The private 35-hectare reserve behind Lagarta Lodge has trails leading through a mangrove wetland down to the river and beach. Stop in the Lagarta lobby to pick up a map of a two-hour self-guided tour. This is a great spot for birding, reptile spotting and other wildlife-watching. Boat tours of the mangroves are also available. Access for Lagarta guests is $25 for adults and $10 for kids.
Children under five are admitted free to the reserve and guided tour.
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
2.86 MILES
This 85 sq km coastal refuge extends from Punta India in the north to Playa Guiones in the south, and includes the beaches of Nosara and Ostional. It was…
Parque Nacional Barra Honda Caverns
24.85 MILES
This 23 sq km national park protects a system of 42 caverns. The only cave with regular public access is the 41m-deep La Terciopelo, which features…
Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste
27.95 MILES
Las Baulas national marine park encompasses the entire beach at Playa Grande, as well as the adjacent land and 220 sq km of ocean. This is one of the…
19.9 MILES
A local NGO that is dedicated to the conservation of Costa Rica's two species of macaw: the great green macaw and the scarlet macaw. The group…
0.96 MILES
North of Guiones, Playa Pelada is a family gathering place for sunset, swimming and surfing, though the waves can get a bit rough. On the northern end,…
International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
1.59 MILES
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
3.95 MILES
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
24.82 MILES
Mike's beautiful 45-acre mountainside property, 10 minutes north of San Miguel, includes walking trails and a butterfly rancho. In addition to the…
0.84 MILES
Reservations are required to visit this wildlife sanctuary, set on 50 glorious acres of jungle and garden. The sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing,…
0.96 MILES
North of Guiones, Playa Pelada is a family gathering place for sunset, swimming and surfing, though the waves can get a bit rough. On the northern end,…
3. International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
1.59 MILES
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
4. Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
2.86 MILES
This 85 sq km coastal refuge extends from Punta India in the north to Playa Guiones in the south, and includes the beaches of Nosara and Ostional. It was…
3.95 MILES
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
4.53 MILES
From the south, the first beach you'll hit is Playa Garza, still a sleepy Tico fishing village with an arc of pale brown sand, and headlands on either…
8.86 MILES
A dreamy, hidden, white-sand beach about 30 minutes north of Sámara, where no development is visible. Just inland, though, sits a sprawling hacienda…
8. Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal
17.49 MILES
A good beach and point break, this charcoal-gray stretch north of Punta Islita is strewn with driftwood and sheltered by two headlands. This beach also…