OrangeSmile Tours Best destinations around the world - Travel Guide
Costa Rica

Travel ideas for Costa Rica - unique sights, worth Guinness records

Pan American Highway

From the series “Most Dangerous and Lethal Roads”
The world famous Pan-American Highway passes through the territory of 15 countries and has a length of 48,000 kilometres. It can freely be qualified as the global ‘’road’’ attractions. One of the sections of an extended road also appears in the statistics as the most dangerous one. It is about the Pan American Highway which passes through the territory of Costa Rica.
The stretch of highway passing through the territory of the country, leads to a unique natural sight - beautiful tropical forests. To get to the scenic spots any other way is impossible so thousands of people hit the ‘’bloody road’’ at risk to their lives. The main distinguishing feature of the Pan-American Highway is the poor quality of road coverage. There is no road surface on certain sections of the route and the drivers have to overcome many difficult areas, passing through the mountains.
Roads in the mountains tend to be extremely narrow. Large stones can be seen crumbling with the unfenced road slopes while driving. Frequent floods and landslides lead to the complete destruction of the road. Considering all of the above it’s not surprising that the Pan-American Highway in Costa Rica becomes the last obstacle in the lives of hundreds of people in their attempts to reach the destination. ... Complete sights collection

Manuel Antonio National Park

From the series “Largest Nature Reserves on Earth”
Surprising is the fact that the most dense areas of our planet, from biological point of view, are rather small. The brightest example of such an ‘anomaly’ is Manuel Antonio National Park whose territory is just 7 square kilometres. The reserve was established in 1972 and has long been extremely popular among the tourists. For them a special infrastructure has been created here.
Nowadays, plenty of fascinating attractions are open to the visitors of Manuel Antonio park. The so-called Canopy tours are undoubtedly of high demand. These are trips through the jungle on suspension cables equipped between crowns of trees. Such means of travel is an excellent way to explore the exotic varieties of plant and animal life of the park and enjoy its splendor.
Some areas are equipped with suspension bridges, not everyone has the courage to take a walk on them. You may take exquisite shots from the bridges since they are located in the most beautiful areas of the reserve, near the waterfalls above the wild rivers. Courageous tourists are fond of Mangrove tours in wetlands, they have an opportunity to see crocodiles and other reptiles there as well as study Damas caves. Romantics can take a walk along the gorgeous white-sand coast and watch the birds, some protected beaches of Manuel Antonio are accessible to leisure. ... Complete sights collection

Pacuare River

From the series “The Most Dangerous River Rapids for Rafting”
In the impenetrable tropical forests of Costa Rica, the Pacuare River is hidden, some of its routes are very complicated and ideally suited for rafting. On the way the athletes have to overcome several dangerous thresholds and waterfalls. The most experienced athletes are able to ride the rafting route during one day. The less experienced tourists and the nature lovers can enjoy the recreation in this magnificent area for 3 - 4 days.
The length of the river forms about 30 km. Traditionally, the rafting season begins in the second half of corn and coincides with the beginning of the rainy season. The fact that it almost always rains during this period does not frighten the numerous athletes. At the few moments, if you do not have to row, you can enjoy the beautiful exotic plants and the precipitous waterfalls, whose height reaches three meters.
It must be noted that the great swirls form during the heavy rain on the river, so one should not distract the surrounding landscapes for long. Pacuare has been one of the ten best rivers for rafting on Earth for several years. Partially it is due to the wonderful surrounding landscapes. Tourists who like active recreation with the children should take into account that rafting on Pacuare is not recommended for children under 14 years. ... Complete sights collection

Costa Verde Hotel

From the series “Ubelievable Residential Houses Residing on Trees”
In Costa Rica, lovers of relaxation in unusual places will have an opportunity to spend a few days in one of the most amazing hotels of the planet. Its only luxury room was opened in a refurbished Boeing 727 aircraft, the body of which was fixed on a tree and supplemented with a small wooden extension. Equipped in the plane, the presidential suite impresses with its luxurious design. One of its main features is a bathroom with Jacuzzi located in the bow of the plane.
The unique Costa Verde Hotel is located in the surroundings of Cuepos and borders an incredibly beautiful tropical garden. In the huge room there are two bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a spacious restaurant and a kitchen furnished for guests. One of the main attractive features of the plane is an outdoor terrace, which offers a panoramic view of the tropical garden and the Pacific coast. The atmosphere of the hotel is unique. With the reconstruction of the aircraft in 1965, it retained a number of original elements, including the form of walls and portholes. The room has a luxurious finish made of natural wood, and it is decorated with exclusive handmade furniture.
Despite its originality, the airplane is very comfortable, it is equipped with a modern air conditioning system and a set of necessary equipment. The cost of accommodation in a luxurious presidential suite is relatively small and is about 350 US dollars a day. To diversify their rest, guests are offered interesting excursions and sports entertainment. ... Complete sights collection

Parque Francisco Alvarado

From the series “Top 16 Most Unusual and Original Parks and Gardens”
The major attraction of Costa Rica is Parque Francisco Alvarado that can be called a real masterpiece of the landscape design. In this park, visitors will have an opportunity to see incredibly beautiful and amazing mazes of living plants, as well as living sculptures covered with moss. They represent the most unusual decoration of the park. Some sculptures are partly made of stone and complemented with plants. A special moss that allows creating a simulation of living sculptures is cultivated on the rocks.
The original park is located in the small town of Zarcero. The place had gained its name in honor of the famous writer Francisco Alvarado. The garden has a rather large scale and a variety of complex sculptures. It’s hard to imagine that over the years the garden is looked after by only one man, the gardener Evangelista Blanco Brenes. The history of the park is very amazing. It was founded about 50 years ago.
It has been decided to create a gallery of green arches at the entrance to the temple of St. Raphael, but landscape transformation did not end there. Every year, the park is replenished with new plants and statues. Today, there are about 130 different species of plants. Most of the park sculptures are formed of pine and cypress plants. In the garden, you can see the figures of birds, dinosaurs, forest fairies, and a number of abstract compositions. The pride of the gardener is the figure of an elephant in full growth. The author has spent six years to create it. ... Complete sights collection

Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquis

From the series “Famous Unesco Sites in North America”
Costa Rica is also ready to surprise travelers with unusual sights. One of the major mysteries of the country are stone spheres. In total, there are about 300 of them. They can be seen at Kiko peninsula and on Cano Island. The mysterious balls of limestone, sandstone or gabbro vary in size. Some of them are only about an inch in diameter, while others reach two meters in section and weigh over 15 tonnes.
The unique attraction was discovered relatively recently, in the 30s of the last century. These items drew attention of the workers who were hired for clearing the land for setting banana plantations. Ten years later, the famous archeologist Lothrop was engaged in the study of stone spheres. Later, they attracted attention of other scientists from around the world. The purpose and a way of creating spheres remain main mysteries.
The investigation is significantly complicated by the fact that, after the discovery, stone balls were repeatedly moved. Now, only six items of the hundreds found remain at the original place. Some of the stones were destroyed by local residents. Before the start of their studies, locals splitted structures hoping to find gold inside. Other items were moved to various museums. You can see them rebuilt in monuments on ordinary city streets. Modern scientists suggest that mysterious stone spheres may have formed as a result of volcanic activity millions of years ago, and later ancient civilizations began to use them to demarcate their lands. ... Complete sights collection

Playa Grande

From the series “Top Beaches for Surfing on Huge Waves”
The charming beach of Playa Grande is covered with soft white sand. It is known as one of the best sections of the coast for surfing in the country. Not everyone knows that it is also an important natural attraction. Rare species of sea turtles have chosen this beach as a nesting site. The beach is located on the territory of the marine reserve of Marino Las Baulas today. The turtle population has declined dramatically in recent years. The Marine Reserve is actively involved in various environmental programs today. They are aimed at increasing the turtle population.
Nevertheless, Playa Grande continues to be a stretch of coast accessible for recreation. There is no better part of the coast for surfing in the province of Guanacaste. This section of the coast is aimed at novice surfers and intermediate-level surfers. It is also worth noting that the waves are not very strong here. They can't interfere with a classic beach holiday.
Travelers who choose this part of the coast for recreation will have the opportunity to visit unique natural places. They are located nearby. The most interesting is the mouth of the Rio Matapalo and the Tamarindo spot. Diving and snorkeling fans like to relax on the territory of the Marino Las Baulas marine reserve. Tourists are also always invited to participate in current environmental programs. ... Complete sights collection
Costa Rica guide chapters 1 2 3

All unique landmarks of Costa Rica on the map

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Costa Rica

Country maps Maps of Costa Rica
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Car rental in Costa Rica

Thailand Relaxes Its COVID-19 Policy

New Year events in Thailand are likely to bring more people this year because everyone is tired of lockdowns and craving normal life. Many tourists, who book hotels in Pattaya, Krabi, or Phuket for the holiday season, also want to participate. As champagne has become an essential drink for New Year celebrations, the question regarding alcohol consumption comes to mind. The government allowed serving alcoholic drinks during the New Year countdown but only open-air cafes and restaurants with good ventilation will be permitted to do this until 1 am on 1 January 2022. This rule is nationwide. Read this

29.03.2024

Photogallery of landmarks of Costa Rica

Trip ideas for regions of Costa Rica

San Jose
The city hosts several excellent sport centers as well meanwhile in the suburbs of this destination tourists will find upscale golf centers. The most popular centers among them are the Melia Cariari Golf Course and Costa Rica Golf Day Tours ones. The Kasasana recreation center is as well of great popularity among city guests wishing to improve their health during a vacation in San Jose. Tourists who will lack these attractions and entertainments of the city should necessarily visit local … Read more
OrangeSmile.com - online travel reservation expert providing reliable car rental and hotel booking services. We feature more than 25.000 destinations with 12.000 rental offices and 200.000 hotels worldwide.
Secure Server
Head office
Weegschaalstraat 3, Eindhoven
5632 CW, The Netherlands
+31 40 40 150 44


Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About us
Copyright © 2002 - OrangeSmile Tours B.V. | OrangeSmile.com | Under the direction and management of IVRA Holding B.V. - Registered at Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), The Netherlands No. 17237018