Things To Do
Manuel Antonio
Bring water but no food, they will check your bags, sometimes. You can see up to 3 types of monkeys, 2 types of sloths and tons of other animals. Go early!
Uvita
1 hour south of Manuel Antonio, lies Uvita is famous for two things, it's whale tale shaped beach and the semi-annual humpback whale migration. They will be there in January.
Parque Nacional Corcovado
Here you can find more animals per square mile than anywhere else in Costa Rica. Corcovado is also home to the whale migration. You can expect to see all 4 types of monkeys that are found in the country right there on one peninsula. New species are still being discovered here today. Your probability of seeing larger mammals is much higher here. Jaguar sightings are not uncommon.
Monte Verde
Suspension bridges hanging above the canopy of the forest, clouds roll in and birds fly high in Monte Verde. It's cold at night so a sweater or jeans is recommended.
Arenal Volcano
Great views, good hikes, pretty waterfalls, hot springs and cooler temperatures are all a reason why I personally love this area.
San Gerardo de Dota
San Gerado De Dota is a small, less known area in Costa Rica. It's known the "secret cloud forest". You can actually take a slightly longer way back to San Jose and end up here, 1 hour away from San Jose. One of our favorite hotels we've stayed in together is called Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge, it's amazing! https://www.dantica.com/
Nauyaca Waterfalls
We went here last time we were in Costa Rica. There are two ways to get to the falls once you arrive onsite at the property. We recommend paying the $5 and taking the "shuttle" to the top of the trail. The other option is to walk. It's really steep and far, so, we don't advise this. Once you get to the trail head, you still have a little hike. Once you get to the falls the water is very cold and feels amazing. Probably a little under a mile. You will have to go up hill on the way back but it's so worth it!
Rainmaker
This is one of the coolest things to do close to Manuel Antonio. This park is about 20 minutes from the hotel. It's situated in the mountains. There are waterfalls to swim in, suspension bridges to cross and lots of cool wildlife. We saw a lot of cool birds, butterflies and poison dart frogs. It takes about an hour to hike the entire park. The best part is the ice-cold mountain pools to swim in along the way. We love this park but if you are more interested in wildlife viewing we recommend the park.