Hidden gems in Costa Rica.

A beautiful hidden beach a short drive outside Santa Teresa. Park and follow the path through the woods, or scramble over rocks at low tide. One of the best sunset spots on the peninsula.

One of two main beaches inside Manuel Antonio National Park, yet somehow almost always empty while the neighboring beach fills with tourists. Beautiful, easy to reach, and inexplicably overlooked.

An inactive volcano hiding a volcanic crater lake at its summit. Relentlessly steep - hand-over-hand on roots and rocks, ropes on the descent - but the payoff is swimming alone in a turquoise crater lagoon with Arenal Volcano watching over you.

Unmatched by sheer size among Costa Rican waterfalls. Two tiers - the upper has a pool and a cliff jump spot (traverse the rocks left, nobody goes there), the lower has a larger swimming area. About 12km round trip on foot.

Starting from central Montezuma, a coastal trail connects four wild beaches through jungle paths and rocky sections, ending at Cocalito Waterfall with freshwater pools. Almost entirely crowd-free and genuinely wild.

A rope swing into a rushing turquoise river just outside La Fortuna. Not a complete secret, but the water is electric blue, the setting is jungle-lush, and the vibe is pure fun.