Three must-sees in Costa Rica | The Press

Renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity, its breathtaking tropical landscapes and its welcoming local population, Costa Rica is already a popular tourist destination for Quebecers. Here are three destinations which, once there, bear witness to the richness of this jewel of Central America.

La Fortuna

A three-hour drive northwest of the capital San José is a small town that will charm more than one: La Fortuna. Built around a long main street around which there are a multitude of bars and restaurants that communicate with the outside, it is home to a splendid waterfall that made its reputation.

From the small town center, it is enough to take an upward road of a few kilometers to reach the entrance to the place of the waterfall. Rental bikes and scooters are offered to do so. You can also get there by taxi. The equivalent of the asking price for admission (US$18) is given to local projects for the preservation of fauna and flora.

Once inside the site, which is a biological reserve, a route of a few hundred steps through the rainforest (rainforest) descends to the famous 70m waterfall. At the bottom, two options are available to us: admire it from the rest areas or swim in the pool reserved for this purpose.

Nothing better to conclude a stay than to visit one of the many natural spas after having eaten in a soda, a restaurant where they serve comida tipica (typical food) Costa Rican.

Arenal

Arenal is not a city or a municipality. It is rather a 1720 m high volcano, which sits more than a kilometer above the surrounding plain. The best way to visit it is to sign up for a full-day tour from La Fortuna.

As the two places are nearby, around fifteen minutes by tourist bus is enough to reach the entrance to the Arenal Natural Park. There, you can enjoy a visit with a qualified guide, during which it will be possible to see monkeys, toucans, sloths, small turtles and several types of birds. Our guide recognized practically every bird simply by ear.

At the end of the trail, you can see the volcano in all its glory. With an almost perfect conical shape, it is truly majestic.

The day continues with a dinner of your choice provided, to which we pair a shot (or two) of Guaro, a strong alcohol from Latin America made from sugar cane. For the afternoon, we go to a natural hot spring where a mud mask is offered, which we must try. All for US$45.

Monteverde

After transport by boat and on a tourist shuttle from La Fortuna, we arrive in Monteverde. A small town located in the mountainous region of the country, it is best known for its cloud forest (cloud forest).

Less lively than its companion, this municipality is perfect for becoming familiar with the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica. In this sense, the suspension bridges of Selvatura Adventure Park are not to be missed. Eight in number, they are between 57 and 157 m long, then form a circuit that allows visitors to contemplate the cloud forest in a rather unique way. The more adventurous can also visit the course by zip line.

During the night, you can also participate in guided night hikes that offer a privileged look at the fauna that lives in the dark: snakes, tarantulas, bats, red-eyed tree frogs and company.

Also in Monteverde, you can take part in a sound bath (sound bath), where the master of ceremonies transports you elsewhere through different instruments while you rest. It’s an almost therapeutic experience for which you have to be open and relaxed, but which – literally – makes you travel.