Place Archive

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano dominates the La Fortuna landscape, with trails crossing the 1968 lava fields that reveal ongoing ecological recovery within the cloud forest. Monteverde’s Biological Reserve protects high-altitude rainforest habitats, sustaining species such as sloths and armadillos along its network of trails and suspension bridges.

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Location

Costa Rica Locations

Photos from Costa Rica

Rippled sand and rocky outcrops line the beach at Punta San Francisco near Tamarindo, Costa Rica at low tide.
Punta San Francisco Beach sits just north of Tamarindo on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, a stretch of Guanacaste known for its rocky points separating long sandy beaches. A small navigational light marks the rocky point offshore, helping boats traveling along this coastline identify the shore after dark. The surrounding waters are part of a marine zone that includes Las Baulas National Park, established to protect nesting leatherback sea turtles that come ashore along nearby beaches.
Rocky tidal pools and exposed stone formations at Punta San Francisco Beach near Tamarindo, Costa Rica, during low tide.
Punta San Francisco Beach sits along Costa Rica's Guanacaste coast near Tamarindo, a stretch known for its volcanic rock reef that emerges fully at low tide. The exposed reef creates shallow tidal pools that trap seawater as the tide recedes, a daily cycle tied to the Pacific's tidal range along this shoreline. These intertidal zones support small marine organisms adapted to alternating wet and dry conditions. The beach lies within the broader Tamarindo area, part of the dry tropical forest ecosystem that defines much of Guanacaste Province.
The Coast Hotel's turquoise sign hangs on a black metal fence along a sandy path in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.
The Coast Hotel sits near Punta San Francisco Beach in Tamarindo, a town on Costa Rica's Pacific coast in Guanacaste province. Tamarindo grew from a small fishing village into one of the country's most visited beach destinations, drawing surfers and travelers for its consistent breaks and proximity to Las Baulas National Marine Park, known for nesting leatherback turtles.
Tide pools and dark volcanic rock formations line the Pacific shoreline at Tamarindo Beach in Costa Rica at sunset.
Tamarindo Beach sits on the Pacific coast of Guanacaste Province, just south of Las Baulas National Marine Park, a protected nesting ground for leatherback sea turtles. The volcanic rock shelf exposed here at low tide runs along the shoreline toward Punta San Francisco, a rocky point separating Tamarindo from the smaller cove at Playa Langosta. Guanacaste's dry forest, visible along the point, sheds its leaves in the dry season between December and April, thinning the tree cover near the coast.
Shorebirds rest on a curved driftwood branch in shallow water among mangrove trees at Tamarindo, Costa Rica.
Tamarindo's estuary, fed by the Tamarindo River, holds one of Guanacaste's last intact mangrove systems, protected since 1995 under Las Baulas National Marine Park. The tangled red and black mangrove roots here trap sediment and shelter juvenile fish, crabs, and mollusks that draw wintering shorebirds such as sandpipers and plovers south from North America each year. These birds rely on the tidal flats for foraging at low tide and use exposed branches and roots as resting perches between feeding cycles. The estuary sits adjacent to Punta San Francisco Beach, within a few kilometers of the surf town of Tamarindo itself.
A woman walks along the rocky shoreline at Punta San Francisco Beach in Costa Rica at sunset.
Punta San Francisco Beach sits along Costa Rica's Guanacaste coast near Tamarindo, a stretch of Pacific shoreline known for its rocky outcrops and tide-exposed reef. The beach's name, meaning "San Francisco Point," marks its position along a headland separating it from neighboring stretches of sand farther south. Low tide here regularly exposes volcanic rock shelves and scattered boulders that remain submerged at higher water levels. The surrounding Guanacaste coastline formed from volcanic activity tied to the Central American Volcanic Arc, giving many of its beaches this dark, rock-strewn character rather than uniform white sand.
Wind-shaped coastal trees with exposed roots sprawl across sand and rock at Punta San Francisco Beach in Costa Rica.
Punta San Francisco Beach sits along Costa Rica's Pacific coast near Tamarindo, in Guanacaste province. The shoreline here is shaped by strong onshore winds and salt spray, conditions that keep coastal trees low and bent rather than upright. Trees growing this close to the tideline often develop exposed root systems as windblown sand shifts and settles around their bases. Guanacaste's dry forest ecosystem, which borders many of the region's beaches, is known for this kind of low, wind-sculpted growth where forest meets sand.
White-throated Magpie-Jay with distinctive crest perched on wrought-iron fence in Costa Rica.
The white-throated magpie-jay is a large jay native to the Pacific slope of Central America, ranging from southern Mexico into northwestern Costa Rica. It's easily identified by its long, graduated tail, curled forward-facing crest feathers, and the blue-and-white plumage with a dark necklace marking across the chest. The species favors dry forest and scrubland, and it has adapted readily to gardens, farms, and developed areas within its range. Magpie-jays are highly social, often traveling and foraging in small family groups that cooperate in raising young from previous broods.
A suspension bridge with green mesh decking stretches through the canopy of Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve in Costa Rica.
Monteverde's cloud forest reserve sits along the Tilarán mountain range's continental divide, where trade winds off the Caribbean push moisture into the forest, keeping the canopy perpetually damp. The reserve protects roughly 10,500 hectares of forest and is home to an estimated 2,500 plant species, including hundreds of orchids and epiphytes that grow on the trees themselves rather than in soil. Suspension bridges like this one were built to let visitors move through the upper canopy, where much of the forest's biodiversity — birds, insects, and mammals — actually lives, without cutting new trails through the understory below.
A black howler monkey rests on moss-covered branches in the canopy of a Costa Rican cloud forest.
This is a mantled howler monkey, Alouatta palliata, the species found in Costa Rica's cloud forests rather than the black howler, which ranges farther south. Adult males can weigh up to 9 kilograms and are among the loudest land animals, with calls audible up to five kilometers through dense canopy via an enlarged hyoid bone that amplifies sound. Mantled howlers spend most of their lives in the forest canopy, rarely descending to the ground, and rely on a prehensile tail that can support their full body weight on branches. Their diet is mostly leaves supplemented with fruit and flowers, an adaptation that requires long rest periods to digest tough, low-calorie foliage. The species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, with habitat fragmentation from deforestation posing its main threat across Central America.
A howler monkey perches in dense canopy branches and foliage in Costa Rica's rainforest.
The mantled howler (Alouatta palliata) is among the loudest land animals on Earth, with males producing calls audible up to three miles away through a specialized, enlarged hyoid bone in the throat. Troops in Costa Rica's cloud forests typically number between six and fifteen and rarely descend to the ground, spending nearly their entire lives in the upper canopy. Their diet consists mainly of leaves supplemented with fruit and flowers, and slow, deliberate movement helps them conserve energy from this low-calorie food source. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with habitat fragmentation posing the primary threat to populations in Costa Rica's forest reserves.
A green mesh suspension bridge stretches through dense canopy vegetation in Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve maintains a network of suspension bridges designed to let visitors cross ravines and move through the forest canopy rather than only along the ground. The reserve itself protects roughly 10,500 hectares of primary forest across the Tilarán mountain range, land set aside since 1972 largely through the efforts of Quaker settlers and conservation groups. Elevations within the reserve range from about 1,400 to over 1,800 meters, conditions that keep the forest in near-constant mist and support the dense epiphyte growth seen along the trail corridors. The bridges give researchers and tourists alike access to the upper forest strata, where much of the reserve's biodiversity — including many of its orchid and bird species — is concentrated.
Two sloths rest in moss-covered tree branches surrounded by dense vegetation in Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica.
Hoffmann's two-toed sloths are among the mammals found in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a protected area that spans roughly 10,500 hectares across Costa Rica's Tilarán mountain range. Unlike Costa Rica's other common sloth species, the brown-throated three-toed sloth, Hoffmann's two-toed sloths are primarily nocturnal and spend much of the day curled into dense foliage or epiphyte clusters high in the canopy. Females often carry and nurse a single offspring for up to a year, with young sloths clinging to the mother's fur until they're large enough to forage independently. The reserve's constant moisture and cloud cover support the thick moss and epiphyte growth that gives sloths cover and camouflage from predators like harpy eagles.
Pink flowers and buds along a curved magenta stem against blurred green foliage in Costa Rica.
Phytolacca, a genus in the pokeweed family, produces magenta-stemmed flower spikes like this one, found in the understory of Central American cloud forests such as Monteverde's reserve. Its small white-and-pink blossoms mature into dark berries that birds and small mammals feed on and disperse, helping the plant colonize disturbed ground and forest edges.
Dense tropical vegetation with banana plants and tall trees in Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica.
Monteverde's cloud forest sits along the Tilarán Mountains, where trade winds pushing moisture off the Caribbean condense into near-constant mist across the ridge. The reserve protects roughly 10,500 hectares and spans six distinct ecological zones, a range that produces the dense, layered plant growth found at different elevations. Wild banana relatives, tree ferns, and epiphytes common in the understory thrive here due to the reserve's high humidity, which stays above 90 percent for much of the year. Scientists have catalogued more than 2,500 plant species within the reserve, including over 400 types of orchids.
A suspension bridge with a yellow walkway stretches through the canopy of Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve in Costa Rica.
Monteverde's cloud forest sits along the Tilarán mountain range, where trade winds hold moisture against the slopes and keep the canopy in near-constant mist. Suspension bridges like this one let visitors cross at canopy height, moving through a layer of the forest usually reached only by climbing researchers or resident wildlife. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve protects roughly 10,500 hectares of this habitat, home to more than 400 bird species and an estimated 2,500 plant species, many of them epiphytes growing directly on tree limbs. The reserve was established in 1972, largely through the efforts of Quaker settlers and conservationists who recognized the forest's role in the region's water supply.
A dirt path winds through dense vegetation in Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Costa Rica.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve covers roughly 10,500 hectares along the Continental Divide in Costa Rica's Tilarán Mountains. Established in 1972 by the Tropical Science Center, it protects one of the country's last large tracts of primary cloud forest. Elevations within the reserve range from about 1,440 to 1,860 meters, a range that produces the near-constant moisture and fog for which the ecosystem is known. Stone and gravel paths like this one give researchers and visitors access to the reserve's network of trails, which stretch over roughly 13 kilometers combined. The preserve is home to more than 2,500 plant species and over 400 species of birds, including the resplendent quetzal.
Dense canopy of tree ferns, epiphytes, and moss-covered trees in Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, Costa Rica.
Monteverde's cloud forest sits along the Cordillera de Tilarán at elevations between roughly 1,400 and 1,800 meters, where moisture-laden trade winds condense into near-constant mist. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, established in 1972 by the Tropical Science Center, protects about 10,500 hectares of this habitat. Scientists have cataloged more than 2,500 plant species here, including over 400 types of orchids and some 200 fern species, many of them epiphytes that grow on host trees rather than in soil. The reserve's elevation and humidity support six distinct ecological zones, making it one of the most biologically dense forest systems in Central America.
An armadillo forages through dense undergrowth in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Costa Rica.
The nine-banded armadillo is the species most likely to turn up along the forest floor at Monteverde, foraging through leaf litter for insects, grubs, and small invertebrates. It's the only armadillo species found as far north as the United States, but in Costa Rica it ranges through both lowland and highland forest, including the cloud forest habitat around Monteverde. The animal's banded armor is made of bony plates called osteoderms, covered in keratin, which allow it to flex while it digs and burrows. Mostly nocturnal or active at dawn and dusk, it relies on a strong sense of smell rather than eyesight to locate food, since armadillos see poorly.
A dirt trail winds through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve in Costa Rica, bordered by lush green vegetation and scattered trees.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve sits along the Cordillera de Tilarán in Costa Rica's Puntarenas Province, straddling the Continental Divide at elevations between about 1,440 and 1,800 meters. The Tropical Science Center, a Costa Rican nonprofit, has managed the reserve since its founding in 1972, when it was established to protect one of the region's last large tracts of primary cloud forest. The reserve spans roughly 10,500 hectares and supports more than 2,500 plant species, including over 400 types of orchids. Trails like this one allow hikers to move between the reserve's open pasture edges and its denser forest interior while keeping foot traffic confined to a defined route.
Bromeliads and epiphytic plants grow on a tree branch in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Costa Rica.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve sits along the Continental Divide in Costa Rica's Tilarán mountain range, where moisture-laden trade winds keep the forest in near-constant mist. That humidity supports a dense load of epiphytes — bromeliads, orchids, ferns, and mosses — that grow directly on tree limbs rather than in soil, drawing water and nutrients from the air and debris around them. Researchers have cataloged more than 500 species of epiphytes within the reserve, among the highest counts recorded in any neotropical cloud forest. The reserve itself protects roughly 10,500 hectares and was established in 1972 through the efforts of Quaker settlers and conservationists working with the Tropical Science Center.
Sun setting over the Monteverde Cloud Forest canopy in Costa Rica with layered mist and vegetation visible below.
The Tilarán Mountains form the continental divide that runs through the Monteverde region, separating Caribbean-draining slopes from those facing the Pacific. Monteverde's cloud forest sits at elevations between roughly 1,400 and 1,800 meters, where moisture-laden trade winds condense into the persistent mist that defines the ecosystem. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, established in 1972 by the Tropical Science Center, protects more than 10,500 hectares of this habitat and borders the adjacent Children's Eternal Rainforest, one of the largest private reserves in Central America. The region's elevation and position along the divide create the shifting light and layered haze that mark the transition between day and night over the forest canopy.
Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica at sunset, with flowering plants in foreground and forested hills beneath golden sky.
Monteverde sits along Costa Rica's Tilarán Cordillera, where trade winds off the Caribbean push moisture up the slopes and condense into the near-constant mist that gives the cloud forest its name. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, established in 1972, protects roughly 10,500 hectares and spans six distinct ecological zones across an elevation range of about 1,440 to 1,800 meters. That shift in elevation and moisture supports more than 2,500 plant species, including over 400 types of orchids, along with some 100 mammal species and 400 bird species, among them the resplendent quetzal. Quaker settlers and conservationists who arrived in the 1950s helped set aside the original forest tract, a decision credited with starting the region's long-running ecotourism economy.
A treehouse bedroom in Monteverde, Costa Rica features a canopy bed with mosquito netting, suspended chair, and expansive windows overlooking the cloud forest.
Hidden Canopy Treehouses is a small boutique lodge built into the cloud forest canopy near Monteverde, Costa Rica, with guest rooms raised above the forest floor on stilts. Each suite opens onto a private balcony facing the forest, a design choice meant to put guests at eye level with the canopy rather than looking up at it from the ground. The lodge sits adjacent to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, one of the region's best-known protected forest areas.

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