The best places to visit in Costa Rica span volcanoes, cloud forest, two coastlines and some of the planet’s richest rainforest. Here are the destinations worth planning around — and how flying gets you to each one faster.
Arenal & La Fortuna
The iconic volcano, hot springs and waterfalls make Arenal the country’s signature nature base — easy to combine with the rest of a northern itinerary.
Manuel Antonio
A compact national park where rainforest meets white-sand beaches and wildlife is easy to spot. The classic, accessible Pacific stop — reachable in a short flight to Quepos.
Guanacaste’s Gold Coast
The northern Pacific is Costa Rica’s sunniest, driest region, home to its best resorts and reliable surf. See our Gold Coast beaches guide.
Monteverde cloud forest
Misty cloud forest with ziplines, hanging bridges and world-class birding — a complete change of climate and scenery from the coast.
Tortuguero
Caribbean canals and turtle-nesting beaches, reachable only by boat or plane — which makes flying the obvious way in. See how to get to Tortuguero.
The Osa Peninsula & Corcovado
The wild edge of the country and its most biodiverse corner. Remote by road, quick by air — see our Osa & Corcovado guide.
How to reach them
Most of these are hours apart by road but minutes apart by air. Request a flight to string several together in one trip.
Planning Your Costa Rica Trip with Private Aviation
Costa Rica rewards travelers who combine multiple regions into a single seamless journey. Private charter flights make this practical: fly from SJO to the Caribbean coast, then to the Pacific, then to mountain lodges, all within a single trip without backtracking. Each destination becomes accessible without the highway fatigue. Plan your itinerary around experiences rather than road times, and let private aviation handle the logistics.