Top 10 Best Hikes in Costa Rica for Adventurous Travelers
The best hikes in Costa Rica are out of this world.
Costa Rica, which actually translates to “rich coast,” is the best known country in Central America, and it offers adventure travelers exactly what they’re seeking. From spectacular tropical rain forests to pristine white sand beaches, Costa Rica’s best treks feature amazing sights and exotic biodiversity.
Get your backpack ready, fill up your water bottle, lace up your boots, and get ready to explore some of the best trails in Costa Rica!
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10 Best Hiking Places in Costa Rica
If you feel ready to hit the Costa Rican trails, rainforests, beaches, lagoon, and even volcanos, let’s check out some of the coolest places this Central American country has to offer for hikers such as yourself.
1. Cerro Chirripó – Chirripo Hill
Location: San José, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica
Length: 26 miles (42 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Difficult
Best for: Reaching the highest point in Costa Rica
Cerro Chirripo is the highest point in Costa Rican soil, making it one of the best hikes in Costa Rica. The hill ascends up to 12,529 feet above sea level (3,819 meters). It’s close to two other high-altitude hills:
- Cerro Terbi, which is 12,335 feet above sea level (3,760 meters)
- Cerro Ventisqueros, the second highest mountain in Costa Rica, at 12,506 feet above sea level (3,812).
In addition to the astonishing views from the peak of Cerro Chirripó, hikers enjoy exploring La Laguna Ditkevi (Ditkevi Lagoon), El Valle de los Conejos (Rabbit Valley), and La sabana de los Leones (The Lions’ Savanna).
2. El Arenal
Location: La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Length: 1.92 miles (3.1 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Easy
Best for: Walking across fun hanging bridges
Second on our list of best hikes in Costa Rica is El Arenal. It’s located just outside San José, the capital of Costa Rica. El Arenal means something like “the sand pit” in English.
On this hiking trail, you’ll encounter tons of wildlife, like the famous blue jean frogs, as well as incredible plant life. The walk stretches from Lake Arenal to Arenal Volcano across 6 hanging bridges and 9 regular bridges.
This relaxing hike takes around 1 to 3 hours, depending on how much you stop to marvel at the stunning Costa Rican wildlife.
3. Monteverde
Location: Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Length: 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Easy
Best for: exploring an amazing cloud forest
If you’re looking for a rainforest hike, Monteverde is your place. It’s three hours by car from San José. Monteverde National Park is a tropical cloud rainforest bursting with more than 2,500 plant species, 400 bird species, and 120 reptile species.
Featuring hanging bridges (some above the treetops) and trails, this is hands-down one of the best hikes in Monteverde. The trail has mild ascents and descents and winds through one of the most famous cloud forests in the world. Hiking in Monteverde makes for an awesome and memorable adventure.
4. Volcán Barva – Barva Volcano
Location: Heredia, Paso Llano, Costa Rica
Length: 3.6 meters (5.8 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Moderate
Best for: Views of a gorgeous lagoon at the summit
Barva volcano is one of Costa Rica’s 9 volcanoes. It’s located 13 miles (22 kilometers) from San José. It’s an inactive volcano that last erupted 6,050 years ago.
The coolest part of this volcano is the gorgeous lagoon at its peak! This unique feature clinches its status as one of the best hikes in Costa Rica.
Take the Cacho de Venado (Deer’s horn) hike to walk through a deep forest. Explore La Laguna de Copey, another natural body of water close to the volcano.
5. Pico Blanco – White Peak
Location: Escazú, San José, Costa Rica
Length: 3-3.5 miles (5-7 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Medium/Difficult
Best for: Its proximity to the capital
If you’re fresh off the plane and eager to stretch your legs, hiking at Pico Blanco is ideal. It’s just 20 minutes from San Jose. This accessible adventure takes you up and down several moderate hills.
Here in the San Jose mountains, you’ll pass creeks with miniature waterfalls and see a variety of mushrooms and trees. The top of Pico Blanco offers a grand birds’ eye view of the capital of Costa Rica. This is surely one of the best treks in Costa Rica.
6. El Cerro de la Muerte – The Hill of Death
Location: Dota, San José, Costa Rica
Length: 10 miles (16 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Difficult
Best for: cool and windy weather
Most of us think that Costa Rica (and Central America in general) has a hot climate. While that’s true in many areas, El Cerro de la Muerte is an exception. Temperatures here vary between 33-55 degrees Fahrenheit (1-13 degrees Celsius).
It’s so cold because it’s 11,322 feet (3,451 meters) above sea level. El Cerro de la Muerte got its name because of a legend saying that the cold killed several farmers. Nevertheless, it’s one of the best hikes in Costa Rica.
From the peak of El Cerro de la Muerte, hikers feast their eyes on the beautiful Pacific Coast. On clear days, there’s a panoramic view of both Costa Rican coasts. Being able to see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from the top of a mountain is simply fantastic.
7. Catarata Bijagual – Bijagual Waterfall
Location: San José, Carara, Costa Rica
Length: 3.5 miles (7 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Medium
Best for: Swimming in natural freshwater pools
Up for a waterfall hike? Head to the Bijagual Waterfall. You’ll walk along a trail until you find two signs with arrows—to your left you’ll find the word catarata (waterfall) and to the right the word pozas (pools).
The walk to the waterfall involves a climb down 400 stairs to reach the mirador (view point), at the middle of the waterfall, where you’ll be able to appreciate it’s great height. After climbing back up, take some time to relax and rejuvenate in the natural pools. Hikes with swims included are the best!
8. Parque Nacional de Corcovado – Corcovado National Park
Location: Península de Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Length: 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Easy-Medium
Best for: Sighting of exotic nocturnal animals
Peninsula de Osa in Drake’s Bay is in the southern region of the country close to the border with Panama, and it features one of the best hikes in Costa Rica. Take a hike after the sun goes down to see the fascinating nocturnal species that Costa Rica has to offer.
If you like amphibians, reptiles, insects, and arachnids and night hikes, this experience will give you an up-close view of some species you won’t see anywhere else in the world.
9. El sendero indio desnudo – Naked Indian Trail
Location: Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Length: 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Easy
Best for: accessibility for everyone
El Sendero Indio Desnudo was paved in April 2016 to accommodate handicapped people. Along this short hiking path, you’ll see “naked Indian trees,” so named for their bark that peels off. This is an easy stroll, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t one of the best hikes in Costa Rica.
Santa Rosa National Park is a beautiful place that offers many activities in addition to hiking. If you visit between August and November, you’ll be able to see baby sea turtles poking their heads out of the egg to run into the ocean across the white sand beaches.
10. Parque Nacional Volcán Poas – Poas Volcano National Park
Location: San José, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Length: 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers)
Difficulty rating: Medium
Best for: adventurers who want to climb an active volcano
The last amazing hike in Costa Rica on our list is Poás Volcano. This is one of the six active volcanoes in Costa Rica. It’s close to San José, so it’s perfect to visit while not leaving civilization completely.
Poás volcano is 8,900 feet high and has the second biggest crater in the world, with a lagoon inside it (no swimming allowed, of course!). The last time this volcano erupted was in 2017. The park closed temporarily and reopened with more safety measures. This is strictly a day hike, since the park closes at 3:30 p.m.
Take Your Spanish to a Higher Level
What’s the best way to communicate while hiking in Costa Rica? By becoming conversational in Spanish, of course! No tour guide will be as effective as speaking the language yourself. Plus, if you learn, you’ll be able to hike all over Latin America and connect with the local culture in a meaningful way.
If you want to travel easier to Spanish-speaking countries, sign up for a free trial class with our friendly Guatemalan teachers at Homeschool Spanish Academy who have been providing this service for over 10 years. Join more than 40,000 students who’ve signed up in the last month alone!
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