Travel and Vacation Destinations in Costa Rica

Overview

Although we think you'll find all areas of Costa Rica to be an exciting travel adventure, we've picked some of our favorite vacation spots in Costa Rica so that you can narrow the field and find what's right for your interests. For more information, check out our favorite Costa Rica travel destinations.

Regions of Costa Rica

A common source of confustion among visitors to Costa Rica are the references to different areas of the country. Below is a breakdown of the different regions and provinces of Costa Rica. Click on either of the maps for a larger view.

Regions of Costa RicaThe regions of Costa Rica each refer to an area of the county in geographical terms.
Click to enlarge.

Caribbean - Caribe

Central Valley - Central

Northern Plains - Llanuras del Norte

Central Pacific - Pacífico Central

Northern Pacific - Pacífico Norte

Southern Pacific - Pacífico Sur

Provinces of Costa Rica

Provinces of Costa RicaCosta Rica also has 7 different provinces, each of which constitutes a legal juristiction of the country. Click to enlarge.

Alajuela - central; north of capital San José

Cartago - central; east of San José

Guanacaste - north-west

Heredia - east

Limón - east along the Caribbean coast

Puntarenas - south-west, extending north along the coase

San José - Area around San José