About Costa Rica

WHY VISIT?

Costa Rica is a country where nature takes the front seat, while stress gets kicked out of the car. With long coastlines along the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica has endless beaches to explore. Those who prefer the mountains can head up to Arenal, where you’ll find shaded cloud forests and cooler temperatures, or one of the many other volcanoes in the region. Wherever you go, you’ll be sure to find a diverse abundance of wildlife, including monkeys, sloths, jaguars, and macaws. There’s also sure to be an excess of adventure activities to choose from.

BUCKET LIST ADVENTURES

In Costa Rica

When La Transtica calls it’s 200 kilometer version ‘Extreme’, they aren’t kidding! It has 30,500 feet of climbing and 25,750 feet of descent. Cumulative finishing times range from 22 hours to 38 hours, split into four roughly equal stages and one mini-stage. La Transtica crosses from Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast to its Caribbean Coast, through dense rainforests, coffee plantations, sugar cane plantations, and palm groves. As long as you can handle a bit of heat, humidity, and climbing, you’re likely to find the course more breathtaking than brutal.

2. Skydive above the jungle and sea

In Quepos, near Manuel Antonio Beach, you can find Skydive Costa Rica. This reputable dropzone offers tandems as well as fun jumps, all overlooking beaches and rainforests, making for some incredible views.

3. Scuba dive at Cocos Island

Cocos Island – located off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica – is famous for its massive schools of hammerhead sharks. The only way to reach there is on a liveaboard out of Puntarenas, requiring 36 hours in transit before you arrive to the dive sites. But this remote location ensures only the most dedicated divers venture out there, and the marine life and pristine water in the region reflects this. Two of the more popular dive sites are Bajo Alcyone and Dirty Rock, though most trips include a full week of diving, so you’ll undoubtedly visit these and many other sites.

4. Test yourself at La Ruta de Conquistadores

La Ruta de Conquistadores (a.k.a. ‘La Ruta’) is a multi-stage mountain bike race that runs from Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast to its Atlantic Coast. Over 3 days, competitors must ride 250 miles of tough terrain, including mountain, river, and valley crossings. There’s also now a shorter version, La Siesta, which is a single-day, 50-mile course.

5. Whitewater raft on the Pacuare River

If you like your adrenaline served on the water, look no further than the Pacuare River. There you’ll find 19 miles of Class III to IV rapids to get your heart pumping. As an added bonus, the river passes by waterfalls and rainforests, making for a phenomenally beautiful ride.

UNIQUE EVENTS

You Won't Want to Miss

Envision Festival

Envision is like all the festivals you love packed into one incredible week-long experience, set on the Costa Rican coastline where the jungle meets the beach. Start each day with yoga sessions and transformative workshops, in the style of Burning Man and Wanderlust. Then checkout the acrobatic performances that rival Cirque du Soleil, before dancing to world-class DJs all night. The stages are as intricately designed as those of Tomorrowland, while the music is a bit more tropical and eclectic.

Fiestas Palmares

Las Fiestas Palmares is the biggest festival in Costa Rica with over a million people typically attending. It runs for two weeks in January each year and features outdoor banquet tents similar to those of Oktoberfest. Other highlights of the festival include concerts, horse parades, sporting events, and fireworks shows.

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