Northern Lowlands

La Fortuna / Arenal Volcano

Undeniably, La Fortuna at the foot of Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica’s highlights. Despite the fact that the volcano has been inactive since 2010, its powerful presence is still fascinating and especially on sunny days you can see the giant in its amazing splendor.
The peaceful town of La Fortuna lies surrounded by mountains and close to Lake Arenal and nowadays offers a big selection of restaurants, bars, hotels and shops. There are countless activities offered in this area, such as hiking over the old lava fields inside the Arenal Volcano National Park, walking over hanging bridges, bird watching, mountain biking, horseback riding, rafting, exploring the mysterious Venado Caves, excursions to La Fortuna Waterfall, zip lining, boat tours on Lake Arenal or Caño Negro, and many more! Due to the proximity of the volcano, several naturally fed Hot springs can be found here as well.

Puerto Viejo Sarapiquí

This gorgeous region is the perfect place for adventure and nature enthusiasts. Due to the many rivers flowing in this area, the main attraction is Rafting, which is offered both for beginners and advanced levels.

In this beautiful part of the country you can also find some of the most important protected zones such as Braulio Carrillo National Park, Tirimbina reserve and La Selva Biological Station, places that have been crucial for researchers and important in the discovery of new species of flora and fauna. Sarapiquí is also famous for its large banana, cacao and coffee plantations, all of which play a big part in this region´s economy.

Tenorio

Thanks to its close-to-perfect location and weather conditions, the Tenorio Volcano National Park serves as a natural boundary for trade winds coming from the Northwest. Pre-mountain humid forests and dwarf cloud forests make this a fascinating place to visit.

When here, do not miss Celeste River on the northeastern side of the volcano. This river is well-known for its light blue colouring, a result of many minerals mixing in its waters.

Caño Negro

Caño Negro is one of the most important wetlands in the world and, since 1991, is included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

The reserve is home to an unbelievable variety of flora and fauna, including endangered species such as the Jabiru, one of the biggest birds of Central America. One of the most iconic animals that can also be found in this region is the Tropical Gar fish, member of one of the oldest fish families known today, whose existence can be dated up to 145 million years ago.

Boca Tapada

In the northern part of Costa Rica, along the San Carlos river and close to the Nicaraguan border lies the small area called Boca Tapada.

The touristic infrastructure consists of only three small, family-run hotels that offer rustic accommodations, therefore this place is perfect for those who seek peace and quietness in harmony with nature. The almost untouched tropical rainforest that in parts extends up to the river banks is the main attraction and can be enjoyed best on foot, by motorboat, or by kayak.