Points of interest Costa Rica: Tourism & Monuments

Practical information : Sightseeing Costa Rica

Timetable

In Costa Rica, opening hours for museums, theaters, stores and other establishments are generally the same as in Europe. However, the opening hours of national parks and reserves vary according to the season. Generally speaking, parks, refuges and other reserves start to receive visitors at 6 a.m., the last visitors are accepted until 3 p.m. and the park closes at 4 p.m. Some parks also close one day a week in low season for regeneration and maintenance. In high season, avoid visiting the parks at weekends, book your entry early and start early in the morning.

To be booked

For a visit to Manuel Antonio Park, increasingly popular with tourists, it's best to make a reservation. For some years now, the park administration has imposed daily visitor quotas in order to preserve biodiversity. Costa Rica's main national parks (Poás, Irazú, Manuel Antonio, Rincón de la Vieja, Chirripó, Tortuguero, Turrialba, Carara, etc.) must be booked online via the SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación) website at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr. You will need to register in advance. Some e-mail addresses may cause problems, so it's best to use a Gmail address. You'll receive a confirmation e-mail with a temporary password; once the permanent password has been confirmed, you'll be automatically redirected to the home page, where you should click on "comprar" and then "reservación en línea". At this point, you can select the park, the date and time of your visit, and the number of places (adults, children). Before clicking on "continuar", remember to tick "he leído y aceptado las condiciones arriba descritas", to access the payment form. You'll then receive a confirmation e-mail, which you'll need to present at the park entrance. Once you've created your account, it's easy to make all your other reservations. Please note that for some parks (Manuel Antonio, Chirripó, etc.) you need to book well in advance. For others (Carara, for example), you can make your reservation the same day, but don't wait until you get to reception, as you won't have a wifi connection and too little network to access the SINAC site.

Budget & Tips

In Costa Rica, the 30 or so national parks in this country of 5 million inhabitants protect 10% of primary forest and 50% of the country's total surface area. Maintaining this preservation effort obviously comes at a cost, and as a tourist you have to play along! National park entrance fees may seem expensive, but preservation comes at a price. As a guide, expect to pay US$15 per day per adult for Volcán Poás, US$10 for Carara, US$20 for Manuel Antonio and Chirripó, and US$17 for Rincón de la Vieja. However, there are still a number of sites that are cheaper or even free, such as Curu, Manzanillo and Cahuita.

Main events

In Costa Rica, there's no shortage of festive events on the calendar, and every opportunity is good for a feast! Patron saint festivals, celebrating the Virgin Mary and various saints, bring together thousands of believers across the country, while Costa Rican folklore takes pride of place at Venecia, held every February to elect the most beautiful carreta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Between the festivals of the Caribbean coast and the carnivals of Puntarenas or Limón, colorful events punctuate the seasons alongside historical commemorations: every July 25, Guanacaste celebrates its annexation to Costa Rica, on April 19, the country honors its indigenous communities during the Día de la Persona Aborigen Costarricense, while on September 15 the Ticos celebrate the Independence of their territory. More popular celebrations, such as the Noche de las Brujas (Halloween with a Costa Rican twist), the Fiesta de los Diablitos (Borucas community festival) and el Día de los Muertos (spiritual festival in honour of the dead) reveal a striking folklore where we rub shoulders with the authenticity of a people proud of their roots and cultures.

Guided tours

In Costa Rica, you'll find many specialized tour operators who produce their own trips and are generally very good at giving advice, as they know the region inside out. It's worth noting that their rates are a little higher than those of general operators, who produce offers and usually resell products packaged by agencies specializing in a particular destination. While their advice is less specific than that of specialists, their rates are generally more attractive.

Smokers

The anti-smoking law adopted by Costa Rica in 2012 bans smoking in public places. This particularly drastic anti-smoking law is widely supported by Costa Ricans. Indeed, smoking can be very badly perceived.

Tourist Attractions & Monuments Costa Rica

Map of top points of interest Costa Rica

PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS

PARK MARINO LAS BAULAS

SLOTH SANCTUARY (LAZY REFUGE)

ATEC

PARQUE NACIONAL DE CAHUITA

BIOLUMINESCENCE MONITORING

JAGUAR RESCUE CENTER

TEATRO NACIONAL

ECO TERMALES FORTUNA

OSA WILD

PALMITOUR

PARQUE NACIONAL MANUEL ANTONIO

PARQUE NACIONAL VOLCÁN POÁS

PARQUE NACIONAL TORTUGUERO

ARENAL 1968

GEORGES NAON - VISTA NOSARA

BARBARA HARTUNG

RESERVA BIOLÓGICA BOSQUE NUBOSO MONTEVERDE

TURTLE SPAWNING

PN MARINO BALLENA

Related searches : visites-points-d-interet Costa Rica

Find unique holiday offers with our partners