WaysToTravel

Costa Rica packs an extraordinary range of habitats into a small country, and each holds different animals. Monkeys and sloths in the coastal forests, quetzals in the cloud forest, nesting turtles on both coasts, humpback whales off the south Pacific.

The difference between glimpsing wildlife and really seeing it usually comes down to three things: being in the right habitat, being out at the right time of day, and being with someone who knows what to look for.

Costa Rica sits on a chain of volcanoes, and several can be explored on foot. Arenal's lava flows, Rincón de la Vieja's fumaroles and the mineral-blue Río Celeste each show a different side of the same restless geology.

The reward at the end of the day is thermal water, from landscaped pools to simpler springs in the forest.

Costa Rican food is straightforward and generous: gallo pinto at breakfast, a casado at lunch, tropical fruit in abundance. On the Caribbean coast, coconut, spice and Afro-Caribbean tradition change the picture entirely.

Visits to coffee and cacao farms, cooking with local families and time in small markets are some of the most direct ways to understand the places you're travelling through.

Costa Rica's naturalist guides are a large part of what makes travelling here rewarding. A guide who knows the calls, carries a spotting scope and sets the pace to your group will show you things you would otherwise walk straight past.

Private guiding isn't necessary everywhere. We suggest it where it genuinely makes a difference, such as in Corcovado, in the cloud forest and on early-morning birding walks.