Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Frog's Heaven
A frog-lover's heaven, this tropical garden is filled with all sorts of brightly-
colored (and transparent!) amphibians, including the iconic red-eyed tree frog.
Ecocentro Danaus
Walk the trails to look for monkeys and sloths, visit a pond with caimans
and turtles, delight in the butterfly garden and ogle frogs in the ranarium (frog pond).
Jaguar Centro de Rescate
No jaguars here, but you may get to hold a howler monkey or a
baby sloth. You'll also see colorful snakes (in terrariums), raptors and frogs.
Beaches
Playa Ocotal
Placid, wooded gray-sand beach on the quiet northern end of Península de
Nicoya.
Playa Pelada
In the Nosara area, this low-key beach has little wave action and big, in-
triguing boulders.
Playa Carrillo
South of family-friendly Sámara, this beach can be all yours during the week
and convivially crowded with Tico (Costa Rican) families on the weekends.
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
Beach visits are usually enlivened by monkeys, coatis
and iguanas.
Parque Nacional Marino Ballena
A yawning stretch of white-sand, jungle-fringed beach, a
sand spit shaped like a whale's tail at low tide and the chance to see whales spouting off-
shore.
Playa Negra
This black-sand, blue-flag beach (meeting Costa Rica's highest ecological
standards) has plenty of space to plant your own flag.
Playa Manzanillo
Beautiful, jungle-backed beach from here to Punta Mona (about as far
south as you can go before you have to start bushwhacking).
Waterborne Adventures
Mangrove Tours
Kayaking or canoeing through the still waters of mangrove canals can turn
up waterbirds, caimans, sleeping bats and sloths. Try
Parque Nacional Marino Ballena
,
around
Puerto Jiménez
and
Tortuguero
.
