Winning tip: Horse riding in Manuel Antonio

Visit the beautiful Pacific beach town of Manuel Antonio and take part in the afternoon horse riding with Iguana Tours for around $95pp. Don Gilberto and his family live on a ranch and take you on a guided horseback tour of the local towns and into the rainforest to the secluded Tocori waterfalls for a refreshing dip. The owners are lovely and knowledgeable and the horses are very well-behaved. Great for beginners (like me) and horse lovers. And you get a superb meal on return to the ranch, too.
sammm120

Osa peninsula (Corcovado national park)

If you enjoy immersing yourself in stunning scenery and wildlife, among easygoing locals, the Osa peninsula is a must. I stayed at a tiny hostel called Drake Bay Backpackers, a few miles from the main settlement at Drake Bay. If you don’t mind sharing washroom and want to hear about the experiences of others, this place is perfect. The hostel is simple, with mosquito-netted beds, and offers a cooked breakfast and evening meals. It operates on a non-profit basis: the revenue generated is invested back into the Corcovado Foundation (a community-run group that conserves the spectacular Corcovado wilderness) and its sea turtle project. The hostel staff offer dozens of tours, guides and other activities such as scuba diving. My overriding memory of the hostel was being woken every morning by a troop of howler monkeys in the forest nearby, and scrambling out of bed to watch them move effortlessly from tree to tree.
PoonButter

Tortuguero village, Caribbean coast

This place isn’t on most people’s radar because it is a hassle to get to (it can only be reached by riverboat). Turtles lay their eggs on the beach at Tortuguero, so you are not allowed to swim. We did the turtle tour, which costs around $25, from one of the many operators in the area and it meant a midnight trip in a small group to watch the turtles laying their eggs. We travelled to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo with Caribe Shuttle, which we used for our whole tour of Costa Rica; its minibuses were always on time and really friendly. We stayed at Cabinas El Icaco hotel for three days (doubles $30, breakfast extra), just off the beach and surrounded by coconut trees and hammocks. I would also highly recommend doing a canoe tour of the surrounding flooded jungle (double room plus turtle and canoe tour $53pp). Our guide was brilliant and we saw all sorts of wildlife including caimans and crocodiles.
James Zammit

Cloudbridge nature reserve

Although much less visited than other Costa Rican reserves, Cloudbridge, which adjoins the Chirripó national park, is the real deal. Trek well-signed trails, see and hear amazing wildlife and maybe some muddy volunteers enthusiastically involved in reforestation work. Visit beautiful waterfalls a short trek from the entrance. On the longer, more challenging tracks, you’ll feel like explorers discovering trails for the first time. Spot capuchin and squirrel monkeys, hundreds of birds, coatis (related to racoons), peccaries (similar to wild boar) and colourful butterflies among majestic trees. Donate to help the reforestation. Stay in tiny San Gerardo, or one of two casitas inside the reserve.
ID6630629

Coast to coast

We flew from San José to Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast on a tiny twin-prop Nature Air plane (returns from $122) and worked our way along bone-shaking roads to the Manuel Antonio national park on the Pacific coast, visiting the Arenal volcano and the Monteverde cloud forest. We bathed in hot springs, traversed forest canopies on shaky suspension bridges past trees studded with bromeliad plants and alive with birds, visited coffee and banana plantations, and learned about chocolate production. We also encountered many birds, frogs, snakes, spiders, monkeys and friendly locals. Pachira Lodge, (double room, with all meals and boat transfers, from $229pp) in Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast, is a magical place. Rooftop howler monkeys provide early-morning alarm calls, and toucans and hummingbirds accompany the walk to breakfast. During a canal boat trip from the lodge’s wharf, caimans swam towards us and boas slithered down from the vine-laced trees. On the Pacific coast the luxurious Arenas del Mar eco lodge (doubles from $270 B&B) sits amid a houseplant paradise of monstera and philodendron. We watched monkeys and mother-and-baby sloths from our balcony and enjoyed a romantic dinner on the beach, serenaded by the sound of the Pacific. Pura vida!
CaroleTidball

Puerto Jiménez, Osa peninsula

The great thing about this place is that it is not touristy or commercialised. This means you get a real flavour of Costa Rican culture and way of life. The town has one main street, full of cafes, bakeries, and other businesses, as well as a couple of supermarkets. One little internet cafe, called Monka, sells gorgeous frappes and smoothies (about $3), and they have a great food menu too. At the end of the street is a beautiful beach. A little hostel just off the main street, called Cabinas Backpacker is where we stayed, although it should be classed as a hotel because it was so nice. All the rooms were clean and tidy, and there is a kitchen, laundry service, free Wi-Fi and a communal area with hammocks.
Sam Clayson

Feria Verde market, San José

This takes place in Barrio Escalante on Saturday mornings from 7am-noon, or, if you want to avoid central San José, in Cuidad Colón on Tuesday evenings from 3pm-8pm. Feria Verde has a brilliant atmosphere and is a great place to get local organic produce, speciality foods, gifts, jewellery, shoes, homeware and products that are difficult to find elsewhere in Costa Rica. You can even take a yoga class there if you fancy. If you don’t want to shop, it’s still worth a visit to soak up the atmosphere, get a bite to eat and do some people watching. I recommend the sanguche de queso (grilled cheese sandwich), the best I’ve ever had, from Cumpanis bakers ($5), and washing it down with a big yellow mug of coffee from Café Taza Amarilla ($2). There’s a wide range of vegan, gluten- and dairy-free food on offer as well.
allfromnowhere

Uvita, Pacific Coast

Here, there are pristine beaches where you can walk for miles and see no one else, and loads of wildlife all around beautiful waterfalls – including Uvita waterfall, which has a natural water slide. We went on a boat trip and saw several whales (including a mother and baby) in the wild. Playa Uvita has a sand bar that is shaped like a whale’s tail. The town is a great place from which to explore other areas, such as busier Manuel Antonio, and for activities like surfing. Our friend’s 10-year-old son also loved going to a restaurant where you catch your own fish and then they cook it for you.
rachelalexa

Surfing in Nosara

This is a laid-back surf town with a vibrant restaurant scene and stunning beaches. Seven-kilometre-long Playa Guiones is the ideal place to learn to surf, with warm water, gentle breaks and a good surf school (Surf Simply). Add sunset yoga and turtle spotting to your stay and you won’t want to leave.
Zoe Holland

Casa Marbella hotel, Tortuguero

Instead of staying at one of the expensive all-inclusive hotels, try Casa Marbella, between the Caribbean coast and the Tortuguero river. It has budget prices but great rooms, some overlooking the river, wonderful breakfasts and a choice of restaurants in the town for dinner. Book an environment-friendly tour with the owner to see the huge variety of wildlife in the rainforest, and at night to see poison dart and red-eyed frogs. The owner can give advice on travel options.
• Doubles from $40 B&B, casamarbella.tripod.com
Nanda Whiles