The central Pacific coast

Stretching from Puntarenas to Uvita, the central Pacific is the most easily reached coast in the country, and a favourite for a first taste of Costa Rican beaches and wildlife. Manuel Antonio National Park is the centrepiece, pairing rainforest with white-sand beaches where sloths, iguanas and squirrel monkeys are easy to spot. Just north, Carara National Park is one of the best places in the country to see wild scarlet macaws, and the Tárcoles river nearby is famous for its crocodiles. Surfers head for Jacó, Playa Hermosa and Dominical, while Quepos is a well-known sportfishing base. Further south, Marino Ballena National Park protects a coral reef and a sandbar shaped like a whale's tail. The coast is served by the Costanera highway and works well as a short, varied stay.