Scuba Diving: Less than a decade ago, Costa Rica was virtually unknown as a destination for diving. Suddenly it is being applauded for its variety of marine wildlife. New facilities along the pacific coastline are now offering firs-class dive boats and fully stocked dive shops. And divers have the excitement of truly virgin diving in areas never before explored. The most recent dive-site development has been along the pacific coast of Guanacaste province. Here you’ll see little live coral and few reefs. In their place divers will find a huge variety of fish, soft corals and invertebrates a result of the abundance of plankton that thrive in this tropical areas. Most diving take part around rock formations usually alongside rocky islands or pinnacles located miles away offshore. Visibility can often be obscured specially in rainy season from May to November, where rivers enter the ocean. The best places known in this side of the country are Murcielagos Island and the Catalinas Island, here you can find grouper, snapper, jacks, sharks, mantas, as well as tropical species, Cortez angelfish, bright yellow butterflies and eagle rays are common. Great bull sharks conglomerate at the farthest point in Murcielago. At the Punta Gorda dive site, 6km west of El Ocotal, thousands of eagle rays have been known to swim in incredibly giant columns, here you can find also whale sharks in the bottom and also marlins in pinnacle rocks. Cocos Island is a great place to dive, famous for its wonderful wildlife featuring big encounters with whale sharks, hammerheads and mantas, which sometimes appear in groups of 500 at a time.

Manuel Antonio National Park—Located about 45 minutes South of Playa Hermosa. Still one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica so it gets crowded. Visitors are limited to 600 at a time. The development allows for easy access for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore one of the last patches of tropical wet forest. Although it is not advertised as such, Patty and I found it to be a popular gay rendezvous.

Corcovado National Park— hike in the tropical rainforest.

Palo Verde National Park—an undiscovered jewel in the Costa Rican park system. The bird population, both native and migratory is spectacular. The trail system leaves something to be desired, but this certainly means fewer crowds, and there are a number of areas that can be explored by boat.

La Fortuna de Bagaces— there is essentially no tourist infrastructure in this sleepy hamlet between volcáns Miravalles and Rincón de la Vieja. There is easy access to beautiful swimming holes at the base of spectacular waterfalls, and incredible forests, the geysers and mud pots of Las Hornillas reminiscent of Yellowstone, abundant natural hot springs, and a bull ring that still sees sabaneros meet their match in the corridas de toros.

Barra Honda Caverns—Not everyone is interested in spelunking, but those who are will appreciate the pristine condition of these caves. The small vertical entrances have protected these limestone caverns for millennia, first from discovery, then from entry by all but the most intrepid explorers.

Wilson Botanical Gardens—The gardens at Las Cruces Biological station are only one of the rewards awaiting travelers who make the effort to visit the southern most reaches of Costa Rica.

Caño Negro wildlife refuge—Nature cruises through these wetlands are quite popular now, but don't worry there are thousands of acres to explore. A boat trip here or in Tortuguero, or Damas estuary is certainly the easiest and maybe the best way to see a lot of wildlife on your visit to Costa Rica.

Cerro Chirripó— The strenuous climb through seven distinct ecosystems allows you to experience most of Costa Rica's inland natural history in a single day. There are a growing number of visitors, but nearly all of them stick to the main route to the refugio under the peak. If you want a true Costa Rican wilderness experience there's still thousands of virgin acres here.

Monteverde—This private reserve provides the easiest access to the cloud forests, and an infrastructure of guides and resources to help you make the most of your visit. Like Manuel Antonio, it has gained tremendously in popularity, but has much less chance of being loved to death. Monteverde is much larger, the cool, wet, windy weather means shorter visits, and as a private reserve it has better funding than most of the National Parks. Despite the growth in tourism in the surrounding community, a few hundred yards off the main loop (el triangulo) you're unlikely to see anyone else on the trail.