Costa Rica holidays

1. Soak in the hot springs of Arenal Volcano National Park and take the stepped path to the 200-ft iconic waterfall, La Fortuna – a perfect spot to cool down. While  in Arenal, why not also tour a cacao farm and try your hand at chocolate making?
2. See clouds of sulphurous smoke emerge from a volcano  at the Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja. You can’t hike to (or near) its summit, but there are some impressive waterfalls and trails nearby where you could spot anything from pumas to parrots.
3. Costa Rica is a real pull for birdwatchers, with around 900 species found there. Among them are hummingbirds, kingfishers, trogons, toucans and the incredibly striking quetzal.
4. Corcovado National Park boasts 13 major ecosystems including cloud forest, coastal marine and rainforest. There’s a chance of spotting Costa Rica’s endangered (and often shy) creatures here, such as Baird’s tapir and red-backed squirrel monkeys. If you don’t see those, there are still a bewildering number of wildlife species including 40 of frog, 400 of bird (16 types of hummingbird alone) and 100 of butterfly.
5. Learn about coffee production with a tour of El Toledo. This permaculture coffee plantation moves away from big business in favour of local agriculture and labour, and produces some interesting concoctions such as coffee fruit wine. 
6. Learn to salsa –  you’ll hear the rhythm pounding almost everywhere in Costa Rica, making it difficult to resist joining in. You’ll find lots of salsa schools, especially around La Fortuna.
7. For a dash of the surreal, head the Zarcero Garden where artist Evangelista Blanco has clipped ordinary shrubs into extraordinary things – look out for topiary portrayals of Jesus and some dinosaurs. 
8. Head to the Celeste River – a vivid blue body of water that looks so bright it could have been Insta -filtered. Sitting within the Tenorio Volcano National Park, it appears where two clearwater rivers converge to provide the perfect concentration of aluminosilicate particles needed to make light scatter in such a special way. 
9. Head to one of the most beautiful buildings in the country, the Teatro Nacional in San Jose. It opened in 1897 and has an ornate neoclassical facade, marble lobby and intricate gold interior that’s crammed with artworks.

• If it’s a cityscape you’re after, then head to central San Jose where the vibe is electric with eateries, museums and plazas. For historic architecture, head to the Barrios Amon, Otoya and Aranjuez neighbourhoods. If you want a serene spot – Escazu offers a tranquil escape and upmarket restaurants. For budget-beating food, try the colourful Mercado Central’s labyrinth of stalls selling traditional delicacies. Don’t miss the city’s museums, which  include those dedicated to gold, jade and social history. 
• Tortuguero is named after the thousands of giant Hawksbill and Green turtles that nest here from July to October (Leatherbacks come ashore earlier in the year). Venturing onto the beach without a guide is prohibited after 18:00 when the turtles appear.
• A two-hour drive from San Jose gets you to Jaco, the closest beach town to the capital. Prepare to party hard as you don’t come here for serenity. It does offer great food and perfect sunsets too but stay out of the water as the currents are strong.

• Bird watchers will love the Sendero Laguna Meandrica in the Carara National Park. Other well-documented twitching spots include Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the Palo Verde, Tortuguero and Corcovado national parks.
• The challenging hike along the Los Patos-Sirena trail rewards you with one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. It’s recommended that you hire a local guide for this one. With the volcano as its backdrop, the incredibly varied Sendero Las Pailas in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park is another option.
• See the majestic Volcan Arenal, Costa Rica’s youngest volcano , from a distance during your stay at the luxurious Nayara Gardens. Try out the hanging bridges round here and try to spot  the multi-coloured frogs unique to the region.
• Reconnect with nature at the luxurious clifftop tents of Nayara Tented Camp. Standing on stilts to reduce its footprint it towers among rainforests. Tents come with personal pools that are fed by hot mineral springs. 
• On the Caribbean coast, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Punta Uva offer some of the best breakers for surfers. Experts flock to Witch’s Rock at Playa Naranjo, on the Pacific coast in Guanacaste province. Also in the area, Playa Tamarindo and the nearby white sands of Playa Langosta are perfect for families. Nosara and Samara on the Nicoya Peninsula offer quieter beaches, as does Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio further south, with its viridescent rainforests.
• Where the Gulf of Papagayo meets the sapphire waters of Culebra Bay, you’ll find Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo.
•  For San Jose’s upmarket bars head to the busy street, Avenida Central  . Great for bar hopping is the San Pedro area.
  
•  Over on the country’s east coast, you can dance your way around the week-long Limon Carnival, which usually takes place in October.
• With an understated glamour, Barcelo San Jose offers restaurants, cocktail lounges and an outdoor pool within a five-minute drive of downtown San Jose. 
• Tee off to views of a rainforest and the ocean at the luxurious La Iguana Golf Course – recognised as one of the best golf hotels in Costa Rica by the World Golf Awards   . The Stay & Play option at Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort allows you to combine a stay with the chance to tackle La Iguana’s 18-hole par-72 championship course.

November, April and early May are great times to visit. The dry season runs from December to April and offers warm temperatures and lots of sunshine, while a pre-Easter visit means fewer crowds.