Costa Rica：The Thrill-Seekers’ Paradise！

Costa Rica is a country found in the soul of central America, it a good example of eco and adventure tourism.Costa Rica is famous for its rapid waterfalls, Misty crater lakes, clear sandy beaches and tropical rainforest jungles.Its wildlife also attracts many tourists from around the world.There are many sightseeing options in Costa Rica which makes it your own adventure land where every traveler’s dream comes to life. Here are some of the famous sightseeing spots

1. La Fortuna Waterfall (La Fortuna de San Carlos)

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La Fortuna Waterfall is a beautiful ecological Reserve located in the lush green of the northern plains of La Fortuna, Costa Rica. This reserve is used as a means of sustaining the surrounding communities.The La Fortuna Waterfall is a beautiful sightseeing spot as it attracts hundreds of tourists on a daily basis.The waterfall features a hike to the top over a flight of stairs.Its trails are also well maintained and safe for hiking and resting spots are provided for visitors who may find the climb challenging.The top view of the falls is absolutely exhilarating!

A lifeguard may be needed if you intend to swim and is also advisable to swim at the bottom where currents are calmer. There are changing areas and clean restrooms at your disposal.Another plus for the photo fanatics is the fact that there are many spots for one to take beautiful pictures along these Crystal waters of Costa Rica.

The reserve opens daily from 7 am to 5 pm. Entrance to the falls will cost you around $15 and one may need 1-2 hours to fully enjoy the experience at The La Fortuna Waterfall.

2. Proyecto Asis (La Fortuna de San Carlos)

Proyecto Asis is an educational center but mainly a Wildlife Shelter for rescued wild animals located in Costa Rica. The Proyecto Asis organization does an excellent job sheltering animals that have been found wounded, forsaken or being traded in the black market by rehabilitating and caring for them.

Sightseeing visits are made on a reservation and a regular tour will take an average of 2 hours.The guide provided is very knowledgeable and passionate about the project, this will make you understand the history of the animals better and support the center's noble cause. After your tour, you can help prepare food for the animals and even get a personal experience of feeding them.Some amazing animals you will be able to interact with are the famous spider monkeys.

Getting to the center is very convenient, the bus from La Fortuna stops exactly on the gate of the center making it hard to miss.

3. Cahuita National Park (Cahuita)

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The Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica is where the Ocean meets the Jungle.This coastal park contains a lush green tropical jungle with loads of wildlife, beautiful tracks, stunning white sandy beaches and coral reefs.
The Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica is where the Ocean meets the Jungle.This coastal park contains amazing sightseeing features including a lush green tropical jungle with loads of wildlife, beautiful tracks, stunning white sandy beaches and coral reefs.

The main activities around Cahuita National Park is sightseeing the flora and fauna and enjoying the ocean breeze and sea creatures.Along the tracks, you can spot some monkeys, racoons and other wild animals.The corals reefs are also a marvelous spot, you can be able to spot some stingrays a nurse shark, and not to mention all kinds of fish!
The whole stretch will take you about 3 hours giving you an allowance to enjoy a packed meal as there are tables available on the side of the trail.The park is open from morning till 4pm though the best time to visit would be morning or before 2pm so you are able to enjoy your time well.Guides are available though quite expensive to hire one. The trail is not confusing so a guide may only come in handy if you wish to get a detailed description on the wildlife and plantations within the Jungle.

Another interesting fact is that the park survives on donations so no entrance fees are charged upon entry. One is open to make an individual offer.

4. Playa Manuel Antonio (Manuel Antonio)

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The Playa Manuel Antonio is a beautiful park with a beach on its end to relax in Costa Rica.

It is nothing new to find be a beautiful jungle leading to a beach in Costa Rica.A tour guide can be hired for better spotting of the wildlife during the hike but the guided tour takes about 30 minutes to one hour and is only about 1km before it ends at a lovely beach. The beach is well preserved with no trash along its shoreline and you can find nice souvenir shops and restaurants along the roadside.

You may carry food for a picnic by the sandy shores but look out for notorious monkeys and raccoons who are known for stealing food and even opening backpacks.The best time to visit is morning hours as the park opens at 7 am. The place starts getting flooded with tourist from 11 am. Getting to the park is possible via public bus, costing you only 315 cool each way from Quepos to Manuel Antonio.

5. La Paz Waterfall Gardens (Vara Blanca)

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The La Paz waterfall gardens is a composition of five magnificent waterfalls accessed by paved trails through Rain and Cloud Forest. It hosts the Largest Aviary and Butterfly Observatory in Costa Rica.In the reserve, you can feed the hummingbirds and see butterflies in all stages of life.

Rescued wildlife like Jaguars, Ocelots, Pumas, Capuchin and Spider Monkeys can also be found at The La Paz waterfall garden.The wildlife is vast and anticipate to be welcomed by happy peaceful animals.These waterfalls are strategically located making them hard to miss, being along the way from La Fortuna to the airport. The reserve operates during daytime from 8 am to 5 pm.

6. Rio Celeste (Tenorio Volcano National Park)

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Think of an amazing hike that leads you to a beautiful river and scenic waterfall being accompanied by beautiful wildlife.

The Rio Celeste in Costa Rica is a good hiking ground for short hikes. There have been recent improvements to the access road and interior hiking trails which has mad The waters at Rio Celeste is really robin's egg blue due to mineral mix. Making it look unreal.

Freshwater fish like Tilapia is also available which is worth giving a try if you have the time. Hiking is about a total of 4 miles for the entire hike and it can go under three hours with the allowance to take some photos.

7. Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park (La Virgen )

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This BBC Wildlife Magazine and National Geographic published destination offers a 2 hour guided tour by the owners.Dave and Dave’s is a must visit destination for wildlife lovers, birders, and bird photographers.
The place is famous with BBC wildlife magazine and National Geographic photographers.

It is more of a homely bird sanctuary run by father and son built on what used to be part of an old palm oil plantation. The place was bought and built in the 1980’s and since then a secondary rainforest grew. This built a natural habitat for the animals and food source due to the fruits they eat.
The set up is really humble, having two large decks overlooking areas where they put out fruit and hummingbird feeders.Visitors are also allowed to feed the birds from these decks during the tour. These decks also provide prime viewing for a whole host of birds.

A tour of the place is given by the owners and will take approximately 2 hours. If you choose to visit for photography purposes, hummingbirds tend to be very difficult to photograph, you're better off taking a video.

8. Tortuguero National Park (Tortuguero)

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The Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica is a sanctuary for nesting sea turtles. There are eleven different ecological habitats found within the park. A memorable experience you can part take apart from sightseeing the nesting sea turtles is a boat ride using a ‘canu’ through the canals where you get to see wildlife from a different angle.

Entrance to the park is monitored and boats enter and exit at a designated time to preserve the natural habitat of the wildlife within the park and avoid commotion. An overnight stay can award you the chance to see sea turtles putting eggs in the sand at night.
You can also take a dive in the caribbean ocean and feel the ocean waters.

One thing to take caution is to not purchase tickets from individuals outside the park but rather purchase a ticket from a boat that is almost full to save on time.

9. Ecotermales Fortuna (La Fortuna de San Carlos)

The Ecotermales Fortuna is a family owned and operated natural hot springs facility in Costa Rica. The place features 5 tranquil pools with different cascading elements some with river bed like stone walls, there is one with a cascading waterfall.

Only a limited number of guests are allowed per session in a day to allow a more relaxing atmosphere during your vacation. The nags can reach up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit. The thermal pools are convenient as they also offer good cocktails from the cocktail bar with good changing facilities by the pool which are close to each other making access easy.

The price is around $37 per person per session and reservations are to be made through their website.

10. Corcovado National Park (Carate)

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Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica is a beautiful place with amazing wildlife surrounding it.It also stretches across white sandy beaches of Pacific ocean.The weather is rather hot and humid especially if you wish to picnic, water is essential.

Camping is also a common activity, however, the nights might be very noisy due to the howler monkeys and other animals. The area is also prone to nasty bugs hence bug repellent would come in handy. Some naughty monkeys are not to be overlooked as they will try steak anything from your hiking backpack.

◎ Closing

If you're someone who craves adventure or a thrill-seeker, Costa Rica is the ideal destination for you. From its delicious national cuisine, to its adrenaline water sports activities like cliff diving and whitewater rafting, to its friendly people, you are sure not to miss an awesome adventurous time in this tropical heaven.