Costa Rica

Picture yourself on a white-sand beach, surrounded by palm trees. In the distance, surfers ride the breaking waves. Behind you rises a dense rainforest, where white-faced capuchin monkeys jump from branch to branch. Welcome to Costa Rica. The following pages will show you why there’s never been a better time to visit this Central American country with an outsize hold on our imagination—and a trailblazing vision for a sustainable future.

- By Samantha Falewée, Danielle Pointdujour, Peter Terzian, Ronny Rojas

I grew up in Costa Rica, and while I’ve lived all over the U.S. in the course of my career as a journalist, I’m always drawn back home. When my friends ask me for recommendations, I take them on an imaginary journey through my favorite parts of the country—a journey that perfectly combines adventure, beauty, and tranquility.

In the northwest, a dry tropical forest stretches down the Nicoya Peninsula. The laid-back beach towns that dot this part of the Pacific coast include Nosara, a mecca for surfing and yoga, and my favorite, the lesser-known San Juanillo, which still has the charm of a small fishing village. Farther south, Santa Teresa has an intriguing mix of cultures and superb international cuisine, although these days it may be best known as the town where Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady once shared a house.