14-night Ultimate Costa Rica Adventure by Land & Sea Cruise

Liberia is a rapidly becoming popular with travelers. It's a charming college town lined with magnolia's and mango  trees. Liberia has something for all travelers form its historic architecture to it's accommodations, fantastic services and a great location for exploring the rest of Coast Rica. 

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park

Destination Guide

Arenal, in Costa Rica, is the site of one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

On almost a daily basis, red-hot rocks crash down its steep slopes and volcanic grumbles produce huge ash columns above the crater.

In addition to the volcano, the area features exciting attractions such as, rafting, hot springs, pristine beaches, and rainforest expeditions.

Destination Guide

Arenal volcano is the most spectacularly active in Costa Rica. Hotels in the region tout their views of the lava flows and red hot boulders ejected from the volcano glowing in the darkness. Although eruptions are the main attraction, you should be aware that even in the dry season the clouds sometimes obscure the top of the volcano, and your chances of seeing a pyroclastic display are lessened in the rainy season. Volcano watching is better than a fifty-fifty proposition, but you should plan on taking advantage of some of the other attractions in the area, and consider it a bonus if you see Arenal put on a huge display.

Sarapiquí is a tiny community in Costa Rica in a valley surrounded by rainforests. It is accessed via waterways and tiny canals. The area is relatively unknown, and home to some of Costa Rica's most diverse and dense wildlife and vegetation. Be sure to visit La Selva, managed by the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS), which is the research center for scientists and students from all over the world.

The Monteverde rainforest area, which comprises ten towns with 8,000 people, is situated on the Continental Divide at an elevation of 5,600 feet. A walk through a Costa Rica Monteverde cloud forest reveals a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes growing thickly on every tree. Clouds drift in and settle among the slopes, giving the continuous moisture required for such exuberant plant growth. Dangling roots and vines sweep across the trails. The air is rich with the sounds of birds and the occasional scurrying of small mammals on the forest floor. In the distance a howler monkey roars.

Destination Guide

The Monteverde rainforest area, which comprises ten towns with 8,000 people, is situated on the Continental Divide at an elevation of 5,600 feet. A walk through a Costa Rica Monteverde cloud forest reveals a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes growing thickly on every tree. Clouds drift in and settle among the slopes, giving the continuous moisture required for such exuberant plant growth. Dangling roots and vines sweep across the trails. The air is rich with the sounds of birds and the occasional scurrying of small mammals on the forest floor. In the distance a howler monkey roars.

Destination Guide

Playa Flamingo lies on the pensinsula Nicoya, in the province of Guanacaste, in the northwest of Costa Rica. The whole region of Tamarindo has miles of white sand beaches. The town of Flamingo is rather small and quiet.

The Curu Biological Reserve, on the Peninsula de Nicoya, offers diverse wildlife from white faced monkeys to phantom crabs. Though smaller than Ireland, Costa Rica boasts an amazing biodiversity. With more butterfly species than the whole of Africa, more bird species than Europe, its precious tropical rainforests harbour over half a million plant and aninial species. Small wonder that about a quarter of Costa Rica is protected nature reserve or national Park.

Monkeys, parrots, jaguars, tapirs, and toucans inhabit the primitive rain forest of Costa Rica which lines the Golfo Dulce, or Sweet Gulf. Nature preserves and isolated beaches provide sanctuary for a great diversity of wildlife. The Golfo Dulce is home to the highest concentration of biodiversity in Costa Rica. The tropical haven includes species and habitats such as sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, mangrove forests and estuaries.

The pristine rainforests and the rugged natural beauty of the Osa Peninsula make this region among the most beautiful areas in Costa Rica. Declared ‘one of the most biologically intense places on earth’ by the National Geographic Magazine, the Osa Peninsula along with Drake Bay have today, become the premier eco-tourism destination in the county.

The Central Pacific's largest city, Puntarenas sits on a long, narrow peninsula in the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica. For years, it was the country's principal port, and though Puntarenas handles big cruise ships, a large fishing fleet still anchors in the estuary behind town. Being the country's most important fishing port, Puntarenas is the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood. Though the water is murky, and the beach may seem a bit urban, it's a lively town on weekends, when people from San José fill its waterfront restaurants and bars. A series of open-air cafes that line the beach are the perfect place to head for dessert, or refreshments, since they specialize in ice cream and fresh fruit drinks.

Destination Guide

Playa Flamingo lies on the pensinsula Nicoya, in the province of Guanacaste, in the northwest of Costa Rica. The whole region of Tamarindo has miles of white sand beaches. The town of Flamingo is rather small and quiet.