Sarapiquí and Caño Negro

The northern plains are Costa Rica's ecotourism and agrotourism heartland, a lowland of rivers, forests and working farms. Around Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, family-friendly rafting shares the landscape with plantations of cacao, pineapple and banana that you can visit and taste. Renowned biological stations such as La Selva and Tirimbina protect large tracts of rainforest and rank among the best places in the country for birdwatching. Further north, near Los Chiles, the Caño Negro wildlife refuge protects one of Costa Rica's most important wetlands, a Ramsar site explored by boat on the Río Frío. In the dry season, wildlife gathers around the shrinking pools, and migratory birds fill the lagoons. A French-speaking naturalist guide makes a real difference to what you see.