Arenal Volcano
Enjoy viewing stations around Arenal Volcano. Watch the impressive lava flows of this lively crater, where you can see rocks spewing skyward and molten on clear evenings. Arenal has been in a constant state of activity—eruptions, accompanied by thunderous rumbling sounds, are sometimes as frequent as one per hour.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest
Monteverde is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics. In this cloud forest there are more than 100 species of mammals, more than 400 species of birds including 30 kinds of hummingbirds, thousands of insect species, and 2,500 species of plants, including 420 kinds of orchids.
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
Off the beaten path, in northern Costa Rica, this wetlands refuge is a haven for birds and birdwatchers. In the wet season, when the main lake is high, visitors will see many migratory waterfowl, but resident birds are abundant year-round. The forests, grasslands, and marshes of Caño Negro are also home to a variety of endangered species like cougars, tapirs, jaguars, and ocelots, along with tayras, sloths, otters, and monkeys. The refuge can only be explored by boat and has no public facilities.
Palo Verde National Park
Birds are the biggest attraction at Palo Verde National Park, but there are also facilities for biking, hiking, and wildlife-viewing boat rides. During the wet season, visitors can spot migrant birds from the Americas, and in the dry season they can expect to see an array of resident birds—along with glimpses of Variegated Squirrels, Howler Monkeys, White-nosed Coatis, White-tailed Deer, White-throated Capuchin Monkeys, and Collared Peccaries.
