Costa Rica WanderList

For a little country (compared to Canada), Costa Rica has so much to offer. Beautiful places, thrilling adventures, cute animals, and of course, coffee. It’s nearly impossible to see and do it all…but that is a challenge I am willing to accept. My adventure-loving heart is running wild and ready to take in all the magic that Costa Rica can offer. And that is where this Costa Rica WanderList comes into play.

I had a list of things that I wanted to do and places I wanted to visit Costa Rican, so we arrived on a mission to make the most of our year here and started ticking things off our list. We’ve made some great progress on the list so far. However, it seems like every time we tick off an item on the list, something new pops up that is a ‘must-do’ or ‘must-see’. So, our list continues to grow.

I thought I’d share our Costa Rica Wander List for a few reasons. For one, so that I can keep track of the things we’ve done and the things we want to do. Two, so you can tell me what we are missing. Three, so that those visiting us can see what there is to do and help us knock off a few items while they are here, and four, so our Tico friends can give us secret tips on hidden gems that we might be missing out on. Bring on the local expertise 🙂

What are some ‘off-the-beaten-track’ places should we add? What experiences haven’t we thought of?

I need tips because we still have 7 months and I want to do it all!

Without further ado…

Costa Rica Wander List

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• ☑ Surfing in Tamarindo
• ☐ Surfing in the Caribbean sea
• ☐ Watch a surfing competition in Jaco
• ☑ Visit the Starbucks farm
• ☑ Visit a small independent coffee farm
• ☐ Visit a chocolate farm
• ☑ Visit Irazú volcano
• ☑ Visit Poàs volcano
• ☐ Visit Turrialba volcano
• ☑ Explore Manuel Antonio National Park
• ☑ See the Whale Tail beach in Uvita
• ☐ Save the turtles (watch turtles hatch)
• ☑ See dolphins playing in the wild
• ☐ See the whale migration
• ☑ See wild sloths
• ☑ Meet a baby sloth
• ☑ Go to the Sloth Sanctuary
• ☑ Hang with wild monkeys
• ☐ Volunteer with an animal rescue
• ☐ Try all the Costa Rican microbreweries
• ☐ Perfect cooking gallo pinto and patacones
• ☐ Eat a Churchill
• ☐ Learn conversational Spanish
• ☑ Ziplining in Monteverde
• ☐ Ziplining in La Fortuna
• ☐ Walking tour of downtown San José
• ☐ Visit Central Market
• ☐ Kayak mangroves best Tamarindo
• ☑ Hang out at Playa Conchal
• ☑ Beach hop in Puerto Viejo
• ☐ Go spelunking near La Fortuna
• ☑ Hike a cloud forest
• ☐ Visit Santa Theresa
• ☐ Take the ferry to Paquera
• ☐ Find a bioluminescent beach
• ☐ Find the best iced coffee in Costa Rica
• ☐ Snorkel around Isla Tortuga
• ☐ Visit hot springs in La Fortuna
• ☑ Visit hot springs in Orosi
• ☐ Hike a volcano
• ☐ Rio Celeste waterfall
• ☑ Swim at Nauyaca Waterfall
• ☐ La Fortuna waterfall
• ☐ Bajos Del Toro waterfall hike
• ☐ Hike the Three Crosses trail in Escazu
• ☐ Cafe tour of Escalante
• ☐ Visit Corcovado National Park
• ☐ Visit Tortuguero National Park
• ☐ Hike in Braulio Carrillo National Park
• ☐ Visit Cahuita National Park
• ☐ Do a Wellness retreat
• ☐ Do a short Yoga retreat
• ☐ Road trip to Bocas del toro (Panama)
• ☐ Road trip to San Juan Del Sur (Nicaragua)