Costa Rica is Central America’s showcase for conservation: a large share of the country is protected, and the Pacific and the Caribbean are often just a few hours’ drive apart. Here are the facts and my travel story.
Costa Rica at a glance
Top sights
Corcovado National Park
On the Osa Peninsula lies one of the most biodiverse places on earth: tapirs, scarlet macaws, all four of the country’s monkey species. The park may only be entered with a certified guide, who also books the tickets (US$15 per day for foreigners). Access by boat from Drake Bay to the San Pedrillo and Sirena stations, or from Puerto Jiménez via Carate to La Leona. Since September 2026 visitor numbers per station are capped; Sirena, El Tigre and Los Patos close every October. Book early.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Small but famous: rainforest running straight into white coves, plus sloths, capuchin monkeys and iguanas. Tickets (around US$18) are sold only online via SINAC, tied to your passport and non-refundable – nothing is sold on site. The park is closed on Tuesdays. About 7 km from Quepos, roughly 3 hours from San José.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
The Caribbean side runs on a different rhythm: reggae, Afro-Caribbean food, surf breaks and jungle down to the sand. Nearby are Cahuita National Park (coral reef, entry by donation at the Kelly Creek entrance) and the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge. Avoid lonely stretches of beach alone at night – the German Foreign Office names the region specifically.
My travel story
Costa Rica is the country where you keep looking up – because something is always moving in the treetops. A sloth, a troop of monkeys, a toucan.
Manuel Antonio is the perfect start: forest in the morning, a beach that looks painted at midday. Corcovado is the counter-programme – early alarm, boat ride, hours in humid forest with a guide who spots animals you would have walked past ten times.
And then the Caribbean at Puerto Viejo: a different pace, different food, a different way of life. See both coasts and you understand why so many people come back to Costa Rica.
Getting there from Munich
From Munich to San José you fly with one change, for instance via Frankfurt (Lufthansa flies nonstop to San José five times a week in winter 2026/27), Zurich or Paris; the fastest connections take around 14 hours. We take you to Munich Airport at a fixed price and pick you up after your return flight – flight tracking and 60 minutes of waiting time included.
As of November 2026. All information without guarantee; entry and vaccination rules can change at short notice. Entry details apply to German citizens. Please check the German Foreign Office travel advice and consult a travel-medicine specialist about vaccinations.