Costa Rica gained fame as a natural destination with incredible wildlife watching in the rain forests and cloud forests of its national parks and wildlife refuges.  As tourism grew international resorts began sprouting on the amazing beaches of the Guanacaste coast and the number of visitors surged along with activities and adventures to entertain them.

Our Favorite Activities, Tours & Adventures in Costa Rica

Canopy Zip Lines – commercial zip-line tours may have been invented in Costa Rica and now they come in dozens of sizes and configurations including the latest zip-rail treetop roller coaster
Walking, Hiking and Trekking – guided nature walks on semi-paved trails to multi-night treks through the jungle and everything in between

Whitewater Rafting & Inner Tubing – the water is warm and the rain forest full of wildlife – rafting and tubing in Costa Rica are like nowhere else

Waterfall Rappelling & Canyoneering – no experience necessary on waterfall rappelling tours…you just have to be willing to step off the edge into the abyss

Suspension Bridge Canopy Tours (Puentes Colgantes) – hanging bridges through the treetops of Costa Rica’s rain and cloud forests are the best way to spot wildlife where it spends most of it’s time, in the canopy

Hot Springs & Spas – from a sandy bottomed pool 6 km up a rugged trail in a national park to the most luxurious private spas

Coffee Tours – coffee is an integral part of the country’s culture and identity and a tour to see coffee growing & picking, processing, and of course cupping (tasting) gives a sense of the real Costa Rica

Calm Water Canoeing & Kayaking – one of the best ways to see wildlife on the water trails, or in the wetlands or mangrove estuaries and surprisingly easy to learn and do even for first timers

Snorkeling & Scuba – snorkeling from a sailboat, catamaran or kayak is popular but there are a few spots where you can walk out from the beach

Surfing, SUP and Boogie Boards – waves are in unlimited supply and whether you’re trying out the new stand up paddle board craze or on an old school stick they just keep rolling in

Mountain Biking – rides down the volcanoes are the most popular for obvious reasons but there’s no shortage of dirt roads and single track all over Costa Rica

Motorsports – ATVs, motorcycles and jetskis for those who don’t want to pedal or paddle

Now that you’re ready an answer to “what to do?” take a look at the top ten destinations or the list of Costa Rica’s best kept secrets to answer the question “where?”  That just leaves “when?” which you can find on the best time to visit Costa Rica.

For a balanced diet of fun in Costa Rica choose from the adventure pyramid!