A country · 88 places · 7 regions

Costa Rica, all of it.

88 curated places across 7 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Arenal Volcano · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Puntarenas Province, Guanacaste Province, San José Province and Cartago Province — read below as chapters, with 3 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Puntarenas Province · 18 places

Puntarenas Province

Perched along the continental divide at roughly 1,400–1,800 metres, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve sustains a perpetually mist-shrouded canopy that shelters an extraordinary concentration of orchids, bromeliads, and resplendent quetzals. The reserve encompasses around 10,500 hectares of primary and secondary forest laced with well-maintained trails. Early morning light filtering through the dense fog creates atmospheric conditions prized by wildlife photographers.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica

✦ December to April · $$

Manuel Antonio National Park

Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica

✦ December to April · $$

Corcovado National Park

Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica

✦ December to April · $$

All 18 places in Puntarenas Province →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Guanacaste Province · 15 places

Guanacaste Province

The Nicoya Peninsula extends roughly 130 kilometres into the Pacific off northwestern Costa Rica, encompassing a series of diverse beach towns and protected coves separated by rocky headlands and dry tropical forest. Surf breaks at Santa Teresa and Nosara draw international boarders, while the peninsula's interior communities are part of one of the world's designated Blue Zones, associated with exceptional longevity among local residents.

✦ November to April · $$

Meet Nicoya Peninsula All 15 places in Guanacaste Province →

Chapter III · San José Province · 12 places

San José Province

Costa Rica's capital rewards a day or two with the gilded Teatro Nacional, pre-Columbian gold and jade museums, and the buzzing Central Market. Barrio Escalante has grown into the country's most interesting food and craft-beer district. Most itineraries pass through, and the mild Central Valley climate makes walking pleasant year-round.

San José, Costa Rica

San José Province, Costa Rica

✦ December to April for dry days; the city stays mild all year · $$

Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica

San José Province, Costa Rica

✦ Year-round · $$

Jade Museum

San José Province, Costa Rica

✦ December-April · $

All 12 places in San José Province →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Cartago Province · 11 places

Cartago Province

Costa Rica's highest volcano, whose summit road makes it one of the easiest big craters to visit in the country. The main crater holds an intermittent mineral lake that shifts between green and rust tones. On rare crystal-clear mornings both the Caribbean and the Pacific are visible from the top.

✦ December to April, arriving before the mid-morning clouds · $

Meet Irazú Volcano All 11 places in Cartago Province →