Two oceans border Costa Rica: the Atlantic Ocean in the east, and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Although the coasts are very different in their culture and style, both offer paradisiacal beaches and charming villages with beautiful hotels and lodges. This is why we love the Caribbean coast.

What Makes It Special
The wildlife. It’s home to fun-to-spot creatures like green macaws, always adorable sloths, and the beaches of Cahuita National Park are fringed with abundant tropical fish who inhabit the park’s coral reefs.

Giving Back While Abroad
We love finding ways to connect with people and communities when we travel. The Tree of Life and Wildlife Rescue Center in Limon Province help animals in need of care. The center also houses a botanical garden. If you’re a budding naturalist or traveling with kids, this is a great educational and heartening activity for a day. Lend a hand or take a tour.

Where You Should Sleep and Eat
Hotel Aguas Claras is recently renovated in a Victorian style that blends playful and luxurious. You can easily picture the hotel on any reality show about the world’s most inspiring places. But luckily, the area is still little known, so the remote sand beaches are bound to stay that way for lucky travelers.

Green Season Is the Time to Go
That means April through September when the Caribbean coast is in that sweet spot where everything is lush and the beaches are prime for laying out.

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