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Long-running Costa Rican DMC with offices in Santa Ana (San José) and near Liberia airport.
- [TAM Travel Corporation](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tam-travel-corporation): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. One of Costa Rica's oldest travel companies, handling incentive trips, events, tours and luxury vacations.
- [Termales Hacienda Orosi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/termales-hacienda-orosi): Yoga & Wellness, San José & Central Valley. Thermal pools at different temperatures set in a coffee estate above the Orosi valley, with day and night passes, a restaurant, a small farm and a self-guided coffee trail.
- [The Retreat Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-retreat-costa-rica): Day Passes & Hot Springs, San José & Central Valley. Boutique wellness resort in the hills of Atenas, about 35 minutes from San José airport, with daily yoga, a spa and three restaurants.
- [Tirimbina Rainforest Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tirimbina-rainforest-center): Parks & Wildlife, San José & Central Valley. Private biological reserve of over 900 acres on the Sarapiquí River, known for its hanging bridges, guided night walks and a chocolate tour, with a small lodge and a research station.
- [Travel Excellence](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/travel-excellence): Trip Planners, San José & Central Valley. Costa Rican tour operator and DMC near San José airport, serving travelers from over 50 countries since 1996.
- [Truchas Selva Madre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/truchas-selva-madre): Food & Coffee, San José & Central Valley. Mountain trout farm and restaurant off the Interamericana toward Cerro de la Muerte where you can catch your own trout or order it fried, with hiking trails to a waterfall and camping.
- [a'lo Nico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/a-lo-nico): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Small Flamingo restaurant run by a French chef and his Costa Rican wife, mixing both kitchens; breakfasts (crepes, fruit drinks) are the favorite.
- [Amstar DMC Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/amstar-dmc-costa-rica): Trip Planners, Guanacaste. International DMC with a Guanacaste operation providing airport transfers, excursions and on-site assistance for resort guests.
- [Apami Wildlife Rescue Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/apami-wildlife-rescue-center): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Wildlife rescue center run by the Monkey Park Foundation in a forest near Santa Cruz, where guides explain the stories of each rescued animal.
- [Aquasport](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aquasport): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Beach bar and grill in the middle of Playa Hermosa with tables in the sand, swings and a giant chair for sunset photos, and a DJ some evenings.
- [Bar Restaurante El Velero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bar-restaurante-el-velero): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Shady beachfront restaurant on Playa Hermosa with a breezy terrace and themed nights such as Taco Tuesday and barbecue nights.
- [Black Stallion Eco Ranch](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/black-stallion-eco-ranch): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Working ranch in the hills behind Tamarindo that offers zipline, horseback rides at sunset and ATV combos, with a barbecue dinner option.
- [Blue Dolphin Sailing](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/blue-dolphin-sailing): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Sunset catamaran trips from the end of Calle Cruz with snorkel and swim stops, drinks and dinner; dolphins, whales and rays are sometimes spotted.
- [Blue River Resort & Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/blue-river-resort-hot-springs): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. Rustic hot-spring resort on the north side of Rincón de la Vieja with a hot river, pools, a spa and a dinosaur-themed park.
- [Blue Valley Chocolate (Beach Chocolate Factory)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/blue-valley-chocolate-beach-chocolate-factory): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Small bean-to-bar chocolate maker with a shop and workshop in Brasilito, where you can taste, make your own bar or visit its organic cacao farm.
- [Breaking Bread Tamarindo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/breaking-bread-tamarindo): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Open-garage bakery and brunch café near the skatepark, famous for fresh breads, shakshuka and French toast.
- [Cafe Mar Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-mar-azul): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Relaxed all-day cafe at the Playa Grande Surf Camp in Palm Beach Estates, a short walk from the turtle beach.
- [Café Negro Liberia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-negro-liberia): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Liberia's best-rated espresso bar, a block from Calle Real — a good coffee stop before or after the airport.
- [Café Playa Negra (Leche de Tigre restaurant)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-playa-negra-leche-de-tigre-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Stylish hotel-restaurant in Los Pargos serving Peruvian food - ceviche, grilled seafood - plus pastries, a short drive from the Playa Negra reef break.
- [Café Tico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-tico): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Leafy patio café in central Tamarindo (next to the bookstore, on the Shrimp Hole street) serving local coffee and Costa Rican-style breakfasts and lunches.
- [Cafetería y Restaurante El Amanecer](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafeteria-y-restaurante-el-amanecer): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Bright, modern café-restaurant in Liberia, 15 minutes from the airport, with Costa Rican breakfasts, a weekday casado lunch and a big pastry and coffee list.
- [Camiones de Comida Jardín Tamarindo (food truck park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/camiones-de-comida-jardin-tamarindo-food-truck-p): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Garden food-truck park 100 m north of Supermercado Pura Vida: sushi and poke, Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, burgers, arepas and Tico classics, with a small kids' play area in the middle.
- [Cañón de la Vieja Lodge (adventure center)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/canon-de-la-vieja-lodge-adventure-center): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Adventure lodge on the Río Colorado canyon just north of Liberia, running rafting and tubing trips, canopy and rappelling for day visitors.
- [Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/casa-chameleon-at-las-catalinas): Stays, Guanacaste. Adults-only boutique resort on a hillside above the bay at Las Catalinas.
- [Casa Liberia – Mercado Gastronómico y Cultural](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/casa-liberia-mercado-gastronomico-y-cultural): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. A food hall and cultural space in a house in Liberia's old center near Calle Real, with several small kitchens under one roof.
- [Coopetortillas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/coopetortillas): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. A women's cooperative about 500 m from Santa Cruz's main park that has cooked traditional Guanacaste food over a nearly 5-meter wood stove for decades - hand-patted corn tortillas, rice-and-corn soup and tripe soup at very low prices.
- [Corazón Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/corazon-cafe): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Surf cafe near the Playa Negra turnoff that roasts its own beans; smoothie and açaí bowls for after the session.
- [Costa Rica Amazing Trips](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-amazing-trips): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Licensed local tour desk covering the Papagayo coast, with combos to Rincón de la Vieja, rafting, diving at Playas del Coco and sailing.
- [Cuajiniquil Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cuajiniquil-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Family business in the fishing village of Cuajiniquil running boat trips around the Santa Elena bays: snorkeling, sunsets, sport fishing, walks on beaches and islands, birdwatching, dolphins and whales.
- [Cuilpilapan (waterfalls, hanging bridge & Mirador Jaguar)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cuilpilapan-waterfalls-hanging-bridge-mirador-ja): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. A family-run, solar-powered reserve bordering Miravalles National Park — its Nahuatl name means 'river of colors'.
- [Derecho Sagrado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/derecho-sagrado): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Specialty coffee bar that roasts its own beans, across from the Tamarindo skate park - one of the best-rated spots in town.
- [Diamante Eco Adventure Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/diamante-eco-adventure-park): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. An all-in-one adventure park on a private bay near Playa del Coco: an almost mile-long dual Superman zipline with Pacific views, a free-fall jump, ATVs, and a sanctuary with sloths, big cats, toucans and butterflies, plus lunch and a beach with kayaks and paddleboards.
- [El Cafecito Santa Cruz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-cafecito-santa-cruz): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Cozy café in an old house in the middle of Santa Cruz, the cowboy town of Guanacaste, with casados, milkshakes and vegan options.
- [El Mercadito de Tamarindo Food and Cocktail Market](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-mercadito-de-tamarindo-food-and-cocktail-mark): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Open-air food court next to Patagonia with stalls for poke, tacos, pizza, burgers, Asian and Italian food, French pastries and cocktails, so a group can all find something.
- [Father Rooster's Beachfront Bar & Grill](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/father-rooster-s-beachfront-bar-grill): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Beachfront bar and grill right on the sand of Playa Ocotal, under a big mango tree, with tables facing the sunset.
- [Ginger Restaurant Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ginger-restaurant-bar): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Asian-inspired tapas and cocktails served in an open-air, treehouse-style dining room on stilts among the trees on Playa Hermosa's main street.
- [Guti Tours Horseback Riding](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/guti-tours-horseback-riding): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Small-group horseback rides along the beaches south of Tamarindo, galloping on the sand and crossing volcanic rock.
- [Hacienda Casa del Viento](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hacienda-casa-del-viento): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Lodge with a bar-restaurant and pool in Cuajiniquil, handy for a meal on a day at the Junquillal refuge or the Murciélago sector; it also offers boat tours.
- [Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hacienda-el-viejo-wetlands): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Historic cattle hacienda on the edge of the Tempisque wetlands that offers boat cruises, wildlife watching and tastings of local rum, beer and traditional food.
- [Hacienda Guachipelín](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hacienda-guachipelin): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. A working cattle ranch at the foot of Rincón de la Vieja volcano that packs a week of adventure into one day: horseback with local sabanero guides, whitewater tubing on the Río Negro, a canyon zipline with rappels and a Tarzan swing, then hot springs and a volcanic mud bath.
- [Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hacienda-pinilla-beach-club): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. Beachfront clubhouse inside the gated Hacienda Pinilla community, with a pool, restaurant and a surfable beach.
- [Hotel Buena Vista del Rincón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-buena-vista-del-rincon): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. A big ranch-style adventure park on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja volcano where one day pass covers ziplines, hanging bridges, a record-long jungle waterslide, a horse ride to a waterfall, volcanic mud baths and hot springs, plus a buffet lunch.
- [Hotel Capitán Suizo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-capitan-suizo): Stays, Guanacaste. Long-running beachfront hotel on the quieter south end of Tamarindo beach, with bungalows and suites set in tropical gardens.
- [Iguana Surf Camp & Surf Shop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/iguana-surf-camp-surf-shop): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Tamarindo's long-running surf shop and school (open since 1989) in front of the beginner break, now with a surf camp.
- [Il Rustico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/il-rustico): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. A casual Italian restaurant on the main road in Playa Avellanas, run by a couple from central Italy: homemade pasta, pizza and salads with good ingredients – the prosciutto pizza comes with freshly shaved parmesan.
- [Jalapeño Eatery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jalapeno-eatery): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Breakfast-and-lunch spot inside the Playa Negra Surf Lodge with handmade tortillas, burritos and tacos from mostly organic local produce - and homemade hot sauces.
- [Kayak Club Tamarindo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kayak-club-tamarindo): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Kayak shop on the beach by the Tamarindo roundabout running guided mangrove paddles and the kayak-and-snorkel trip to Isla Capitán, with patient guides and fruit breaks.
- [La Casita del Marisco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-casita-del-marisco): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Seafood house on the sand at the north end of Playa Hermosa, with sunset views over the bay and howler monkeys in the trees at dusk.
- [La Casona de Santa Bárbara (Finca La Zanja Negra)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-casona-de-santa-barbara-finca-la-zanja-negra): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. A 150-year-old country house about 30 minutes from Santa Cruz where local cooks Marta Vallejos and Geiny Ruiz host village history walks, traditional food tastings, clay workshops and hands-on tortilla and clay-oven cooking, with music and Guanacaste cheers.
- [La Choza de Laurel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-choza-de-laurel): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Open-air Guanacaste country restaurant 400 m from the Liberia airport entrance, with staff in traditional dress, live marimba and a casado that gets recommended most.
- [La Esquina de Avellanas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-esquina-de-avellanas): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. A small open-air food court and meeting spot in Playa Avellanas with a few restaurants, a natural-food store, a clothing boutique and artisan kiosks; it sometimes hosts live music and community events.
- [La Leona Waterfall Adventure Hike](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-leona-waterfall-adventure-hike): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Local Curubandé operator next to La Leona Restaurant that guides the river hike — wading, swimming and rope sections — to the La Leona waterfall in its slot canyon.
- [Langosta Beach Club](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/langosta-beach-club): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. Members' beach club on Playa Langosta that is also day-pass accessible: pool with loungers looking onto the beach, a restaurant and bar in tropical gardens, sunset happy hours and live music.
- [Las Hornillas Volcano Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/las-hornillas-volcano-hot-springs): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. A private property on Miravalles' active side where you walk between bubbling mud pots, steam vents and sulfur crystals, then soak in volcanic mud and hot pools.
- [Las Pumas Rescue Center and Sanctuary](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/las-pumas-rescue-center-and-sanctuary): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center on the Pan-American Highway near Cañas, with wildcats, monkeys, birds and sloths.
- [Lola's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/lola-s): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. One of Costa Rica's best-known beach restaurants: wooden tables right on the sand under palms and almond trees at Playa Avellanas, with surfers in front and postcard sunsets.
- [Mar & Tierra Restaurante Doña Flor](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mar-tierra-restaurante-dona-flor): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. A friendly local restaurant a couple of blocks off Coco's main road, good for real Costa Rican food at fair prices: gallo pinto for breakfast, casados, fried rice and fresh fish later in the day, plus burgers, sandwiches and tacos.
- [Marlin del Rey](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/marlin-del-rey): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Catamaran company sailing from Tamarindo and Playas del Coco, with snorkeling and sunset cruises along the Guanacaste coast.
- [Maryola Tours - Tamarindo Estuary Boat Safari](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/maryola-tours-tamarindo-estuary-boat-safari): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Small operator for a roughly two-hour boat safari in the Tamarindo estuary with an English-speaking guide - migratory birds, howler monkeys and crocodiles - plus fishing trips.
- [Mundo Milo Eco Lodge (restaurant)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mundo-milo-eco-lodge-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Small eco-lodge restaurant by Playa Junquillal with a varied menu of local and international dishes and vegetarian options.
- [Nacho Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nacho-tours): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Local tour and transfer company in Tamarindo with a perfect 5.0 on Google that sells the main Guanacaste day trips, from the Rincón de la Vieja volcano to Rio Celeste.
- [Nogui's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nogui-s): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. A beachfront seafood restaurant on the south side of the Tamarindo roundabout, known for sunset views over the bay and its homemade pies - the banana pie is the classic.
- [NOI Bistro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/noi-bistro): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Cozy, laid-back breakfast and lunch bistro in the center of Tamarindo with stacked banana pancakes, colorful bowls and tuna tartare, plus vegan and gluten-free choices.
- [Nordico Coffee House](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nordico-coffee-house): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Minimalist, air-conditioned coffee house on the second floor of Plaza Tamarindo run by a Guanacaste roaster.
- [Palo Verde Boat Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/palo-verde-boat-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Family-run boat safari on the Tempisque river next to Palo Verde National Park, known for crocodiles, monkeys and wading birds.
- [Pangas Beach Club Tamarindo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pangas-beach-club-tamarindo): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Open-air beach restaurant where the Tamarindo estuary meets the ocean, with seating on the sand under big trees and good sunsets.
- [Papaya Restaurant (Conchal Hotel)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/papaya-restaurant-conchal-hotel): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Garden restaurant inside the small Conchal Hotel in Brasilito.
- [Pargos Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pargos-adventures): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Surf and paddle shop in Playa Negra: board rentals and lessons, guided SUP through the mangrove tunnels of the Nandamojo River, SUP yoga, and two-hour guided tide-pool snorkeling at low tide for families.
- [Patagonia del Mar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/patagonia-del-mar): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Popular beachfront restaurant in Brasilito with Pacific views - come around sunset.
- [Ponderosa Adventure Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ponderosa-adventure-park): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Roadside adventure park near Liberia where you ride through a savanna with African animals, zip over the canopy and tube a river.
- [Posada Real Café y Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/posada-real-cafe-y-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Café-restaurant on Calle Real, 150 m south of the old Gobernación, known for gluten-free options and reimagined Costa Rican breakfasts.
- [Potrero Brewing Company](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/potrero-brewing-company): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Craft brewery in the middle of Potrero with an outdoor food court next door (sandwiches and donuts, pizza, burritos) - order from the stalls and drink local beer.
- [Pueblo Antiguo Lodge y Spa (thermal pools day pass)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pueblo-antiguo-lodge-y-spa-thermal-pools-day-pas): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. A small country lodge on a 42-hectare forest estate in La Sierra, near the old Abangares gold mines.
- [Pura Vida Ride (Las Catalinas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pura-vida-ride-las-catalinas): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Outdoor shop in car-free Las Catalinas that rents mountain bikes, kayaks and paddleboards and guides rides on the town's trail network, with a coffee stand on Playa Danta.
- [Restaurante Coco Loco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-coco-loco): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Beach bar and seafood restaurant on Flamingo beach, known for its coco loco cocktail served in a coconut and for sunsets.
- [Restaurante Donde Pipe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-donde-pipe): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Busy, long-standing Liberia restaurant near the center, open from early morning, for Costa Rican and casual plates.
- [Restaurante Lochito's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-lochito-s): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Casual local restaurant a few minutes' drive from Playa Junquillal, the go-to for fresh-caught fish and Tico casados on this quiet stretch of coast.
- [Restaurante Los Comales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-los-comales): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Classic budget eatery for Guanacaste-style typical food in central Liberia, open from early morning.
- [Restaurante Mar Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-mar-azul): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Seafood restaurant and fish market in Playas del Coco where you pick your fish, preparation and sauce from the day's catch brought in by local artisanal fishermen.
- [Restaurante Tatanka](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-tatanka): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Seafood-focused restaurant at Hotel Tatanka near Playa Junquillal - fish and ceviche a short drive from the beach.
- [Restaurante Villa del Sueño](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-villa-del-sueno): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Restaurant of the small Villa del Sueño hotel, a short walk from Playa Hermosa, with fresh fish, homemade desserts and live music on some nights in high season.
- [Restaurante y Hotel donde Claudio y Gloria](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-y-hotel-donde-claudio-y-gloria): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Restaurant and small hotel right on Playa del Coco, with outdoor tables facing the bay; breakfast, lunch and dinner with sea views.
- [Rincon Thermals & Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rincon-thermals-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Big activity park on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja that mixes hot-spring pools and mud with zipline, horses and a jungle waterslide.
- [Río Perdido (thermal river, canyon adventures)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rio-perdido-thermal-river-canyon-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. An adventure hotel (SLH) around a hot thermal river in a white-walled canyon near Miravalles, with canyon ziplining, tubing, bike trails and a spa.
- [Roberto's (La Gaviota Tropical)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/roberto-s-la-gaviota-tropical): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Beachside restaurant at La Gaviota Tropical on Playa Hermosa, open from breakfast to late dinner; known for fresh fish and local cocktails.
- [Sabor Porteño Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sabor-porteno-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Seafood restaurant in Liberia serving Puntarenas-style coastal cooking; locals and visitors rave about the ceviche porteño and the whole fish with seafood.
- [Salty Smile Surf](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/salty-smile-surf): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Small Tamarindo surf school with a perfect 5.0 on Google from over 500 reviews, praised for patient instructors and flexible lessons that follow the swell.
- [Sea Breeze Fishing & Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sea-breeze-fishing-adventures): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. Small private-charter outfit in Tamarindo with two center-console boats for fishing, snorkeling and sightseeing, rated 5.0 on Google.
- [Sensoria Rainforest Experience](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sensoria-rainforest-experience): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Private rainforest reserve on the north side of Rincón de la Vieja with blue waterfalls, thermal pools and mud, visited on guided half-day experiences.
- [Soda Brasilito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-brasilito): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Beachfront soda in Brasilito with cheap, filling plates such as arroz con pollo, arroz con mariscos and casados.
- [Soda Buffet El Estero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-buffet-el-estero): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Small family soda a few blocks from the beach where you build your own casado from a daily buffet, with a 4.9 Google rating.
- [Soda Curubandé](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-curubande): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. The one restaurant in the center of Curubandé, the farming village at the foot of Rincón de la Vieja: casados, rice dishes and bocas, cooked the traditional way.
- [Soda Don Rogelio (leche dormida)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-don-rogelio-leche-dormida): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. The little soda by Cañas' central park where Rogelio Gutiérrez started making leche dormida in 1946 – a cold, sweet milk drink whose recipe the family still keeps secret.
- [Soda Hermosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-hermosa): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Family soda on the Playa Hermosa road (about 300 m from the second entrance) with big, cheap plates: casados, catch of the day, patacones and fruit shakes, plus vegan Tico plates.
- [Soda Jardín Tropical](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-jardin-tropical): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Simple soda near the beach in Playas del Coco serving casados, grilled fish and big breakfasts all day; good value and generous portions.
- [Soda La Fuente](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-fuente): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Roomy soda on the main street of Bagaces with a lunch buffet of rice, beans, chicken and fried vegetables; a good local stop on the road to Rincón de la Vieja or Cañas.
- [Soda Lula](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-lula): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Roadside soda in Comunidad, on the way from Liberia airport to the Coco and Papagayo beaches, opening at 5 am: hearty casados and fresh juices at local prices.
- [Soda Marcell](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-marcell): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. No-frills Potrero soda for local-style casados and fish plates, with milkshakes; it closes early afternoon.
- [Soda Teresita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-teresita): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Lively family soda on the road into Playas del Coco, with fish casados and kid-friendly fried chicken and fish fingers at soda prices.
- [Soda y Marisquería Marcela](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-y-marisqueria-marcela): Sodas & Local Food, Guanacaste. Neighborhood soda and seafood stop in Villareal, a short drive inland from Tamarindo, where locals eat.
- [Surf Box](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/surf-box): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. A café-restaurant near Playa Flamingo that's known for its breakfasts and fresh-tasting food, with a bar and outdoor seating – a good start before a beach day at Penca, Potrero or Flamingo.
- [Tamarindo Estuary Tours (Mi Rey)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tamarindo-estuary-tours-mi-rey): Parks & Wildlife, Guanacaste. Local outfit running covered boat tours, kayak rentals and horseback rides through the Tamarindo estuary mangroves - crocodiles, howler monkeys, birds, raccoons and bats.
- [Tamarindo Surf & Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tamarindo-surf-tours): Surf, Boats & Diving, Guanacaste. One-stop tour desk by the Tamarindo roundabout that sells surf lessons, fishing trips, estuary tours and day trips.
- [Termales El Guayacán](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/termales-el-guayacan): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. Family hot springs on a farm by the Quebrada Hornillas in Fortuna de Bagaces, with natural thermal pools, volcanic mud, a lookout and a restaurant.
- [The Congo Trail Canopy Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-congo-trail-canopy-tour): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Adventure park near Nuevo Colón, on the road to Playa Matapalo: a 10-line zipline, ATV and horseback tours, plus a rescue center and sanctuary with capuchin monkeys.
- [The Monkey Farm](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-monkey-farm): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. A hillside farm above Ocotal offering guided farm-animal tours, a medicinal garden and horseback rides (jungle, beach and sunset).
- [The Shack Restaurant & Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-shack-restaurant-bar): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Long-running open-air locals' hangout on the main road in Surfside, Potrero: lots of TVs, local craft beer and live music.
- [Thermomanía (Aguas Termales Thermomania)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/thermomania-aguas-termales-thermomania): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. Big family hot-spring park in Fortuna de Bagaces with thermal pools, a volcanic mud spa and natural steam sauna, open into the evening.
- [Tio Leo Coffee Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tio-leo-coffee-tour): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Small family coffee and cacao farm just outside Liberia that runs a hands-on tour with tastings, roasting and a cooking class.
- [Tropic Tamarindo Costarican Cuisine](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tropic-tamarindo-costarican-cuisine): Food & Coffee, Guanacaste. Garden restaurant and cocktail bar in Tamarindo built around local ingredients, with jaguar and iguana murals.
- [Vida Aventura Nature Park (Vida Aventura Ranch)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/vida-aventura-nature-park-vida-aventura-ranch): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. A ranch a few minutes from Rincón de la Vieja National Park offering horseback rides over open hills, canopy and bike trails, with a pool and restaurant.
- [Villa Buena Onda](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/villa-buena-onda): Stays, Guanacaste. Private micro-resort near Playas del Coco that hosts one group at a time, with eight suites on six secluded acres.
- [Witch's Rock Canopy Tour (WRCT Adventures)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/witch-s-rock-canopy-tour-wrct-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Guanacaste. Zipline park in the dry forest on the road to Playa Cabuyal: 9 lines with hanging bridges, plus horseback and ATV/UTV rides, some combined with a visit to a quiet beach.
- [Yökö Termales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/yoko-termales): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Guanacaste. Long-running hot-spring center fed by Miravalles springs, with several pools (including slides), jacuzzis and a steam bath, plus a restaurant known in the area for over 25 years.
- [Adventure Tours Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/adventure-tours-costa-rica): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Jacó operator running full-day ATV rides into the hills, an ATV + canopy + waterfall combo, canyoning and waterfall rappelling.
- [Aloha Beach Front Bar and Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aloha-beach-front-bar-and-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Family-friendly bar and grill right on the sand at the south end of Jacó, popular for tacos at sunset.
- [ATV Backcountry Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/atv-backcountry-tours): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. ATV tours from Jacó through rainforest, to waterfalls and tide pools, with mountain lookouts over the coast.
- [Aurora Yoga Studio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aurora-yoga-studio): Yoga & Wellness, Jacó & Herradura. A friendly open-air yoga studio upstairs at Jaco Walk, two minutes from the beach, where big windows let in the sea breeze and the sound of the waves.
- [AXR Jacó](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/axr-jaco): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Jacó's long-running off-road outfitter, taking riders on ATVs, buggies and dirt bikes up rainforest trails and riverbeds behind town to mountain viewpoints and waterfall pools.
- [Bamboo Cafe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bamboo-cafe): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Restaurant built from bamboo harvested on the property, a short drive from Playa Bandera, lit with string lights at night.
- [Bar Restaurante AraVe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bar-restaurante-arave): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Family-owned bar-restaurant on Parrita's main road known for ceviche, whole fried fish, arroz con pollo and casados, with passion-fruit smoothies.
- [Bar y Restaurante La Tranka](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bar-y-restaurante-la-tranka): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Casual country bar-restaurant on Route 131 just outside San Mateo, known among locals for rice dishes and seafood soup.
- [Bar y Restaurante Mar y Sol](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bar-y-restaurante-mar-y-sol): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Casual restaurant right across the road from Palo Seco beach, praised for fresh fish and seafood at fair prices.
- [Best Western Jacó Beach Resort](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/best-western-jaco-beach-resort): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Jacó & Herradura. A beachfront resort in the middle of Jaco that sells an all-inclusive day pass: breakfast, lunch, snacks and unlimited drinks plus the pools, from 8 am to 5 pm.
- [Bijagual Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bijagual-waterfall): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. A rainforest hike or horseback ride in the hills above Jacó to one of Costa Rica's tallest waterfalls, ending with a swim in cool natural pools.
- [Bowie's Point](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bowie-s-point): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Thatched-roof beach restaurant at Playa Hermosa for watching surfers and the sunset over a casado or a Tico breakfast.
- [Café Bohío](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafe-bohio): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Café of Bohío Coffee Roasters on Pastor Díaz Avenue, roasting Costa Rican beans in Jacó.
- [Catarata El Salto de Gamalotillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/catarata-el-salto-de-gamalotillo): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. Family-run waterfall about 45 minutes from Esterillos and Bejuco: a 6 m (20 ft) fall into a deep round pool, a shallow wading area, picnic spot and a 1.5-hour forest trail past a second fall.
- [Catarata Valle Encantado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/catarata-valle-encantado): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. A private farm in the hills near Herradura with a river that steps down through eight or more swimmable pools to a high waterfall; the upper part is a scramble up boulders with ropes and wooden steps.
- [Clarita's Beach Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/clarita-s-beach-bar): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Old-school beach bar at the quieter north end of Jacó, pouring cold beer by the sand since 1964.
- [Coco's Beach Front (Restaurante Coco's Herradura)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/coco-s-beach-front-restaurante-coco-s-herradura): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Beachfront seafood restaurant on Playa Herradura with a terrace under string lights, craft cocktails and live music some days.
- [Costa Cat Cruises](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-cat-cruises): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. A full day on a big, stable catamaran from Los Sueños Marina to Tortuga Island's white-sand beach, with snorkelling, a banana boat ride, a short jungle hike and a barbecue lunch with rum punch.
- [Costa Rica Waterfall Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-waterfall-tours): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Locally run Jacó operator for waterfall hikes, canyoning, ATV, zipline, crocodile and mangrove-monkey tours.
- [CR Beach Barn (Horseback Riding on the Beach)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cr-beach-barn-horseback-riding-on-the-beach): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Beach horseback rides at sunrise, morning or sunset along Esterillos, with well-trained horses, fresh coconut drinks and a guide who takes good photos.
- [Croc's Resort & Casino](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/croc-s-resort-casino): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Jacó & Herradura. A big beachfront resort at the north end of Jaco beach built around a lagoon-style pool of waterfalls and channels that opens onto the sand.
- [Crocodile Man Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/crocodile-man-tour): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. A long-established boat tour on the Tarcoles River, where big American crocodiles bask on the banks a short drive from Jacó.
- [El Hicaco Seafood](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-hicaco-seafood): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Beachfront seafood restaurant in Jacó with sunset views over the bay; Wednesday nights are an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet.
- [El Jardín Orotina (buffet & souvenir stop)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-jardin-orotina-buffet-souvenir-stop): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Big roadside stop near Orotina with a self-service Costa Rican breakfast and lunch buffet, a large souvenir hall, an ice-cream counter and live marimba music.
- [El Point Jaco Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-point-jaco-beach): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Beachfront restaurant at the south end of Jacó beach with sunset views over the surf break.
- [Garabitours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/garabitours): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Local guides leading waterfall hikes near Jacó with rope climbs, pool swims and cliff jumps, plus a night jungle walk and a hike to Bijagual, billed as Costa Rica's second-tallest waterfall.
- [Green Room Cafe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/green-room-cafe): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. A lively all-day cafe-restaurant on Jaco's main street, popular for brunch, healthy plates and cocktails, with live music in the evenings.
- [Horseback Riding Jaco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/horseback-riding-jaco): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Guided horseback rides on Jacó beach, along a river and through nature paths near the mangroves, for riders of all levels.
- [Hotel Cerro Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-cerro-lodge): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. A small lodge built for birders and photographers, a few minutes from the Tarcoles River and Carara National Park, with sea and mountain views.
- [Hotel Fuego del Sol](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-fuego-del-sol): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Jacó & Herradura. A relaxed 27-room hotel right on Playa Hermosa, the surf beach just south of Jaco.
- [Hotel Playa Bejuco — Sunsets Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-playa-bejuco-sunsets-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Simple, locally run hotel a minute from Playa Bejuco whose poolside restaurant serves Costa Rican plates like arroz con pollo and casados.
- [Hotel Terraza del Pacífico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-terraza-del-pacifico): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Jacó & Herradura. A beachfront hotel on Playa Hermosa, the dark-sand surf beach just south of Jaco, whose day pass gives you two pools open into the evening, loungers with bar service and a beach bar facing the sunset.
- [Hotel Villa Caletas — Anfiteatro sunset bar & El Mirador restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-villa-caletas-anfiteatro-sunset-bar-el-mir): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Clifftop hotel 350 m above the Gulf of Nicoya, north of Herradura, famous for its Greek-style amphitheater where people gather for sunset with a cocktail from the martini bar.
- [Jaco Adventure Tours (Jaco Ropes Adventure Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jaco-adventure-tours-jaco-ropes-adventure-park): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Adventure park on the edge of Jacó with zip lines, a ropes course and forest horse rides.
- [Jacó Sabor](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jaco-sabor): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Tiny, rustic restaurant in the Quebrada Seca area of Jacó with swing seats, low prices and fresh seafood.
- [Jaco Surf School](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jaco-surf-school): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. Beach surf school on Calle Bohío next to the sand, with a safe place for belongings and lounge chairs and umbrellas after the lesson.
- [Jose's Crocodile River Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jose-s-crocodile-river-tour): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. Boat tours on the Tárcoles River to see big American crocodiles up close, plus scarlet macaws, roseate spoonbills, ospreys and mangrove channels.
- [Jungle Crocodile Safari](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jungle-crocodile-safari): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. A relaxed boat ride on the Tarcoles River, home to one of Costa Rica's largest crocodile populations, out through the mangroves to the river mouth.
- [Karma Café & Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/karma-cafe-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Vegan and plant-based café in the Il Galeone plaza with smoothie bowls, burgers, Buddha bowls and cauliflower wings.
- [Kayak Jaco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kayak-jaco): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. A paddling outfitter based at Playa Agujas, north of Jacó near Punta Leona, offering half-day sea kayak trips with a beach snorkel when the sea allows.
- [Koko Gastro Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/koko-gastro-bar): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Beachfront gastro bar at the end of a dirt lane in Jacó, where you hear the waves from your table; good value for the location.
- [La Artesanal (Panadería Artesanal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-artesanal-panaderia-artesanal): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. French-style bakery and coffee shop (also called Leandro's) with flat whites, breakfast burritos, salads and fresh bread at fair prices.
- [Lemon Zest](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/lemon-zest): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. A long-running chef-owned restaurant in central Jaco, open since 2007, for an evening of gourmet cooking and good wine.
- [Los Almendros](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-almendros): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Laid-back restaurant under almond trees a block from the beach in Esterillos Oeste, with Asian-Caribbean dishes, the day's fresh fish and vegan options.
- [Los Guarumos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-guarumos): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Open-air restaurant set in leafy forest on the Costanera.
- [Los Mahi Tacos del Cholo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-mahi-tacos-del-cholo): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Small taco spot across from Jacó Walk, famous for fresh mahi-mahi fish tacos with sriracha sauce.
- [Los Sueños Marina Village](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-suenos-marina-village): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. The restaurant row of Los Sueños marina at Playa Herradura, a sport-fishing harbour ringed by forested hills.
- [Macaw Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/macaw-lodge): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. An eco-lodge on a private forest reserve in the Turrubares hills near Carara, where more than 350 bird species have been recorded.
- [Manglar Bar and Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/manglar-bar-and-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Casual bar-restaurant at the quiet north end of Jacó beach, 50 m from Hotel Croc's, loved for ceviche, nachos and burgers made with locally raised beef.
- [Marea Alta](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/marea-alta): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Local restaurant 300 m south of the Red Cross in Jacó, known for generous breakfasts (pancakes, omelettes, fresh fruit) and a chifrijo that reviewers rave about.
- [Marisquería Restauranticos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/marisqueria-restauranticos): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Roadside seafood restaurant on the coastal highway at Pógeres, between Tárcoles and Punta Leona, with surf-and-turf plates and fresh fruit juices.
- [Maverick Sportfishing](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/maverick-sportfishing): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. A large sportfishing fleet based at Los Sueños Marina in Herradura, running fully crewed offshore charters for sailfish, marlin, tuna and dorado.
- [Mirador y Restaurante Donde Andrés](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mirador-y-restaurante-donde-andres): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Weekend farm restaurant and viewpoint run by Andrés and his wife, with food made from local ingredients and stunning views over the countryside.
- [Neofauna Costa Rica (Mariposario & Tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/neofauna-costa-rica-mariposario-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. Butterfly garden and tour agency near Jacó that runs monkey and waterfall tours plus guided Manuel Antonio day trips.
- [Ocean Ranch Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ocean-ranch-park): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. A huge private river valley just outside Jacó where you can zipline, rappel beside a waterfall, ride horses or ATVs through the rainforest and finish with lunch, all in one day.
- [Pachis Pan and Bakery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pachis-pan-and-bakery): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Long-running local bakery open from early morning to evening: beef empanadas, churros, tres leches cake, sweet and savory breads and very cheap coffee.
- [Patacón Cevichero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/patacon-cevichero): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Roadside seafood stop on the Costanera whose specialty is thin, crispy patacones.
- [Patisserie Manon](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/patisserie-manon): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. French patisserie 50 m north of the Red Cross on Pastor Díaz Avenue, praised for croissants, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, breads and cakes, with a few tables and a lounge couch at the back.
- [PuddleFish Brewery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/puddlefish-brewery): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Jaco's own craft brewery, set in a converted warehouse one block from the beach in the south of town.
- [Punta Leona Beach Club](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/punta-leona-beach-club): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Jacó & Herradura. A big beach-club resort on a private forest reserve just north of Jacó, where a day pass gets you buffet breakfast and lunch, pools and the beach.
- [Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pura-vida-gardens-and-waterfall): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. Hillside botanical garden above Tárcoles with trails, a waterfall overlook and Pacific views.
- [Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica (Jacó park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rainforest-adventures-costa-rica-jaco-park): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Glide up through the rainforest canopy in open-air gondolas just outside Jacó, then fly back down on a zipline with views out to the Pacific.
- [Rancho Shadday](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rancho-shadday): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Rustic hilltop restaurant near Carara where everything is cooked over a wood fire in front of you.
- [Restaurante La Casa de Carmen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-casa-de-carmen): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Home-style Costa Rican restaurant where Carmen cooks and her husband hosts.
- [Restaurante La Ostra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-ostra): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Well-known seafood house in Quebrada Ganado on the highway north of Jacó, a little pricier than a soda, for fresh fish done carefully.
- [Restaurante Rústicos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-rusticos): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Cafeteria-style Costa Rican restaurant on Pastor Díaz Avenue with no fixed menu: you choose from the counter.
- [Restaurante Vista Hermosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-vista-hermosa): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Oceanside spot at Playa Hermosa with views of the surf break, known for fresh fish at fair prices.
- [Royal Butterflies](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/royal-butterflies): Parks & Wildlife, Jacó & Herradura. Small, family-run butterfly farm with guided tours where hosts Dan and Donna explain butterfly life cycles and species.
- [School of the World](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/school-of-the-world): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. A surf camp, Spanish school and small boutique hotel in a quiet part of Jacó, built for adults who want a week or more of daily surf coaching, often travelling solo.
- [Serenity Spa at Hotel Villa Caletas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/serenity-spa-at-hotel-villa-caletas): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Jacó & Herradura. A cliff-top spa at Hotel Villa Caletas, about 300 m above the Pacific near Herradura, where treatment rooms look out over rainforest and ocean.
- [Soda El Guácimo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-el-guacimo): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Open-air roadside soda on the Costanera north of Tárcoles with big portions, quick service and clean tables.
- [Soda El Tucán](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-el-tucan): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Popular roadside soda in the center of Parrita (next to Coopeande) known for huge casado plates, chorizo and its own house chili sauce.
- [Soda Garabito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-garabito): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Busy cafeteria-style soda in central Jacó where you point at what you want from the counter.
- [Soda Marea Baja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-marea-baja): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Roadside soda on the Costanera at Jacó, cooked by locals for locals: salad bar, refillable plates and fresh shrimp and fish.
- [Soda Margarita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-margarita): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Rustic palm-roofed soda at the north end of Esterillos Oeste, near the tide pools, for a traditional breakfast or lunch.
- [Soda Raquel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-raquel): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Budget-friendly soda a short walk from the beach with a lunch-and-breakfast crowd.
- [Soda y Marisquería Mary Mar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-y-marisqueria-mary-mar): Sodas & Local Food, Jacó & Herradura. Family-run soda and seafood kitchen: a husband-and-wife team cooks in an open kitchen with a homemade hot sauce, shrimp casado and fried sea bass.
- [Spa Shirley at Hotel Jaco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/spa-shirley-at-hotel-jaco): Yoga & Wellness, Jacó & Herradura. A small, private spa inside beachfront Hotel Jaco, run by therapist Shirley, whom hotel guests repeatedly name as the highlight of their stay.
- [Steven Lisa's](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/steven-lisa-s): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Garden restaurant by the Tárcoles turn-off on the Costanera, with flowers around the tables and a tree where wildlife shows up.
- [Surfer Factory Surf School](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/surfer-factory-surf-school): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. A Jacó surf school and shop that gets beginners up on Jacó's warm, easy waves in two-hour lessons, with board, rash guard and hotel transport included.
- [Take a Wave CR Surf School](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/take-a-wave-cr-surf-school): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. Small surf school at the south end of Jacó beach with bilingual instructors Ana and Nico, who are described as patient and encouraging.
- [The Body Spa Jacó Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-body-spa-jaco-beach): Yoga & Wellness, Jacó & Herradura. A modern beauty and massage spa a few steps from the sand in central Jaco, handy for a massage, facial or nails between beach sessions.
- [The Pizza Shop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-pizza-shop): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Surf-town pizza place on Pastor Díaz Avenue with thin-crust New York-style pies, garlic knots and house-smoked meats, plus vegan options.
- [The Riding Adventure](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-riding-adventure): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Beach horseback rides since 2005 on an almost empty beach at Esterillos Este, guided by a local cowboy and his mustangs.
- [Tiko Restaurante Mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tiko-restaurante-mirador): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Clifftop mirador restaurant on the edge of Carara National Park with Pacific views, serving local dishes, homemade Asian food and fresh seafood.
- [Tortuga Surf Camp](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tortuga-surf-camp): Surf, Boats & Diving, Jacó & Herradura. A long-running surf school right on Playa Jacó, teaching two-hour lessons for all levels since 2007, plus sunrise paddle-board tours and week-long surf retreats.
- [Vida Hermosa Bar & Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/vida-hermosa-bar-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Beachfront bar-restaurant on Playa Hermosa with an ocean view, handmade cocktails and sushi.
- [Vista Los Sueños Adventure Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/vista-los-suenos-adventure-park): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. A private rainforest park in the hills above Herradura, a few minutes from Jacó and Los Sueños, where you can zipline with views of Herradura Bay, ride ATVs or horses to waterfalls and taste chocolate from its own cacao farm.
- [Vista Mar (Tárcoles)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/vista-mar-tarcoles): Food & Coffee, Jacó & Herradura. Seafood restaurant on a bluff above the Costanera with ocean views and a tunnel that leads down to the beach.
- [Zion Paragliding (Tandem flights in Jacó)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/zion-paragliding-tandem-flights-in-jaco): Tours & Adventure, Jacó & Herradura. Tandem paragliding from the Neo Jaco Sky Way take-off above town, reached by a 4x4 ride.
- [100% Aventura Canopy](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/100-aventura-canopy): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Family-owned Costa Rican canopy park with a long superman zipline (site says 1,590 m), a Mega Tarzan swing and a guided hanging-bridge walk.
- [Boca2 Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/boca2-cafe): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Bright little café on a plant-filled patio with bagel sandwiches, quesadillas, smoothies and good coffee.
- [Canyoning Monteverde (Finca Modelo Ecológica)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/canyoning-monteverde-finca-modelo-ecologica): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Family-run farm offering waterfall rappelling down six waterfalls (tallest 40 m) with fixed safety cables, plus tree climbing and a night walk.
- [Choco Café Restaurante y Cafetería](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/choco-cafe-restaurante-y-cafeteria): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Cozy restaurant and coffee shop in Santa Elena (13 years in business) built around Costa Rican coffee and cacao, with salads, salmon, pastries and craft beer.
- [Don Juan Tours Monteverde (coffee, chocolate, sugar cane)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/don-juan-tours-monteverde-coffee-chocolate-sugar): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Family farm tour that walks you through coffee, cacao and sugar cane with tastings, plus night-walk combos.
- [El Establo Mountain Hotel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-establo-mountain-hotel): Stays, Monteverde. Mountain hotel in Monteverde with its own 65-hectare cloud forest reserve.
- [El Trapiche Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-trapiche-tour): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Family farm (opened to visitors in 2005) where you see coffee, cacao and sugar cane and taste each product, then make a cane sweet yourself.
- [Finca Lantana Night and Bird Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-lantana-night-and-bird-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. Private biological corridor in the middle of Monteverde with small guided night, bird and natural-history walks.
- [Frog Pond of Monteverde (Ranario)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/frog-pond-of-monteverde-ranario): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. A frog house in Santa Elena with more than 25 species of frogs, toads and other amphibians in terrariums built to mimic their habitats.
- [Hotel Fonda Vela](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hotel-fonda-vela): Stays, Monteverde. Hillside cloud-forest hotel near the Monteverde reserve.
- [Jiménez Bakery & Coffee Shop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/jimenez-bakery-coffee-shop): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Local bakery and coffee shop that opens at 5 am, with pastries, savory enchiladas, burgers and well-liked mochas.
- [Kapi Kapi Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kapi-kapi-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. A hilltop restaurant just outside Santa Elena with long views over the green hills, known for thin-crust pizza at lunch and a more upscale dinner menu with pasta and Costa Rican dishes.
- [Kinkajou Night Walk](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kinkajou-night-walk): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. Family-run guided night hike through a private forest corridor to spot frogs, snakes, tarantulas and other nocturnal wildlife.
- [Monteverde Brewing Company](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/monteverde-brewing-company): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Local brewpub next to the brewery, pouring its own craft beers (Sirena Dorada, Red Tapir and more) with patacones, wings and hummus.
- [Monteverde Butterfly Gardens](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/monteverde-butterfly-gardens): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. Guided garden visit with butterflies in four habitats, a nature center of live insects and arachnids and a leaf-cutter ant colony.
- [Monteverde Extremo Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/monteverde-extremo-park): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Adrenaline park above the cloud forest with a long canopy line, a 143 m bungee jump (billed as Central America's highest) and a Tarzan swing.
- [Orchid Coffee & Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/orchid-coffee-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Cozy café with a terrace next to the Orchid Garden, known for handmade cakes, crepes, paninis and a long breakfast list.
- [Pizzería e Ristorante Tramonti](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pizzeria-e-ristorante-tramonti): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Family-run Italian restaurant since 1993 (founded by an Italian and Costa Rican couple), with a wood-fired oven, house-made ravioli and lasagna and a glass-and-timber dining room above the valley.
- [Raulito's Pollo Asado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/raulito-s-pollo-asado): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Simple outdoor stand in central Santa Elena known for juicy rotisserie chicken with cassava at low prices.
- [Restaurante Don Luis](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-don-luis): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Family grill in Cerro Plano (since 2013) with beef dry-aged in a glass case in the dining room, plus pizza, seafood and a daily 2x1 happy hour.
- [Restaurante La Cuchara de la Abuela (CASEM)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-cuchara-de-la-abuela-casem): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Cooperative-run kitchen at CASEM, the women's craft co-op, serving typical plates and handmade corn tortillas.
- [Restaurante Mar & Tierra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-mar-tierra): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Well-reviewed sit-down restaurant in central Santa Elena with a wide menu (paella, pasta, seafood and meat) and attentive service; groups should reserve.
- [Restaurante Sabor Tico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-sabor-tico): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Long-running typical Costa Rican restaurant in the Plaza Monteverde shopping center, across from the sports plaza.
- [Restaurante Tico y Rico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-tico-y-rico): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Downtown Santa Elena restaurant serving homemade Costa Rican food in generous portions, from hearty breakfasts to casados and chifrijo, open from early morning to night.
- [San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/san-lucas-treetop-dining-experience): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Special-occasion tasting-menu dinner served in glass pods high in the cloud-forest canopy, built around Costa Rican ingredients and the sunset.
- [San Luis Coffee Tour (Café de San Luis)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/san-luis-coffee-tour-cafe-de-san-luis): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Small community coffee tour on the Ramírez-Brenes family farm in San Luis: eight coffee varieties, orchids, fruit trees and a tasting of coffee with the family's own pastries.
- [Santuario Ecológico Monteverde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/santuario-ecologico-monteverde): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. Family-run private forest reserve with guided day and night walks (monkeys, coatis, agoutis, sleepy mammals), self-guided trails, cooking classes and a coffee experience.
- [Selvatura Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/selvatura-park): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Large cloud forest adventure park near Santa Elena with ziplines, hanging bridges and wildlife exhibits.
- [Senda Monteverde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/senda-monteverde): Stays, Monteverde. Sustainable boutique hotel in Monteverde's cloud forest.
- [Soda La Amistad](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-amistad): Sodas & Local Food, Monteverde. Family-run soda on a side street in Santa Elena with generous casados, soups and ribs at local prices.
- [Soda La Salvadita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-salvadita): Sodas & Local Food, Monteverde. A small family soda in Santa Elena serving traditional Costa Rican food; its tamales are said to be among the best in town, usually at breakfast but often available at lunch too.
- [Soda Shangri-La](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-shangri-la): Sodas & Local Food, Monteverde. Tiny family-run roadside soda with homemade Costa Rican food at low prices: casados, empanadas, fried chicken and fresh fruit juices, served with a lot of friendliness.
- [Stella's Monteverde Bakery & Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/stella-s-monteverde-bakery-cafe): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Bakery opened in 1992 by English-born Stella Wallace, now a breakfast and lunch café across from the CASEM crafts co-op, using local cheeses and house bread.
- [The Bat Jungle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-bat-jungle): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. Indoor bat exhibit designed by bat biologist Dr.
- [The Open Kitchen Monteverde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-open-kitchen-monteverde): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Bright, glass-walled all-day café in Santa Elena serving Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plates (shakshuka, falafel, Turkish burek) with Costa Rican coffee and big breakfasts.
- [The Original Canopy Tour Monteverde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-original-canopy-tour-monteverde): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Monteverde's original zipline tour since 1994, run in small groups and including a climb inside a giant hollow fig tree.
- [Trapiche Vásquez at Restaurante Florida](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/trapiche-vasquez-at-restaurante-florida): Sodas & Local Food, Monteverde. A family roadside soda on the dirt road between Tilarán and Monteverde where the owner has run sugar-cane demos for years: you help feed the trapiche, taste fresh cane juice plain or with orange or ginger, and see how tapa de dulce is boiled and molded.
- [Tree House Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tree-house-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Monteverde. Santa Elena's best-known restaurant is built around a giant ficus tree whose branches run through the dining room.
- [Treetopia Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/treetopia-park): Tours & Adventure, Monteverde. Cloud-forest adventure park (also known as Sky Adventures Monteverde) with a gondola tram, zipline, six hanging bridges and a tree-climbing course, on nearly 300 acres with only a small part developed.
- [Valle Escondido Nature Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/valle-escondido-nature-reserve): Parks & Wildlife, Monteverde. Family-run 17-hectare reserve with trails, wooden platforms over a ravine and waterfall views, plus one of Monteverde's first night tours.
- [Bahía Rica (bioluminescent kayak tours & fishing lodge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bahia-rica-bioluminescent-kayak-tours-fishing-lo): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. A small wooden kayak-and-fishing lodge on the bluff 1.5 km east of the Paquera ferry landing, best known for its night kayak tour on Paquera's bio-bay, where every paddle stroke lights up blue-green plankton and you can even jump in and swim through the glow.
- [Banana Beach Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/banana-beach-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Banana Beach is a big open-air bar and restaurant right on the sand at the south end of Santa Teresa, a short walk from the Playa Carmen junction, with a small hotel of casitas next door.
- [Bar y Restaurante El Retoño](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bar-y-restaurante-el-retono): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Local bar-restaurant in Nicoya known for chifrijo (rice, beans and fried pork in a bowl) and hearty meat plates.
- [Blue Zone Brewery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/blue-zone-brewery): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Open-air craft-beer taproom in a jungle clearing near Playa Guiones, brewing its own beers and serving creative tacos with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
- [Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort (public yoga, spa and juice bar)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bodhi-tree-yoga-resort-public-yoga-spa-and-juice): Yoga & Wellness, Nicoya Peninsula. Yoga resort in Nosara with jungle and ocean-view shalas, a spa, juice bar and restaurant.
- [Brukas Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/brukas-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A hilltop restaurant above Playa Carmen with one of the best sunset views in Santa Teresa - hundreds of reviews mention it.
- [Butterfly Brewing Co](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/butterfly-brewing-co): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Craft brewery up the hill out of Montezuma, on the road toward the canopy tour and the upper falls, with a deck looking out over the jungle - a cold pint after the waterfall hike.
- [Cocina a Leña La Cobaneña](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cocina-a-lena-la-cobanena): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A Costa Rican restaurant in central Cóbano cooking over a wood-fired stove (cocina a leña) - traditional country-style food right on the route between Paquera and the beaches.
- [Couleur Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/couleur-cafe): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. French-inspired café with colourful décor and tables under a big shady tree at the first entrance to Playa Hermosa - a surfer's breakfast or a lazy lunch, with vegetarian options.
- [Drift Restaurant & Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/drift-restaurant-bar): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Fusion kitchen and cocktail bar in the heart of Santa Teresa with Asian, Indian and Mediterranean influences, local fish and plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes; the in-house bakery has the town's biggest choice of vegan and gluten-free cakes and pastries.
- [Eat Street](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/eat-street): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Open-air food court-style spot with Mexican tacos, bowls, burgers and wood-fired pies, plus plenty of vegan choices.
- [El Chivo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-chivo): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A Nosara staple since 2009, nicknamed the town's 'Cheers': tacos, burritos, sandwiches and burgers with solid vegetarian options, local craft beer, a kids' menu and games.
- [El Facon Grill & Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-facon-grill-bar): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Argentine asado house: meat cooked slowly over the grill for a smoky flavour, milanesas, fresh fish and veggie dishes, in a family-friendly room with live music.
- [El Lagarto BBQ](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-lagarto-bbq): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A long-time Sámara classic at the northern end of the beach: open-air tables and steak, chicken and seafood cooked on a big wood-fired grill, served with baked potato and vegetables.
- [El Somos Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-somos-cafe): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A café, small hotel and surf shop in Santa Teresa loved for its coffee - house-roasted beans, excellent cappuccinos - and fresh pastries, with a garden to sit in.
- [Gusto Beach Club (Sámara)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/gusto-beach-club-samara): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. An upscale beach club on the sand in the center of Sámara with loungers facing the bay and a big Italian-leaning menu – antipasti, pasta, pizza, focaccia, poke bowls and a kids' menu.
- [Horizon Yoga Hotel - tea house, massage and yoga](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/horizon-yoga-hotel-tea-house-massage-and-yoga): Yoga & Wellness, Nicoya Peninsula. Hillside yoga hotel above Santa Teresa whose vegetarian tea house and massage rancho are open to non-guests.
- [IAR Costa Rica - Nosara Wildlife Rescue Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/iar-costa-rica-nosara-wildlife-rescue-center): Parks & Wildlife, Nicoya Peninsula. Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center near Nosara that opens a few mornings a week for guided educational visits.
- [Ice Dream Gelato & Coffee Shop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ice-dream-gelato-coffee-shop): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Little café in the middle of Montezuma for coffee, breakfast and gelato - the easy cool-down stop between the beach and the falls.
- [Iguana Divers](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/iguana-divers): Surf, Boats & Diving, Nicoya Peninsula. PADI 5 Star dive center in Santa Teresa since 2014 running daily dive trips, courses and wildlife boat tours.
- [Indígena Café & Chocolate](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/indigena-cafe-chocolate): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A jungle café 100 m before the Cabo Blanco reserve entrance making bean-to-bar chocolate: hot chocolate, brownies and coffee, plus hands-on chocolate tours where you taste cacao and make your own bar.
- [Kooks Smokehouse](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kooks-smokehouse): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Sports-bar-style smokehouse at the north end of the Playa Carmen strip: slow-smoked brisket, giant onion rings, comfort food and craft beer on tap.
- [La Cevicheria](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-cevicheria): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Peruvian-style ceviche house using locally caught seafood; reviewers single out the Mexichina and shrimp ceviches.
- [La Selva Cerveza Artesanal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/la-selva-cerveza-artesanal): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A small, low-key craft brewery in Cabuya pouring its own well-liked beers - a laid-back spot to end a day at Cabo Blanco.
- [Lagarta Lodge Day Pass and Chirriboca Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/lagarta-lodge-day-pass-and-chirriboca-restaurant): Day Passes & Hot Springs, Nicoya Peninsula. Eco-boutique Lagarta Lodge sells a day pass for non-guests: $80 per person, of which $60 comes back as credit at the restaurant, spa and tours.
- [Las Olas Beach Bar (Sámara)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/las-olas-beach-bar-samara): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A locally owned, rustic hangout with tables right on the sand at the northern end of Sámara beach: tacos, burritos, burgers, sushi and pasta, happy hour 4–6 p.m., and live music, open jams and karaoke nights.
- [Macho ATV Rentals & Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/macho-atv-rentals-tours): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Owner-run ATV outfit in Nosara.
- [Malibu Restaurante (formerly Soda Colochos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/malibu-restaurante-formerly-soda-colochos): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A simple soda in the center of Sámara, right next to the weekly farmers market and shaded by big Guanacaste trees – some of the best traditional food in town at local prices.
- [Mar y Fuego Pizzería & Restaurante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mar-y-fuego-pizzeria-restaurante): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Pizza and seafood place near the beach: sourdough pizzas from a wood oven, tuna poke, lobster tacos and fish straight off the grill, with live music some nights.
- [Naked Foods](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/naked-foods): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Plant-based food truck and kitchen by chef Jan Paul in north Playa Guiones: organic burgers, bowls, breakfast burritos and cold-pressed juices.
- [Nantipa – A Tico Beach Experience](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nantipa-a-tico-beach-experience): Stays, Nicoya Peninsula. Barefoot-luxury boutique hotel on the beach in Santa Teresa.
- [Natura SurfLife](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/natura-surflife): Surf, Boats & Diving, Nicoya Peninsula. Santa Teresa surf school with more than 20 years of experience, also renting ATVs and booking waterfall and Isla Tortuga tours.
- [Natural Center Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/natural-center-tours): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Sámara's one-stop tour agency for boat tours, kayaking and snorkeling, plus day trips and shuttles.
- [Olga's Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/olga-s-bar): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A super-casual local favorite right on the sand at Playa Pelada that has been around for years – grab a cold beer, watch the surfers and beach walkers, and order the patacones with guacamole.
- [Ollie's Adventures](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ollie-s-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Santa Teresa adventure shop specializing in horseback rides, with ATV and motorbike rentals, surf lessons and day trips.
- [Orgánico Nosara (Bakery & Grocer)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/organico-nosara-bakery-grocer): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Beloved Nosara bakery, café and organic grocer.
- [Pacífico Azul Restaurant](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pacifico-azul-restaurant): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Costa Rican family-owned seafood restaurant at Playa Guiones, cooking Garza-family recipes with local fish and shrimp.
- [Panadería Cabuya Cafetería](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/panaderia-cabuya-cafeteria): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Cabuya's village bakery-café, the go-to for breakfast or lunch before or after Cabo Blanco and the cemetery island: fresh bread, pastries and simple plates, with hundreds of happy reviews.
- [Panadería La Castellana (La Caste)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/panaderia-la-castellana-la-caste): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Nicoya's go-to bakery for breakfast, sweet breads and cakes, with a reputation for clean, fresh baking; the strawberry lemonade with spearmint is a local favourite.
- [Parque Marino del Pacífico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/parque-marino-del-pacifico): Parks & Wildlife, Nicoya Peninsula. Aquarium park in Puntarenas' old railway station, about three hectares of tanks with sea turtles, tropical fish, rays, crocodiles and large sharks, plus a small pool and play area for children - an easy family stop at the east end of the seafront.
- [Playa Ponies](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/playa-ponies): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Small Nosara stable running guided rides through the jungle trails by the Nosara River and out to Playa Pelada and Guiones.
- [Restaurante Agua Dulce](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-agua-dulce): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Costa Rican food done a notch up, in the middle of Sámara across from the Palí supermarket: gallo pinto, casados, ceviche, patacones and rice dishes, fresh fruit smoothies, and olla de carne on Sundays.
- [Restaurante La Choza](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-choza): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Farm-to-table Costa Rican restaurant serving traditional casados, ceviches and slow-cooked beef.
- [Restaurante La Fulana Cosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-fulana-cosa): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Restaurant tucked into the woods outside Nicoya, praised for its mixed ceviche, Italian dishes, friendly staff and relaxed garden setting.
- [Restaurante La Luna (Playa Pelada)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-luna-playa-pelada): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. An upscale beachfront restaurant on Playa Pelada with one of the best sunset views in Nosara; the menu is international with a Mediterranean lean and plenty of seafood.
- [Restaurante Montezuma Latino Beach Food](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-montezuma-latino-beach-food): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A casual beachfront spot in the center of Montezuma for fish and shrimp tacos, patacones with guacamole and whole fried snapper, with mojitos, coco locos and passion fruit margaritas and an ocean view.
- [Roots Bakery & Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/roots-bakery-cafe): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A small, locally owned bakery-café on the road out of Sámara with homemade pastries, tarts, scones, cinnamon rolls, croissants and pies, plus breakfast and lunch sandwiches; seats inside with A/C and in a garden courtyard.
- [Rosi's Soda Tica (Guiones)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rosi-s-soda-tica-guiones): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Traditional lunch soda in Guiones where fish or steak comes with rice, beans, salad and vegetables.
- [Sabor de Mar Montezuma](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sabor-de-mar-montezuma): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Small seafood spot in Montezuma that reviewers call a hidden gem: very fresh ceviche, fish in shrimp sauce and big portions at fair prices, with friendly staff.
- [Samara Adventures (Nosara Adventures)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/samara-adventures-nosara-adventures): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Tour and transport company in Sámara and Nosara offering kayaking, snorkeling, surf lessons, zipline and horseback tours on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Sano Banano Restaurant & Bar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sano-banano-restaurant-bar): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Long-running vegetarian-friendly restaurant a few steps from Montezuma beach, with a leafy patio, vegan and gluten-free plates and a mixed menu (mushroom pasta, tofu curry, seafood).
- [Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sibu-wildlife-sanctuary): Parks & Wildlife, Nicoya Peninsula. Non-profit sanctuary near Nosara that rehabilitates and houses injured and orphaned wildlife, mostly howler monkeys.
- [Soda Chu](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-chu): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A friendly roadside soda in Paquera that's a favorite breakfast stop on the way to or from the ferry: gallo pinto, empanadas, pollo en salsa and huge fruit milkshakes, served at outdoor tables.
- [Soda El Artesano](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-el-artesano): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Simple local soda in the centre of Montezuma, right next door to Soda La Naranja, serving typical plates and fish at some of the lowest prices in town.
- [Soda Familiar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-familiar): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A well-loved family soda in Cóbano, the market town on the way to Santa Teresa and Montezuma - good for an early, cheap Tico breakfast or lunch.
- [Soda La Esmeralda](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-esmeralda): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A roadside soda on the Paquera-Tambor road with a solid Google rating from over 250 reviews - a handy refuel stop for traditional Costa Rican food.
- [Soda La Naranja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-naranja): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Family-owned soda in Montezuma serving authentic Costa Rican plates: orange chicken, ceviche, fish tacos and mango smoothies in generous portions at reasonable prices.
- [Soda La Perla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-la-perla): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Family-run soda a few streets from Sámara beach with a loyal local following: big casados, ceviche and fried fish at fair prices in a cozy, no-frills room.
- [Soda Lula (Paquera)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-lula-paquera): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A well-rated local soda in Paquera that opens before dawn - handy for an early breakfast before the first ferry.
- [Soda Pura Vida (Santa Teresa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-pura-vida-santa-teresa): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Local soda on Santa Teresa's main road - the budget pick for typical Costa Rican food among the strip's pricier restaurants.
- [Soda Rocamar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-rocamar): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Beach soda built around locally caught fish, with fish tacos, guacamole and sandwiches served a few steps from the sand.
- [Soda Soy Tico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-soy-tico): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. A busy, no-frills soda in Santa Teresa serving generous Costa Rican plates - casados, ceviche with patacones, arroz con pollo - and fresh fruit juices, with fans cooling the open dining room.
- [Soda Tica Linda](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-tica-linda): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Small family-run soda praised for crispy patacones, fried snapper, ceviche made from local fish and fruit smoothies, with the best value-for-money reputation in town.
- [Soda Típica Las Palmeras](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-tipica-las-palmeras): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Budget-friendly soda in the center of Montezuma with a balcony over the beach where white-faced monkeys play in the trees.
- [Soda Tiquicia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-tiquicia): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Casual local soda in Santa Teresa known for generous plates of Costa Rican comfort food, especially fish casado, fried red snapper and mixed ceviche, at fair prices.
- [Soda Vanessa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-vanessa): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Everyday soda in Nosara, popular with locals for big breakfasts and set lunches at friendly prices; gallo pinto with eggs and tomato is the reviewers' favourite.
- [Soda y Cevichera Mary](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-y-cevichera-mary): Sodas & Local Food, Nicoya Peninsula. Small cevichería-soda in Nosara with fresh ceviche, fish casados and a few vegan plates.
- [Sun Trails](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sun-trails): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Montezuma-based tour and transfer company covering Santa Teresa, Malpaís and Tambor, best known for its zipline over the Montezuma waterfalls.
- [Tanga Restaurant & Camping (Punta Coyote)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tanga-restaurant-camping-punta-coyote): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Beach restaurant and campground in the palm grove at the south end of Playa Coyote, near Punta Coyote, where the rocky headland keeps the water calm; it rents surfboards for the reef breaks about 20 minutes' walk around the point.
- [Teca Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/teca-beach): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. A cozy dinner spot on Sámara's soccer field, opened in 2021 by a French chef: beef tenderloin with sweet-potato gratin, tuna steak, a classic burger with fries.
- [The Bakery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-bakery): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. One of Santa Teresa's most reviewed spots: a bakery-café serving pastries, big breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers and Mediterranean-style plates from early morning until late.
- [The Roastery Coffee](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-roastery-coffee): Food & Coffee, Nicoya Peninsula. Coffee bar near the Playa Carmen crossroads, one of the cafés travellers single out in Santa Teresa; vegan options.
- [Tico's Surf School (Sámara)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tico-s-surf-school-samara): Surf, Boats & Diving, Nicoya Peninsula. Beachfront surf school on Playa Sámara's gentle, sandy break with ISA-certified instructors, lockers and showers.
- [Tiko Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tiko-tours): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Santa Teresa tour desk with the Isla Tortuga snorkeling day trip, a Curú wildlife-refuge tour and a bioluminescence night tour.
- [Tortuga Island Tour (Isla Tortuga Tour Costa Rica)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/tortuga-island-tour-isla-tortuga-tour-costa-rica): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. High-volume Isla Tortuga operator: snorkeling, a beach day and lunch on the island, with departures from Tambor and Montezuma, Santa Teresa and Puntarenas.
- [WingNuts Canopy Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/wingnuts-canopy-tours): Tours & Adventure, Nicoya Peninsula. Family-run canopy near Sámara with up to 9 cables and rappels, a 500 m cable and a canopy-surfing option where you ride a suspended surfboard.
- [Ylang Ylang Beach Resort](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/ylang-ylang-beach-resort): Stays, Nicoya Peninsula. Beachfront jungle resort a short walk from Montezuma village.
- [Zuma Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/zuma-tours): Transfers & Rentals, Nicoya Peninsula. Montezuma-based operator running the water taxi between Jacó and Montezuma, plus private transfers and boat tours.
- [Aguila de Osa Inn](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aguila-de-osa-inn): Stays, Osa Peninsula. Small hillside inn above Drake Bay focused on diving, fishing and trips to Corcovado and Caño Island.
- [Aventuras Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/aventuras-cafe): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Family café near the Puerto Jiménez airstrip, opened in 2021 by the owners of a long-running kayak outfit: healthy breakfasts, tuna burgers, chicken fajitas on corn tortillas, fresh coffee and a coconut-yuca cake.
- [Bahía Aventuras](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bahia-aventuras): Surf, Boats & Diving, Osa Peninsula. Costa Rican-owned marine tour operator in Uvita since 2007, offering whale and dolphin watching in Marino Ballena National Park and trips to Caño Island and Corcovado.
- [Bosque del Río Tigre Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/bosque-del-rio-tigre-lodge): Stays, Osa Peninsula. Small birding and wildlife lodge at the edge of Corcovado National Park, near Dos Brazos on the Osa Peninsula, with meals included.
- [Buena Esperanza (Martina's)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/buena-esperanza-martina-s): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Long-running local bar and restaurant on the Matapalo road known as Martina's; on Friday nights an artisan market sets up outside with music and dancing that draws surfers, locals and visitors.
- [Cafetería Monka](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cafeteria-monka): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Breakfast favorite with a terrace over town: breakfast burritos, sandwiches with plantain chips, good coffee and smoothies, with vegan and vegetarian choices at friendly prices.
- [Cielo Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/cielo-lodge): Stays, Osa Peninsula. Intimate luxury eco-lodge of private canopy suites high above the Golfo Dulce, with farm-to-table dining and ocean views.
- [Claudio's Grill (Hotel Jinetes de Osa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/claudio-s-grill-hotel-jinetes-de-osa): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. A beachfront restaurant at Hotel Jinetes de Osa, right by the trailhead to Playa San Josecito, so hikers stop here to refuel: shrimp or chicken curry, pork ribs with passion-fruit sauce, surf and turf and octopus; casados, nachos and burgers at lunch.
- [Coco Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/coco-cafe): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Small café in the middle of Drake Bay that is busy with travelers for breakfast, fried rice, fruit smoothies and pizzas that come out after 5 pm; vegetarian friendly.
- [Corcovado Info Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/corcovado-info-center): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Drake Bay tour desk with ICT-certified bilingual guides: Corcovado day trips and overnights, Caño Island diving and snorkeling, whale and dolphin trips and the Sierpe mangroves.
- [Costa Rica Adventure Divers](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/costa-rica-adventure-divers): Surf, Boats & Diving, Osa Peninsula. PADI dive center in Drake Bay running daily scuba and snorkeling trips to Caño Island Biological Reserve.
- [Drake Bay Diving](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/drake-bay-diving): Surf, Boats & Diving, Osa Peninsula. PADI dive shop on the main street of Drake Bay running 2- and 3-tank trips to Caño Island, snorkeling, Discovery Scuba and certification courses.
- [Drake's Kitchen at Casa El Tortugo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/drake-s-kitchen-at-casa-el-tortugo): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Family-run kitchen by the river bay in Drake Bay: seafood, rice with heart of palm, pasta and casados made by the owners' mother with produce from their own farm.
- [El Bucanero Restaurant (and Corcovado Tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-bucanero-restaurant-and-corcovado-tours): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Small family restaurant right on the water in Drake Bay: whole fried snapper, stuffed king crab, grilled lobster and home-style casados, with ingredients from the family's own farm and sunset tables over the bay.
- [El Remanso Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/el-remanso-lodge): Stays, Osa Peninsula. Rainforest eco-lodge near the tip of the Osa Peninsula, with villas, a pool and adventure activities such as waterfall rappelling.
- [Esquinas Rainforest Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/esquinas-rainforest-lodge): Stays, Osa Peninsula. Rainforest lodge in the Golfito area with full-board stays and a pool and gardens set in the jungle.
- [Finca Köbö (chocolate farm tour)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/finca-kobo-chocolate-farm-tour): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. An organic farm about 17 km north of Puerto Jiménez, a few kilometers south of La Palma, whose tour explains how cacao is grown and turned into chocolate on a small scale — with tasting.
- [Hellen's Chill House](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/hellen-s-chill-house): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Cozy corner café in Puerto Jiménez with friendly staff, strong coffee, smoothies and frozen cappuccinos; regulars come for pancakes and typical Costa Rican plates.
- [Kalaluna Bistro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kalaluna-bistro): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Chef-run bistro on the Drake Bay waterfront blending Italian technique with local fish and produce; one of the best-reviewed tables on the Osa Peninsula, so book ahead.
- [Kokopelli Mangrove Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/kokopelli-mangrove-tour): Tours & Adventure, Osa Peninsula. Local guides take small boats through the Sierpe mangrove channels to see three monkey species, scarlet macaws, kingfishers and crocodiles; a night version looks for caimans and owls.
- [Los Delfines](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/los-delfines): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Waterfront restaurant next to the main pier with views of boats and the gulf at sunset; grilled red snapper, shrimp and seafood platters plus a Tico breakfast and cocktails.
- [Mar y Bosque (restaurant, bakery and tours)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/mar-y-bosque-restaurant-bakery-and-tours): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Local family's restaurant and bakery at the edge of Drake Bay with views over the water at sunset; known for casados, seafood and smoothies, and the same family sells local tours.
- [Marea Alta (Drake Bay (Agujitas))](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/marea-alta-drake-bay-agujitas): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Open-air bar and restaurant in Agujitas with jungle views serving traditional Costa Rican dishes; visitors rave about the ceviche, casado and a rich seafood soup.
- [Marisquería Corcovado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/marisqueria-corcovado): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Casual waterfront-garden seafood house on the boulevard with a very long menu: grilled fish and whole snapper, lobster, vegan plates and sushi, popular with anglers, families and backpackers.
- [Nativos Corcovado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nativos-corcovado): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Family-owned operator with guides from Drake Bay itself, running Corcovado day trips and overnights plus a night walk through farmland and a river crossing.
- [Nature Café](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/nature-cafe): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Cozy garden café at the edge of the jungle in Drake Bay, loved for organic breakfasts, avocado toast and smoothies, with birds visiting the feeders while you eat.
- [Osa Canopy Tour](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/osa-canopy-tour): Tours & Adventure, Osa Peninsula. Family-run zipline in primary rainforest above the Costanera, 15 minutes north of Palmar Sur: seven cables up to 1.1 km, three rappels and two hanging bridges, with monkeys and sloths often seen.
- [Osa Outdoors Adventures (Osa Brus Adventures)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/osa-outdoors-adventures-osa-brus-adventures): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Family-run operator with 20+ years of local guiding: small-group Corcovado trips and off-trail primary-forest hikes from Drake Bay, plus ocean tours and a Coto Brus coffee day.
- [Osa Wild Travel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/osa-wild-travel): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Locally run Osa tour company founded by a tropical biologist; biologist guides lead Corcovado day trips and multi-day treks, mangrove kayaking and farm visits from Puerto Jiménez and Drake Bay.
- [Pacheco Tours](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pacheco-tours): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Long-running Drake Bay tour company: Corcovado day trips and overnights, Caño Island snorkeling and diving, a river floating tour and night walks.
- [Pastelería Dey](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pasteleria-dey): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Bakery-café and pizzeria in Palma on the road to Puerto Jiménez, praised for strong coffee, homemade cakes and pizza that reviewers call the best on the Osa; air-conditioned and open late.
- [Pavones Surf Shop & Surfboard Rentals](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pavones-surf-shop-surfboard-rentals): Surf, Boats & Diving, Osa Peninsula. Locally owned surf shop at the Pilón crossroads in Pavones, renting epoxy boards for every level and shaping custom boards in its own workshop since 2008.
- [Pizza Mail.it](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pizza-mail-it): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Family-run pizzeria in a jungle garden where the Italian owners (from Trieste) bake thin, crisp-chewy pizzas with a sauce made daily; also calzones and fresh pasta.
- [Pollo Surf School](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/pollo-surf-school): Surf, Boats & Diving, Osa Peninsula. Locally owned surf school at Playa Pan Dulce, Matapalo, teaching beginners and intermediates on a gentle right point break since 2002.
- [Rancho Raíces de Osa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/rancho-raices-de-osa): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Family-run organic farm west of Puerto Jiménez where visitors learn how cacao becomes chocolate, taste fruit straight from the farm and often see monkeys; also takes farm-stay guests.
- [Restaurante Agua Luna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-agua-luna): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. A newer, more upscale restaurant right on the bay in Puerto Jiménez, with tables facing the mangroves: Costa Rican dishes like rice with shrimp and fish fillet.
- [Restaurante Buenos Días](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-buenos-dias): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Retro diner in Golfito's Pueblo Civil with air conditioning and a long opening day (6 am to 10 pm), known for fish and chips, burgers and typical Costa Rican plates.
- [Restaurante La Playa (Golfito Marina Village)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-la-playa-golfito-marina-village): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Waterfront restaurant at the marina in Golfito with ocean views, known for ceviche, fish tacos, burgers and well-made cocktails; open for breakfast and dinner.
- [Restaurante Mar y Luna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/restaurante-mar-y-luna): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. A relaxed seafood restaurant right on the water in the southern part of Golfito; the whole fried fish is the dish to order, and it's good enough that visitors come back for dinner the same day.
- [Sierpe Outfitters](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sierpe-outfitters): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Private, customizable boat tours out of Sierpe: mangrove wildlife days, Caño Island, Corcovado's San Pedrillo and Sirena stations, plus a cultural day to the Boruca village and the stone spheres.
- [Soda Jiménez](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-jimenez): Sodas & Local Food, Osa Peninsula. No-frills soda on a side street in town serving big plates of casado (rice, beans, salad, plantain and your choice of protein) at local prices, with vegan options.
- [Soda Los Paniquines](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-los-paniquines): Sodas & Local Food, Osa Peninsula. A tiny family soda along the Drake Bay coastal trail, reached by a signed path behind a soccer field and past a few small houses — a good lunch stop for hikers, with a solid casado.
- [Soda Marbella](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/soda-marbella): Sodas & Local Food, Osa Peninsula. Well-liked local soda for Costa Rican classics and seafood in generous portions; reviewers single out the fish ceviche with a green jalapeño hot sauce.
- [Sukia Travel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/sukia-travel): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Small-group wildlife outfitter in Agujitas run by local naturalist guides: Corcovado day trips and park overnights, Caño Island snorkeling, canyoning and multi-day safaris from Drake Bay.
- [The Divine Dolphin](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-divine-dolphin): Tours & Adventure, Osa Peninsula. Drake Bay's original dolphin and whale operator (since 1998) running one specialty trip: a full-day boat tour with marine-science guides, a hydrophone and lunch, with dolphin mega-pods year-round and humpbacks in two seasons.
- [The Night Tour with Tracie 'The Bug Lady'](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-night-tour-with-tracie-the-bug-lady): Parks & Wildlife, Osa Peninsula. Nightly guided walk through the Drake Bay rainforest with a biologist known as the Bug Lady and a sharp-eyed spotter: mantises, snakes, frogs, owl butterflies and the rest of the creatures that come out after dark.
- [The Pearl of the Osa (Iguana Lodge beach restaurant)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/place/the-pearl-of-the-osa-iguana-lodge-beach-restaura): Food & Coffee, Osa Peninsula. Casual beachfront restaurant and bar at Iguana Lodge on Playa Platanares: fish tacos, ceviche, tropical mahi-mahi and homemade coffee ice cream, with vegan and gluten-free options and macaws overhead.

## Secret spots
- [Arenal Volcano National Park – Las Coladas Lava Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arenal-volcano-np-las-coladas): Trail, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $17. A trail through regrown rainforest that ends on the black, jagged lava of a 1990s flow, with Arenal's cone looming straight ahead.
- [La Fortuna Waterfall (Catarata Río Fortuna)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-fortuna-waterfall): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $20. A 70-meter ribbon of water drops out of the jungle into an emerald pool at the foot of Cerro Chato.
- [Río Celeste Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-celeste-waterfall): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $14. Deep in Tenorio Volcano National Park, a waterfall pours into a pool so blue it looks edited.
- [Arenal 1968 Lava Trails](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arenal-1968-lava-trails): Trail, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $25. A private reserve right on the 1968 lava flow, with trails climbing to a lookout that takes in the volcano on one side and Lake Arenal on the other.
- [Bogarín Trail (Sloth Trail)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bogarin-trail): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $20. A family-run patch of regrown forest a short walk from downtown, famous for its resident sloths, plus herons, basilisk lizards and colorful tanagers around the ponds.
- [El Chollín Free Hot River (Río Tabacón)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-chollin-hot-river): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A volcano-warmed stream tumbling through the jungle just below the Tabacón resorts: the same thermal water, no entry fee.
- [El Salto Rope Swing](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-salto-rope-swing): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A deep jade swimming hole on the Río Fortuna with a rope swing hanging over it, a 15–20 minute walk from town.
- [Los Teñideros (where Río Celeste turns blue)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-tenideros): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $14. The far end of the Río Celeste trail, where two clear streams meet and the water suddenly turns sky blue.
- [San Juan Bosco Church & La Fortuna Central Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-fortuna-church-park): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. La Fortuna's white church faces the town park with Arenal's cone right behind it: the classic church-plus-volcano photo.
- [Arenal Dam Lookout (Presa Sangregado)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arenal-dam-lookout): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The late-1970s dam that turned a valley into Lake Arenal, the biggest lake in Costa Rica.
- [Arenal Peninsula Lookout Tower](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arenal-peninsula-lookout): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $17. The quiet half of the national park: a mostly flat path through forest to a lookout tower over Lake Arenal, with the volcano rising behind the water.
- [Arenal Volcano & Lake Lookout (boat dock west of the dam)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arenal-lake-lookout-boat-dock): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A gravel pull-off on the east end of Lake Arenal, just west of the dam, where the cone of Arenal Volcano rises right behind the water.
- [Café & Macadamia (Lake Arenal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cafe-macadamia-lake-arenal): Local shop, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A roadside café and shop on the Lake Arenal road selling local coffee and macadamia treats, with a terrace over the lake and birds at the feeders.
- [Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge (Rio Frio boat access)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cano-negro-wildlife-refuge): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. A huge seasonal wetland by the Nicaraguan border where you float quiet channels of the Rio Frio looking for caimans, sloths, howler monkeys and dozens of water birds.
- [El Castillo (Arenal lakeside village)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-castillo-lakeside-village): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A quiet village on the south shore of Lake Arenal at the start of the volcano road to the Observatory, with big views of the cone and the lake on clear mornings and evenings.
- [Heliconias Hanging Bridges](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/heliconias-hanging-bridges): Bridge, Arenal & La Fortuna. Three ~95 m bridges on quiet 2.5 km rainforest trail—calm alternative to Arenal/Monteverde bridges.
- [Iguana Bridge (Puente de las Iguanas), Muelle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-de-las-iguanas-muelle): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. Just north of Muelle, where Route 35 swings across the Río San Carlos, dozens of green iguanas lounge in the bamboo and trees beside the bridge.
- [Laguna Azul & Borbollones](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-azul-borbollones): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $14. Two quick stops on the Río Celeste trail: a turquoise pool fed by the river, and the borbollones, where volcanic gas bubbles up through the riverbed like a pot on the boil.
- [Lake Arenal Windsurf & Kitesurf Beach (Tico Wind peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/lake-arenal-windsurf-beach): Beach, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A grassy public lake access on the windy west shore where windsurfers and kitesurfers fill the water from December to April.
- [Mirador El Silencio (volcano trail reserve)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-el-silencio): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $10. A private forest reserve on the north side of Arenal with trails that climb through rainforest toward viewpoints of the cone, the old lava fields and Lake Arenal.
- [Pueblo Los Héroes (Swiss-style village on Lake Arenal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-heroes-swiss-village): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A Swiss-style village on the north shore of Lake Arenal that grew out of an old cow stable: chalets, a little chapel and a mini train that climbs the hill to Rondorama, a revolving restaurant with 360° views of the lake and volcano.
- [Río Celeste Free River Pool](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-celeste-free-pool): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. Swimming isn't allowed inside the park, but about a kilometer from the entrance the same sky-blue river runs under a road bridge where you can take a dip for free.
- [Rio Celeste Suspension Bridge (Tenorio Volcano NP trail)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-celeste-suspension-bridge): Bridge, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $15. A rope-and-plank footbridge over the milky-turquoise Rio Celeste on the park trail, where you can look straight down at the color of the water.
- [Tejona Wind Farm (Lake Arenal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tejona-wind-farm): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. Rows of white turbines stand on the grassy ridge above the windy western end of Lake Arenal, one of Costa Rica's first big wind plants.
- [Venado Caves (Cavernas del Venado)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/venado-caves): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $28. A limestone cave system you crawl, wade and squeeze through with a guide, past stalactites, bats and underground streams.
- [Árbol de la Paz (Tree of Peace)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arbol-de-la-paz): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A giant ceiba, estimated at several centuries old, standing near the village of Río Celeste and dedicated as a 'Tree of Peace'.
- [Bijagua River Falls & Tenorio Volcano Lookout](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-rio-bijagua-mirador-tenorio): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $10. Two trails on the slopes of Miravalles just outside Bijagua: one through cloud and rain forest to the falls and clear pools of the Río Bijagua, the other to a lookout over Tenorio Volcano and the town.
- [Boca Tapada & Maquenque Refuge (great green macaws)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/boca-tapada-maquenque): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A remote river village on the Río San Carlos inside the Maquenque Wildlife Refuge — one of the few places in Costa Rica where endangered great green macaws are seen every day, feeding and nesting in giant almendro trees.
- [Catarata El Santuario / La Catedral (Dos Ríos de Upala)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-santuario-dos-rios): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A tall waterfall pouring into a cathedral-like rock amphitheater on the González family's farm in Gavilán, Dos Ríos de Upala, on the wet northern side of Rincón de la Vieja.
- [Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Ciudad Quesada)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ciudad-quesada-cathedral): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The modern cathedral of Ciudad Quesada, with a tall slim bell tower, big stained-glass windows and a bright, airy nave.
- [Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua (Tilaran)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tilaran-cathedral): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A white, modern cathedral with a slim bell tower on Tilaran's main street, seat of the Tilaran-Liberia diocese and the heart of this cowboy town.
- [Cerro Chato](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-chato): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. Cerro Chato is an inactive volcano in La Fortuna district, just southeast of Arenal Volcano.
- [Cerro Chopo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-chopo): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. Cerro Chopo is a former inactive volcano 6 km north of Cañas, now largely a quarry.
- [Cerro Los Chiles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-los-chiles): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela province.
- [Giant Ceiba of La Ceiba Tree Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-ceiba-giant-tree-arenal): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $4. A giant ceiba on the grounds of La Ceiba Tree Lodge above Lake Arenal, mapped at about 58 m tall and said to be over 400 years old.
- [Humedal Lacustrino de Tamborcito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-lacustrino-de-tamborcito): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A protected wetland of about eight small lagoons with flooded forest, near the Nicaraguan border east of Boca Tapada (Sarapiquí, Heredia).
- [Laguna de Río Cuarto (Lake Río Cuarto)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-de-rio-cuarto): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. An almost perfectly round crater lake (a maar) ringed by forest, 66 m deep — the deepest natural lake in Costa Rica.
- [Laguna Pozo Verde (Juan Castro Blanco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-pozo-verde-juan-castro-blanco): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. An emerald-green volcanic lagoon tucked into the cloud forest of Juan Castro Blanco, the 'water national park' above Ciudad Quesada.
- [Lake Arenal Panoramic Pull-off (La Unión)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/lake-arenal-pulloff-la-union): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A wide spot on the north-shore road near La Unión with an open view over Lake Arenal; local fishermen often cast from the shore below.
- [Loma Barrantes](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/loma-barrantes): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela province.
- [Loma Buenos Aires](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/loma-buenos-aires): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano near Venecia, Alajuela province.
- [Loma Juan Murillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/loma-juan-murillo): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela province.
- [Loma Valle Hermoso](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/loma-valle-hermoso): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela province.
- [Loma Vuelta de Kopper](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/loma-vuelta-de-kopper): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela province.
- [Los Lagos Termales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-lagos-termales): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort in La Fortuna features thermal mineral pools, cold-water pools, nature trails, a mirador with Arenal Volcano views, gardens, and wildlife exhibits on a large property.
- [Maleku Indigenous Community (Palenque Tonjibe)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/maleku-palenque-tonjibe): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna. Home of the Maleku (Guatuso) people, who keep their language and craft traditions alive.
- [Medio Queso Wetlands (Los Chiles)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-medio-queso): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A huge open marsh and peat bog near the Nicaraguan border, part of the same wetland system as Caño Negro but far less visited.
- [Mirador Tilarán (first Lake Arenal view)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-tilaran-lake): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A roadside lookout on Route 142 just north of Tilarán—the first big view of Lake Arenal for anyone driving in from Monteverde.
- [Nuevo Arenal Lakeside Park & Boat Ramp](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/nuevo-arenal-lake-park): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A small grassy park right on the shore below Nuevo Arenal, next to the town's boat ramp.
- [Nuevo Arenal Town & Central Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/nuevo-arenal-park-town): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A quiet lake-road village built after the old town of Arenal was flooded by the reservoir.
- [Parque Central de Ciudad Quesada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ciudad-quesada-central-park): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The shady central square of San Carlos' biggest town, with a green-and-yellow bandstand under big trees, benches and the cathedral across the street.
- [Parque de las Luciérnagas (coati stop on the lake road)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-luciernagas-coatis): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A small roadside green on the lake road west of the Arenal Dam where white-nosed coatis (pizotes) often hang out, sometimes in big groups.
- [Parque del Viento & Cross Lookout (Tilarán)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-del-viento-tilaran): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A municipal park on the breezy hill at the west edge of Tilarán, crowned by a large cross.
- [Parque Nacional Juan Castro Blanco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-juan-castro-blanco): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. A national park in northern Alajuela, about 100 km north of San José, established in 1992 and part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area.
- [Parque Nacional Miravalles-Jorge Manuel Dengo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-miravalles-jorge-manuel-dengo): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. A national park around Miravalles Volcano in northwestern Costa Rica, part of the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-volcan-tenorio): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. The national park around Tenorio Volcano, part of the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Reserva Forestal Zona de Emergencia Volcán Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-zona-de-emergencia-volcan-arenal): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A forest reserve created in 1972 in the emergency zone around Arenal Volcano, part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area.
- [Rio Celeste](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-celeste): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. A public park near Palmira, Guanacaste province.
- [Río Celeste Bridge on Route 4 (Katira)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-rio-celeste-katira): Bridge, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The highway bridge where Route 4 crosses the Río Celeste near Katira: from the sidewalk you look down on the river's milky turquoise water winding through the forest, far from the park crowds.
- [San Carlos Municipal Market (Ciudad Quesada)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ciudad-quesada-municipal-market): Local shop, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A covered local market in the middle of Ciudad Quesada with produce stalls, counter sodas and the city bus stops outside: how people here actually shop and eat.
- [Sendero Las Sorpresas (swim in Río Celeste, El Pilón)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-las-sorpresas-rio-celeste): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A family-run private trail in El Pilón, about a kilometer from the Tenorio park entrance, that leads in 20 minutes through forest to a spot where you can actually swim in the sky-blue Río Celeste — not allowed inside the park.
- [Upala Central Park & San Juan de Dios Church](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/upala-parque-central): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The busy town square of Upala, a cattle and rice town near the Nicaraguan border, facing the parish church of San Juan de Dios, with the municipal market a block away.
- [Volcán Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-arenal): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. Arenal is a recently active stratovolcano about 90 km northwest of San José, rising to about 1,633 m above La Fortuna.
- [Volcán Platanar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-platanar): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. Platanar is a dormant stratovolcano of the Cordillera Central, inside Juan Castro Blanco National Park.
- [Volcán Porvenir](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-porvenir): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. Porvenir is an inactive stratovolcano about 3 km from Platanar, inside Juan Castro Blanco National Park.
- [Volcán Tenorio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-tenorio): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. Tenorio is an inactive stratovolcano at the southeastern end of the Cordillera de Guanacaste and the centrepiece of Tenorio Volcano National Park.
- [Zona Protectora Miravalles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/zona-protectora-miravalles): Park, Arenal & La Fortuna. A protected zone around Miravalles Volcano, part of the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Bamboo Tower](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bamboo-tower): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near Peñas Blancas, Alajuela province.
- [Cascada Basalticas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-basalticas): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A waterfall near Peñas Blancas, Alajuela province.
- [Cascada de Paso](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-de-paso): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A waterfall near Peñas Blancas, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata de santa clara](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-de-santa-clara): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A waterfall near Florencia, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata Las Nubes (Ciudad Quesada)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-las-nubes-quesada): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A string of wild falls on the slopes of Platanar Volcano, about 20 minutes' drive uphill from Ciudad Quesada.
- [Catarata San Vicente](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-san-vicente): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A waterfall near Quesada, Alajuela province.
- [Ecotermales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ecotermales): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A hot spring near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [El Canto Waterfall (Catarata El Canto)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-canto): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna, about $14. A small waterfall reached by a steep, rocky road about 20 minutes from La Fortuna, far from the crowds of the main falls.
- [Iglesia de Aguas Zarcas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-aguas-zarcas): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The colonial-style Catholic church on Aguas Zarcas' central plaza is the town's landmark, visible from much of the valley.
- [Laguna de Cote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-de-cote): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A round, forest-ringed lake in the hills a few kilometers north of Lake Arenal: quiet, misty and almost never visited.
- [las casonas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/las-casonas): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador Colada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-colada): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador de Jilguero, La Fortuna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-jilguero-la-fortuna): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador de Volcán Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-volcan-arenal): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador el Nido del Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-el-nido-del-arenal): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near Peñas Blancas, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador Jaguar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-jaguar): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Guanacaste province.
- [Mirador Jaguar Plataforma](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-jaguar-plataforma): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Guanacaste province.
- [Mirador Volcán](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-volcan): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Mural en la Hélice](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mural-en-la-helice): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna. A piece of street art near Tierras Morenas, Guanacaste province.
- [Pozas termales de La Palma, La Fortuna (1)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozas-termales-de-la-palma-la-fortuna-1): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A hot spring near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Puerto San Luis Cove (west shore of Lake Arenal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puerto-san-luis-cove): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A sheltered cove at Puerto San Luis near Tronadora, on the windy west side of Lake Arenal, with small piers, moored boats and green hills dropping to the water.
- [Reserva Natural Montaña Sagrada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-natural-montana-sagrada): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near Quesada, Alajuela province.
- [Restaurante Mirador Rondorama](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/restaurante-mirador-rondorama): Viewpoint, Arenal & La Fortuna. A viewpoint near Arenal, Guanacaste province.
- [Salto Caño Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/salto-cano-negro): Waterfall, Arenal & La Fortuna. A waterfall in the Arenal area.
- [San Rafael de Guatuso Church & Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-san-rafael-guatuso): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. The small parish church of San Rafael Arcángel with its steep red A-frame bell gable, facing the central park of Guatuso's main town — the gateway to the Maleku territory and the Katira side of Río Celeste.
- [San Vicente de Quesada (highland village below Platanar)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-vicente-de-quesada): Landmark, Arenal & La Fortuna, free. A farming village of about 800 people 12 km above Ciudad Quesada, at the edge of Juan Castro Blanco National Park.
- [Termales del Arenal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/termales-del-arenal): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A hot spring near La Fortuna, Alajuela province.
- [Termales El Valle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/termales-el-valle): Swimming spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A hot spring near Valle Azul, Alajuela province.
- [Volcán Montezuma](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-montezuma): Nature spot, Arenal & La Fortuna. A volcano in the Arenal area, mapped on OpenStreetMap.
- [Parque Central de Guápiles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-guapiles): Park, Caribbean Coast. A public park in Guápiles, Costa Rica.
- [Tortuguero Canals](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tortuguero-canals): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast. A maze of natural and dug waterways behind the beach, nicknamed Costa Rica's Amazon.
- [Tortuguero National Park (Cuatro Esquinas entrance)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tortuguero-national-park): Park, Caribbean Coast. Canals, beach and swamp forest at the top of the Caribbean coast, famous for green and leatherback turtle nesting.
- [Cahuita National Park (Kelly Creek)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cahuita-kelly-creek-trail): Trail, Caribbean Coast, about $2. The donation-only entrance to Cahuita National Park at the edge of town: a flat beachside trail through the forest where sloths, howler monkeys and raccoons are very likely sightings.
- [Playa Blanca (Cahuita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-cahuita): Beach, Caribbean Coast, about $2. Cahuita National Park's main beach, a long arc of pale sand fringed by forest, just a short walk past the Kelly Creek entrance.
- [Playa Cocles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cocles): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. The surf beach of the south Caribbean: a long, lively stretch of golden sand with consistent waves, surf schools and a lifeguard tower.
- [Playa Manzanillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-manzanillo): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. The end of the road and the gateway to the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge: a sleepy Afro-Caribbean village with a calm, reef-protected beach and jungle right behind it.
- [Playa Negra (Puerto Viejo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-negra-puerto-viejo): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. Puerto Viejo's long black-sand beach, stretching north of town under coconut palms: usually calmer than Cocles and quieter than the town beach.
- [Playa Puerto Vargas (Cahuita National Park south entrance)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-puerto-vargas): Beach, Caribbean Coast. Long beach and forest edge at the south end of Cahuita National Park, reached through the paid Puerto Vargas gate.
- [Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (town center)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puerto-viejo-center): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. The hub of the south Caribbean: one main road of bike rentals, souvenir shops, bars and tour desks with the beach just behind.
- [Puerto Viejo Shipwreck](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puerto-viejo-shipwreck): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. The rusting hull of an old boat in the shallows off Puerto Viejo's town beach, with a tree growing out of it: the village's best-known photo spot.
- [Punta Cahuita Reef](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-cahuita-reef): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast, about $2. The headland at the heart of Cahuita National Park, wrapped by the largest living coral reef on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, with parrotfish, rays and two colonial-era shipwrecks offshore.
- [Punta Manzanillo Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-manzanillo-trail): Trail, Caribbean Coast, free. A jungle trail from the end of Manzanillo beach into the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge, climbing to a lookout over turquoise coves and the reef below.
- [Punta Uva Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-uva-beach): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. Often called the prettiest beach on the Caribbean coast: turquoise water sheltered by a reef, white sand and palms leaning over the water.
- [Salsa Brava (Puerto Viejo surf break)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/salsa-brava): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast, free. The heavy reef wave in front of Puerto Viejo, one of the Caribbean's best-known surf breaks.
- [Tortuguero Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tortuguero): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. The wild black-sand beach right behind Tortuguero village, the most important green-turtle nesting beach in the western Caribbean.
- [Tortuguero Village](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tortuguero-village): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. A car-free Afro-Caribbean village squeezed between the lagoon and the sea, linked by sandy paths with brightly painted houses, sodas and the small Sea Turtle Conservancy visitor center.
- [Braulio Carrillo National Park (Quebrada González entrance)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/braulio-carrillo-quebrada-gonzalez): Park, Caribbean Coast, about $25. The park's main public entrance on Highway 32, with short rainforest trails, picnic tables and restrooms.
- [Bribri Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bribri-waterfall): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast, about $2. A pair of jungle waterfalls linked by a creek, just off the road past Bribri town, with a chilly pool that shakes off the Caribbean heat.
- [Cahuita Village (Main Street)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cahuita-village): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. Laid-back Afro-Caribbean beach village with one main street of wooden shops, sodas and bars, right at the edge of Cahuita National Park.
- [Catarata Dos Aguas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-dos-aguas): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast. Two streams merge into one deep, clear swimming basin.
- [Catedral del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Limón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catedral-del-sagrado-corazon-de-jesus-limon): Landmark, Caribbean Coast. A church in Limón, Costa Rica.
- [Cerro Tortuguero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-tortuguero): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast, about $2. At 119 m, the highest point on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast: an old volcanic hill with 400-plus steps up to a lookout over the canals, endless rainforest and the turtle beach.
- [Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (Manzanillo entrance)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/gandoca-manzanillo-refuge): Park, Caribbean Coast, free. Free-to-enter coastal refuge with rainforest trail, quiet coves, reefs and sea stacks east of Manzanillo.
- [Manzanillo Village](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/manzanillo-village): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. The last village at the end of the coast road: palm-lined beach, small cabinas and the start of the Gandoca-Manzanillo reserve trails.
- [Parque Vargas (Limón)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-vargas-limon): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. Limón's seafront park, with an old bandstand, tall palms and a view across the water to Isla Uvita, where Columbus anchored on his fourth voyage in 1502.
- [Playa Bonita (Limón)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bonita-limon): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. Limón's local beach, a small curve of sand framed by reef: a weekend hangout for families and, when a swell hits, a heavy reef break for experienced surfers.
- [Playa Chiquita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-chiquita): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. A string of small coves between Cocles and Punta Uva, with jungle hanging over the sand and coral-rimmed tide pools.
- [Playa Negra (Cahuita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-negra-cahuita): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. A long black-sand beach on the north side of Cahuita village: palm-lined, quiet and a world away from the park crowds.
- [Punta Uva Point](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-uva-point): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast, free. A short path climbs from the end of Punta Uva beach onto the rocky headland, with views up and down the coast and a little sea cave with a natural arch just off the trail.
- [Sixaola Border Bridge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sixaola-border-bridge): Bridge, Caribbean Coast, free. An old iron railway-style bridge over the Sixaola River linking Costa Rica and Panama, with a plank walkway for people crossing the border on foot.
- [Volio Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volio-waterfall): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast, about $4. A 15-meter waterfall plunging into a big, deep pool in the forest near Volio, with smaller cascades and a ladder down to lower pools.
- [Anita Grande Plaza](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/anita-grande-plaza): Park, Caribbean Coast. A public park near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Dechibeta Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/dechibeta-hot-springs): Swimming spot, Caribbean Coast. Hot springs in the Cabécar indigenous territory of Valle de la Estrella, in the Talamanca range.
- [El Fortín Lookout (Limón)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-fortin-limon): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast, free. A small old fort on a rise in downtown Limón that doubles as a lookout over the rooftops, the port and the Caribbean.
- [Finca Encanto](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-encanto): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast. Marked trail with railings, swimmable pool, camping.
- [Humedal Nacional Cariari](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-nacional-cariari): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast. A national wetland on the Caribbean coast of Limón that protects mangroves and marine areas.
- [Isla Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-uvita): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast, free. A small forested island less than a kilometre off Limon, where Columbus dropped anchor in 1502.
- [Jiminez Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/jiminez-park): Park, Caribbean Coast. A public park near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Parismina (Barra del Parismina)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parismina-village): Landmark, Caribbean Coast, free. A tiny roadless village where the Parismina river meets the sea, halfway between Limon and Tortuguero.
- [Parque Internacional La Amistad](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-internacional-la-amistad): Park, Caribbean Coast. La Amistad is a transboundary protected area shared by Costa Rica and Panama, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- [Parque nacional Cahuita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-cahuita): Park, Caribbean Coast. Cahuita National Park protects beaches, lowland forest and a coral reef on the southern Caribbean coast, next to the town of Cahuita.
- [Playa Gandoca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-gandoca): Beach, Caribbean Coast, free. A remote beach at the southern end of the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge, backed by a mangrove lagoon; leatherback turtles come ashore to nest here in spring.
- [Puerto Ecológico Caño Blanco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puerto-ecologico-cano-blanco): Park, Caribbean Coast. A public park near Reventazón, Limón province.
- [Punta Uva River (kayak and paddle spot)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-uva-river): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast. A calm creek behind the Punta Uva beach that locals and visitors paddle by kayak, an easy way to see birds and jungle edge away from the surf.
- [Reserva Biológica Hitoy Cerere](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-hitoy-cerere): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast. A biological reserve in the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area, created in 1971.
- [Reserva de la cordillera de Talamanca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-de-la-cordillera-de-talamanca): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast. The Talamanca Range reserves on the Costa Rica–Panama border, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
- [Reserva Forestal Pacuare Matina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-pacuare-matina): Nature spot, Caribbean Coast. A forest reserve on the Caribbean side, created in 1973 and managed by the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area.
- [Sendero de Cocles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-de-cocles): Trail, Caribbean Coast. A trail near Cahuita, Limón province.
- [Barbilla National Park (ranger station)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/barbilla-national-park): Park, Caribbean Coast, about $5. One of Costa Rica's least-visited parks: wet rainforest along the Dantas River with almost no visitor facilities.
- [Bri Bri](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bri-bri): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast. A waterfall near Cahuita, Limón province.
- [Catarata Ayil](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-ayil): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast. A waterfall near Chirripó, in the Caribbean coast.
- [Catarata Las Golondrinas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-las-golondrinas): Waterfall, Caribbean Coast. A waterfall near Mercedes, Limón province.
- [Cataratas y poza de río en Catarata de Cahuita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-y-poza-de-rio-en-catarata-de-cahuita): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast. A viewpoint near Cahuita, Limón province.
- [Coco de Rasta Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/coco-de-rasta-beach): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Jardín Etno-Botanico del Caribe UCR](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/jardin-etno-botanico-del-caribe-ucr): Trail, Caribbean Coast. A trail near Limón, Limón province.
- [Mirador de Punta Cocles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-punta-cocles): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast. A viewpoint near Cahuita, Limón province.
- [Mirador Piedra Cocles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-piedra-cocles): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast. A viewpoint near Cahuita, Limón province.
- [Mirador Santa Eduviges](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-santa-eduviges): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast. A viewpoint near Limón, Limón province.
- [nature park - Vivero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/nature-park-vivero): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast. A viewpoint near Këköldi, Limón province.
- [Playa Bananito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bananito): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Bite](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bite): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Cieneguita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cieneguita): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Grande](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-grande-3): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Los Baños](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-los-banos): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Moín](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-moin): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Ned Creek](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ned-creek): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa San Clamente](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-san-clamente): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Vizcaya](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-vizcaya): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Playa Westfalia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-westfalia): Beach, Caribbean Coast. A beach in the Caribbean coast.
- [Punto de snorkel en Playa Chiquita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punto-de-snorkel-en-playa-chiquita): Viewpoint, Caribbean Coast. A snorkelling spot near Cahuita, Limón province.
- [Sendero cerca de Limón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-cerca-de-limon): Trail, Caribbean Coast. A trail near Limón, Limón province.
- [El Avión Restaurant (C-123 plane)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-avion-restaurant-c-123-plane): Landmark, Central Pacific. Bar built around the sister plane of the C-123 shot down in the Iran-Contra affair; sunset views.
- [Manuel Antonio National Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/manuel-antonio-national-park): Trail, Central Pacific, about $18. Costa Rica's most famous small park: easy jungle trails full of sloths, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, ending at white-sand coves like Playa Manuel Antonio, plus the Punta Catedral loop with ocean lookouts.
- [Whale's Tail (Punta Uvita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/whale-tail-punta-uvita): Nature spot, Central Pacific, about $6. In Marino Ballena National Park a sand-and-rock spit runs out to sea in the shape of a whale's tail.
- [727 Fuselage Home (Costa Verde)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/727-fuselage-home-costa-verde): Landmark, Central Pacific. Boeing 727 converted into a jungle hotel suite.
- [El Mirador trail lookout (Mirador Punta Serrucho trail), Manuel Antonio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-sendero-el-mirador-manuel-antonio): Viewpoint, Central Pacific, about $18. The highest trail in Manuel Antonio National Park climbs about 1 km of concrete paths and wooden stairs (around 360 steps) to a platform with a sweeping view of the sea, Punta Serrucho and the park's islands.
- [Marina Pez Vela boardwalk](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/marina-pez-vela-boardwalk): Landmark, Central Pacific, free. Quepos' modern marina: a seaside promenade, a lawn of Adirondack chairs facing hundreds of sportfishing boats and an illuminated marlin sculpture.
- [Marino Ballena National Park (Uvita entrance)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/marino-ballena-national-park): Park, Central Pacific, about $6. Costa Rica's whale-watching marine park: a long palm-backed beach, a sandbar shaped like a whale's tail and mountains behind, entered at the Uvita ranger station.
- [Mirador El Valle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-el-valle): Viewpoint, Central Pacific. A viewpoint near Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador Los Chorros](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-los-chorros): Viewpoint, Central Pacific. A viewpoint near Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
- [Nauyaca Waterfalls](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/nauyaca-waterfalls): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $10. A two-tier waterfall dropping about 45 m and then 20 m into a big swimmable pool in the hills above Dominical, one of the most spectacular falls in the country.
- [Playa Dominical](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-dominical): Beach, Central Pacific, free. The laid-back surf town's main beach: powerful, consistent waves, a palm-shaded street of craft stalls along the sand, and the Río Barú meeting the sea at the north end.
- [Playa Espadilla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-espadilla): Beach, Central Pacific, free. The long public beach right outside Manuel Antonio park, with jungle hills on both ends, surf lessons, beach chairs and some of the best sunsets on the coast.
- [Playa Manuel Antonio (inside the national park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-manuel-antonio-park): Swimming spot, Central Pacific, about $18. The park's calm, turquoise swimming beach, tied by a sand bar to Punta Catedral.
- [Playa Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-uvita): Beach, Central Pacific, about $6. The long palm-lined main beach of Marino Ballena National Park at Uvita, with warm water, shade and mountain views; at low tide the sandbar to Punta Uvita appears.
- [Playa Ventanas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ventanas): Beach, Central Pacific, about $4. A palm-fringed beach near Ojochal famous for two big sea caves at its north end, carved by the waves; the larger one tunnels right through to the ocean side.
- [Canopy lookout tower between Playa Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/torre-mirador-manuel-antonio): Viewpoint, Central Pacific, about $18. A multi-level wooden tower on the isthmus between the two main park beaches.
- [Cascada El Pavón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-el-pavon): Waterfall, Central Pacific, free. A free, family-friendly waterfall near Ojochal with a huge boulder wedged right at the top of the falls and a pool below for a dip.
- [Catarata Elysiana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-elysiana): Waterfall, Central Pacific. Fall with trails and pools on the 'Ruta del Agua'.
- [Catarata Rana Roja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-rana-roja): Waterfall, Central Pacific. Fall 1.5 km from Platanillo on Ruta del Agua.
- [Catarata San Gabriel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-san-gabriel): Waterfall, Central Pacific. Final fall of Ruta del Agua; needs permission.
- [Cocos Island National Park (Isla del Coco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cocos-island-national-park): Nature spot, Central Pacific. A remote UNESCO World Heritage island far out in the Pacific, famed for hammerhead sharks, waterfalls that fall into the sea and cloud forest.
- [Damas Island Mangrove Estuary](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-damas-estuary): Nature spot, Central Pacific, about $60. A network of tidal mangrove channels beside Quepos, explored by boat or kayak.
- [Festival de la Mula (Mule Festival), Campo Ferial de Parrita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/festival-de-la-mula-parrita): Landmark, Central Pacific. Every February since 1989 Parrita throws a party for the humble mule: a parade of mules dressed up in flowers, ribbons and bells, mule races at the fairgrounds, marimba music and food stalls with tamales, gallo pinto and casados.
- [Hacienda Barú Wildlife Refuge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/hacienda-baru): Nature spot, Central Pacific, about $18. A private wildlife refuge just north of Dominical with about 8 km of mostly flat, self-guided trails through rainforest, wetland and mangrove down to a wild beach.
- [Mangrove lagoon of Manuel Antonio National Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/manglar-manuel-antonio): Nature spot, Central Pacific, about $18. About 18 hectares of red and other mangroves line the trails that run behind Playa Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur.
- [Mirador La Faralla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-faralla): Viewpoint, Central Pacific. A viewpoint near Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Nahomí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nahomi): Park, Central Pacific, free. A small seaside park at the south end of Quepos, a short walk from Marina Pez Vela, popular for watching the sun go down over the bay.
- [Playa Ballena (Marino Ballena National Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ballena-uvita): Beach, Central Pacific, about $6. A long, wide beach inside Marino Ballena National Park, just south of Playa Arco, with palms behind the sand and rock shelves at low tide.
- [Playa Biesanz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-biesanz): Swimming spot, Central Pacific, free. A small, calm cove hidden below the Manuel Antonio hillside and reached by a short forest trail, with gentle water and decent snorkeling around the rocks.
- [Playa Colonia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-colonia): Beach, Central Pacific, about $6. The quieter southern stretch of Marino Ballena's beach, backed by shade trees and a park station, less busy than the main Uvita entrance.
- [Playa Espadilla Sur](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-espadilla-sur): Beach, Central Pacific, about $18. The first white-sand beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park, with shade right behind the sand and views of rocky islets.
- [Playa Piñuelas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pinuelas): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A broad, quiet beach near Ojochal with a forested headland at one end and plenty of room to walk; far less visited than the Uvita beaches.
- [Poza Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/poza-azul): Swimming spot, Central Pacific, free. A free jungle swimming hole above Dominicalito: a small waterfall pouring into a clear blue pool, with a rope swing for the brave.
- [Quepos Malecón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/quepos-malecon): Landmark, Central Pacific, free. Quepos' seaside promenade: a breezy walk along the bay with fishing boats, pelicans and the Marina Pez Vela at its south end, where locals gather to watch the sun drop behind the headland.
- [Seasonal waterfall, Manuel Antonio National Park (Sendero Catarata)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-estacional-manuel-antonio): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $18. A small forest waterfall on the Catarata trail near the park entrance.
- [Topolandia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/topolandia): Landmark, Central Pacific. 500 m of hand-dug tunnels with rooms, springs and sculptures—16 years of work with hand tools.
- [Uvita Waterfall (Catarata Uvita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/uvita-waterfall): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $4. A jungle waterfall just above Uvita town where the water has polished the rock into a natural slide that drops you into a cool swimming pool.
- [Cascada El Salto (Quepos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-el-salto-quepos): Waterfall, Central Pacific, free. A demanding jungle hike above Quepos to a tall waterfall.
- [Cascada Verde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-verde-uvita): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $3. A small waterfall in the forest a few minutes above Uvita, falling into a deep green pool that's great for a cool dip after the beach.
- [Catarata El Indio (Río Turbio, Mastatal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-indio-mastatal): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $24. One of the tallest waterfalls in the Puriscal hills: the Río Turbio glides across a rock shelf and disappears over the edge in a drop of more than 200 m.
- [Cataratas Las Gemelas (Jucó reserve, Mastatal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-las-gemelas-mastatal): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $8. Two pairs of tall waterfalls hidden in the forest of the small Jucó reserve below Mastatal, in the little-visited hills between Puriscal and Parrita.
- [Diamante Waterfall and Cave (Las Tumbas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/diamante-waterfall-cave): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A set of about ten waterfalls in old-growth forest above the village of Las Tumbas, near Tinamaste.
- [Dinosaurs of Plaza Ventanas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/plaza-ventanas-dinosaurs): Landmark, Central Pacific, free. A roadside plaza on the Costanera near Playa Ventanas guarded by life-size dinosaur sculptures — a towering T-Rex next to the restaurant and a Triceratops at the far end — a playful nod to Jurassic Park's Costa Rican setting.
- [Eco Chontales Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/eco-chontales-waterfall): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $9. A roughly 63-meter (210 ft) waterfall in the hills between Dominical and San Isidro, on a local family's farm.
- [Eco Feria Dominical](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/eco-feria-dominical): Local shop, Central Pacific, free. A small weekly eco market in Dominical with organic produce, local food and handmade goods, held on the town's main street.
- [La Trampa — pre-Columbian fish trap (Playa Manuel Antonio)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-trampa-manuel-antonio): Landmark, Central Pacific, about $18. At the right-hand end of Playa Manuel Antonio, beside Punta Catedral, a semicircle of stones appears at low tide: an ancient trap that Indigenous people used to catch fish and turtles as the water drained out.
- [Mercado Bahía Ballena (Uvita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mercado-bahia-ballena): Local shop, Central Pacific, free. A small market in Uvita with farm stalls for fruit and vegetables plus local craft vendors, handy for beach snacks.
- [Mirador Isla Olocuita (Punta Catedral trail)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-isla-olocuita): Viewpoint, Central Pacific, about $18. A lookout on the Punta Catedral loop with views of the Olocuita and Gemelas islets scattered across the bay.
- [Mirador Pérez Zeledón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-perez-zeledon): Viewpoint, Central Pacific. A viewpoint near Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción de María (Quepos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-inmaculada-concepcion-quepos): Landmark, Central Pacific, free. Quepos' parish church, a modern building with pointed arches and a freestanding bell tower that visitors praise for its original architectural details.
- [Playa Arco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-arco): Beach, Central Pacific, about $6. A secret-feeling beach in Marino Ballena National Park, reachable only at low tide, with a sea cave, a rock arch and a little waterfall spilling onto the sand.
- [Playa Dominicalito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-dominicalito): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A small cove just south of Dominical, more sheltered and quieter than its big-wave neighbor, with rocks and tide pools to poke around at low tide and local fishing boats bobbing offshore.
- [Playa Gemelas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-gemelas): Beach, Central Pacific, about $18. A quiet pair of small sandy coves on the eastern side of Manuel Antonio National Park, framed by black rocks and reached by a forest trail.
- [Playa Hermosa (Uvita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-hermosa-uvita): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A long, wide stretch of golden-brown sand just north of Uvita, with plenty of room to yourself even in high season and calmer water at its northern end.
- [Playa La Macha](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-la-macha): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A small hidden beach below Manuel Antonio with a sea stack offshore.
- [Playa La Vaca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-la-vaca): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A small, rocky cove tucked below the Manuel Antonio hillside between Playa La Macha and Tulemar.
- [Playa Linda (Matapalo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-linda-matapalo): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A palm-fringed stretch of the Matapalo coast with natural shade and rolling surf, far from the crowds of Manuel Antonio.
- [Playa Matapalo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-matapalo): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A seemingly endless, mostly deserted beach between Quepos and Dominical, where the main draw is space, quiet and a few beach bars under the palms.
- [Playa Palo Seco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-palo-seco): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A huge, palm-lined and usually empty beach near Parrita, backed by mangrove estuaries rich in birds.
- [Playa Playitas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-playitas): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A wide, quiet public beach below the Manuel Antonio road, reached by a steep cobbled track.
- [Playa Savegre (Playa El Rey)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-savegre-el-rey): Beach, Central Pacific, free. About 11 km of wild beach between the Naranjo and Savegre river mouths, south of Quepos and Manuel Antonio, backed by mangroves and oil-palm plantations.
- [Quepos Market & Weekend Feria](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/quepos-market): Local shop, Central Pacific, free. Downtown Quepos' municipal market, with fruit stalls, fishmongers and cheap sodas, plus the weekend farmers' feria nearby selling seasonal fruit, spices, plants and handmade goods.
- [Reto MAE coastal trail (Quepos → Manuel Antonio hidden coves)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-reto-mae-quepos-manuel-antonio): Trail, Central Pacific, free. A rugged, unofficial coastal trail from Quepos to Manuel Antonio over the forested headlands, dropping to a string of small turquoise coves — Playa La Macha, Carlos López, Tulemar, Karolas — before coming out at Playa Biesanz.
- [The Waterfall of Ojochal (Cascada de Ojochal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-de-ojochal): Waterfall, Central Pacific, about $6. A privately maintained waterfall near Ojochal with a short staircase down to the pool.
- [Aguas termales de Dos Bocas, Savegre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/aguas-termales-de-dos-bocas-savegre): Swimming spot, Central Pacific. A hot spring near Savegre, Puntarenas province.
- [Cascada Bejuco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-bejuco): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Bahía Ballena, Puntarenas province.
- [Cascada La Bomba](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-la-bomba): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Copey, San José province.
- [Catarata de Santa Juana, Platanillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-de-santa-juana-platanillo): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Platanillo, San José province.
- [Catarata Las Gemelas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-las-gemelas): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Brunka, Puntarenas province.
- [Catarata Namú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-namu): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Pejibaye, San José province.
- [Catarata Número 7 de Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-numero-7-de-uvita): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Uvita, Puntarenas province.
- [Catarata Pandún 2](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-pandun-2): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near San Pedro, San José province.
- [Catarata Salto la Mona](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-salto-la-mona): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Río Nuevo, San José province.
- [Cataratas don Luis](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-don-luis): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near San Pedro, San José province.
- [Catartas Pandun](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catartas-pandun): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near San Pedro, San José province.
- [Catartas Roca Verde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catartas-roca-verde): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near San Pedro, San José province.
- [Cerro Yarcazú (summit hike above Mastatal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-yarcazu): Viewpoint, Central Pacific, about $10. A 1,083 m forested summit on the edge of La Cangreja National Park.
- [Cueva de Piedras Blancas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cueva-de-piedras-blancas): Nature spot, Central Pacific. A cave near Río Nuevo, San José province.
- [Estero Palo Seco (mangrove estuary)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/estero-palo-seco): Nature spot, Central Pacific, free. A quiet mangrove estuary behind Playa Palo Seco, part of the channel system that runs toward Isla Damas, with birds and, with luck, monkeys along the banks.
- [Finca la Catarata de Licho](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-la-catarata-de-licho): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near El General, San José province.
- [Mirador Playa Gemelas / Punta Serrucho](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-playa-gemelas-serrucho): Viewpoint, Central Pacific, about $18. A lookout above Playa Gemelas on the Punta Serrucho side of Manuel Antonio National Park, with views over the coves and open ocean.
- [Muelle de Quepos (Quepos pier)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/muelle-de-quepos): Landmark, Central Pacific, free. The historic pier of Quepos' working port, a short stop for views over the bay and the fishing boats.
- [Parque Central de Parrita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-parrita): Park, Central Pacific, free. Parrita's central plaza, a tree-shaded square where locals gather in the evening and an easy stretch-your-legs stop on the coastal highway.
- [Parque Nacional Marino Ballena - Sector Marino](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-marino-ballena-sector-marino): Park, Central Pacific. A protected area in the Central Pacific.
- [Parque Nacional Marino Ballena - Sector Terrestre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-marino-ballena-sector-terrestre): Park, Central Pacific. A protected area in the Central Pacific.
- [Playa Barú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-baru): Beach, Central Pacific. A beach in the Central Pacific.
- [Playa Garza (Isla Garza)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-garza-isla-garza): Beach, Central Pacific, about $12. Kilometers of nearly empty beach on Isla Garza, a shifting sandbar island at the mouth of the Térraba river, a 10-minute boat hop from the mainland south of Ojochal.
- [Playa Guápil](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-guapil): Beach, Central Pacific. A beach in the Central Pacific.
- [Playa Hatillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-hatillo): Beach, Central Pacific. A beach in the Central Pacific.
- [Playa Palma (Parrita)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-palma-parrita): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A long, quiet dark-sand Pacific beach near Parrita, known more to locals than tourists and good for a sunset walk without crowds.
- [Playa Pará](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-para): Beach, Central Pacific. A beach in the Central Pacific.
- [Playa Puerto Escondido](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-puerto-escondido): Beach, Central Pacific, about $18. A remote, jungle-backed cove on the far side of Manuel Antonio National Park, rarely busy and reached on foot along the Puerto Escondido trail.
- [Playa Tortuga Norte](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tortuga-norte): Beach, Central Pacific, free. A little-visited beach and short walking area north of the Playa Tortuga reserve near Ojochal; expect empty sand and a few rocks.
- [Playa Tortuga Sur](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tortuga-sur): Beach, Central Pacific. A beach in the Central Pacific.
- [Playa Tulemar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tulemar): Beach, Central Pacific. A beach in the Central Pacific.
- [Playones del Río Paquita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playones-rio-paquita): Swimming spot, Central Pacific, free. Wide gravel banks (playones) along the Río Paquita in the farm country north of Quepos, a riverside stop recommended by hikers and cyclists on komoot.
- [Poza de Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/poza-de-uvita): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Uvita, Puntarenas province.
- [Sendero del Mono](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-del-mono): Trail, Central Pacific. A trail near Quepos, Puntarenas province.
- [Torre Piedra Amarilla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/torre-piedra-amarilla): Viewpoint, Central Pacific. A viewpoint near Savegre, Puntarenas province.
- [Tres Pozas de Uvita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tres-pozas-de-uvita): Waterfall, Central Pacific. A waterfall near Uvita, Puntarenas province.
- [Antigua Aduana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/antigua-aduana): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Irazú Volcano Main Crater](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/irazu-volcano-crater): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, about $17. Costa Rica's highest volcano (3,432 m): a lunar landscape of gray ash and a deep main crater that sometimes holds a green lake.
- [Monte de la Cruz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monte-de-la-cruz): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. Cool pine-forest hills with lookouts, trails and picnic areas.
- [Museo de Arte Costarricense](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-de-arte-costarricense): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Museo de los Niños (antigua penitenciaría)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-de-los-ninos-antigua-penitenciaria): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Museo Nacional de Costa Rica (Cuartel Bellavista)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-nacional-de-costa-rica-cuartel-bellavista): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Museos del Banco Central](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museos-del-banco-central): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Centenario](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-centenario): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Desamparados, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central Abraham Lincoln](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-abraham-lincoln): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Moravia, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de Barva](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-barva): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Barva, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de Escazú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-escazu): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Escazú, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de Naranjo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-naranjo): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Naranjo, Costa Rica.
- [Parque del Este](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-del-este): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Montes de Oca, Costa Rica.
- [Parque El Bosque](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-el-bosque): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Francia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-francia): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Poás Volcano Crater Viewpoint](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/poas-volcano-crater): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, about $15. One of the world's largest active craters, with a steaming turquoise-gray acid lake 300 m below the rim.
- [Restaurante y Mirador Ram Luna](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/restaurante-y-mirador-ram-luna): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Aserrí, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Aguas Minerales de Orosi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/aguas-minerales-de-orosi): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley. Family pools of mineral water 21–35°C, local favourite.
- [Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/basilica-los-angeles): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. Costa Rica's most important shrine, home of La Negrita — a tiny dark stone statue of the Virgin.
- [Basílica de Santo Domingo de Guzmán](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/basilica-de-santo-domingo-de-guzman): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Santo Domingo, Costa Rica.
- [Blue Falls of Costa Rica (Bajos del Toro)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/blue-falls-of-costa-rica-bajos-del-toro): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Chain of six blue-water falls and pools you can swim in.
- [Catarata del Toro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-del-toro): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley, about $15. A 90 m waterfall plunging into the bowl of an extinct volcanic crater, ringed by cloud forest in the Bajos del Toro valley.
- [Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Pilar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catedral-de-nuestra-senora-del-pilar): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
- [Catedral Metropolitana de San José](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catedral-metropolitana-san-jose): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. The capital's main church, finished in 1871 and rebuilt after earthquakes.
- [Catedral Nuestra Señora del Carmen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catedral-nuestra-senora-del-carmen): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Cartago, Costa Rica.
- [Cerro Chirripó trail (from San Gerardo de Rivas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-chirripo-trail): Trail, San José & Central Valley, about $18. Costa Rica's highest peak (3,820 m): a 2-day hike from the village of San Gerardo de Rivas up to the Crestones Base hut, then a pre-dawn climb to the summit for views of both oceans.
- [Coopedota coffee town](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/coopedota-coffee-town): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. Quiet mountain coffee town; cooperative café/tours, birding, few tourists.
- [Mercado Central (San José)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mercado-central-san-jose): Local shop, San José & Central Valley, free. A maze of narrow aisles under one roof since 1880: spices, coffee, leather, herbs and tiny sodas serving casados at the counter.
- [Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-de-arte-y-diseno-contemporaneo): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Bellavista](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-bellavista): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Pavas, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de San Marcos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-san-marcos): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Tarrazú, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de San Pedro de Poás](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-san-pedro-de-poas): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Poás, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de Santa María de Dota](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-de-santa-maria-de-dota): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Dota, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Los Robles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-los-robles): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in Moravia, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Metropolitano La Sabana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-sabana-metropolitan-park): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. San José's big green lung: a former airport turned into a 72-hectare park with a lake, eucalyptus groves, running paths, playgrounds and an art museum in the old terminal.
- [Parque República del Perú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-republica-del-peru): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia de Santa Ana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-de-santa-ana): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Santa Ana, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción de María](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-inmaculada-concepcion-de-maria): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Heredia, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia La Agonía Alajuela](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-la-agonia-alajuela): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Soledad](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-nuestra-senora-de-la-soledad): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia San Antonio de Padua](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-san-antonio-de-padua): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Escazú, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel Heredia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-san-rafael-arcangel-heredia): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in San Rafael de Heredia, Costa Rica.
- [Plaza de la Cultura](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/plaza-de-la-cultura): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. San José's main living-room square, a pedestrian plaza beside the Teatro Nacional with a fountain, street musicians and cafés, built on top of the underground Gold and Coins museums.
- [Sarchí Giant Oxcart](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sarchi-giant-oxcart): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A 15 m hand-painted oxcart in Sarchí's central park, built in 2006 to claim the world's-largest title — a tribute to the town's famous cart painters.
- [Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/teatro-nacional): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. The country's grandest building, paid for by a coffee tax in the 1890s: marble stairs, gilded foyers and ceiling paintings facing Plaza de la Cultura.
- [Territorio de Zaguates (Land of Strays)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/territorio-de-zaguates-land-of-strays): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. Huge no-kill dog sanctuary where you hike hills with hundreds of dogs.
- [Zarcero Topiary Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/zarcero-topiary-park): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. Cypress hedges sculpted into arches, animals and whimsical figures in front of a pink-and-white church — a gardener's life's work in a cool mountain town.
- [Avenida Central Boulevard](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/avenida-central-boulevard): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. San José's pedestrian spine, running from the Mercado Central to Plaza de la Cultura: street musicians, old bank buildings, shoe-shiners and the city in full swing.
- [Bajos del Toro (village of waterfalls)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bajos-del-toro-village): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A one-street mountain village in a deep, cloud-wrapped valley between Poás and Juan Castro Blanco, with more waterfalls around it than almost anywhere in Costa Rica: Catarata del Toro, Blue Falls, Río Agrio and a dozen more are minutes away.
- [Barrio Amón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/barrio-amon): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. The coffee barons' old neighborhood: Victorian and Caribbean-style wooden mansions, tiled facades and big murals on the walls in between.
- [Barrio Escalante](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/barrio-escalante): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. San José's food neighborhood: tree-lined streets with old villas turned into restaurants, craft-beer bars, bakeries and coffee shops, plus a Friday-night street vibe.
- [Casa Alfredo González Flores](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/casa-alfredo-gonzalez-flores): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in Heredia, Costa Rica.
- [Catarata Vuelta del Cañón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-vuelta-del-canon): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Two-tier waterfall dropping into a green canyon with a blue swimming pool; one of the least crowded big falls in CR.
- [Cataratas Las Trillizas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-las-trillizas): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Three falls (20/30/40 m) on a dairy farm; swim at first two.
- [Cerro de la Muerte lookout (Cerro Buena Vista)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-cerro-de-la-muerte): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, free. A high-altitude páramo stop on the Pan-American Highway, around 3,400 m, where telecom towers sit on Cerro Buena Vista.
- [Estatua de León Cortés Castro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/estatua-de-leon-cortes-castro): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A monument in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Finca Dos Ríos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-dos-rios): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. Farm with river and falls that a CR hiking blog calls its favourite place in Bajos del Toro.
- [Grecia's Red Metal Church](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/grecia-metal-church): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A neo-Gothic church built entirely of iron plates around 1900 and painted deep red, standing over Grecia's tidy central park.
- [Guayabo National Monument](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/guayabo-national-monument): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, about $5. Costa Rica's most important pre-Columbian site: stone causeways, mound foundations, aqueducts that still carry water and petroglyphs, all wrapped in rainforest.
- [Iglesia Colonial de Orosi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/orosi-colonial-church): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. Built by Franciscan friars in 1767, it's the oldest church still in use in Costa Rica: whitewashed adobe, a wooden roof and a mountain backdrop.
- [Iglesia de San Rafael de Zarcero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-san-rafael-zarcero): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. The slate-blue and pale-green church above Zarcero's famous topiary garden, with twin towers, painted interior and a tiled mosaic wall in the churchyard.
- [Jardín Botánico Lankester](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/jardin-botanico-lankester): Park, San José & Central Valley, about $15. A University of Costa Rica botanical garden near Cartago with one of the world's best orchid collections, bamboo groves, a Japanese garden and forest trails.
- [La Paz Waterfall (roadside view)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-paz-waterfall-roadside): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley, free. A 37 m waterfall that thunders down right next to Route 126 between Vara Blanca and Cinchona — you can see it from the bridge for free.
- [Los Presentes](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-presentes): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A monument in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Mercado Borbón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mercado-borbon): Local shop, San José & Central Valley, free. San José's wholesale produce and meat market, a local-only cousin of the Mercado Central with fruit stalls, spices, butchers and sodas serving a cheap casado.
- [Mirador de Orosi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-orosi): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, free. A free, ICT-run park 3 km south of Paraíso, right where the road drops into the Orosi valley.
- [Mirador ICT](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-ict): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Prusia, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador Los Cartagos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-los-cartagos): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. Roadside pasture lookout for sunsets and picnics; cold, bring a jacket.
- [Mirador PH Reventazon](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-ph-reventazon): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Siquirres, Costa Rica.
- [Monumento a Juan Santamaría](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-juan-santamaria): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. Bronze statue of Costa Rica's national hero, the drummer boy who set fire to the invaders' fort in 1856, standing on a pedestal with an old cannon in a small plaza.
- [Monumento al Boyero Costarricense](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-al-boyero-costarricense): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A monument in Atenas, Costa Rica.
- [Monumento al Pacto del Jocote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-al-pacto-del-jocote): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A monument in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
- [Monumento caídos Guerra Civil 1948](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-caidos-guerra-civil-1948): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A monument in Santa María de Dota, Costa Rica.
- [Museo Histórico José Figueres Ferrer](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-historico-jose-figueres-ferrer): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in San Ramón, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Central de Alajuela](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-alajuela): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. The shady heart of Alajuela, a plaza of old mango trees, a black iron fountain and benches, facing the white cathedral with its red dome.
- [Parque Central de Atenas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-atenas): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. A relaxed small-town park in a town famous for having one of the world's best climates.
- [Parque Central de Heredia (Nicolás Ulloa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-heredia): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. Heredia's palm-lined central square, with a stone fountain, a bandstand and the white Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción on one side.
- [Parque El Retiro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-el-retiro): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parque Morazán and Templo de la Música](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-morazan-templo-musica): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. A shady downtown square a short walk from Barrio Amón, centered on the domed Templo de la Música bandstand.
- [Parque Nacional and Monumento Nacional](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-san-jose): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. A leafy 1890s park whose centerpiece is the bronze Monumento Nacional, a dramatic sculpture group about Central America's 19th-century fight against filibusters.
- [Parque Nacional Los Quetzales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-quetzales-national-park): Park, San José & Central Valley, about $12. A high-elevation cloud-forest park in the Talamanca mountains around San Gerardo de Dota, famed for the resplendent quetzal.
- [Parque Nacional Tapantí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tapanti-national-park): Park, San José & Central Valley, about $12. A misty cloud-forest park above Orosi, among the rainiest in the country, with clear rivers, short waterfall trails, swimming holes and good bird and butterfly watching.
- [Parroquia Corpus Christi (Padre Pío)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-corpus-christi-padre-pio): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Flores, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia de San Joaquín](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-de-san-joaquin): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in San Joaquín de Flores, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia Nuestra Señora de La Merced](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-nuestra-senora-de-la-merced): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in San José, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles Heredia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-nuestra-senora-de-los-angeles-heredia): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Heredia, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Pilar Tres Ríos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-nuestra-senora-del-pilar-tres-rios): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Tres Ríos, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia San Isidro Labrador de Barbacoas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-san-isidro-labrador-de-barbacoas): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Puriscal, Costa Rica.
- [Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel Escazú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parroquia-san-rafael-arcangel-escazu): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Escazú, Costa Rica.
- [Piedra de Aserrí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/piedra-de-aserri): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. 100 m+ rock formation tied to a witch legend, short hike to Central Valley views and a cave.
- [Plaza de la Democracia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/plaza-de-la-democracia): Park, San José & Central Valley, free. A wide terraced plaza built for the 1989 Central American presidents' summit, with a monument to President Figueres, who abolished the army in 1948, and a mountain-framed view over downtown.
- [Pozas y Cataratas La Presa (Catarata Esmeralda)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozas-y-cataratas-la-presa-catarata-esmeralda): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Trail with rivers, hanging bridges and turquoise pools; Catarata Esmeralda is the swim highlight.
- [Puente de Piedra Grecia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-de-piedra-grecia): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in Grecia, Costa Rica.
- [Ruinas de Santiago Apóstol (Cartago)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cartago-ruins): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. The roofless stone walls of a parish church that earthquakes kept knocking down until it was left unfinished in 1910 — now a garden courtyard in the heart of Cartago.
- [Ruinas de Ujarrás](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ujarras-ruins): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. The lime-and-stone shell of a 1690s church, one of the oldest in the country, standing in a quiet park of lawns and old trees near Lake Cachí.
- [Sanatorio Durán](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sanatorio-duran): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, about $4. The eerie shell of a 1918 tuberculosis hospital on the road up to Irazú — peeling halls, empty wards and a reputation as Costa Rica's most 'haunted' building.
- [Sendero Laguna Botos (Poás)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-botos-poas): Trail, San José & Central Valley, about $15. A short forest trail from the Poás crater area to a cold, green lake in an extinct crater, through dwarf cloud forest with giant 'poor man's umbrella' leaves.
- [Senderos Cataratas de Cinchona](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/senderos-cataratas-de-cinchona): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Trail system with three waterfalls and swimming pools just past the famous La Paz falls.
- [Templo San Diego de Alcalá](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/templo-san-diego-de-alcala): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A church in Tres Ríos, Costa Rica.
- [Balneario Los Patios (Orosi hot pools)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-patios-hot-pools): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley, about $8. Old-school thermal pools fed by warm springs just south of Orosi, where local families soak among the mountains — none of the resort price tags.
- [Bella vista mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bella-vista-mirador): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Heredia, Costa Rica.
- [Casa del Soñador (Dreamer's House)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/casa-del-sonador): Local shop, San José & Central Valley, free. A fairy-tale wooden house built from coffee-plant roots and bamboo by sculptor Macedonio Quesada; his family still carves rustic figures there and sells them on the spot.
- [Cascada Quebrada Gata – Río Barroso blue lagoon](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-quebrada-gata-rio-barroso-blue-lagoon): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley. Gatorade-blue section of Río Barroso where two falls meet, on the way to Quebrada Gata (already in PVP); add as separate swim stop.
- [Catarata de Aquiares](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/aquiares-waterfall): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley, free. A 40 m waterfall in a coffee valley north-west of Turrialba with a cold pool for a dip, plus a smaller cascade on the way that works like a natural shower.
- [Cataratas Don José](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-don-jose): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Two falls: one short walk, one longer; nice pool on top; pets OK.
- [Cataratas Los Chorros](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-los-chorros): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Carrillos Bajo, Alajuela province.
- [Centro de Rescate de Vida Salvaje](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/centro-de-rescate-de-vida-salvaje): Park, San José & Central Valley. Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center, formerly Zoo Ave, is a park of about 14 ha in La Garita, Alajuela.
- [Cerro Blanco Nature and Rural Experience](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-blanco-nature-and-rural-experience): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Pital, Costa Rica.
- [Cerro Congo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-congo): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. Congo is an inactive volcano of the Cordillera Central near Poás, inside Poás Volcano National Park.
- [Cerro Ojo de Agua](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-ojo-de-agua): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. Pasture summit with springs and a 'brutal' panoramic view at the foot of Cerro Dragón.
- [Cerro Volcán Viejo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-volcan-viejo): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. El Viejo is a probably inactive volcano of the Cordillera Central near Poás, inside Juan Castro Blanco National Park; its top is at about 2,122 m.
- [Cruz de Alajuelita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cruz-de-alajuelita): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, free. A tall steel cross on a hilltop above Alajuelita and the south side of San José, with a wide view over the whole valley, the airport and the volcanoes on a clear morning.
- [Edificio Metálico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/edificio-metalico): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A school built entirely of iron plates, designed and made in Belgium and shipped over in pieces in the 1890s.
- [Embalse y Lago de Cachí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/lago-de-cachi): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, free. A big, calm reservoir in the Orosi valley with green hills around it and roadside lookouts over the dam and water.
- [Feria Verde de Aranjuez](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/feria-verde-aranjuez): Local shop, San José & Central Valley, free. A Saturday-morning organic market where San José's foodies stock up: farm produce, bread, cheese, local coffee, natural cosmetics and live music.
- [Finca La Troja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-la-troja): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley. Mountain farm with 4-15+ km trails, crystal rivers, caves and hidden pools in a canyon.
- [Finca Las 6 Maravillas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-las-6-maravillas): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. Farm with a series of waterfalls/pools in Puriscal.
- [Fortín de Heredia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/fortin-de-heredia): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A stubby 1870s stone-and-brick tower with gun slits, now the symbol of Heredia, standing next to the town's main square and colonial church.
- [Humedal Lacustrino Bonilla Bonillita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-lacustrino-bonilla-bonillita): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A protected wetland created in 1994 around lakes Bonilla and Bonillita, west of the Reventazón River.
- [Iglesia de San Isidro de Coronado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/coronado-church): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A neo-Gothic church finished around 1935 in the cool hills above San José, with pointed towers and stained glass that feel more Bavarian than tropical.
- [Iglesia de Sarchí Norte](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-sarchi-norte): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. Sarchí's pastel-green parish church, with painted floral decoration on its twin towers, facing the plaza where the giant oxcart stands.
- [Laguna Congo (Bosque Alegre crater lakes)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-congo-bosque-alegre): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley, free. The quiet sister of Laguna Hule: a big, deep-green crater lake ringed by forest inside the Bosque Alegre wildlife refuge, reached only on foot.
- [Laguna Hule](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-hule): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A quiet, round crater lake ringed by dense rainforest near Río Cuarto, in the northern foothills of the Central Valley.
- [Loma Pital](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/loma-pital): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A volcano near Pital, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador al Poas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-al-poas): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Poás, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador de Ujarrás](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-ujarras): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley, free. A small roadside lookout on Route 224 above the Ujarrás ruins, with a wide view down over Lake Cachí and the valley — usually with nobody else there.
- [Mirador del CAI](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-del-cai): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Ramón, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador La Piedra de Lucas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-piedra-de-lucas): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador La Vuelta Zarcero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-vuelta-zarcero): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Zarcero, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador Los Vientos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-los-vientos): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Santa Ana, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Monumento al Boyero Cartago](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-al-boyero-cartago): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A monument in Cartago, Costa Rica.
- [Paraíso de Manantiales Waterfalls (Río Toro Amarillo canyon)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-paraiso-de-manantiales): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley, about $4. A family farm in Río Cuarto opens a steep trail into the canyon of the Río Toro Amarillo, where a string of waterfalls pours over giant boulders stained yellow by volcanic minerals.
- [Parque Alberto Manuel Brenes Mora](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-alberto-manuel-brenes-mora): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park near San Ramón, Alajuela province.
- [Parque de Curridabat](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-de-curridabat): Park, San José & Central Valley. A public park near Curridabat, San José province.
- [Parque de La Paz](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-de-la-paz): Park, San José & Central Valley. Parque de la Paz is a large metropolitan park in San Sebastián, south of central San José.
- [Parque Nacional Chirripó](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-chirripo): Park, San José & Central Valley. Chirripó National Park, established in 1975, spans parts of San José, Limón and Cartago and is part of the La Amistad UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- [Parque Nacional La Cangreja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-cangreja-national-park): Park, San José & Central Valley. A small, little-visited national park in the hills of Puriscal, with dry-to-humid forest, creeks, waterfalls and some of the last wild corners near the Central Valley.
- [Parque nacional Volcán Irazú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-volcan-irazu): Park, San José & Central Valley. Irazú Volcano National Park in Cartago includes the volcano and the Prusia forest.
- [Parque Nacional Volcán Poás](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-volcan-poas): Park, San José & Central Valley. Poás Volcano National Park covers about 65 km²; the summit of Poás is at about 2,700 m.
- [Parque Nacional Volcán Turrialba](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-volcan-turrialba): Park, San José & Central Valley. The national park around Turrialba Volcano in Cartago province.
- [Parque Okayama](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-okayama): Park, San José & Central Valley. An urban park in San Francisco de Dos Ríos, San José.
- [Plaza Cleto González Víquez](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/plaza-cleto-gonzalez-viquez): Park, San José & Central Valley. The largest plaza in San José, in Catedral district, named after president Cleto González Víquez.
- [Puente Colgante Río Grande de Orosi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-colgante-rio-grande-orosi): Bridge, San José & Central Valley, free. A steel suspension bridge across the Río Grande de Orosi on the road through the Orosi valley, with the river below and green hills behind.
- [Puente Mulas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-mulas): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A historic site in Santa Ana, Costa Rica.
- [Reserva Biológica Cerro Las Vueltas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-cerro-las-vueltas): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A biological reserve in the Central Conservation Area, created in 1994.
- [Reserva Cloudbridge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-cloudbridge): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A protected natural area near Rivas, San José province.
- [Reserva Forestal Cordillera Volcánica Central](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-cordillera-volcanica-central): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A large forest reserve of the Central Volcanic Range, created in 1975 and managed by the Central Conservation Area.
- [Reserva Forestal Grecia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-grecia): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A forest reserve created in 1974, managed by the Central Conservation Area.
- [Reserva Forestal Los Santos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-los-santos): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A forest reserve created in 1975 in the Los Santos highlands.
- [Reserva Forestal Río Macho](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-rio-macho): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A forest reserve created in 1964 around the Río Macho, managed by the Central Conservation Area.
- [Volcán Barva and Laguna Barva](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-barva-laguna-barva): Trail, San José & Central Valley, about $12. The Barva sector of Braulio Carrillo is the quiet, high-elevation side: a muddy cloud-forest trail to two crater lagoons and the summit of Barva volcano, with moss-draped trees and very few other hikers.
- [Volcán Cacho Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-cacho-negro): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. Cacho Negro ('black horn') is an inactive volcano near Barva, inside Braulio Carrillo National Park.
- [Volcan Turrialba](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-turrialba): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. Turrialba is an active volcano in central Costa Rica with eruptions in 2016 and 2017; access to the crater area has been restricted because of activity.
- [Alto Tapezco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/alto-tapezco): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Antonio, San José province.
- [Amarillo Continuo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/amarillo-continuo): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A piece of street art near Carmen, San José province.
- [Barrio Los Ángeles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/barrio-los-angeles): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A piece of street art near Santa Bárbara, Heredia province.
- [Bromelias](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bromelias): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Cañón del Virilla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/canon-del-virilla): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Turrúcares, Alajuela province.
- [Cascada El Morron](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-el-morron): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Las Horquetas, Heredia province.
- [Cascada Quebrada Gata](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-quebrada-gata): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Río Cuarto, Alajuela province.
- [Cascada Sabanilla](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-sabanilla): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near San Isidro, Alajuela province.
- [Cascada Tabacarí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-tabacari): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Tabarcia, San José province.
- [Cascada Templo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-templo): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Sarapiquí, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata 1 de Jaboncillo, Copey](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-1-de-jaboncillo-copey): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Copey, San José province.
- [Catarata 1 de Páramo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-1-de-paramo): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Páramo, San José province.
- [Catarata 2 de Jaboncillo, Copey](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-2-de-jaboncillo-copey): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Copey, San José province.
- [Catarata 2 de Páramo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-2-de-paramo): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Páramo, San José province.
- [Catarata Caldera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-caldera): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Rivas, San José province.
- [Catarata Chindama](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-chindama): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Catarata del Río Chirripo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-del-rio-chirripo): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Valle La Estrella, Limón province.
- [Catarata don Luis](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-don-luis): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near San Rafael, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata El Gavilan](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-gavilan): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Catarata El Paraíso](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-paraiso): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near San Roque, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata El Pocerón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-poceron): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Copey, San José province.
- [Catarata Gamalota](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-gamalota): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Guápiles, Limón province.
- [Catarata Grande](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-grande): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Varablanca, Heredia province.
- [Catarata La Angelita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-la-angelita): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Salitral, San José province.
- [Catarata La Bruja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-la-bruja): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Santa Teresita, in the Central Valley.
- [Catarata La Esmeralda Perdida](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-la-esmeralda-perdida): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Catarata La Estrella](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-la-estrella): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Rivas, San José province.
- [Catarata La Extraviada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-la-extraviada): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Catarata la Virgen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-la-virgen): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Guápiles, Limón province.
- [Catarata Las Cavernas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-las-cavernas): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Guápiles, Limón province.
- [Catarata Las Orquideas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-las-orquideas): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Guápiles, Limón province.
- [Catarata Maravillas del Bosque](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-maravillas-del-bosque): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near San Miguel, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata Real De Quetzales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-real-de-quetzales): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Guápiles, Limón province.
- [Catarata Río Agres](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-rio-agres): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near San Antonio, San José province.
- [Catarata Rio Blanco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-rio-blanco): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Guápiles, Limón province.
- [Catarata Rio Elia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-rio-elia): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Catarata Rio Macho](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-rio-macho): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Dulce Nombre, in the Central Valley.
- [Catarata Salto del Caballón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-salto-del-caballon): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Las Horquetas, Heredia province.
- [Catarata Tami Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-tami-lodge): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Copey, San José province.
- [Catarata Tesoro Escondido](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-tesoro-escondido): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Bajos del Toro, Alajuela province.
- [Catarata Zurquí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-zurqui): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near San Jerónimo, San José province.
- [Cataratas Las Gemelas de Toro Amarillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-las-gemelas-de-toro-amarillo): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Toro Amarillo, Alajuela province.
- [Cerro Alto - Sendero Amarillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-alto-sendero-amarillo): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Cerro Alto - Sendero Rojo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-alto-sendero-rojo): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Cerro Alto - Sendero Verde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-alto-sendero-verde): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Cerro Alto Lodge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-alto-lodge): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Pavones, in the Central Valley.
- [Crash Bandicoot y Gravity Falls](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/crash-bandicoot-y-gravity-falls): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A piece of street art near San Isidro, Alajuela province.
- [Cueva del tren](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cueva-del-tren): Nature spot, San José & Central Valley. A cave near Ángeles, Heredia province.
- [Eagle Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/eagle-trail): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near Sabanilla, Alajuela province.
- [Escalada Cachi](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/escalada-cachi): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Santiago, in the Central Valley.
- [Evergreen Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/evergreen-trail): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near Varablanca, Heredia province.
- [Hacienda Equis](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/hacienda-equis): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Salitrillos, San José province.
- [Iglesia de Laguna (Our Lady of the Rosary), Zarcero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-laguna-zarcero): Landmark, San José & Central Valley, free. A white-and-blue church with twin bell towers in the dairy village of Laguna, 3 km up Route 141 from Zarcero's topiary park; locals say it opened in 1916.
- [Jurassic Valley](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/jurassic-valley): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [La Celestial](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-celestial): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Toro Amarillo, Alajuela province.
- [La Pintada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-pintada): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Toro Amarillo, Alajuela province.
- [La Turguesa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-turguesa): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Toro Amarillo, Alajuela province.
- [Las Palmas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/las-palmas): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Rivas, San José province.
- [Los Robles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-robles): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near Páramo, San José province.
- [Mirador a la catarata, San Isidro de El Guarco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-a-la-catarata-san-isidro-de-el-guarco): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Mirador a Vertiente Caribe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-a-vertiente-caribe): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Varablanca, Heredia province.
- [Mirador Caricias](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-caricias): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Concepción, Heredia province.
- [Mirador de El Rodeo, Ciudad Colón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-el-rodeo-ciudad-colon): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Colón, San José province.
- [Mirador de La Virgen de Sarapiquí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-la-virgen-de-sarapiqui): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near La Virgen, Heredia province.
- [Mirador de Patio de Agua](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-patio-de-agua): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Rafael, San José province.
- [Mirador de Rancho Redondo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-rancho-redondo): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Rancho Redondo, San José province.
- [Mirador del valle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-del-valle): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Rivas, San José province.
- [Mirador del Valle General](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-del-valle-general): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Páramo, San José province.
- [Mirador El Anfiteatro, San Isidro de El Guarco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-el-anfiteatro-san-isidro-de-el-guarco): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Mirador Jacaranda](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-jacaranda): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Jesús, Heredia province.
- [Mirador La Torre, San Isidro de El Guarco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-torre-san-isidro-de-el-guarco): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Isidro, in the Central Valley.
- [Mirador La Ventolera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-ventolera): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near San Antonio, San José province.
- [Mirador Represa de Cachí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-represa-de-cachi): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Santiago, in the Central Valley.
- [Mirador San Valentin](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-san-valentin): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Jiménez, Limón province.
- [Mirador Vara Blanca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-vara-blanca): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Varablanca, Heredia province.
- [Mirador Vikingos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-vikingos): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Jesús, Heredia province.
- [Mural en Palo Alto, Peralta](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mural-en-palo-alto-peralta): Landmark, San José & Central Valley. A piece of street art near Peralta, in the Central Valley.
- [Oak Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/oak-trail): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near Sabanilla, Alajuela province.
- [Orosi Natural Hot Spring](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/orosi-natural-hot-spring): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley. A hot spring near Orosi, in the Central Valley.
- [Parque Eólico Valle Central](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-eolico-valle-central): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Quitirrisí, San José province.
- [Piedra del Indio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/piedra-del-indio): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Piedades, San José province.
- [Piedras Negras Catarata](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/piedras-negras-catarata): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Piedras Negras, San José province.
- [Pozas termales de Marsella, Venecia (1)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozas-termales-de-marsella-venecia-1): Swimming spot, San José & Central Valley. A hot spring near Venecia, Alajuela province.
- [Pozo Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozo-azul): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Río Cuarto, Alajuela province.
- [Reserva Ecológica Bijagual](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-ecologica-bijagual): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near La Virgen, Heredia province.
- [Sendero circular de San Pablo de Barva](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-circular-de-san-pablo-de-barva): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near San Pablo, Heredia province.
- [Sendero La Quebrada, Páramo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-la-quebrada-paramo): Trail, San José & Central Valley. A trail near Páramo, San José province.
- [Tepezquintle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tepezquintle): Waterfall, San José & Central Valley. A waterfall near Toro Amarillo, Alajuela province.
- [Valle del Brujo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/valle-del-brujo): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Copey, San José province.
- [Vistas del General](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/vistas-del-general): Viewpoint, San José & Central Valley. A viewpoint near Rivas, San José province.
- [Playa Conchal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-conchal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A beach made of billions of crushed seashells instead of sand, with clear turquoise water that's among the best in Guanacaste for snorkeling right off the shore.
- [Playa Tamarindo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tamarindo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. Guanacaste's liveliest beach: a long arc of sand with mellow beginner waves, boats bobbing in the bay and a sunset the whole town turns out for.
- [Las Pailas Volcanic Loop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/las-pailas-loop): Trail, Guanacaste, about $17. An easy loop of about 3 km on the slopes of an active volcano, past bubbling mud pots, hissing fumaroles and a steaming sulfur lagoon — a little Yellowstone in the tropical dry forest.
- [Llanos de Cortés Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/llanos-de-cortes-waterfall): Waterfall, Guanacaste, about $8. A broad curtain of water spilling over a rock ledge into a big, shallow pool with its own sandy beach — the easiest swimming waterfall in Guanacaste, just off the Inter-American Highway near Bagaces.
- [Mirador de La Cruz (Bahía Salinas lookout)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-bahia-salinas-la-cruz): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, free. The lookout on the western edge of La Cruz town, high above Bahía Salinas: the whole bay and its islands out to the open Pacific.
- [Oropéndola Waterfall (Río Blanco canyon)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-oropendola): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A 25 m (82 ft) waterfall dropping through a rock notch into a deep green-blue pool in the Río Blanco canyon, near the Las Pailas entrance of Rincón de la Vieja.
- [Playa Avellanas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-avellanas): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A long, laid-back surf beach backed by mangroves and dry forest, with several breaks for every level — and a famous local pig that sometimes wanders into the shallows.
- [Playa Flamingo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-flamingo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A wide curve of pale sand with a faint pink tint, usually gentle water and green hills behind — one of the best family swimming beaches on this coast.
- [Playa Grande (Las Baulas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-grande-las-baulas): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A wide, wild beach inside Las Baulas Marine National Park, where giant leatherback turtles nest — no buildings on the sand, steady surf and huge open sunsets.
- [Playa Hermosa (Papagayo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-hermosa-papagayo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A long, gently curving bay on the Gulf of Papagayo with calm water, gray volcanic sand and some of the most reliable sunsets on the coast.
- [Playa Penca (Punta Cacique, Playas del Coco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-penca-punta-cacique): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small white-sand cove at the tip of Punta Cacique, the forested headland between Playas del Coco and Playa Hermosa.
- [Playas del Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playas-del-coco): Beach, Guanacaste, free. The fishing-and-diving town beach of the Papagayo coast: dark sand, colorful boats moored offshore, islands on the horizon and a boardwalk that fills up at sunset.
- [Poza Los Coyotes (Cañas Dulces)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/poza-los-coyotes-canas-dulces): Swimming spot, Guanacaste, about $6. Crystal-clear turquoise pools, small waterfalls and a cave on a family farm founded in 1827 near Cañas Dulces, a cheap and well-loved swimming day out from Liberia.
- [Restaurante El Mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/restaurante-el-mirador): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Curubandé, Costa Rica.
- [Witch's Rock (Roca Bruja)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/witchs-rock): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A lone rock stack off Playa Naranjo that gives its name to one of Costa Rica's best-known surf breaks.
- [Bahía Junquillal Wildlife Refuge (Playa Junquillal, La Cruz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/refugio-bahia-junquillal): Beach, Guanacaste, about $14. A sheltered 2 km white-sand bay in a small protected refuge near Cuajiniquil, with calm water inside marked swim limits, Blue Flag status and shady picnic and camping areas.
- [Calle Real (Liberia's historic street)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/calle-real-liberia): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. Liberia's old main street, one of the few places in Costa Rica where whitewashed adobe and bahareque houses with tile roofs and corner doors still line the sidewalk, next to the old Gobernación and the House of Culture.
- [Cerro Pelado (Cañas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-pelado-canas): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, about $6. A bald, wind-blasted ridge east of Cañas – an old extinct volcano – where a short, steep climb from a farm gate puts you on a 2 km grassy crest with 360° views: the Tilarán wind turbines behind you, the Guanacaste lowlands and the Gulf of Nicoya ahead.
- [Guaitil Pottery Village](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/guaitil-pottery-village): Local shop, Guanacaste, free. A village where families still make Chorotega-style pottery by hand — coiled, burnished with stones, painted with natural clay pigments and fired in wood kilns — and sell it from their front porches.
- [Isla Capitán (Captain Island)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-capitan): Nature spot, Guanacaste, free. The uninhabited rocky islet in the middle of Tamarindo Bay.
- [Islas Catalinas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/islas-catalinas): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A small group of rocky islets about 30 minutes by boat from Playa Flamingo, visited for scuba diving and snorkeling.
- [Islas Murciélago (Bat Islands dive site)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/islas-murcielago): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A group of rocky islands off the tip of the Santa Elena Peninsula and, with the Catalina Islands, one of the two signature dive destinations of the Papagayo coast.
- [La Cangreja Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-cangreja-waterfall): Waterfall, Guanacaste, about $17. A slender waterfall dropping into an electric-blue pool deep in Rincón de la Vieja National Park — the reward for a roughly 10 km round-trip hike through dry forest and grassland.
- [La Casona (Santa Rosa National Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-casona-santa-rosa): Landmark, Guanacaste, about $15. The historic hacienda house where Costa Rica beat William Walker's filibuster army in the 1856 Battle of Santa Rosa — now a small museum in the dry forest with a monument, a lookout and short trails.
- [Las Catalinas Trails (above the car-free town)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/las-catalinas-trails): Trail, Guanacaste. Las Catalinas is a walkable, car-free town with about 35 km of hiking and mountain-bike trails through dry forest; ridge trails look down on bays and rocky islets.
- [Mirador Playa Prieta](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-playa-prieta): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Playa Prieta, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Parque Amor de Temporada & beach boardwalk (Playas del Coco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-amor-de-temporada-coco): Park, Guanacaste, free. The seafront park at the main beach entrance of Playas del Coco, where a long beach promenade with small parks, playgrounds and basketball courts runs under big shade trees.
- [Parque Bernabela Ramos (Santa Cruz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-bernabela-ramos-santa-cruz): Park, Guanacaste, free. The shady central plaza of Santa Cruz, best known for its domed stone kiosk carved with Chorotega-style motifs.
- [Parque Central Mario Cañas Ruiz (Liberia)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-liberia): Park, Guanacaste, free. Liberia's shady town square, framed by the white modern church and local shops, where families gather on benches in the early evening and on weekends.
- [Parroquia Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (Santa Cruz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/santo-cristo-esquipulas-santa-cruz): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. Santa Cruz's parish church holds the Cristo Negro de Esquipulas, a dark crucifix that draws pilgrims every January; the old pink bell tower stands beside the modern church.
- [Playa Brasilito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-brasilito): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A working fishing-village beach with grey sand, small boats pulled up on the shore and a relaxed main street of sodas and souvenir stands.
- [Playa Buena (Bahía Culebra)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-buena-papagayo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A wide pale-sand beach inside Bahía Culebra with almost no waves, shady trees and views across the bay.
- [Playa Cabuyal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cabuyal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A long white-sand beach with turquoise water at the north end of the Papagayo coast, framed by big dry-forest hills and far from any town.
- [Playa Calzón de Pobre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-calzon-de-pobre): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A tiny light-sand cove on the Playa Hermosa side of Punta Cacique, loved by locals for its calm turquoise water.
- [Playa Copal (Bahía Salinas kite beach)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-copal-bahia-salinas): Beach, Guanacaste, free. The long beach in the inner corner of Bahía Salinas that made Costa Rica a kitesurfing destination: from November to May steady, strong winds funnel across the bay, and several kite schools give lessons and rent gear right on the sand.
- [Playa Danta (Las Catalinas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-danta): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A calm, gray-sand cove in front of Las Catalinas, a car-free, Mediterranean-style town stacked on the hillside — good for swimming, paddleboarding and poking around the rocks.
- [Playa Iguanita (Iguanita Wildlife Refuge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-iguanita): Beach, Guanacaste. A grey-sand cove inside the Iguanita National Wildlife Refuge on the inner shore of Bahía Culebra, backed by dry forest and mangroves.
- [Playa Langosta](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-langosta): Beach, Guanacaste, free. Tamarindo's calm, quiet neighbor: a short beach with rocky edges, tide pools full of little fish and a small river estuary — a local favorite for a sunset walk.
- [Playa Naranjo (Santa Rosa National Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-naranjo-santa-rosa): Beach, Guanacaste. A wild, wide beach inside Santa Rosa National Park with Witch's Rock (Roca Bruja) standing offshore, one of the world-famous surf breaks of Costa Rica.
- [Playa Negra (Los Pargos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-negra-los-pargos): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A legendary right-hand reef wave over dark volcanic rock — even if you don't surf, it's a great place to watch barrels peel past from the shore.
- [Playa Ocotal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ocotal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small, sheltered cove south of Coco with dark sand and some of the best free shore snorkeling in the area along its rocky points.
- [Playa Panamá](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-panama): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A wide, calm bay on the south edge of the Papagayo gulf with dark sand, hardly any development and shallow water that suits swimming.
- [Playa Potrero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-potrero): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A long, calm bay just north of Flamingo with a slow, residential feel, a handful of restaurants and good sunsets.
- [Playa Puerto Soley](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-puerto-soley): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A big, calm beach at the small fishing village of Puerto Soley, deep inside Bahía Salinas and a few kilometers from the Nicaraguan border.
- [Playa Rajada (Bahía Salinas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-rajada-la-cruz): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small light-sand cove at the far northwest corner of Costa Rica, past the fishing village of El Jobo on Bahía Salinas.
- [Poza La Pipa (Curubandé)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/poza-la-pipa-curubande): Swimming spot, Guanacaste, free. The biggest of Curubandé's turquoise river pools, a family favorite with a natural rock slide polished by the current and little stone dams built by swimmers.
- [Pozas del Cañón (Río Colorado canyon pools)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozas-del-canon-rio-colorado): Swimming spot, Guanacaste, free. Clear blue-green pools in a pale rock canyon of the Río Colorado, just off the road from the Pan-American Highway to Curubandé.
- [Puente de la Amistad (Tempisque Friendship Bridge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-la-amistad-tempisque): Bridge, Guanacaste, free. A cable-stayed bridge, roughly 780 m long and a gift from Taiwan, that carries the highway over the Tempisque River into the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Tamarindo Estuary (crocodile spotting)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tamarindo-estuary): Nature spot, Guanacaste, free. Where Tamarindo's mangrove estuary meets the sea: American crocodiles often bask on the sandbanks while herons, ospreys and kingfishers fish the channel.
- [África Safari](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/africa-safari): Park, Guanacaste. A private wildlife park of about 100 ha in El Salto, south of Liberia, with African animals such as zebras and giraffes.
- [Bahía Pirata (Playa Bahía de los Piratas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bahia-pirata): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A well-hidden cove with soft sand, calm water and little rocky islets just offshore.
- [Bosque Encantado Waterfall (Santa María sector)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-bosque-encantado): Waterfall, Guanacaste, about $16.95. A small, pretty waterfall of cold, fresh water in the 'Enchanted Forest', about 800 m from the Santa María ranch house — the easiest waterfall walk in this quiet corner of Rincón de la Vieja.
- [Cañas Mosaic Church (Parroquia Patriarca San José)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-canas-mosaicos): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. Cañas' parish church on the central park is covered top to bottom – including its nearly 30 m bell tower – in bright tile mosaics designed by Cañas-born painter Otto Apuy: winding vines, starbursts, religious and jungle scenes made from whole and broken tiles.
- [Cañón de Liberia Lookout (Las Morocochas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-canon-de-liberia): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, free. A lookout over the deep canyon of the Río Liberia, where white volcanic gravel (cascajo) and twisted dry-forest shrubs make the slopes look almost snowy.
- [Casona Santa María (historic ranch house, Rincón de la Vieja)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/casona-santa-maria-rincon): Landmark, Guanacaste, about $16.95. An adobe ranch house from the old Hacienda Santa María, restored in 1997 and now the ranger station of the park's Santa María sector — one of the few surviving casonas of Guanacaste's cattle era, with an old sugar mill along the short Colibrí trail.
- [Cataratas Escondidas (Hidden Waterfalls, Las Pailas sector)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-escondidas-rincon): Waterfall, Guanacaste, about $16.95. A tough out-and-back hike from the Las Pailas station up over old Pleistocene lava fields and open grass slopes to waterfalls in the canyon of the Quebrada Agria, with wide views toward the Pacific side.
- [Catholic church of Playas del Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-playas-del-coco): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. A small, airy parish church a block from the beach, the spiritual center of this fishing-turned-tourist town.
- [Ecomuseo de la Cerámica Chorotega (San Vicente)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ecomuseo-ceramica-chorotega): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. A community museum in San Vicente, the potters' village just past Guaitil, telling the story of Chorotega ceramics - old pieces like the comal for tortillas and the tinaja for chicha.
- [Ecomuseo de las Minas de Abangares](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ecomuseo-minas-abangares): Landmark, Guanacaste, about $5. An open-air museum in La Sierra, above Las Juntas de Abangares, on the site of what was Costa Rica's biggest gold-mining operation (1884–1931).
- [Ermita de la Agonía (Liberia)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ermita-de-la-agonia): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. Liberia's oldest church: a whitewashed 19th-century adobe chapel that sums up why this is called the 'White City' — a calm stop a few blocks from the central park.
- [Flamingo Point Lookout (Punta Salinas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/flamingo-point-lookout): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, free. A small gazebo lookout on the rocky hill at the north end of Playa Flamingo, where Punta Salinas and Isla Plata split Brasilito Bay from Potrero Bay.
- [Guayabo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/guayabo): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Guayabo de Bagaces, Costa Rica.
- [Humedal Lacustrino Río Cañas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-lacustrino-rio-canas): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A protected wetland created in 1994, managed by the Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Humedal Laguna Madrigal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-laguna-madrigal): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A protected lake wetland created in 1994, in the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Humedal Palustrino Corral de Piedra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-palustrino-corral-de-piedra): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A protected marsh wetland created in 1994, managed by the Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción (Liberia)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-inmaculada-concepcion-liberia): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. A striking white church from the early 1970s, with an A-frame nave and a tall separate bell tower on the north side of Parque Central.
- [Isla Bolaños (seabird refuge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-bolanos): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A small rocky island in the middle of Bahía Salinas, protected as a national wildlife refuge since 1981 because it shelters nesting colonies of magnificent frigatebirds and brown pelicans.
- [Islas Pelonas (snorkel and dive islets off Coco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/islas-pelonas-coco): Nature spot, Guanacaste. Rocky islets at the mouth of Coco bay, a classic short boat ride for divers and snorkelers based in Playas del Coco: reef fish, moray eels, rays and puffers around the boulders.
- [La Leona Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-leona-waterfall): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A small turquoise waterfall at the end of a narrow Río Blanco canyon just outside Curubandé, 20–30 minutes from Liberia.
- [Liberia Farmers' Market (Feria del Agricultor, Campo Ferial)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/feria-agricultor-liberia): Local shop, Guanacaste, free. Liberia's weekly feria at the fairground next to the ICE building: farmers selling fruit, vegetables, cheese and snacks at local prices.
- [Mercado Municipal de Liberia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mercado-municipal-liberia): Local shop, Guanacaste, free. The town market: produce stands, butchers, grocers, clothing stalls and a few sodas where locals eat breakfast and lunch — the everyday side of Liberia.
- [Mirador de Tamarindo (Mirador Hill)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-tamarindo): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, free. One of the highest points in town, on the hill next to the Wyndham hotel.
- [Mirador Golfo Papagayo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-golfo-papagayo): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Golfo Papagayo, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Mirador La Roca (Palo Verde)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-roca-palo-verde): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, about $12. A limestone outcrop with steel stairs at the end of a short trail in Palo Verde National Park: from the top you look over the lagoon, the Tempisque River and, on clear days, the Gulf of Nicoya.
- [Mirador Santa Cruz-Carrillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-santa-cruz-carrillo): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Mirador Shenkui de Rajadas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-shenkui-de-rajadas): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Rajadas, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Mirador Valle Naranjo (Santa Rosa National Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-valle-naranjo): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, about $17. A short dry-forest trail off the rough road to Playa Naranjo that dead-ends at a lookout over the Naranjo valley, the beach and Witch's Rock standing in the sea.
- [Monumento al Sabanero (Cowboy Statue, Liberia)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-al-sabanero-liberia): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. A statue of a steely-eyed sabanero — the Guanacaste cowboy — near the entrance to town, with a poem by local writer Rodolfo Salazar Solórzano.
- [Murciélago Sector, Santa Rosa National Park (Poza del General)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sector-murcielago-santa-rosa): Park, Guanacaste. The far-north sector of Santa Rosa National Park on the Santa Elena Peninsula, where dry forest meets beaches with crystal-clear water.
- [Museo del Sabanero (Liberia)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-del-sabanero): Landmark, Guanacaste. A small museum of Guanacaste cowboy (sabanero) culture inside the Casa de la Cultura, with lassos, saddles and other ranch tools.
- [Museo Regional de Guanacaste (El Cuartel)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-regional-guanacaste): Landmark, Guanacaste. Regional history museum housed in Liberia's former city barracks, known locally as El Cuartel, just off the plaza; it also hosts art and cultural events.
- [Parque Ecológico de Liberia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-ecologico-liberia): Park, Guanacaste, free. A green pocket on the south side of Liberia with a walking path along the river, dry-forest trees and plenty of birds — where local families come to stroll and let kids run.
- [Parque Nacional Diriá (ranger station)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-diria): Park, Guanacaste. A little-visited forest park south of Santa Cruz in the Nicoya Peninsula highlands, with tropical and cloud forest, deep river valleys and a ranger station that starts two trails, one to the seasonal Brasil waterfall.
- [Parque Nacional Guanacaste (Pitilla station)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-guanacaste): Park, Guanacaste. A large protected area on the slopes of the Orosí and Cacao volcanoes in the far north of Guanacaste, mostly visited through remote ranger and biological stations such as Pitilla.
- [Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-marino-las-baulas): Park, Guanacaste. A marine national park and Ramsar site covering about 167 km² of Tamarindo Bay.
- [Parque Nacional Palo Verde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-palo-verde): Park, Guanacaste. Palo Verde covers about 18,400 ha of the Tempisque River valley, some 30 km west of Cañas.
- [Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-rincon-de-la-vieja): Park, Guanacaste. The national park around Rincón de la Vieja volcano in Guanacaste.
- [Parque Nacional Santa Rosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-nacional-santa-rosa): Park, Guanacaste. Santa Rosa National Park in Guanacaste was created in 1966.
- [Playa Blanca (Junquillal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-junquillal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A hidden white-sand cove just north of Playa Junquillal, a rare white-sand beach on this coast.
- [Playa Blanca (Papagayo Peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-papagayo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A white-sand beach on the Gulf of Papagayo side of the peninsula, with soft waves and rock formations that make a natural pool.
- [Playa Carbón (Las Baulas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carbon): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A secluded black-and-white sand beach in Las Baulas National Marine Park, just past Playa Ventanas and reachable only on foot.
- [Playa Dantita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-dantita): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A tiny white-sand cove with clear turquoise water hidden past the headland from Playa Danta — a short jungle trail keeps it quiet.
- [Playa El Jobo (Bahía Salinas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-jobo-la-cruz): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A sheltered white-sand beach in Bahía Jobo, next to the fishing village of El Jobo: clear water that is good for snorkeling, shade trees along the sand and local boats at anchor.
- [Playa Huevos and its sea caves](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-huevos-papagayo): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A half-moon beach on the Papagayo Peninsula known for two sea caves that open up at low tide, natural tunnels in the old rock.
- [Playa Junquillal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-junquillal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. Three kilometers of nearly empty sand with low-tide rock pools and a community-run sea turtle hatchery — Guanacaste the way it looked decades ago.
- [Playa Lagartillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lagartillo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small, wild beach about 1.5 km south of Avellanas with driftwood, rocky outcrops and a little river mouth.
- [Playa Marbella (Frijolar)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-marbella): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A remote surf beach an hour-plus south of Tamarindo.
- [Playa Matapalo (Guanacaste)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-matapalo-guanacaste): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A quiet dark-sand bay west of Playas del Coco, with a green ridge behind it, small boats and kayaks, and rocky corners to explore at either end.
- [Playa Minas (Zapotillal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-minas-zapotillal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A white-sand, forest-backed beach with no buildings at the end of a rough dirt road — one of the last truly wild beaches between Tamarindo and Flamingo.
- [Playa Nacascolo (Papagayo peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-nacascolo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. One of several quiet beaches on the Papagayo peninsula: pale sand, calm shallow water and forested headlands, with capuchin monkeys often in the trees behind the sand.
- [Playa Pan de Azúcar (Sugar Beach)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pan-de-azucar): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A pretty, little-visited crescent known as Sugar Beach, reached on foot by short natural trails from Playa Prieta; a viewpoint hike above gives a view over the bay.
- [Playa Penca (Potrero)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-penca-potrero): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small, calm cove at the north end of sleepy Potrero with almost-white sand and clear turquoise water — the kind of place locals bring a cooler and stay all day.
- [Playa Potrero Grande (Ollie's Point)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-potrero-grande-ollies-point): Beach, Guanacaste. A remote beach on the Santa Elena Peninsula inside the Guanacaste Conservation Area, home of Ollie's Point, a long right-hand point break.
- [Playa Prieta (Potrero)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-prieta): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small, quiet dark-sand cove near Potrero with rocks at either end and almost no development.
- [Playa Ventanas & Dante's Rock](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ventanas-dantes-rock): Nature spot, Guanacaste, free. A small cove just north of Playa Grande, behind a rocky point and a big sea stack locals call Dante's Rock — tide pools at low tide and a quiet place to watch the sun go down.
- [Playa Virador (Papagayo Peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-virador): Beach, Guanacaste, free. White sand, few rocks, shade trees and gentle waves on the outer coast of the Papagayo Peninsula.
- [Plaza Los Mangos (Santa Cruz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/plaza-los-mangos-santa-cruz): Park, Guanacaste, free. The square also known as Plaza López, in Costa Rica's 'folklore city', where the wooden bullring and grandstands go up every January for the Fiestas de Santa Cruz in honor of the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.
- [Puente Avellanas (mangrove footbridge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-avellanas): Bridge, Guanacaste, free. A rickety wooden footbridge that cuts straight through the mangrove behind Playa Avellanas, linking the beach with a couple of small hotels.
- [Punta Guachipelines Lookout](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-guachipelines-lookout): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, free. A short, steep loop on the rocky headland west of Playa Danta, part of the Las Catalinas trail network.
- [Punta San Francisco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-san-francisco): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, free. The rocky headland between Tamarindo and Playa Langosta.
- [Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-lomas-de-barbudal): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A biological reserve of about 26 km² in Guanacaste, some 15 km southwest of Bagaces.
- [Reserva Forestal Taboga](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-taboga): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A forest reserve created in 1978 in the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area.
- [Santa María Hot Springs Trail (Rincón de la Vieja)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/santa-maria-hot-springs-trail): Trail, Guanacaste, about $16.95. A forest trail from the old Santa María ranch house to steaming sulfur springs on a creek, in the quiet eastern sector of Rincón de la Vieja where spider monkeys, guans and agoutis are common.
- [Volcán Orosí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-orosi): Nature spot, Guanacaste. Orosí is an inactive volcano of the Cordillera de Guanacaste near the Nicaraguan border, inside Guanacaste National Park.
- [Volcán Rincón de la Vieja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-rincon-de-la-vieja): Nature spot, Guanacaste. Rincón de la Vieja is an active volcanic complex about 23 km from Liberia.
- [Aguas termales de Rincón de la Vieja (1)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/aguas-termales-de-rincon-de-la-vieja-1): Swimming spot, Guanacaste. A hot spring near Liberia, Guanacaste province.
- [Bagaces Town Square & San Caralampio Church](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bagaces-plaza-san-caralampio): Park, Guanacaste, free. The renovated central park of Bagaces (Parque Medardo Guido) facing the parish church of San Caralampio, with a few old adobe houses and the town's Casa de la Cultura nearby — a quiet stop between Liberia and Cañas.
- [Bahía Santa Elena (marine management area)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bahia-santa-elena): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A protected bay on the north side of the Santa Elena Peninsula, covering the Santa Elena, Lucas and Matapalito bays: fine-sand beaches, rocky points and coral rock in the shallows.
- [Cabro Muco Waterfall (Miravalles south face)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-cabro-muco-miravalles): Waterfall, Guanacaste, about $45. One of several hidden waterfalls on the forested south flank of Miravalles Volcano, reached with local guides on a route that also passes the Piedras Rojas and Morpho Blanca falls and natural pools.
- [Cascada 1 Rio Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-1-rio-negro): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A waterfall near Liberia, Guanacaste province.
- [Cascada 2 Rio Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-2-rio-negro): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A waterfall near Liberia, Guanacaste province.
- [Cascada 4 Rio Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-4-rio-negro): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A waterfall near Liberia, Guanacaste province.
- [Cascada Grande de La Fortuna de Bagaces](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-grande-de-la-fortuna-de-bagaces): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A waterfall near La Fortuna, Guanacaste province.
- [Catarata Quebrada Brasil](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-quebrada-brasil): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A waterfall near Santa Cruz, Guanacaste province.
- [Catarata Salitral, Cañas Dulces](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-salitral-canas-dulces): Waterfall, Guanacaste. A waterfall near Cañas Dulces, Guanacaste province.
- [Cuajiniquil fishing pier (Muelle Incopesca)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cuajiniquil-fishing-pier): Landmark, Guanacaste, free. The working pier of Cuajiniquil, a small fishing village on the Santa Elena bays.
- [El Farallón Petroglyphs (Cañas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monumento-farallon-canas): Landmark, Guanacaste, about $10. A rock wall on a family farm in Cedros de Sandillal, north of Cañas, carved with dozens of pre-Columbian petroglyphs, from sun-like circles to other designs.
- [Mirador Cráter Von Seebach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-crater-von-seebach): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Aguas Claras, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador de las fumarolas, Rincón de la Vieja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-las-fumarolas-rincon-de-la-vieja): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Liberia, Guanacaste province.
- [Mirador de Pithaya](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-pithaya): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Cuajiniquil, Guanacaste province.
- [Mirador del Crater](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-del-crater): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Aguas Claras, Alajuela province.
- [Mirador Mico Pintado (petroglyph lookout, Bagaces)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-mico-pintado-bagaces): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A hilltop above Bagaces named after a large pre-Columbian petroglyph of a monkey carved in the rock.
- [Mirador sobre Bahía Salinas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-sobre-bahia-salinas): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint in Guanacaste.
- [Mirador Tierras Emergidas (Santa Rosa National Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-tierras-emergidas): Viewpoint, Guanacaste, about $17. A roadside lookout on the paved park road to the Santa Rosa ranger station, with a wide view over the dry-forest plains of the park.
- [O Nature Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/o-nature-trail): Trail, Guanacaste. A trail in Guanacaste.
- [Pailas de Agua Fría (cold bubbling pools, Santa María sector)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pailas-agua-fria-santa-maria): Nature spot, Guanacaste, about $16.95. Odd little pools of light-brown mineral water that bubble cold — the gas is carbon dioxide, not heat — at the foot of the humid forest among heliconias and bleached dead trunks.
- [Playa Ana Laura](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ana-laura): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Anima](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-anima): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Azul](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-azul): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Bajo Grande](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bajo-grande): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Blanca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-2): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Blanca (Santa Elena Peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-santa-elena): Beach, Guanacaste. A remote white-sand beach on the western Santa Elena Peninsula, at the end of a long dirt track from the Murciélago sector.
- [Playa Blanca Viewpoint](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-viewpoint): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Veintisiete de Abril, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa Brasileo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-brasileo): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Cabuya](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cabuya-2): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Callejones](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-callejones): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A rocky, roughly 800-meter beach by a small fishing village between Paraíso and Playa Negra, with the sand covered in spiral shells.
- [Playa Carbonal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carbonal): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Carrizal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carrizal): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Cementerio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cementerio): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coco-3): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coco): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Conventillos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-conventillos): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Coyotera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coyotera): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa El Manzanillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-manzanillo): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa El Naranjo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-naranjo): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa El Ostional](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-ostional): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa El Roble](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-roble): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Escondida (Junquillal, La Cruz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-escondida-junquillal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A little beach between the Junquillal wildlife refuge and Playa Corona, known for gentle waves that suit families.
- [Playa Grande](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-grande): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Gringos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-gringos): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Guacamaya](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-guacamaya-carrillo): Beach, Guanacaste. A secluded beach on the wild coast between Playa Matapalo and Las Catalinas, at the edge of the Gulf of Papagayo.
- [Playa Guaria](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-guaria): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Guarumo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-guarumo): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Honda (Bahía Pirata)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-honda-bahia-pirata): Beach, Guanacaste, free. An undeveloped white-sand beach with clear water in the Bahía Pirata area, and a nesting beach for black (Pacific green) sea turtles.
- [Playa Huevos, Liberia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-huevos-liberia): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Jícaro (Papagayo Peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-jicaro-papagayo): Beach, Guanacaste. A pretty cove inside Bahía Culebra on the Papagayo Peninsula, one of the boat-only beaches that tours visit for a swim and snorkeling around the rocks.
- [Playa Jicote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-jicote): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa La Cagadita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-la-cagadita): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa La Canoa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-la-canoa): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa La Flor](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-la-flor): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa La Virgen](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-la-virgen): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Lagarto](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lagarto): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A rocky, kilometer-long stretch between Punta Lagarto and Punta Flor, between Junquillal and Marbella, known for small-scale traditional fishing.
- [Playa Mansita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mansita): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Manzanillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-manzanillo-2): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Marina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-marina): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Mariquita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mariquita): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Mata Buey](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mata-buey): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Matapalito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-matapalito): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Monte del Barco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-monte-del-barco): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Morros](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-morros): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Nance](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-nance): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Nombre de Jesús](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-nombre-de-jesus): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A hidden stretch of fine light sand and turquoise water in the Bahía Pirata area, west of Playa Minas.
- [Playa Papaturro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-papaturro): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Pedregosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pedregosa): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Pedro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pedro): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Penca Palmas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-penca-palmas): Viewpoint, Guanacaste. A viewpoint near Tempate, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa Piñuela](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pinuela): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Pitahaya & Mirador](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pitahaya): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A pristine grey-sand beach with crystal-clear water, cliffs and streams, backed by dry forest full of wildlife near the Río Tabaco.
- [Playa Prieta (Papagayo Peninsula)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-prieta-papagayo): Beach, Guanacaste, free. Another of the stair-access public beaches on the Papagayo Peninsula, tucked between Playa Virador and Playa Huevos.
- [Playa Real](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-real): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small, secluded beach with clear, warm water between Playa Nombre de Jesús and the Bahía Pirata coves.
- [Playa Respingue](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-respingue): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Róbalo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-robalo): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Sombrero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-sombrero): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playa Surco de Piedra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-surco-de-piedra): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A quiet dark-brown sand beach south of Junquillal, with shade trees along the back and a moderate slope into the sea.
- [Playa Toyosa (Mostrencal)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-toyosa-junquillal): Beach, Guanacaste, free. A small beach right next to the Bahía Junquillal refuge with calm, crystal-clear water and shade trees; a few rocks separate it from its neighbor.
- [Playa Venado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-venado): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Playas Coloradas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playas-coloradas): Beach, Guanacaste. A beach in Guanacaste.
- [Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/refugio-de-vida-silvestre-la-flor): Park, Guanacaste. A protected area near La Flor, Rivas province.
- [Rio Negro Hot Springs](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-negro-hot-springs): Swimming spot, Guanacaste. A hot spring near Liberia, Guanacaste province.
- [Sendero Los Patos (Santa Rosa National Park)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-los-patos-santa-rosa): Trail, Guanacaste, about $17. A fairly flat 1 km dry-forest trail near the start of the Playa Naranjo road that ends at a viewpoint over a valley toward the ocean.
- [Villarreal Friday Market](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/feria-villarreal): Local shop, Guanacaste, free. A small local produce market held on Friday mornings at the corner of the soccer field in Villarreal, the Tico town just inland from Tamarindo.
- [Volcán Cacao](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-cacao): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A volcano in Guanacaste, mapped on OpenStreetMap.
- [Volcán Orosilito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-orosilito): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A volcano in Guanacaste, mapped on OpenStreetMap.
- [Volcán Pedregal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/volcan-pedregal): Nature spot, Guanacaste. A volcano in Guanacaste, mapped on OpenStreetMap.
- [Carara National Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/carara-national-park): Trail, Jacó & Herradura, about $11. A transition forest where Costa Rica's dry north meets the humid south, famous for wild scarlet macaws plus trogons, monkeys and agoutis.
- [Orotina fruit stands (fruterías of Coyolar, Route 27)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/fruterias-coyolar-orotina): Local shop, Jacó & Herradura, free. A row of roadside fruterías on Route 27 at Coyolar de Orotina — a town famous for its fruit — where beach traffic pulls over for mangoes, watermelon, pineapple, coconuts and homemade cajetas (milk fudge), with quick food stands alongside.
- [Playa Hermosa (Jacó)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-hermosa-jaco): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. Costa Rica's most consistent heavy beach break, just south of Jacó and a regular stop for international surf contests.
- [Playa Jacó](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-jaco): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. Four kilometers of gray volcanic sand in the beach town closest to San José, with beginner-friendly waves, surf schools along the shore and big Pacific sunsets.
- [Tárcoles Crocodile Bridge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tarcoles-crocodile-bridge): Nature spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. The Route 34 bridge over the Río Tárcoles is a free front-row seat to one of the biggest American crocodile hangouts in the country: dozens of crocs, some 4 m long, sunning on the sandbanks below.
- [Berlin Observation](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/berlin-observation): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura. A viewpoint near San Ramón, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Catarata El Encanto (El Barón, Esparza)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-encanto-el-baron): Waterfall, Jacó & Herradura, about $4. A wide curtain of water pouring about 23 m (75 ft) over a sheer rock wall on the Río Paires, in the dry countryside between Esparza and San Mateo — it looks a lot like a smaller Llanos de Cortés.
- [El Miro Ruins Hike](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-miro-ruins): Trail, Jacó & Herradura, free. A steep 30–40 minute climb above the south end of Jacó to the graffiti-covered shell of an unfinished hilltop building, with the best panorama of Jacó Bay there is.
- [Mirador Jacó (JACÓ letters)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-jaco): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura, free. A roadside lookout on Route 34 at the south end of town, with the big JACÓ letters and a sweeping view over the whole bay: the classic Jacó photo.
- [Peñón de Guacalillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/penon-de-guacalillo): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura, free. A 12-meter (40 ft) cliff of old volcanic rock rising straight out of the dark sand of Playa Guacalillo, north of Tárcoles.
- [Playa Blanca (Punta Leona)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-punta-leona): Swimming spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. A rare white-sand cove on this dark-sand coast, with clear water and rocky points that make it one of the best snorkeling spots near Jacó.
- [Playa Caldera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-caldera): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. The nearest beach to San Mateo and Orotina at the end of Route 27: a lively, no-frills local beach next to the port of Caldera, with vendors selling churchills (shaved ice) and a consistent left-hand beach break that surfers ride at mid to high tide.
- [Playa Esterillos Oeste](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-esterillos-oeste): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A long, quiet stretch of dark sand backed by palms and almond trees, with rocky points, little creeks and big sunsets over the Gulf of Nicoya.
- [Playa Herradura](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-herradura): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A horseshoe bay of dark sand just north of Jacó, tucked between headlands, so the water is far calmer than Jacó's surf.
- [Playa Mantas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mantas): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, about $20. A sheltered cove beside Punta Leona with clear, gentle water: one of the best swimming beaches near Jacó and a weekend favorite of families from San José.
- [Centro Cívico de Jacó (skatepark)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/centro-civico-jaco): Park, Jacó & Herradura, free. Jacó's free community recreation centre, with a skatepark, sports courts and a library, a hangout for local kids away from the beach strip.
- [Crocodile Statue, Tárcoles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cocodrilo-de-tarcoles): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. A crocodile sculpture by the coastal highway at the fishing village of Tárcoles — a fun photo stop that goes with the real crocs under the Tárcoles bridge a few minutes north.
- [Estero Mata de Limón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/estero-mata-de-limon): Nature spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. A calm, mangrove-fringed estuary beside the fishing village of Mata de Limón, next to the port of Caldera.
- [Feria Nacional de la Lapa Roja (Scarlet Macaw Fair), Bijagual de Turrubares](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/feria-lapa-roja-bijagual): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. A free village fair in the hills above Carara National Park celebrating the scarlet macaws of the area: food made with local Turrubares ingredients, talks on wildlife and living alongside it, hands-on workshops, a cacao exhibit, games and races.
- [Hidden Ocean Lookout](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/hidden-ocean-lookout): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura. A viewpoint near Jacó, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Humedal Marino Playa Blanca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-marino-playa-blanca): Nature spot, Jacó & Herradura. A protected marine wetland created in 1994, in the Central Pacific Conservation Area.
- [Isla Herradura (paddle or boat from Playa Herradura)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-herradura): Nature spot, Jacó & Herradura, about $30. A small forested island with an old lighthouse guarding Herradura Bay, between Jacó and Los Sueños.
- [Jacó Farmers Market](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/jaco-farmers-market): Local shop, Jacó & Herradura, free. Jacó's weekly feria: piles of tropical fruit you've never heard of, fresh cheese, tamales, homemade hot sauces and jams.
- [Jacó Street Murals](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/jaco-street-murals): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. Jacó's walls double as an open-air gallery: the local ArtifyJacó project has covered buildings, parking lots and even utility poles with big, colorful murals.
- [La Sirena & Esterillos Oeste Tide Pools](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-sirena-esterillos): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. A bronze mermaid on a rock pedestal off Esterillos Oeste, a local legend ever since a fisherman swore he saw a real one.
- [Laguna Meándrica Trail (Carara)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-meandrica-trail): Trail, Jacó & Herradura, about $11. Carara's quiet northern sector, right by the Tárcoles bridge: a flat forest trail to an old oxbow lagoon of the river, with herons, kingfishers and often macaws.
- [Minas del Aguacate: river pools & old gold mine](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozas-minas-del-aguacate): Swimming spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. River pools and small waterfalls in Aguacate de San Mateo, next to the Mina La Unión — a gold mine from the 1850s whose first 365 m of tunnel were restored by the community.
- [Parque Central de Orotina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-orotina): Park, Jacó & Herradura, free. Orotina's tree-shaded main plaza, with an old octagonal kiosk, monuments to the Cuban patriot José Martí and to the Indigenous king Garabito, and the town church on one side.
- [Parque Johannes Dankers](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-johannes-dankers): Park, Jacó & Herradura, free. A neighborhood park in central Jacó near the beach, with sports courts, paths and a stage for town events — where local families hang out in the afternoon.
- [Parroquia Santo Domingo de Guzmán (Orotina)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-orotina): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. Orotina's parish church, finished in 1905 after construction began in 1893 on land donated by a local landowner.
- [Playa Agujas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-agujas): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A low-key village beach between Punta Leona and Tárcoles, with gentle waves, fishing boats and hardly any tourists: everything busy Jacó isn't.
- [Playa Azul & Tárcoles River Mouth](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tarcoles-river-mouth): Nature spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. Where the Tárcoles River pours into the Gulf of Nicoya: a wide estuary beach with flocks of gulls, pelicans and frigatebirds, fishing boats, and at dusk, pairs of scarlet macaws flying out to roost in the mangroves.
- [Playa Bajamar & the sea caves of Punta del Pacífico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bajamar-punta-del-pacifico): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A long dark-sand beach north of Peñón de Guacalillo, backed by lagoons and a tiny fishing village.
- [Playa Bejuco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bejuco): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A sleepy palm-lined beach village halfway between Jacó and Manuel Antonio.
- [Playa Esterillos Centro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-esterillos-centro): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. The calm middle section of the long Esterillos beach, between the Oeste and Este sides, with a handful of restaurants and cabinas and almost no crowds.
- [Playa Esterillos Este](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-esterillos-este): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A long, wide, palm-backed stretch of gray sand south of Jacó, where you can walk for kilometers and meet only a few surfers and fishermen.
- [Playa Limoncito (paddle-in cove by Punta Leona)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-limoncito): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, about $45. A tiny jungle-backed cove next to Playa Mantas and Punta Leona that people reach by kayak or Hawaiian outrigger canoe from Playa Agujas.
- [Playa Pógeres](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pogeres): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A low-key beach between Tárcoles and Punta Leona, popular with Costa Rican families but rarely crowded, with local seafood spots nearby.
- [Playa Tárcoles](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tarcoles): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. The beach of Tárcoles village, a short drive from the crocodile bridge and the river mouth.
- [Playa Tivives](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tivives): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A dark-sand Pacific beach beside the small fishing village of Tivives, backed by the coastal dry forest of the Tivives Protected Zone, with rocky points, a river mouth and sunsets over the gulf.
- [Puente Colgante Mata de Limón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-colgante-mata-de-limon): Bridge, Jacó & Herradura, free. A pedestrian suspension bridge over the estuary at Mata de Limón, mapped as a footpath next to the village's seafood restaurant.
- [Punta Mala (Playa Hermosa–Punta Mala Wildlife Refuge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-mala-refuge): Nature spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. The western tip of a state wildlife refuge: a wild gray-sand beach under forested headlands, strewn with driftwood, where olive ridley turtles come ashore to nest.
- [View of Playa Hermosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-playa-hermosa): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura, free. A lookout on the south side of the headland between Jacó and Playa Hermosa, looking down the long dark-sand surf beach that hosts international surf contests.
- [Arbol de Hermosa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arbol-de-hermosa): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura. A viewpoint near Jacó, Puntarenas province.
- [Cachimbal Railway Tunnel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tunel-cachimbal): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. An old tunnel of the Pacific Railway (Ferrocarril al Pacífico) in the hills of Cachimbal, near Caldera — a favorite stop on local mountain-bike loops from Salinas and Mata de Limón.
- [Caribou plane photo stop (Esterillos Town Center, Bejuco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/avion-caribou-esterillos): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. A retired De Havilland C-7A Caribou cargo plane (ex-US Air Force) parked as a roadside display at the Esterillos Town Center shops in Bejuco — a quick, quirky photo stop on the Costanera between Jacó and Quepos.
- [Catarata Manantial de Agua Viva](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-manantial-de-agua-viva): Waterfall, Jacó & Herradura. A waterfall near Tárcoles, Puntarenas province.
- [Cuevas Icaco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cuevas-icaco): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Mirador Del Mar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-del-mar): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura. A viewpoint near Parrita, Puntarenas province.
- [Old Railway Bridge over Río Jesús María (La Ceiba)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-ferroviario-rio-jesus-maria): Bridge, Jacó & Herradura, free. A historic Pacific Railway bridge across the Jesús María River near La Ceiba de Orotina, a quiet stop on the country roads between Orotina and Caldera.
- [Pacific lookout above Quebrada Ganado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-alto-quebrada-ganado): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura, free. A viewpoint at about 660 m at the top of the long climb from Quebrada Ganado into the Carara hills, with a view down over the Pacific coast.
- [Peñón de Bajamar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/penon-de-bajamar): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura. A viewpoint near Lagunillas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Balsal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-balsal): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Boca de Barranca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-boca-de-barranca): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Bochinche](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bochinche): Beach, Jacó & Herradura, free. A small, almost empty beach just north of Playa Agujas, on the quiet stretch between Punta Leona and Tárcoles.
- [Playa Caletas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-caletas-2): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Carrizal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carrizal-2): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Carrizal de Bajamar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carrizal-de-bajamar): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Conejo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-conejo): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Doña Ana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-dona-ana): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Escondida](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-escondida): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Fantasia](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-fantasia): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Faro Escondido](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-faro-escondido): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Icaco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-icaco): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Marina Los Sueños](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-marina-los-suenos): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Matapalo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-matapalo-2): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa San Isidro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-san-isidro): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Playa Terciopelo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-terciopelo): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Punta Corralillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-corralillo): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Punta Torre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punta-torre): Beach, Jacó & Herradura. A beach in the Jacó coast.
- [Río Concepción waterfall (Hacienda Vieja, Orotina)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-rio-concepcion): Waterfall, Jacó & Herradura, free. A small forest waterfall on the Concepción River near Hacienda Vieja, in the hills between Orotina and San Mateo, known mostly to local mountain bikers.
- [Río Machuca swimming hole](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-machuca-orotina): Swimming spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. A clear, rocky pool on the Río Machuca just outside Orotina, where locals cool off in the shade of big trees.
- [Ruins of the old church of San Juan de Dios (San Mateo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ruinas-iglesia-san-juan-de-dios): Landmark, Jacó & Herradura, free. The ruined walls of the old church of San Juan de Dios, out in the countryside north of San Mateo — a quiet stop on the back roads toward Esparza.
- [Stone Bridge & river pool, Río Jesús María (San Mateo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puente-de-piedra-rio-jesus-maria): Swimming spot, Jacó & Herradura, free. An old stone bridge over the Jesús María River in the village of Jesús María de San Mateo, with steps down to the riverbank and a pool where locals cool off.
- [Tecolote Cerro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tecolote-cerro): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura. A viewpoint near Macacona, Puntarenas province.
- [Tivives Protective Zone: trail & lookout tower](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/zona-protectora-tivives-mirador): Trail, Jacó & Herradura. Dry coastal forest in the hills between Caldera and Tivives, protected as the Tivives Protective Zone.
- [View of Caldera (Salinas lookout)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-caldera-salinas): Viewpoint, Jacó & Herradura, free. A hilltop lookout at about 160 m above the village of Salinas, looking out over Caldera bay and the port, inside the Tivives Protective Zone.
- [Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monteverde-cloud-forest-reserve): Trail, Monteverde, about $26. The reserve that put Monteverde on the map: moss-dripping trails, a long suspension bridge through the canopy and a real shot at spotting a resplendent quetzal.
- [Curi-Cancha Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/curi-cancha-reserve): Trail, Monteverde, about $20. A private reserve of cloud forest and old pasture that birders swear by: wide, gentle trails, giant strangler figs and good odds of quetzals, agoutis and coatis.
- [Hummingbird Feeders at Café Colibrí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/hummingbird-gallery-cafe): Nature spot, Monteverde, free. Feeders outside a small café by the reserve entrance draw swarms of hummingbirds: violet sabrewings, brilliants and woodstars buzzing inches from your face.
- [Monteverde Cheese Factory Shop](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monteverde-cheese-factory-shop): Local shop, Monteverde, free. The dairy founded by Monteverde's Quaker settlers in 1953 still sells its cheeses at the factory shop, along with ice cream in flavors like coffee, soursop and macadamia.
- [Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/santa-elena-cloud-forest-reserve): Trail, Monteverde, about $16. A community-run reserve, higher and mistier than Monteverde's, whose entry fees support the local high school.
- [Santa Elena Town Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/santa-elena-town-center): Landmark, Monteverde, free. The compact hub of Monteverde life: a small cobbled triangle where the main roads meet, packed with tour desks, cafes, bakeries, a supermarket and the bus stops for the reserves.
- [Bajo del Tigre (Children's Eternal Rainforest)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bajo-del-tigre-trail): Trail, Monteverde, about $19. The walk-in gateway to the Children's Eternal Rainforest, a reserve started with money raised by schoolkids around the world.
- [Caburé Chocolates](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cabure-chocolates): Local shop, Monteverde, free. A family chocolatier in Monteverde making bean-to-bar chocolate and Argentine-style truffles; the café counter makes a sweet stop between hikes.
- [Café Monteverde Coffee Center](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cafe-monteverde-coffee-center): Local shop, Monteverde, free. A cozy coffee bar and shop serving beans from small Monteverde farms, with a giant mosaic coffee-cup sculpture right next to it.
- [CASEM Women's Artisan Cooperative](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/casem-artisan-cooperative): Local shop, Monteverde, free. A non-profit shop run by a cooperative of local women artisans, selling embroidery, wood carvings and forest-themed crafts made around Santa Elena and Monteverde.
- [Cerro Pinocho Viewpoint](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-pinocho): Viewpoint, Monteverde, about $3. A small picnic lookout on a ridge west of Santa Elena with a wide, almost all-round view over the Gulf of Nicoya and the ridges below; reviewers call it one of the best sunset spots around.
- [Cerro Plano Sunset Viewpoint](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-cerro-plano): Viewpoint, Monteverde, free. A roadside lookout in Cerro Plano where the hills fall away toward the Gulf of Nicoya; locals gather here to watch the sun sink into the Pacific haze.
- [El Tigre Waterfalls](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-tigre-waterfalls): Waterfall, Monteverde, about $29. A jungle gorge with several waterfalls and a string of hanging bridges, hiked on a muddy loop across private land; the first fall is the most photogenic.
- [La Ventana Continental Divide Lookout](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-ventana-continental-divide): Viewpoint, Monteverde, about $26. A windy deck right on the Continental Divide inside the Monteverde reserve, looking down the Caribbean slope on one side while the clouds pour over the ridge from the other.
- [Mirador San Luis](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-san-luis): Viewpoint, Monteverde, free. A small platform with benches above the San Luis valley, looking out to the Gulf of Nicoya and the Pacific.
- [Mirador Valle Escondido Preserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-valle-escondido-preserve): Viewpoint, Monteverde. A viewpoint near Monteverde, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Monteverde Orchid Garden](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monteverde-orchid-garden): Nature spot, Monteverde, about $18. A small garden in the middle of Santa Elena with hundreds of orchid species, including some of the tiniest in the world, shown with a magnifying glass on a short guided walk.
- [Monteverde Waterfall (Catarata Los Murciélagos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-los-murcielagos): Waterfall, Monteverde, about $7. A short, steep trail with rustic bridges, right in town, leads to a 10-meter waterfall and a cold pool you're allowed to swim in.
- [San Luis Waterfall (Finca Ecológica San Luis)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-luis-waterfall): Waterfall, Monteverde, about $20. A tall waterfall in the San Luis valley reached on a muddy trail across a private finca; visitors also mention a natural swimming hole, coatis and plenty of birds.
- [Arenal Volcano Lookout beyond Santa Elena Reserve (sunrise pasture)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-volcan-arenal-santa-elena-road): Viewpoint, Monteverde, free. Past the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, the dirt road toward San Gerardo tops out on the continental divide at an open, treeless pasture.
- [Arenal Volcano Roadside Lookout](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/arenal-roadside-lookout): Viewpoint, Monteverde, free. A pull-off north of Santa Elena where Arenal Volcano rises over the cloud-forest ridges on clear mornings; one of the roadside stops with a view on the way to San Gerardo.
- [Catarata Ángel Gabriel (and La Cueva)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-angel-gabriel-and-la-cueva): Waterfall, Monteverde. ~40 m waterfall with river pools; a cave stop on the same trail.
- [Cerro Amigos Summit Hike](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-amigos): Trail, Monteverde, free. At about 1,840 m, the highest point around Monteverde: a steep, free climb up an old service road to a summit of antennas, with views to Arenal Volcano and the Gulf of Nicoya when the clouds part.
- [Cuesta Blanca Sunset Viewpoint (El Milano)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cuesta-blanca-sunset): Viewpoint, Monteverde, free. A ridge-top lookout on the western edge of Santa Elena along Route 606, facing the lowlands of Guanacaste and the Gulf of Nicoya.
- [Ficus Root Bridge (Puente Ficus)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ficus-root-bridge): Nature spot, Monteverde, about $2. A strangler fig whose roots have grown into a living bridge over a little stream, tucked away on a private property near the center of Santa Elena.
- [Micelio Studio & Art Gallery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/micelio-art-gallery): Local shop, Monteverde, free. A small independent art studio and gallery in the middle of Santa Elena, with local paintings and handmade pieces; a calm browse away from the souvenir strip.
- [Mirador Los Olivos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-los-olivos): Viewpoint, Monteverde. A viewpoint near Monteverde, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
- [Monteverde Farmers Market (Feria del Agricultor)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/monteverde-farmers-market): Local shop, Monteverde, free. A small farmers' market at the Monteverde shopping center, next to Banco Popular, with local produce and homemade goods, often cheaper than the supermarket.
- [Reserva Biológica Alberto Manuel Brenes](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-alberto-manuel-brenes): Nature spot, Monteverde. A biological reserve near San Ramón run by the University of Costa Rica, protecting tropical forest.
- [San Gerardo Station (Children's Eternal Rainforest)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-gerardo-station): Park, Monteverde. A field station on a grassy ridge in the northern sector of the Children's Eternal Rainforest, with trails through mossy forest and views over the cloud forest toward the Arenal side; far quieter than the reserves near Santa Elena.
- [San Gerardo Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-gerardo-waterfall): Waterfall, Monteverde. A slender waterfall in cloud forest near the San Gerardo field station of the Children's Eternal Rainforest, reached on a signed path through quiet forest far from the main-reserve crowds.
- [Selvatura Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/selvatura-park): Park, Monteverde. Selvatura is an adventure park and nature centre in Monteverde, in the Cordillera de Tilarán.
- [Giant Ficus Tree (south of the Cheese Factory)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/giant-ficus-tree): Nature spot, Monteverde, free. A huge strangler fig in a patch of woods south of the cheese factory; you can climb a short way up among its buttress roots before the upper section is closed off.
- [Mirador Don Virgilio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-don-virgilio): Viewpoint, Monteverde. A viewpoint near Guacimal, Puntarenas province.
- [Mirador El Callao](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-el-callao): Viewpoint, Monteverde. A viewpoint near Guacimal, Puntarenas province.
- [Plataforma mirador de Altos de San Luis, Monteverde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/plataforma-mirador-de-altos-de-san-luis-monteverde): Viewpoint, Monteverde. A viewpoint near Santa Elena, Puntarenas province.
- [Route 606 Gulf of Nicoya Lookout](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/route-606-gulf-lookout): Viewpoint, Monteverde, free. A pull-off on the winding Route 606 descent from Monteverde, where the mountainside opens up over farmland all the way to the Gulf of Nicoya.
- [Selvatura Hangingbridges](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/selvatura-hangingbridges): Trail, Monteverde. A trail near Tronadora, Guanacaste province.
- [Puntarenas-Paquera Ferry Crossing](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/paquera-ferry-crossing): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula. The car ferry between Puntarenas and Paquera is the classic way onto the southern Nicoya Peninsula, and the crossing is a mini cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya, past green islands and, on late runs, sunsets over the water.
- [Isla Tortuga](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-tortuga): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A palm-fringed island in the Gulf of Nicoya with white sand, clear water for snorkeling and a lookout trail.
- [La Punta Lighthouse & Sunset Point (Puntarenas)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/faro-la-punta-puntarenas): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The very tip of the Puntarenas sand spit: a red-and-white lighthouse over a rock breakwater, a small seafront park with lit walkways and benches, and ferries to Paquera and Playa Naranjo gliding past.
- [Montezuma Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/montezuma-waterfall): Waterfall, Nicoya Peninsula, about $4. A tall jungle waterfall plunging into a big, deep swimming pool, reached by scrambling up the Montezuma riverbed from the edge of town.
- [Ostional Turtle Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/ostional-turtle-beach): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula, about $10. One of the world's most important nesting beaches for olive ridley turtles: during an 'arribada', thousands come ashore over a few nights to lay their eggs.
- [Paseo de los Turistas (Puntarenas seafront)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/paseo-de-los-turistas-puntarenas): Park, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Puntarenas' seafront promenade runs about 3 km along the gulf side of the sand spit: tall palms, seafood restaurants, souvenir stalls and the kiosks where the churchill was born - shaved ice with kola syrup, condensed and powdered milk, topped with ice cream.
- [Playa Carrillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carrillo): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A near-perfect crescent of white sand fringed with coconut palms, with calm water and not a building on the beach — a local favorite just south of Sámara.
- [Playa Guiones](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-guiones): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Nosara's long surf beach: forgiving, consistent waves on a sandy bottom and a green, forested shoreline with no buildings on the sand.
- [Playa Sámara](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-samara): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A reef-sheltered bay with gentle waves, a relaxed Tico village behind it and little Isla Chora offshore — the most family-friendly swimming beach on the peninsula.
- [Playa Santa Teresa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-santa-teresa): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Miles of pale sand, consistent surf and black-rock points — the beach that turned a dirt-road village into the Nicoya Peninsula's surf and yoga capital.
- [ASVO Sea Turtle Hatchery (Montezuma)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/asvo-tortugario-montezuma): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. A volunteer-run hatchery at the north end of Playa Montezuma, where sea turtle nests are protected in a fenced nursery on the sand.
- [Barra Honda National Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/barra-honda-national-park): Trail, Nicoya Peninsula, about $12. A limestone hill riddled with caves above the Tempisque plains: hike up through dry forest to a lookout over the Gulf of Nicoya, or climb down a ladder into Terciopelo Cave with a guide.
- [Cabo Blanco Reserve — Swedish Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cabo-blanco-sendero-sueco): Trail, Nicoya Peninsula, about $14. Costa Rica's first protected area, at the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula: a hilly forest trail with monkeys and coatis drops to a wild, empty beach facing Isla Cabo Blanco and its seabirds.
- [Colonial Church of San Blas (Nicoya)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-blas-church-nicoya): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula, free. One of Costa Rica's oldest churches: thick whitewashed walls rebuilt in the 19th century on a 17th-century parish, with colonial statues and old bells, facing Nicoya's central park.
- [Curú Wildlife Refuge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/curu-wildlife-refuge): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula, about $15. A family-run refuge of dry forest, mangroves and calm bays near Paquera where capuchin, howler and spider monkeys, deer and coatis are easy to spot.
- [El Chorro Waterfall (Playa Cocalito)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-chorro-waterfall): Waterfall, Nicoya Peninsula, free. One of the few waterfalls in Costa Rica that pours straight onto a beach — it spills off a cliff at the north end of Playa Cocalito into the Pacific.
- [Fiestas Cívicas de Cóbano (fairground)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/fiestas-civicas-cobano): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula. For two weeks every February the fairground just outside Cóbano hosts the southern peninsula's biggest local party: Costa Rican bull riding every late afternoon, a tope horse parade through town, decorated ox carts, carnival rides, food stalls and live bands with dancing late into the night, wrapping up with fireworks and marimba.
- [Isla Chora](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-chora): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula, about $10. A forested islet just off Sámara beach, reached by kayak, boat or a strong swim, with a small beach, reef snorkeling and iguanas and pelicans on the rocks.
- [Isla San Lucas (old prison island)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-san-lucas): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula. An uninhabited island in the Gulf of Nicoya that served for decades as one of Costa Rica's most feared prisons and is now a national wildlife refuge.
- [Mal País Tide Pools (Mar Azul)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mal-pais-tide-pools): Swimming spot, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Natural 'hot tubs' carved into the volcanic rock shelf at Mal País: when the sea pulls back, it leaves clear pools full of little fish, some barrel-sized, some big enough to float in.
- [Montezuma Coast Trail (Nicolás Wessberg Reserve)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/montezuma-wessberg-coast-trail): Trail, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A jungle-and-beach path that leaves the north end of Montezuma and runs through the Nicolás Wessberg reserve past rocky coves to Piedra Colorada and on towards Playa Grande.
- [Museo Islita - open-air art village](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-islita): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula. Since the early 2000s Costa Rican artists have been turning tiny Islita into what's billed as the country's only open-air contemporary art museum: house walls, the community hall, the plaza and even tree trunks carry murals, mosaics and carvings - some made to fade with sun and rain.
- [Nicoya Central Park (Parque Recaredo Briceño Arauz)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-central-nicoya): Park, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Nicoya's shaded town square with big trees, walkways and a playground, right next to the colonial San Blas church - a good place to people-watch.
- [Pelada–Guiones Trail & Lookout (Nosara NCA trails)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-pelada-guiones-nosara): Trail, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Nosara's beaches are tied together by about 9 km of forest trails that the Nosara Civic Association protects on some 250 hectares through Guiones, Pelada and Boca Nosara.
- [Piedra Colorada (waterfall and cove)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/piedra-colorada-waterfall): Waterfall, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small stream drops out of the forest onto a pebble cove just north of Montezuma, with colorful rocks in the stream bed and a cool swimming hole.
- [Playa Carmen (Mal País)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carmen): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long surf beach just south of Santa Teresa with a more relaxed feel, forest behind the sand and beginner-friendly waves.
- [Playa Cedros](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cedros-cabuya): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A beach on the stretch of coast between Montezuma and Cabuya, with two well-rated listings on Google (over 250 reviews combined).
- [Playa Cuevas (Playa Los Suecos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cuevas-mal-pais): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small, sheltered cove at the very south end of Mal País, where the road runs out next to the Cabo Blanco reserve.
- [Playa Grande (Montezuma)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-grande-montezuma): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long, nearly empty beach north of Montezuma, reached by a jungle coast trail past rocky coves.
- [Playa Hermosa (Santa Teresa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-hermosa-santa-teresa): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A wide, jungle-backed beach a few minutes north of Santa Teresa with no buildings on the sand and some of the most consistent beginner-friendly waves on the coast.
- [Playa Islita (Punta Islita bay)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-islita): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A horseshoe bay of grey sand tucked behind the rocky cliff of Punta Islita, with a forested islet off the point.
- [Playa Las Manchas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-las-manchas): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A pocket of pale sand and clear water just south of Montezuma, with dark rock points at the ends and forest right behind.
- [Playa Mal País](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mal-pais): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The quieter, rugged southern neighbour of Santa Teresa - a working fishing beach with dark sand, rocky points, tide pools and big sunsets.
- [Playa Montezuma](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-montezuma): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The palm-lined beach of bohemian Montezuma, with rocky coves strung north along a coastal path through the forest.
- [Playa Pelada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pelada): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Nosara's smaller, calmer beach, with rocky points, low-tide pools, shady trees and a blowhole that fires spray around the turn of the tide.
- [Playa Quesera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-quesera-curu): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small cove of dazzling white sand and clear, calm water next to the Curú wildlife refuge, once ranked Costa Rica's best beach by the GoPlaya guide.
- [Playa San Juanillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-san-juanillo): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A tucked-away cove where a thin strip of sand separates two bays - one calm, one with livelier waves - with rock shelves and tide pools at low tide.
- [Puntarenas Cathedral (Sagrado Corazón de Jesús)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catedral-de-puntarenas): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A stone-and-brick church built in 1902 in the middle of the port, unusual for the hot coast with its rough stone walls and square bell tower.
- [Puntarenas Municipal Market & old fishing moorings](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mercado-municipal-puntarenas): Local shop, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The market hall on the calm estuary side of town, with the old port right behind it, where small traditional fishing boats still tie up.
- [Sámara Saturday Market (Feria)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/feria-samara): Local shop, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A tree-shaded Saturday market (7 am to 2 pm) with fresh tropical fruit and vegetables, fish, homemade street food, crafts and live music.
- [Annie's Beach (Playa Palmeras)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/annies-beach-montezuma): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A tiny cove just south of Montezuma, below Soda Típica Las Palmeras, framed by black rocks, palms and green hills.
- [Belén Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-belen-samara): Waterfall, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small waterfall with swimming holes in the hills behind Sámara, about 20 minutes from town.
- [Cabuya Island Cemetery](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cabuya-island-cemetery): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A tiny island off Cabuya used as the village cemetery — at low tide you can walk across the rocks to weathered graves facing the open sea.
- [Cerro Caballito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-caballito-nicoya): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula, about $10. A family-run hill near the village of Caballito, between the Tempisque Bridge and Nicoya.
- [Cerro de la Cruz (Nicoya lookout)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cerro-de-la-cruz-nicoya): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A hilltop cross above the town of Nicoya, about a 40-minute hike up, with panoramic views over the town and the surrounding plains.
- [Cóbano Church and Square](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/iglesia-cobano): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The parish church of the Immaculate Conception in Cóbano, the market town that serves Santa Teresa, Montezuma and Cabuya, with the town park a short walk away.
- [Humedal Riberino Zapandí](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-riberino-zapandi): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. A riverine wetland reserve in Guanacaste, created in 1993.
- [Isla Alcatraz & Isla Tolinga (snorkel channel)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-alcatraz-tolinga): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. Two small islets beside Isla Tortuga with a sheltered channel of clear water between them - a stop for snorkeling and paddleboarding on day trips.
- [Isla de Chira (Gulf of Nicoya)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-de-chira): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. The biggest island in the Gulf of Nicoya and one of the most local trips in Costa Rica: about 3,500 islanders living from fishing, oysters and salt pans, with mangroves covering a quarter of the island.
- [Isla Guayabo pelican colony (seen from the ferry)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-guayabo-pelicanos): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A cliff-sided rock island in the middle of the gulf and the largest of Costa Rica's few brown-pelican nesting colonies, shared with boobies and frigatebirds, and peregrine falcons in winter.
- [Isla Venado (Gulf of Nicoya)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-venado): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. A hilly dry-forest island of about 1,100 people, mostly in fishing villages on the north shore, reached by a short launch through the mangroves.
- [Mal País fishing harbor (Playa Muelle)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/muelle-mal-pais): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Past the last surf hotels, Mal País ends at a small fishing harbor on a little cove: boats heading out for snapper, wahoo and roosterfish, and the departure point for fishing, snorkel and SUP trips into the Cabo Blanco marine area.
- [Mirador Monte Romo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-monte-romo): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula. A viewpoint near Hojancha, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador Puerto Carrillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-puerto-carrillo): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A lookout in the hairpin bend above Playa Carrillo with a postcard view over the palm-fringed crescent and the bay.
- [Montezuma Saturday Beach Market](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/montezuma-beach-market): Local shop, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small Saturday-morning community market by the beach in Montezuma: local produce, homemade bread and sauces, ready-to-eat food and crafts from local artisans, with a laid-back, hippie feel.
- [Nicoya Municipal Market](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mercado-municipal-nicoya): Local shop, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Nicoya's traditional market with farm-fresh produce, household goods and some of the cheapest local lunches in town.
- [Parque Marino del Pacifico](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/parque-marino-del-pacifico): Park, Nicoya Peninsula. A public park near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Agujas Norte](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-agujas-norte): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near San Juanillo, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa Albina](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-albina): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Bajo Negro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bajo-negro): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Balsitas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-balsitas): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Barco Quebrado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-barco-quebrado): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. 'Broken Boat Beach' – a small, quiet beach between Sámara and Garza with soft tan sand, blue water and rocky reef shelves.
- [Playa Barrigona](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-barrigona): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A secluded white-sand beach between Sámara and Nosara, backed by jungle hills and empty most days.
- [Playa Bejuco & Pilas de Bejuco tide pools](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bejuco-nandayure): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A 3.5 km beach between mangrove estuaries, with a lagoon at the mouth of the Río Bejuco that shelters the local fishing boats - buy fish straight from the fishermen and watch pelicans and wood storks.
- [Playa Blanca (Bahía Gigante)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-gigante): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A pale-sand gulf beach in the Gigante area north of Paquera, with almost no waves and green, glassy water.
- [Playa Blanquita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanquita): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Cabo Blanco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cabo-blanco): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Cabuya](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cabuya): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The village beach of Cabuya, near the tip of the peninsula, looking out at the little island just offshore where local fishermen are buried.
- [Playa Calera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-calera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Chira, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Camarita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-camarita): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Manzanillo, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Camarón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-camaron): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Cañablancal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-canablancal): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Chanchera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-chanchera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Playa Manzano, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Chino](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-chino): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Colorada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-colorada): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Coquimba](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coquimba): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Lepanto, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Coto](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coto): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Coyol](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coyol): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Playa Manzano, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Cuajiniquil](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cuajiniquil): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Cuajiniquil, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa Cuchillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cuchillo): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa El Inglés](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-ingles): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Española](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-espanola): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach on the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Garza](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-garza): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A calm, reef-sheltered bay between Sámara and Nosara with a fishing village in the middle, tide pools at the rocky ends and shade from trees along the sand.
- [Playa Guaitilar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-guaitilar): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Hacienda Vieja](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-hacienda-vieja): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Las Viuditas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-las-viuditas): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Playa Las Viuditas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Leña](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lena): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Chira, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Leona](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-leona): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Limón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-limon): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Lisa](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lisa): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Lola](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lola): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Lombricera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lombricera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Lorenza](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lorenza): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Mango (Río Grande de Paquera)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mango-paquera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small, calm gulf beach north of Paquera with smooth dark sand, hardly any waves and a pretty view across the bay - reviewers call it a slice of heaven and great for kids.
- [Playa Manzaillo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-manzaillo): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Manzanillo (Santa Teresa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-manzanillo-santa-teresa): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A quiet mix of white sand, black rock and palms past Playa Hermosa, with clear rock pools between mid and low tide and a wide-open sunset horizon.
- [Playa Manzano](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-manzano): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Playa Manzano, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Margarita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-margarita): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Mora](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-mora): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Muerto](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-muerto): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Nancite, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Nosara (Boca Nosara)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-nosara): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long, peaceful stretch north of Playa Pelada, inside the Ostional refuge, where fishermen still haul their boats up the sand and the Nosara River reaches the sea.
- [Playa Órganos (Paquera)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-organos-paquera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A quiet dark-sand beach on the Gulf of Nicoya side near Paquera, with green hills across the water and lots of room - a calmer alternative to the Pacific surf beaches.
- [Playa Oriente](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-oriente): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Lepanto, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Pájaros (Paquera)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pajaros-paquera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small, sheltered gulf beach north of Paquera with very calm water and hardly any waves - reviewers call it safe for kids.
- [Playa Palomo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-palomo): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Pilitas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pilitas): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Pleito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pleito): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Cuajiniquil, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa Pochote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pochote): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long, clean gulf-side beach at the northern end of Bahía Ballena, next to the small town of Pochote, with a campground just behind it.
- [Playa Pradera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pradera): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Punta Blanca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-punta-blanca): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Playa Punta Blanca, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Quizales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-quizales): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Cóbano, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Roble](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-roble): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Chira, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Rosario](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-rosario): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Cuajiniquil, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa San Miguel](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-san-miguel): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Miles of fine grey sand with hardly anyone on them - just scattered vacation homes, a granite headland to poke around and huge skies at sunset.
- [Playa Sontolar](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-sontolar): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Paquera, Puntarenas province.
- [Playa Sueños](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-suenos-santa-teresa): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A wide, clean stretch of white sand between Playa Carmen and central Santa Teresa with shade trees along the back.
- [Playa Tambor](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tambor): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A wide, calm crescent of gulf-side sand beside the small town of Tambor, with room for long walks and thin crowds outside the resort stretch.
- [Playa Tumbabote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tumbabote): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach near Puntarenas, Puntarenas province.
- [Pozas La Florida (La Florida falls and pools)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/pozas-la-florida): Swimming spot, Nicoya Peninsula, about $4. A string of small waterfalls and swimming pools on a river in the farm country of La Florida, inland from Montezuma.
- [Puntarenas Estuary & Mangroves](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/estero-de-puntarenas): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. Behind the town, on the calm side of the sand spit, a protected mangrove estuary stretches for miles along the coast.
- [Puntarenas History Museum & Casa de la Cultura (old barracks)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/museo-historico-puntarenas): Landmark, Nicoya Peninsula. The port's old barracks - a sand-coloured building with crenellated walls - now hold the city's history museum: art exhibitions, displays on the first Indigenous settlements, the story of the port and the gulf's wildlife.
- [Reserva Biológica Isla Pájaros](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-isla-pajaros): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. A small island biological reserve created in 1976, in the Central Pacific Conservation Area.
- [Reserva Biológica Islas Negritos](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-islas-negritos): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. Two islands in the Gulf of Nicoya, protected as a reserve for seasonal migratory birds.
- [Reserva Biológica Nosara (river mouth and tide flats)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-nosara): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. Where the Nosara River meets the Pacific: rocky tide flats and tide pools, a sandbar river mouth and plenty of pelicans, terns and shorebirds.
- [Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-natural-absoluta-cabo-blanco): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula. Cabo Blanco, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, protects about 12.7 km² of land and 17.9 km² of sea.
- [Reserva Natural Monte Alto (Hojancha)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-monte-alto-hojancha): Trail, Nicoya Peninsula, about $5. A community-run forest reserve in the hills south of Hojancha, started in 1994 when locals bought land to bring back the springs of the Nosara River.
- [Tambor coast path to the 'Jesus Tree' (Arbolito Solitario)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/tambor-arbolito-solitario): Trail, Nicoya Peninsula, free. From Tambor's fishing pier a footpath wraps south around the rocky shore - past a little neighbourhood of fishermen and artisans, under big old trees where monkeys hang out - to a lone red mangrove growing out of the rocks in the sea.
- [Cangrejal Tide Pools (west of Sámara)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cangrejal-tide-pools-samara): Nature spot, Nicoya Peninsula, free. Rocky shoreline at the west end of Sámara bay where low tide uncovers pools with crabs, puffer fish, wading birds and, reportedly, moray eels.
- [Islita overlook (Corozalito-Islita road)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-vista-islita): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula, free. On the steep, hairpin road between Corozalito and Islita the jungle opens over Islita bay, and from the hilltops here the coastline runs south as far as Mal País.
- [Mirador Nacaome](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-nacaome): Viewpoint, Nicoya Peninsula. A viewpoint near Mansión, Guanacaste province.
- [Playa Angostura](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-angostura): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Arío](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ario): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long, wild beach north of Manzanillo inside the Caletas-Arío wildlife refuge, where sea turtles come ashore to nest and conservation volunteers work nearby.
- [Playa Barrigona](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-barrigona-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Bellavista](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bellavista): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Blanca](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Bonita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bonita): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Buena Vista](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-buena-vista-samara): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long, wild beach just west of Sámara with river mouths and mangroves at both ends — great for empty walks, birding and wide sunsets.
- [Playa Caletas (Caletas-Arío refuge)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-caletas): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A remote beach on the open Pacific between Manzanillo and Coyote, protected as part of the Caletas-Arío national wildlife refuge - a place for a long, quiet walk rather than a swim.
- [Playa Camaronal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-camaronal): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A long, wild beach south of Sámara inside the Camaronal wildlife refuge, where sea turtles nest in the wetter months.
- [Playa Chacarita](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-chacarita): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coco-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Coronado](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coronado): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Corozalito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-corozalito): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A quiet turtle-nesting beach south of Sámara, near the little village of Corozalito, far from the tour routes.
- [Playa Coyote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-coyote): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A huge, almost deserted beach on the remote south coast of the peninsula, split by a mangrove river and backed by farms and forest.
- [Playa El Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-coco-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa El Coco](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-coco): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Gigante (Bahía Gigante)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-bahia-gigante): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. The beach of Gigante, an old fishing village on the Gulf of Nicoya surrounded by forested hills, with the remains of an old pier.
- [Playa Jícaro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-jicaro): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Lagarterito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lagarterito): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Lagartero](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-lagartero): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Langosta](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-langosta-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Las Playitas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-las-playitas): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Los Muertos (Pochote)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-los-muertos-pochote): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula, free. A small gulf-side beach just east of Pochote, beside the Los Vivos beachfront hotel.
- [Playa Naranjo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-naranjo-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Negra](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-negra-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Panamá](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-panama-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Pavones](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pavones-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Pencal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pencal): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Pencal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pencal-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Pochote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pochote-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Pochote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pochote-3): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Tamarindo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tamarindo-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Torres](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-torres): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Playa Ventanas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-ventanas-2): Beach, Nicoya Peninsula. A beach in the Nicoya Peninsula.
- [Río Lajas mouth & lagoon (Cabuya)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-lajas-cabuya): Swimming spot, Nicoya Peninsula, free. North of Cabuya village the Río Lajas meets the sea and backs up into a calm lagoon - a cool dip away from the waves.
- [Corcovado National Park (Sirena Station)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/corcovado-national-park): Park, Osa Peninsula, about $15. The wild heart of the Osa: lowland rainforest running down to about 46 km of empty Pacific beach, home to all four Costa Rican monkeys, scarlet macaws and Baird's tapirs.
- [Drake Bay Coastal Trail](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/drake-bay-coastal-trail): Trail, Osa Peninsula, free. A free public path that hugs the coast from Agujitas past Cocalito and Río Claro to Playa San Josecito: about 6 km of hidden coves, suspension bridges, capuchins and scarlet macaws.
- [Drake Bay Village Beach](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/drake-bay-village-beach): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The curving bay in front of Agujitas village, where the dive boats and Corcovado shuttles come and go.
- [Finca 6 Stone Spheres](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-6-stone-spheres): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, about $7. The one place where you can see the mysterious pre-Columbian stone spheres of the Diquís still lying where they were set, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- [Isla del Caño Biological Reserve](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-del-cano-reserve): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula, about $20. A forested island 16 km off the Osa coast, protected as a biological reserve: coral beds, turtles, rays and dolphins under the surface, whales in season, and pre-Columbian stone spheres on the island itself.
- [Playa San Josecito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-san-josecito): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A long, palm-backed beach at the end of the Drake coastal trail, with calm water and good snorkeling off the rocks.
- [Sierpe Riverfront](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sierpe-river-dock): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. The riverside village where boats leave for Drake Bay through the Térraba-Sierpe mangroves, one of the largest in Central America.
- [Agujitas Village (Drake Bay)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/agujitas-village-drake-bay): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. The small village that is Drake Bay's main town: a football pitch, a church, sodas and tour operators strung along a dirt road facing the bay, where boats, lodges and Corcovado tours begin.
- [Carate to La Leona Beach Walk](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/carate-la-leona-beach-walk): Trail, Osa Peninsula, free. The classic southern approach to Corcovado: a flat 3.5 to 4 km stroll along the beach from the Carate airstrip to La Leona ranger station, with the jungle on one side and the Pacific on the other.
- [Golfito Duty-Free Zone (Depósito Libre)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/golfito-duty-free-zone): Local shop, Osa Peninsula, free. Costa Rica's famous duty-free shopping complex, opened to revive the town after the banana company left: still a magnet for Costa Ricans hunting appliances, electronics and other bargains.
- [Golfito Waterfront and Old Banana Pier](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/golfito-waterfront-old-pier): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A stroll along Golfito's bay front, where the old banana-company piers still run out into the Golfo Dulce and forested hills drop straight into calm water: one of the prettiest sunsets in the south.
- [Golfo Dulce Dolphin and Whale Waters](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/golfo-dulce-dolphin-waters): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula, about $60. The warm, sheltered Golfo Dulce, where dolphins are a regular sight and humpback whales come to give birth; boat trips run from Puerto Jiménez and Golfito.
- [King Louis Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/king-louis-waterfall): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula, free. A tall jungle waterfall hidden behind Playa Matapalo at the tip of the Osa, reached by a short, steep trail from the end of the beach road.
- [Playa Carate](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-carate): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The end of the road on the Osa: a long, wild beach where scarlet macaws feed in the almond trees and the La Leona entrance to Corcovado is a beach walk away.
- [Playa Cocalito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cocalito): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The first cove on the Drake coastal trail, about half an hour's walk from the village: a small pocket of sand with a creek, jungle on all sides and rock pools at either end.
- [Playa Matapalo (Backwash Bay)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-matapalo-osa): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The wild southern tip of the Osa, where long right-hand point breaks peel along black rocks and old almond trees.
- [Playa Pan Dulce](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pan-dulce): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The first beach on the Matapalo road, with gentle beginner waves on a rocky point and jungle running right down to the sand.
- [Playa Pavones](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-pavones): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The long grey-sand beach of Pavones, a remote surf town at the southern end of Costa Rica's Pacific coast, famous for a big, heavy point break and with smaller beach breaks for beginners.
- [Playa Platanares (Preciosa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-platanares): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A long, often empty stretch of sand just south of Puerto Jiménez that runs on into Playa Preciosa: great for a swim, a sunrise walk and spotting macaws in the beach almond trees.
- [Playa Zancudo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-zancudo): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A long, narrow sand spit between the Golfo Dulce and a mangrove estuary: a six-mile beach sheltered from the biggest Pacific swells, with a laid-back village of Tico bars and sportfishing boats.
- [Puerto Jiménez Pier](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puerto-jimenez-pier): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula, free. Puerto Jiménez faces east across Golfo Dulce, so the town pier is the spot for sunrise over the gulf and the Golfito hills.
- [Puerto Jiménez Town Beach (to the Platanares estuary)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/puerto-jimenez-town-beach): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The calm bay beach right at the edge of town, lined with mangroves and coconut palms.
- [Restaurante La Oruga](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/restaurante-la-oruga): Landmark, Osa Peninsula. Community-run, women-led restaurant inside a giant recycled caterpillar.
- [Río Claro River Mouth](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-claro-drake): Swimming spot, Osa Peninsula, free. Where the clear Río Claro meets the Pacific on the coastal trail: a natural rest stop where hikers cool off in fresh water before the last stretch to San Josecito.
- [San Pedrillo Waterfall (Corcovado)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-pedrillo-waterfall): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula, about $15. A waterfall with a deep swimming hole a short walk from San Pedrillo ranger station, the closest Corcovado entrance to Drake Bay; a cool reward after the coastal walk or boat ride.
- [Sendero El Tigre (Dos Brazos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sendero-el-tigre-dos-brazos): Trail, Osa Peninsula, about $60. The easiest way into Corcovado as a day trip: an 8 km loop that starts at the village of Dos Brazos, climbs through primary forest with monkeys and birds and takes 6 to 8 hours, with the permit and guide arranged by the village tourism office.
- [Térraba-Sierpe Mangroves (Boca Sierpe)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/terraba-sierpe-mangroves): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula, about $20. The huge tidal mangrove wetland (a Ramsar site) that the public boats between Sierpe and Drake Bay glide through; look for crocodiles, herons, kingfishers and monkeys along the banks before the river opens to the sea at Boca Sierpe.
- [Wilson Botanical Garden (Las Cruces)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/wilson-botanical-garden): Park, Osa Peninsula, about $15. A mountain botanical garden above San Vito started by Robert and Catherine Wilson and now run by the Organization for Tropical Studies, with garden collections plus a 270-hectare forest fragment for birdwatching.
- [Bonanza Waterfall (Dos Brazos)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/bonanza-waterfall-dos-brazos): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula, free. Waterfalls tucked into the old gold-mining hills around Dos Brazos del Río Tigre, a village-run tourism area at the edge of Corcovado that also offers a natural swimming hole (El Salto), gold-panning tours and horseback rides.
- [Boruca Community Museum](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/boruca-community-museum): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A small community museum in the Boruca indigenous reserve, a village famed for its painted balsa-wood masks and for the winter Danza de los Diablitos, which retells the Boruca resistance to the Spanish.
- [Cabo Matapalo (Tip of the Osa)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cabo-matapalo-lighthouse): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. The southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, marked by a small navigation light: secluded and wild, with three surf breaks, pristine beaches, monkeys and waterfalls close to Corcovado and Isla del Caño.
- [Dos Brazos del Río Tigre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/dos-brazos-rio-tigre): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A tiny former gold-mining village on the Río Tigre at the edge of Corcovado, where some locals still pan for gold and the riverside forest is full of birds.
- [Drake Bay Hanging Footbridges](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/drake-bay-hanging-footbridges): Bridge, Osa Peninsula, free. Drake Bay's many rivers and estuaries are crossed by swaying plank-and-cable footbridges, and the coastal path south of Agujitas starts over one at the Río Agujitas: part of the adventure of getting around.
- [Finca Las Cascadas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/finca-las-cascadas): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. Private family farm: 30-40 min old-growth forest walk to secluded falls and pools; cake and coffee after.
- [Humedal De San Vito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-de-san-vito): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A protected wetland near San Vito created in 1994.
- [Humedal Lacustrino Laguna del Paraguas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-lacustrino-laguna-del-paraguas): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A protected lake wetland created in 1994, in the Pacific La Amistad Conservation Area.
- [Humedal Térraba Sierpe](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/humedal-terraba-sierpe): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A protected natural area near Palmar, Puntarenas province.
- [La Amistad International Park (Altamira sector)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-amistad-altamira): Park, Osa Peninsula, about $10. Central America's largest protected wilderness, shared with Panama and a UNESCO World Heritage site: cloud forest and Talamanca ridges, reached on the Pacific-slope side from the Altamira ranger station near Biolley.
- [La Gamba Village and Tropical Field Station](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/la-gamba-field-station): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. The gateway to Piedras Blancas National Park: a small village in the wet Esquinas rainforest, where an Austrian-run tropical field station draws birders and nature travelers to forest trails and a quiet community atmosphere.
- [Los Patos Ranger Station (Corcovado)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-patos-ranger-station-corcovado): Trail, Osa Peninsula. Corcovado's inland ranger station on the eastern edge of the park, in the hills above La Palma.
- [Los Planes (Drake Bay highlands)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/los-planes-drake): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A small rainforest farming village in the hills about 5 km from Agujitas, good for jungle hikes, horseback rides and natural pools away from the coast; the Naguala waterfall is nearby.
- [Mirador La Torre Cerro Adams](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-la-torre-cerro-adams): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A viewpoint near Golfito, Costa Rica.
- [Mirador Picnic on the Las Torres road (Cerro Adams), Golfito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/golfito-mirador-picnic-las-torres): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula, free. The gravel road that climbs from Golfito toward the radio towers on Cerro Adams ('Las Torres') has several pull-offs with sweeping views over Golfito bay, the Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula on the horizon; this one has room to sit down for a picnic.
- [Naguala Waterfall (Los Planes)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/naguala-waterfall): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula, free. A jungle waterfall with natural pools in the hills above Drake Bay; you walk or ride in from the Los Planes side, cool off in the pools and some local families serve lunch nearby.
- [Old United Fruit Company Train (Golfito)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/golfito-old-banana-train): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A rusting steam locomotive from the United Fruit Company railway, left in town as a reminder of the banana boom that built Golfito and its big pier.
- [Palmar Sur Spheres Park](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/palmar-sur-spheres-park): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A free little park beside the Palmar Sur airstrip with genuine Diquís stone spheres on display, plus an old Baldwin steam locomotive from the banana railway parked next door.
- [Piedras Blancas National Park (La Gamba entrance)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/piedras-blancas-national-park): Park, Osa Peninsula, about $10. A big, rarely visited block of Golfo Dulce rainforest (the old Esquinas sector of Corcovado) crossed by the Esquinas and Piedras Blancas rivers, with scarlet macaws, toucans and more than 300 bird species and almost no other visitors.
- [Playa Banco (Punta Banco)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-banco-punta-banco): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. The dark-sand beach of Punta Banco, Pavones' quieter sister at the very south of Costa Rica's Pacific coast: palms, jungle, a surf-town feel and almost nobody else.
- [Playa Blanca (La Palma)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-blanca-la-palma): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A low-key Golfo Dulce beach at the east end of La Palma, where Tico families come on weekends; the gulf is usually far calmer than the open Pacific.
- [Playa Cacao](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-cacao-golfito): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. Golfito's local beach across the bay from town, with a few small restaurants and bars and views over the Golfo Dulce.
- [Playa Las Caletas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-las-caletas): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A tiny, quiet cove further along the Drake trail past Cocalito, with clear water over rocks that makes for a good snorkel when the sea is flat.
- [Playa Piro](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-piro): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A wild, rarely visited beach on the road to Carate where the Río Piro meets the Pacific.
- [Playa Rincón (Rincón de San Josecito, Drake coast)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-rincon-san-josecito): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A secluded palm-lined beach at the tiny hamlet of Rincón de San Josecito, just south of Playa San Josecito on the Drake Bay coastal trail.
- [Playa Sombrero (Cabo Matapalo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-sombrero-osa): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. A wild gray-sand beach on the Golfo Dulce side of Cabo Matapalo, where a river mouth shapes gentle right- and left-hand waves that beginner and intermediate surfers ride for a long time.
- [Reserva biológica del Bicentenario de la República-Pájaro Campana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-biologica-del-bicentenario-de-la-republica): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A biological reserve in Coto Brus canton, Puntarenas.
- [Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-golfo-dulce): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A forest reserve created in 1975, managed by the Osa Conservation Area.
- [Río Rincón Bridge](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-rincon-bridge): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula, free. A plain highway bridge that birders cross continents for: at first light, rare yellow-billed cotingas, found almost nowhere else, perch in the treetops where mangrove meets rainforest.
- [San Vito (Italian Colony Town)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/san-vito-italian-town): Landmark, Osa Peninsula, free. A cool highland coffee town founded in 1952 by Italian settlers, where Italian is still taught in schools; a pleasant plaza stop and the base for the Wilson Botanical Garden and La Amistad International Park.
- [Cacique](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cacique): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Puerto Jiménez, Puntarenas province.
- [Cascada La Amenaza](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-la-amenaza): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Cerro Punta, Chiriquí province.
- [Cascada Pittier](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cascada-pittier): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Pittier, Puntarenas province.
- [Catarata de Olán](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-de-olan): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Cabagra, Puntarenas province.
- [Catarata el Secreto](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-secreto): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Buenos Aires, Puntarenas province.
- [Catarata El Sitio](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-el-sitio): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Buenos Aires, Puntarenas province.
- [Catarata Kligu](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/catarata-kligu): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Cataratas Los Chorros de Buenos Aires](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cataratas-los-chorros-de-buenos-aires): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Buenos Aires, Puntarenas province.
- [Cueva Lenin](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cueva-lenin): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A cave near Gómez, Chiriquí province.
- [Cueva Portón](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/cueva-porton): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A cave near Gómez, Chiriquí province.
- [Drake Bay Waterfall](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/drake-bay-waterfall): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A viewpoint near Agujitas de Drake, Puntarenas province.
- [El Mirador de la Turbera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-mirador-de-la-turbera): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A viewpoint near Telire, Limón province.
- [El Retoño](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/el-retono): Trail, Osa Peninsula. A trail near Cerro Punta, Chiriquí province.
- [Gottogo Lookout (Dos Brazos del Río Tigre)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/gottogo-lookout-dos-brazos): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula, free. A hilltop clearing on the old gold-miners' trails above Dos Brazos del Río Tigre, with the Golfo Dulce on one side and the forest of Corcovado on the other.
- [Isla Pelícano (Golfito)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/isla-pelicano-golfito): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A small wooded islet with a strip of beach just off the southern shore of Golfito, a classic paddle-board or kayak outing over the usually mirror-flat water of the gulf; dolphins sometimes swim right past the boards.
- [Laguna Pejeperrito (Carate)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/laguna-pejeperrito-carate): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. A still, mirror-like lagoon behind the coast near Carate, next to the Pejeperro wildlife refuge.
- [Lower Cascade](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/lower-cascade): Waterfall, Osa Peninsula. A waterfall near Nueva California, Chiriquí province.
- [Mirador de La Cascada](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-la-cascada): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A viewpoint near Cerro Punta, Chiriquí province.
- [Mirador de La Nevera](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-de-la-nevera): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A viewpoint near Cerro Punta, Chiriquí province.
- [Mirador del Muelle](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/mirador-del-muelle): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A viewpoint near Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí province.
- [Panama Verde](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/panama-verde): Trail, Osa Peninsula. A trail near Cerro Punta, Chiriquí province.
- [Playa Danta](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-danta-2): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa El Atrocho](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-el-atrocho): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Gallardo](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-gallardo): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Gitana](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-gitana): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Isidora](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-isidora): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Langostino](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-langostino): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Llorona](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-llorona): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Madrigal](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-madrigal): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Matapalito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-matapalito-2): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Preciosa (Ciénaga)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-preciosa-cienaga): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa San Josecito](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-san-josecito-2): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Tamales](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tamales-osa): Beach, Osa Peninsula, free. One of the least developed beaches on the gulf side of the Osa, on the 'horn' of the peninsula between Puerto Jiménez and Cabo Matapalo, looking across the Golfo Dulce.
- [Playa Tigre](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-tigre): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Violín](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-violin): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Playa Zapote](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/playa-zapote): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.
- [Propiedad Patrocinio Vargas](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/propiedad-patrocinio-vargas): Park, Osa Peninsula. A protected area near Laurel, Puntarenas province.
- [Punto de snorkel en Bahía Drake](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/punto-de-snorkel-en-bahia-drake): Viewpoint, Osa Peninsula. A snorkelling spot near Agujitas de Drake, Puntarenas province.
- [Rancho Quemado (gold-panning and sugarcane village)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rancho-quemado-village): Landmark, Osa Peninsula. A farming village in the hills between Rincón and Drake Bay where former gold miners now host visitors: pan for gold in a creek, watch sugarcane juice boiled into tapa dulce at a family trapiche, ride horses to the Cinta Blanca waterfall at the edge of Corcovado, and birdwatch at a private lagoon.
- [Reserva Forestal de Barú](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/reserva-forestal-de-baru): Park, Osa Peninsula. A protected area near Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí province.
- [Río Coto Mangroves (Zancudo)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/rio-coto-mangroves-zancudo): Nature spot, Osa Peninsula. The mangrove forest where the Río Coto Colorado meets the Golfo Dulce, at the northern tip of the Zancudo peninsula.
- [Sábalo Waterfall Trail (Sábalo de Sierpe)](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/sabalo-sierpe-waterfall-trail): Trail, Osa Peninsula. From the soccer field of Sábalo, a hamlet near the mouth of the Sierpe River, a 30-minute forest trail with a few stream crossings leads to a two-tier waterfall.
- [Salsipuedes](https://puravidapass.online/guide/spot/salsipuedes): Beach, Osa Peninsula. A beach in the Osa Peninsula.

## Optional
- [Everything in one document](https://puravidapass.online/llms-full.txt): all places and spots with details and sources
- [Guía en español](https://puravidapass.online/es/guide): the same guide in Spanish
- [Sitemap](https://puravidapass.online/sitemap.xml)