BEST FOR… Solitude, jungle, monkeys
WHY GO? Perhaps one of the most hidden beaches in Costa Rica, lonesome, cliff-hugged Playa Arco lies within little-visited Marino Ballena National Park, lapped by the Pacific Ocean.
WHAT TO DO: Enjoy the solitude – few people make it to Arco. Getting there involves a hill climb from Playa Ballena; look out for monkeys and parrots in the surrounding jungle. Focus your binoculars offshore too, to look for dolphins and, in Aug-Oct and Dec-April, passing humpbacks.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Have a go at stand-up paddleboarding. Nip to Hacienda Baru Wildlife Refuge {pictured} for animal-packed canopy walks.
GET THERE: Uvita, in Marino Ballena NP, is a four-hour drive from San Jose. Buses from San Jose to Paso Canoas stop at Uvita.
