Visit Monteverde

The Arenal volcano, hot springs and hanging bridges through the rainforest.

The gateway to Manuel Antonio: sloths and capuchins on the beach in the smallest national park.

Guanacaste's surf town, with leatherback turtles nesting at Playa Grande next door.

Misty canopy alive with wildlife.

Rainforest meeting beach, full of monkeys.

The Osa Peninsula park National Geographic called the most biologically intense place on Earth — tapirs, scarlet macaws and all four Costa Rican monkeys.

Visit Limon, the capital of Limón Province on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. Explore the vibrant Afro-Caribbean culture at the Parque Vargas (seaside park with historic bandstand and tropical gardens), sample traditional dishes like rice and beans with coconut milk at the Mercado Municipal, and stroll along the Playa Bonita (black-sand beach popular for surfing and sunsets). Don't miss the annual Carnaval de Limón in October, a lively celebration with music, dance, and parades.

Afro-Caribbean reggae, coconut rice and the Salsa Brava wave on the Caribbean coast.