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Costa Rica is one of the most visited international destinations and for good reason. According to Conde Nast Traveler, which is an award-winning travel magazine, Costa Rica is the most beautiful country in the world.
Full of stunning views, vast landscapes, and exotic wildlife, this is a place where you can scrub away the pressures of the real world and feel like you’re born anew.
But if you’re planning to take a vacation to Costa Rica, how exactly do you narrow down your location? Yes, of course, the country is beautiful, but if your vacation is only a week, it’s not like you can experience all of it.
You need a place that is all-encompassing, from the landscapes to the views to the wildlife; everything that is so great about Costa Rica concentrated in one location.
Where Is the Best Place To Visit in Costa Rica?
The Beauty Of Arenal
Well, we think we have just the spot. Arenal National Park in Costa Rica has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations, not least due to the number of activities you can get up to, places you can explore, and people you can meet.
It feels, in many ways, like this is the heart of Costa Rica. So much so that – if you do decide to visit – you wouldn’t really need to go anywhere else. Everything that is great about this country is summed up in one spot. Here are a few examples:
Lake Arenal
If you’re a bit of an adrenaline nut and you’d like to waterski Costa Rica style, then Lake Arenal is the perfect spot to do it. Stretching for nearly 33 square miles, this is a sapphire-blue stretch of water that sits below the incredible Volcano Arenal, the ultimate destination for any water sports lover.
Water sports to try out here include water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, or – if your legs aren’t really feeling up to it – you can even rent a boat and just spend the day floating on the waves!
Arenal Volcano
Talking about being an adrenaline junkie, there’s no better way to get the blood pumping than standing at the foot of a 5,436-foot-high active stratovolcano! Volcano Arenal is one of the most impressive destinations in Costa Rica.
Although it is forbidden to climb – the volcano has been considered eruptive since 1968 – it is still a beautiful spot to hike to and take it all in. The hike will also include a walk through Arenal National Park, so you’re sure to spot plenty of wildlife along the way too!
La Fortuna
You’ve got watersports, you’ve got volcano hikes, so what about a town to try out some Costa Rican delicacies and meet some of the locals? Well, Arenal has that too.
Just six kilometers from the bottom of Arenal Volcano rests the quaint town of La Fortuna. There are loads of great things to do in La Fortuna, but we recommend visiting its stunning gardens and trying out one of the local restaurants.
There, you can kick your feet up for a bit, chat with some of the locals and experience the beauty of this place with the comfort of a cocktail in one hand!
Arenal As The Perfect Destination
So you see? You’ve got activities, scenery, wildlife, towns, and a whopping great volcano sitting right on top of it!
Of course, anywhere in Costa Rica is going to be beautiful, but if you want a place that wraps up the best of this country into one neat little package, then you can’t really do better than Arenal.
