Five Offbeat Places to Visit in Costa Rica


From nature lovers to hikers, from adventure loving tourists to beach lovers, there is something for everybody when you are in Costa Rica. Historical museums, nature parks, natural sanctuaries and conservatories, beautiful trekking and hiking trails and ever expansive beaches, whatever you are asking for as a travel lover will be found in your itinerary when you are visiting Costa Rica. Especially for a sea lover, Costa Rica is heaven on earth with its coral reefs and long beaches with white sand and crystal clear blue waters.

The lodging part also comes easy as there are a lot of options to choose from and tourists are spoilt for choice while putting up for a stay across the ocean. However, the ones most in vogue are the Costa Rica beachfront rentals as the people who put up there experience a breath-taking view of the sea. The coastline of Costa Rica belongs to both the Caribbean Sea as well as the Pacific Ocean and are laden with the individual charms of both water bodies. However, Costa Rica is also a place for the nature lover because of its rich biodiversity. The place is home to many scenic locales, lush rainforests, cool peaks adorned with plantations across its slopes as well as volcanic sites with exquisite trails for hiking lovers. Here is a list of exciting yet offbeat places you must visit while you are in Costa Rica.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens 
The La Paz Waterfall Gardens is the private property of an ecological centre that also features amazing rainforest sceneries and is also an animal sanctuary. There are both rainforests as well as cloud forests in the complex and it also consists of a number of hiking trails that can be explored by any adventure lover and a large number of educational animal exhibits. This animal exhibit includes a butterfly conservatory, the serpentarium, the frog exhibit as well as a butterfly conservatory. A jungle cat exhibit can also be found here. If flora and fauna is your cup of tea, you should never give this place a miss.

La Sabana Metropolitan Park 
The La Sabana Metropolitan Park is situated exactly in the heart of San Jose. It is an oasis of a green recreational space which is tucked inside the concrete jungle, the locality of many high-profile office buildings and high risers situated in the heart of the city. At the centre of the park, there is a lush and scenic lake where one can indulge in many activities. Inside the park, children can indulge in pony rides and it is one of the most favourite playgrounds of children since there is a lot of open space where you can freely run and play around. This park is also a hit with the joggers and the office workers who visit it to take a break from their mundane routines full of work.

Las Baulas National Marine Park 
As stated before, Costa Rica is home to both the Caribbean as well as the Pacific coastline. And it is along this very pacific coastline that Las Baulas National Marine Park is situated. The place is named after leatherback turtles, which it strives to protect as well as showcase. The park is situated along the Tamarindo or Playa Grande beach, where this exotic species of animals come to shore after thousands of years to lay their eggs. It is truly a magical place to visit during a night, where you can witness the turtles coming to shore and if you are lucky enough you get to watch a baby turtle take their first steps into the ocean. All in all, this place is a must visit if you are a wildlife lover vacationing in Costa Rica.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve 
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is a place to explore and discover for all flora and fauna addicts. The animals, birds and trees spotted here are very rarely spotted outside of this place. If you are a true nature lover, you would want to discover this place bit by bit on a journey by foot. The place boasts of a network of more than 8 miles of hiking trails while you spot a series of endemic plants, which also include rare orchids and a diverse range of small animals. One would always want a guided tour with them while exploring this reserve to get the maximum educational value of this place. The best part about visiting this place is perhaps the fact that the fees collected from the tourists contribute towards the research, education and conservation of this place.

Museo de Jade 
Situated a few blocks away from the La Sabana Park, and in the heart of San Jose, one of the most informative places to visit in Costa Rica is the Museo de Jade, especially for the history lovers. It is an archaeological museum and it is solely dedicated to explore and cultivate the pre – Columbian history of Costa Rica. The place features an enchanting collection of artefacts and jewellery made of jade, which holds a significance in the history of the country and played a crucial part in its trade. There are also some prehistoric and historic artefacts in store here waiting to be adored by history inclined travellers though covering the whole museum would definitely take some time. One can enter the museum for free but if you want admission you have to fix a prior appointment.

Here are some offbeat choices you would definitely want to explore while you are visiting Costa Rica. But apart from these, there are a number of scenic locales that should definitely top your list. As travellers, you should definitely make your itinerary in lieu with your inclinations, but all in all one must conclude that Costa Rica is home to everything a tourist finds enthralling while on a vacation.