The Activities I Wouldn’t Skip in Costa Rica

If you’re the kind of person who is always looking for the next adventure, Costa Rica has your back.

From jungle hikes and waterfalls to volcano trails, zip-lining and rafting, the number of outdoor activities you can do here is honestly ridiculous.

Whether you’re a nature lover, an adrenaline seeker or a surfer, you’ll never run out of things to do.

Before I tell you which activities I wouldn’t skip, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate all those travel companions who would have been perfectly happy spending an entire month in a bungalow in the Maldives……but somehow ended up zip-lining through a rainforest because their partner said:

“Trust me, it will be fun.”

Especially those who are afraid of heights.

Zip-Lining Above the Rainforest

White Water Rafting in Balsa River

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Tour

Chocolate From Tree to Bar

Sunset Catamaran Tour

Palo Verde Boat Tour

1. Zip-Lining Above the Rainforest

First on the list and still my personal favourite activity in Costa Rica, was the 7-line zip-line course above the rainforest.

I chose to do it in La Fortuna with Sky Adventures because safety was one of my biggest priorities. We booked the 2 p.m. slot hoping for better weather and fewer crowds.

My logic was simple: in Costa Rica it usually rains either early in the morning or later in the evening.

For once, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

It was raining.

But somehow the rain, the fog and the jungle atmosphere made the whole experience even more magical.

After a quick safety briefing, helmets, harnesses and multiple gear checks, we were taken up the mountain by cable car.

At the top there was a beautiful viewpoint where everyone immediately started taking photos before the adventure began.

The guides were fantastic, young, friendly, professional and very reassuring. Before every line they explained exactly what to expect, how long it was and what to do during the ride.

I was feeling quite confident…

…until I saw the first platform disappearing into the fog.

That was the moment I had to get my act together.

To make things worse (or better), there was a little girl who couldn’t have been older than seven years old doing every single zip-line like it was the easiest thing in the world. Meanwhile I was standing there mentally negotiating with myself.My partner wasn’t much better.

Internally, I think panic had already taken over, but it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences we both knew we wanted to do.

The course included seven different zip-lines. Some were longer, some were faster, and each one felt completely different from the previous one.

We also paid around $40 for the photos and videos afterwards.

You can absolutely skip them if you’re travelling on a tight budget, but personally I would buy them again without hesitation.

I’m a big believer in keeping memories from experiences like this.

And I mean… look at these pictures!!

2. White Water Rafting on the Balsa River

After this rafting trip, I can probably call myself an expert in level 2 and 3 rapids.

Anything above that?

Let’s stay realistic.

Originally, I had booked rafting on the Balsa River because it is considered one of the easier options around La Fortuna.

Thanks to heavy rain, however, the company decided to move us to the Sarapiquí River, which has stronger rapids and a slightly higher difficulty level.

Exactly what every beginner wants to hear.

We booked with Wave Rafting Costa Rica and were picked up from our accommodation in La Fortuna.

The river was about an hour away, and the transfer itself was very relaxed.They were a little late picking us up, but honestly, I never worry much about these things.

As I always say, if you’re patient, good things usually come later.

I’ll get back to that in a moment.

Inside the bus they provided water, refreshments and a towel, which basically became your ticket back onto the bus later.

So, don’t lose the towel.

The atmosphere was very casual from the beginning. We could leave our belongings on the bus, one staff member stayed with them, and nobody seemed remotely worried about anything disappearing.

If you want to film the experience yourself, some helmets had GoPro mounts available.

Unfortunately I assumed it would work exactly like the zip-line tour and completely forgot to bring mine.Still annoyed about that one.

The rafting itself was surprisingly simple to understand.

You sit in the boat, listen to the guide, paddle forwards when told, paddle backwards when told, and try not to fall out.

And if you’re lucky enough like me, you’ll have two enormous athletic guys sitting next to you doing most of the hard work.

Otherwise…

Good Luck! Or maybe pray a little.

The rapids were officially around level 2–3, although some sections felt closer to level 3–4 for a complete beginner like me.

Would I recommend it for first-timers? Absolutely.

If I survived it, you’ll be fine. The scenery was beautiful. Jungle everywhere, wildlife around the river and dramatic landscapes the entire way down.

To be honest, based on the photos online I had imagined something even more spectacular, but it was still an incredible experience.

The guides made a huge difference.

After the rafting finished, we changed clothes (bring extra clothes — trust me on this), got back on the bus and were taken to a beautiful wooden restaurant where lunch was included.

And remember when I mentioned the delayed pickup? When we arrived, they told me I could have all the photos free of charge because of the delay.

So apparently being patient occasionally pays off.

3. The Chocolate Experience I Didn’t Expect To Enjoy So Much

Chocolate From Tree to Bar

How can you visit Costa Rica and skip a chocolate experience?

That would almost feel offensive. After all, you are in one of the world’s most famous cacao-producing countries.

Even before arriving, I knew I wanted to learn how chocolate is actually made. Not the supermarket version, but the real process, starting from the tree itself.

My first chocolate experience took place in Puerto Viejo at a small place called Cacao Huasi.

The tour was led by a woman originally from London who had moved to Costa Rica years ago and developed a deep passion for cacao. She even had her own chocolate brand and could probably spend an entire day talking about chocolate without getting bored.

The experience followed the journey from cacao fruit to chocolate bar.We learned about the history of cacao, how it grows, how it is harvested, dried, roasted and processed before eventually becoming chocolate.

One of the highlights was seeing and tasting the cacao fruit itself.

We were lucky enough to have a ripe fruit available to pick directly from a nearby tree. Otherwise, our guide admitted she would have needed to show us photos instead.

The tour was also quite hands-on. We participated in several steps of the process ourselves, which made it more engaging than simply listening to a presentation.

For around $50, it was an enjoyable and educational experience.

Would I Do It Again? Probably not.

And I don’t mean that in a negative way.

I enjoyed the experience and learned a lot, but once you’ve seen the full process from cacao fruit to chocolate bar, you’ve more or less seen it. The main reason is value for money.

For the same price, I later found an experience that offered considerably more.

4. Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane

A few days later in La Fortuna, I booked another tour, the North Fields Coffee and Chocolate tour.

At first, I was hesitant.I had read plenty of reviews warning travellers about large coffee and chocolate farms. Many people claimed they were tourist traps where you pay to hear a few facts before being directed toward the gift shop.

Thankfully, that wasn’t my experience at all.

This tour combined three of Costa Rica’s most important products:coffee, chocolate and sugar cane.

And unlike the previous experience, it wasn’t focused on a single product.Instead, it felt like a complete introduction to Costa Rican agriculture and culture.

Then came the surprise.

Sugar cane.
We tasted fresh sugar cane, learned how it is processed and even sampled traditional alcoholic products made from it.

By the end, it felt less like a tasting tour and more like a genuine introduction to Costa Rican life.

The farm itself was beautiful, surrounded by nature and far larger than I had expected.Most importantly, the entire experience cost almost exactly the same as the chocolate-only tour.

For me, it offered considerably more value.

Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely.

Not necessarily because I need another lesson about coffee or chocolate production.I

would do it again for one very important reason:the sugar cane.

Coffee was great.Chocolate was great.But somehow the sugar cane stole the show.

If I ever find myself back on that farm, there is a very good chance I’ll be standing there pretending to pay attention to the coffee lesson while secretly waiting for another glass of sugar cane juice.

5. The Catamaran Tour

Snorkelling in Guanacaste:

The Snorkelling Wasn’t the Highlight

Since we were already spending several days in Guanacaste, I decided to book a snorkelling tour there and finally see what all the fuss was about.And to be completely honest?

The snorkelling wasn’t the highlight.

After reading far too many reviews, I eventually booked a sunset catamaran tour with Lazy Lizard, one of the highest-rated companies in the area.They offer several options, including private charters, smaller group tours and larger catamaran trips. Originally, I wanted the morning tour because Guanacaste was blessed with fantastic weather during our entire stay. Sunny skies, no rain, barely a cloud in sight.

Unfortunately, the morning option wasn’t available on the day we wanted to go, so we ended up booking the sunset tour instead.Looking back, I have absolutely no regrets.The tour cost around $95 per person and included food, drinks and all snorkelling equipment.

If you’re someone who enjoys cocktails on a boat while watching the Pacific coastline go by, you’ll probably get your money’s worth before even entering the water.

One of the first highlights came before we even reached the snorkelling spot.

Whales. Actual whales.

Seeing them from the boat was completely unexpected and instantly upgraded the experience.

Once we arrived, we were taken to a small beach where everyone could either snorkel, swim, relax on the sand or simply continue enjoying life on the boat.

The snorkelling itself was… fine.

We had a guide, but he wasn’t particularly involved. To be fair, most people seemed far more interested in the open bar, the music and the overall atmosphere than in actually exploring underwater.

We ended up swimming around the reefs on our own and although it was pleasant enough, we didn’t see anything particularly memorable.

Then came the journey back.

And suddenly everything made sense.

The sunset was absolutely spectacular.One of those sunsets where nobody really needs to say anything because everyone is staring at the horizon taking photos and pretending they aren’t taking hundreds of photos.

The music, the atmosphere, the ocean, the colours in the sky and the people around us somehow created one of my favourite evenings of the entire trip.

Whould I do it again? Absolutely

For the catamaran. For the sunset. For the atmosphere. For the whales.

6. Palo Verde Boat Tour: The Most Unexpected Highlight of the Trip

One of my favourite experiences in Costa Rica wasn’t planned at all.

In fact, I discovered it completely by accident.

One morning in Guanacaste, probably around 4 a.m., because apparently that became my natural wake-up time during the entire trip ,I was scrolling through Google Maps looking for ideas.

That’s when I noticed Palo Verde National Park on the map.I didn’t know much about it at the time. I just saw the words “boat tour”, “wildlife” and “crocodiles” and immediately became interested.

The decision was made.The next morning we got up early and started driving.

Part of the route was on unpaved roads, which meant driving slowly, but honestly that became part of the adventure.The landscape was completely different from the lush rainforest scenery we had become used to elsewhere in Costa Rica.

Everything felt drier.

More open.

Almost wild-west-like in some places.

And along the roads we constantly spotted huge iguanas and lizards sunbathing as if they owned the place.

To be fair, they probably did.

More Than Just a Boat Tour

What surprised me most was that the experience wasn’t only about wildlife.The company operating the tour was actually a family-run restaurant that offered much more than just a boat ride.

The experience included lunch, dessert, cultural demonstrations and the boat tour itself.Before heading out on the river, we watched a pottery demonstration by a local family that had been making traditional pottery for generations.We also watched an elderly woman prepare traditional tortillas by hand while sharing stories about local traditions and life in the region.

It felt much more authentic than many tourist attractions I’ve visited elsewhere.

And the wildlife was incredible.

Birds everywhere.

White-faced monkeys moving through the trees only a short distance from the boat.

The monkeys aren’t allowed on the boats, of course, but they came surprisingly close to us.

By the end of the tour I felt like we had seen more wildlife in a few hours than I had expected to see in an entire day.

Would I Do It Again? Without hesitation.

The wildlife alone would be enough reason.

The kindness of the people made it unforgettable.