Costa Rica Natura e mare: Vulcano Arenal, Monteverde e Playa Flamingo

San José is the starting point of almost every journey through Costa Rica: a capital set at over 1,100 metres in the fertile Central Valley, ringed by an amphitheatre of green mountains and volcanoes. The city trades less on monumental beauty than on the lively, authentic atmosphere of tico life. Its historic core revolves around the Teatro Nacional, a late-nineteenth-century neoclassical gem with marble interiors and frescoes, facing the Plaza de la Cultura. A few steps away stand the Museo del Oro Precolombino, home to a remarkable collection of gold artefacts from indigenous cultures, and the Museo Nacional, housed in the former Bellavista barracks. The Museo del Jade displays the world’s largest collection of pre-Columbian jade, while the Mercado Central teems with stalls, sodas and the scents of coffee and tropical fruit. The pedestrian Avenida Central gathers the commercial bustle, and the neighbourhoods of Barrio Amón and Escalante, with their historic houses, cafés and restaurants, tell the story of a more contemporary, creative San José. The city is an easy base for excursions to the Poás and Irazú volcanoes, the coffee plantations and the valley villages. San José is an urban gateway to the country: practical, welcoming and best discovered one neighbourhood at a time before plunging into nature.

The route from San José to Arenal Volcano offers a journey through breathtaking landscapes and rich biodiversity along the way. A recommended stop is the town of Sarchí, famous for its traditional handicrafts, especially its brightly painted wooden ox carts known as “carretas.” Here, visitors can explore local artisan workshops and purchase unique souvenirs. The journey then continues through the scenic countryside of Costa Rica, with panoramic views of mountains, rainforests, and picturesque rural landscapes. Along the way, travelers can stop to enjoy traditional regional cuisine in small local restaurants. A near-geometric cone rising more than 1,600 metres above the northern lowlands, the Volcán Arenal traces the perfect silhouette many people picture when they think of Costa Rica, mirrored in the lake that shares its name. For decades it was one of the country’s most active volcanoes, with glowing lava visible at night; today it has entered a resting phase, yet it remains the heart of one of the most beloved stops on any Costa Rican itinerary. All around stretches the Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, where trails cross old lava flows now reclaimed by forest and open onto viewpoints framing the cone. The region’s true soul, though, lies in its hot springs: water heated by the volcanic subsoil feeds dozens of natural pools and thermal resorts — from Tabacón to simpler baths — where you can unwind at dusk with the volcano as a backdrop. The days fill easily: hanging bridges through the rainforest canopy, rafting down the Río Balsa or the Sarapiquí, ziplines above the treetops, horseback rides and a walk to the La Fortuna waterfall, which plunges over seventy metres into an emerald pool. Wildlife is generous: sloths, toucans, capuchin monkeys and hundreds of bird species inhabit the woods. The nearby town of La Fortuna serves as a base, with tico restaurants, family sodas and outfitters for every activity. Arenal is the perfect distillation of the Costa Rican experience: powerful nature, warm water rising from the earth and adventure within easy reach.

Monteverde is a byword for cloud forest: a plateau suspended along the Cordillera de Tilarán, where clouds driven by the trade winds perpetually wrap the treetops, creating a one-of-a-kind ecosystem. The famous Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde protects a damp primary forest thick with ferns, orchids, mosses and epiphytes, threaded by quiet trails where — with a little luck — you may glimpse the resplendent quetzal, emblem of Central America. Alongside it, the Reserva Santa Elena offers equally striking, less crowded scenery. This is also the cradle of the canopy tour: the hanging bridges and ziplines that now span the region were born here, a thrilling way to view the forest from above. The small town of Santa Elena serves as a base, with cafés, craft shops and night tours in search of frogs, snakes and insects. Visits to cheese dairies — a legacy of the Quaker settlers who founded the community — and to coffee plantations round out the stay. Amid red-eyed tree frogs, hummingbirds and crisp highland air, Monteverde offers an immersion in the country’s most magical and fragile nature.

Playa Flamingo is one of the most elegant and renowned beaches on the Guanacaste coast, famous for its pale, almost white sand and turquoise waters that have earned it a reputation as a little gem of the northern Pacific. Nestled between two headlands, it offers a refined setting with luxury resorts, villas and a marina that makes it one of the country’s most prestigious bases for sport fishing and cruising. The calm water is perfect for swimming, while boat trips, dives to the Islas Catalinas and dolphin-watching tours set out from the area. The sunsets over the sea, admired from the surrounding heights, are among the most spectacular in the region. For those seeking crystalline water and upscale comfort, Playa Flamingo is a destination of undeniable charm.