Rainforest to the Pacific
Around 10 to 12 nightsArenalMonteverdeCentral Pacific
Volcano and hot springs, a few cool days in the cloud forest, then down to the coast where the forest meets the sea.
Central Pacific coastInclude in my trip
ManuelAntonioandtheCentralPacific
Region
Central Pacific coast
Landscapes
Coastal rainforest, Beaches and headlands
Pairs well with
Monteverde, Osa
WelcomeToCentralPacific
- Coastal rainforest
- Beaches and headlands
- Mangrove estuaries
On the Central Pacific coast near Quepos, forest and beach meet with unusual intimacy. Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the smallest national parks in the country and one of the most visited, for good reason: in a single morning you can walk forest trails, swim from a pale beach and watch wildlife at close range.
Thepark
Sloths, white-faced capuchins and the Central American squirrel monkey, which lives only along a stretch of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama, are all found here. A good guide with a spotting scope makes an enormous difference to what you see. The park manages visitor numbers and does not open every day of the week, so timing a visit well is part of planning.
Mangrovesandrivers
Around Quepos, mangrove estuaries can be explored quietly by kayak or small boat, a gentler and less visited counterpart to the park itself.
Southtowardsthewhales
Plan a visit
Further down the coast, Dominical and Uvita are smaller and more laid back. Marino Ballena National Park protects the water off Uvita, where humpback whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres arrive at different times of year.
DiscoverCentralPacificYourWay
Start planningIsItRightForYou?
Forest that runs straight down to the sand. Rainforest trails, pale beaches and close wildlife encounters in one small park, with whale-watching coasts and mangroves further south.
- Who it suits
- Wildlife lovers with limited time, families, and travellers who want forest and beach in the same day.
- Fitting it in
- Within comfortable reach of San José, the Central Pacific often closes a trip, or links the mountains with the wilder south.
- Weather + seasons
- Wetter than Guanacaste, with green-season afternoons that are genuinely lush. The park is popular year-round, and early starts help.
- Things to do
- Guided wildlife walks · Kayaking in the mangroves · Whale-watching off Uvita · Swimming and beach days. Availability varies by season and conditions.
JourneysThroughHere
All journeys- JourneyBalanced
View - JourneyUnhurried, with long days outdoors
The Wild South
ViewAround 9 to 12 nightsCentral PacificOsa
Whale coasts near Uvita, then on by boat to the Osa Peninsula and the deep forest of Corcovado, with quiet days on the Golfo Dulce.
NearbyAndOftenCombined
All regions- RegionTilarán mountains
Monteverde and the Cloud Forest
ViewCloud forestRidges and wind-shaped elfin forestPastures and farmland on the lower slopes
Mist, moss and the cool air of the continental divide.
- RegionSouth Pacific
The Osa Peninsula
ViewPrimary lowland rainforestWild Pacific beachesThe sheltered Golfo Dulce
Remote, raw and astonishingly alive.
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