Costa Rica is a rainforested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San Jose, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity— in fact, roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, teeming with wildlife from spider monkeys to quetzal birds. Here is our guide to Costa Rica.

STAY

HOTEL AGUAS CLARAS Opened by artists and deemed a “modern bohemian hideaway” on the Caribbean Coast of Puerto Viejo.

FOUR SEASONS RESORT AT PENINSULA PAPAGAYO Set on a hill overlooking the beaches of the Gulf of Papagayo and Culebra Bay with a beautiful outdoor restaurant featuring a wood-fired oven, an 18-hole golf course, spa, and a gym.

FLORBLANCA A Santa Theresa hotel set in the jungle. You might spot monkeys, iguanas, and pygmy owls from the comfort of your hammock or hot tub on your private patio. Daily yoga classes are offered by a shala. The resort is also home to Spa Bambu with a delicious coconut scrub massage, and a boutique with a selection of Tori Praver and Marysia swimwear and botanical skincare.

PRANAMAR The villas at Pranamar in Santa Theresa are another option for visiting yogis with their open studios and daily classes. For Kundalini devotees, book a stay at Nautilus’s treetop space.

NALU NOSARA Located on the Nicoya Peninsula, comes a wellness-oriented, sustainable hotel by San José–based firm Studio Saxe.

KURÀ DESIGN VILLAS A romantic eco-resort perched on a cliff above Uvita’s Whale’s Tail sandbar.

RIO PERDIDO Bungalows or “eco-luxe cabanas” set in an existing thermal water resort in the Guanacaste province by San José–based architecture firm Project CR+d.

MINT SANTA THERESA Scandinavian minimalism, Greek architecture, and nature were the inspirations behind this hotel designed by Studio Saxe in Santa Teresa, a surfer’s paradise on the Nicoya Peninsula.

NAYARA GARDENS A hotel set in wood-and-timber buildings surrounded by tropical forest with volcano views, and villas offering private plunge pools. Divine!

DINE | DRINK

SELVIN’S RESTAURANT Selvin Brown opened his eponymous restaurant in 1982, and he has been serving up Caribbean food (an homage to his Jamaican roots) ever since. Order a bowl of the rondón, a coconut milk-based seafood soup that’s a staple of Afro-Caribbean cuisine, and the sautéed lobster prepared with butter, garlic, and onion.

ZWART ART CAFE Owned by a Canadian Artist who came to Santa Theresa to surf and never left. He now serves up veggie bowls, smoothies, and burritos.

ZULA RESTAURANT  Owned by Israeli expats who serve authentic hummus and falafel in Santa Theresa.

EL FACON and CASA DEL MAR STEAKHOUSE Argentine-owned and offering beachside asados in Santa Theresa.

THE BAKERY A French breakfast staple in Santa Theresa.

MERCADO CENTRAL The San José Central Market was established in 1880, and it occupies an entire block full of narrow alleys with over 200 shops, stalls, and restaurants called sodas.

LA LUNA A modern Mediterranean restaurant in Nosara.

ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES

REFUGIO NACIONAL MIXTO DE VIDA SILVESTRE GANDOCA-MANZANILLO A National Park on the ocean with hiking trails and animal spotting. Look out for howler monkeys, colorful tree frogs, rare green macaws, countless geckos, and sloths hanging high up in the trees. You might even see dolphins jumping in the water if you’re lucky.

ARENAL VOLCANO Volcán Poás is easier to visit (it’s virtually a drive-in) and Volcán Rincón de la Vieja is wilder, but Arenal is unmissable. The only thing that beats the thrill of seeing Arenal erupt, is seeing it erupt from the comfort of a hot spring, especially at Tabacón.

MUSEO DEL JADE Home to the world’s largest collection of American jade, located in San José.

MUSEO DEL ORO A pre-columbian gold museum in San José, located in a subterranean building underneath the "Plaza de la Cultura,” and owned by the Banco Central de Costa Rica.

TEATRO NACIONAL The National Theatre of Costa Rica is located in central San José. It opened to the public in October of 1897 with a performance of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust.

MUSEO DE ARTE COSTARRICENSE  Located in the old air traffic control building of what used to be the airport, showcasing the works of Latin American artists.

CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK 164 square miles of rainforest in the Osa Peninsula, fringed by empty Pacific beach, and home to five species of cat (jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay, and jaguarundi) plus tapir, sloth, monkeys, boas, and almost 400 bird species.

MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST   A popular choice, complete with a sky tram, skywalk, and canopy zip lines.

PARQUE NACIONAL MANUEL ANTONIO A small but scenic National Park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area on the Pacific coast.

LA FORTUNA WATERFALL In the Alajuela Province at the base of the dormant Chato volcano near the Arenal Volcano.

SURF Tamarindo, Santa Theresa, and Nosara are the premier spots to surf.

SHOP

LULÚ BERLÚ Natacha Nokin is a local artist who hand-crafts many of the delicate coconut shell lamps and mosaic mirrors sold in her boutique in Limon.

BAZZAR NOSARA Owned by fashion stylist turned designer, Gonca Gul, and selling bohemian kaftans and global goods.

SPA

PURE JUNGLE SPA The signature treatment is a chocolate body wrap given the abundance of cacao plantations scattered throughout the region. The spa also offers massages and facials, which incorporate fresh, all-natural ingredients— such as papayas, virgin coconut oil, cocoa butter, and pineapple— that are hand-mixed on the spot.

TABACON THERMAL RESORT & SPA  Close to the hiking trails of Mirador el Silencio reserve and Arenal Volcano lies this tropical spa resort with natural hot springs, and an open-air spa in a leafy, palm tree-filled garden.

Text: Veronica H. Speck