Last updated: 13. December 2021
Most people think about beautiful beaches when they heat Costa Rica. They’re not wrong, but the country has a lot to offer in the the height as well.
San Jose, the capitol, is situated in the middle of the country at 3845 ft. From here the possebileties to explore mountains and volcanos are vast.
There are several volcanos in Costa Rica. Six of them has been active the past 75 years.
Arenal is the most famous. I’st’s been active from 1968 to 2010. Not long ago, you could see lava spitting from the top. Even tough the lava is not visible, Areanal is still quite spectacular.
Even tough the volcano has been active the past years, this can change any time. For your own security, get to know the routines if it starts spitting lava again. There’s a warning system with alarms sounding if this happens. Be sure you follow the guidelines if it goes of.
There are several trails on, and around the volcano. For a great view of Arenal, we suggest the trail called los miradores (translated; the viewpoints) for best photo ops.
The area around the volcano is influenced by the mineral rich soil. Fauna and wildlife is unique, plus the hot springs surrounding the mountain is a ‘must’ to explore.
If you’re traveling on a budget, there’s an free option. If you wan’t a more secluded experience, we recommend the Ecotermales. They offer a true natural hot spring, with a great balance between luxurious and natural surroundings.
Hot springs apparently has a lot of health benefits as well. The water has a perfect balance of minerals such as calsium, magnesium and bicarbonates.
La fortuna is the closest town to Areanal. You get all you need in this cozy volcano village. If you’re into good coffee, check out Arabigos Coffee House.
There are plenty of places to stay in La Fortuna. Selina is a cool place to hang out. They also offers accommodations in large varieties of price- ranges. AirBnb usually has a lot of great options as well.
You can get to La Fortuna with car and bus. The ride is about three hours from San José. There’s a flight route with daily departures communing from the capitol as well as Manuel Antonio.
If you’re an adventures type, this is the area for you. Rapelling- tours, zip- lines, bungee jump, mountain biking, you name it. There are several agencies offering these type of tours. Selina also has a full catalogue of exiting activities in the area.
Monteverde is another famous mountainous area. The beautiful landscape has an unique biodiversity. Cloud forests are famous in Monteverde, and a must explore. The micro-climate is like no other place on earth.
From San José it takes two and a half hour to drive. A bus takes about four and a half hours. If you’re coming from Santa Teresa it takes about four and half hours with car. It can take more than 9 hours with public transport. A shuttle bus will take you there in approximately 5 hours.
In Parqueo de tigre they offer some of the Costa Ricas most fantastic tours. You’ll get to see some of the most majestic waterfalls. Parts of the trip is done on the horseback. Tough the name suggest there’s tigers in the park, they only exist in Asia. However, there are plenty of other exotic animals you’re likely to see.
During the 50’s a group of quakers, avoiding getting drafted to the Korean war, moved to Monteverde. They chose the spot because the climate suited their cow- and dairy production. Therefore the area is, until this day, famous for their dairy products such as cheese and ice Cream. A lot of the locals has more American and European names here as well.
To get most out of your time i Costa Rica we highly recommend taking som times in the mountains areas as well as hanging out by the beach. If you like vacations with various options, this is the place for you.