Last Updated: September 25, 2025
Costa Rica is no doubt on the map as an ecotourism destination, with millions of visitors each year. While many people head straight to the country’s most famous sites and attractions, there are some lesser known spots worth a visit. If you’re looking for a little more seclusion, this is the post for you. We’ll let you know about 12 off-the-beaten-path destinations in Costa Rica. Many are located remotely and require some effort to get to, but several are easily accessible.
Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations in Costa Rica
Below are five off-the-beaten-path beach destinations in Costa Rica and seven inland areas. We’ve hand-picked these towns based on our travels during our 10+ years living in Costa Rica. We’ve always loved checking out Costa Rica’s more authentic towns and mixing with the friendly locals.
Beach Destinations
Montezuma and Santa Teresa – Southern Nicoya Peninsula
Isolated by jungle-covered hills on the far-off Nicoya Peninsula are the towns of Montezuma and Santa Teresa. While these destinations are more remotely located on the southern tip of the Nicoya, they still have plenty of amenities.
Montezuma is super laid back, with a small main area along the beach. It has a charming, bohemian feel. Accommodations are modest in size and located mostly in and around town. A small resort, perfect for getting away from it all, lies on the secluded northern end.
Santa Teresa and the neighboring Mal Pais are more spread out. ATVs are a popular way to get between the two beach communities. The main draw of Santa Teresa are its surfing beaches. It also has some amazing sunsets.
While remote, Santa Teresa has an upscale feel, with many high-end accommodations and good restaurants.
Montezuma and Santa Teresa are most popular for their beaches, but they also have attractions like the white-sand Tortuga Island, Montezuma Waterfalls, rugged hiking at Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, and one of the only tidefalls in the world.
For more information on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, read our posts Santa Teresa: Costa Rica’s Trending Beach Town and Montezuma: A Bohemian Beach Town.
Playa Avellanas – Northern Pacific Coast
Although Playa Avellanas is only about 1.5 hours from Guanacaste Airport in Liberia, it feels a world away. Unlike many beach towns along the developed Guanacaste coastline, Playa Avellanas still has dirt roads, virgin jungle, secluded beaches, and a remote feel.
The area may not be on the typical tourist trail but is well-known for surfing. Two top surfing beaches are Playa Avellanas and Playa Negra. The area is also known for yoga and wellness.
Even if you aren’t a surfer, this area is a nice retreat with enough amenities to make for a comfortable vacation. It’s also only a short drive to the busy tourist destination of Tamarindo with many things to do.
Read our post The Playa Avellanas Area: Going Off-the-Beaten Path in Guanacaste for more information.
Esterillos Area – Central Pacific Coast
Although it is close to popular destinations, Playa Esterillos is off-the-beaten path and quiet. Sandwiched between Jaco and the famous Manuel Antonio, this area has its own beaches, that while lesser known, are gorgeous.
The towns of Esterillos (Esterillos Oeste, Esterillos Centro, and Esterillos Este) have beautiful gray sand beaches. They’re all different, some with elaborate tide pools, which our family loves to explore. Others have almost black, volcanic sand and are perfect for long walks or horseback riding.
You’ll find a handful of restaurants in this area, and lots more choices in nearby Jaco and Playa Hermosa. Vacation rentals are plentiful, with ocean or rainforest views.
For more information about the area, including other things to do, read our post Esterillos Oeste: Surfing, Serenity, and La Sirena.
Drake Bay – Southern Pacific Coast
For the ultimate off-the-beaten-path experience, there’s Drake Bay. Best accessed by boat, this village on the remote Osa Peninsula is immersed in thick, lush rainforest. Drake Bay is one of our all-time favorite destinations in Costa Rica. The wildlife viewing is incredible here, and what we appreciate most about the area.
A popular thing to do is to take a boat ride to visit Corcovado National Park for the day. Corcovado is one of the most biodiverse parks in Costa Rica. You can see many types of birds and animals, including the rare Baird’s tapir, collared peccaries, four types of monkeys, and Scarlet Macaw parrots.
Snorkel or dive trips offshore to Cano Island are other great activities from Drake Bay. For those into hiking, the long walk to Playa San Josecito along the coast is one of the best.
Drake Bay has a small town center, but many ecolodges are set off on their own in the rainforest outside town. Lodging ranges from cheap hostels to luxury ecolodges.
For more information, read our post Drake Bay: Costa Rica Unplugged.
Pavones – Southern Pacific Coast
On the far southern Pacific coast, almost at the border with Panama, is Pavones. Pavones is best known for having one of the longest left-hand breaks for surfing in the world. But it’s also a nice place to just recharge in a beautiful natural setting.
The palm-tree-lined beaches in Pavones feel very wild, with rocky outcroppings and untamed vegetation. Following the coast south, you’ll find even more remote beaches, like Punta Banco.
Pavones is a long drive from San Jose, at about seven hours, so it’s best to pair it with another destination on the way. A few good options are Esterillos (described above), Manuel Antonio (popular with many amenities), or Uvita/Dominical (more remote but with lots of restaurants, accommodations, and things to do).
For more information, check out our post Pavones: Surfing and Seclusion on the Southern Pacific.
Inland Destinations
Bijagua – Northern Mountains
If you’re looking to experience nature in a tranquil setting, look no further than Bijagua. This small town is only about an hour from the famous La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano area, but couldn’t feel more different. In Bijagua, you’ll find a charming community with mostly small lodges and locally owned restaurants.
Although Bijagua isn’t a large destination, it has many unique things to do, including the famous Rio Celeste Waterfall. This bright blue river and waterfall is an amazing sight to see. Its sky-blue water looks almost artificial, but occurs naturally, due to volcanic minerals.
Bijagua is a wonderful place for wildlife and birding. It has a mix of ecosystems, including lush rainforest and cloud forest. There are many opportunities for hikes where you may be the only one on the trail. One of our favorite spots is Heliconias Hanging Bridges. Unlike other hanging bridges in popular destinations like La Fortuna and Monteverde, the trail at Heliconias is peaceful and quiet.
For more information, read our post Bijagua: A Gateway to the Rio Celeste.
San Gerardo de Dota – Southern Mountains
In the high-altitude mountains south of San Jose is the tiny village of San Gerardo de Dota. This rural town is coveted by birders who come in search of the Resplendent Quetzal. This is an elusive green and red bird with extraordinarily long tail feathers.
Although the rustic lodges get busy during certain times of year, the limited number of accommodations keeps the town quiet and serene.
Hikes through the cloud forest at Los Quetzales National Park or to a local waterfall are popular things to do in San Gerardo de Dota.
For more information, read our post San Gerardo de Dota: A Hideaway in the Cloud Forest.
Santa Maria de Dota – Southern Mountains
Not far from San Gerardo de Dota is Santa Maria de Dota. This quaint mountain town set in a valley offers a glimpse into small-town life in Costa Rica. Few tourists visit this area so it’s a great place to mingle with the locals. The town has a vibrant town center, with a central park, restaurants, and shops.
Many crops are grown in the Santa Maria de Dota area due to the fertile soil and cooler climate. The most famous is coffee. Small producers in this region have won acclaim worldwide for their shade-grown Tarrazu beans.
Tours of the local producer Coopedota are available right in town. Coopedota also has a nice coffee shop where you can try different preparation methods or have a sweet treat. We tried the Chemex brew and it was delicious!
Due to its high-altitude location, Santa Maria de Dota is excellent for bird-watching.
Several basic cabin-style lodges are available right in the center of town.
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui – Caribbean Lowlands
A favorite off-the-beaten-path destination in Costa Rica among nature lovers is Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. Not to be confused with the bustling tourist town Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on the Caribbean coast, Sarapiqui is a lesser known agricultural town frequented mostly by locals.
The rainforests of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui do draw some visitors, especially birders and biologists. The area has a few protected areas with nice hiking trails that cut through the steamy rainforest. A couple to check out are Tirimbina Reserve and La Selva Biological Station.
Whitewater rafting or gentle float trips along the Sarapiqui River are other fun activities nearby.
A small number of simple ecolodges can be found in the Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui area. Read our post Tirimbina: An Eco-treat in Sarapiqui, for one good option.
Bajos del Toro – Central Valley
Just north of San Jose on the backside of Poas Volcano is the little-known Bajos del Toro.
This small town has several amazing waterfalls. Some like the Blue Falls or Cascadas Pozo Azul are located deep in the jungle, while others like Catarata del Toro and the Rio Agrio Waterfall are fairly easy to access.
If you’re traveling with kids, Bajos del Toro also has a fun dinosaur park with life-size dino replicas.
Most accommodations in Bajos del Toro are simpler, but there is one well-known high-end lodge.
For everything you need to plan your visit, read our post Bajos del Toro: Costa Rica’s Land of Waterfalls.
Hojancha – Nicoya Peninsula
If you’re interested in visiting Costa Rica’s Blue Zone, Hojancha is the perfect spot.
This locals’ town has barely any tourists and a very authentic feel. From the charming central park, you can watch the comings and goings of the locals. Sodas (small restaurants serving traditional food), cafes, and shops are located in the few blocks surrounding the square.
Hojancha is known for being green. When we visited, we saw recycling stations all around town, clean city streets, and many green spaces.
Since it’s not a tourist destination, activities are limited but one thing worth checking out is the Diria coffee tour. We’ve done more than 10 coffee tours in Costa Rica and this was one of our favorites. The cupping portion at the end where we got to sample the different roasts was memorable.
You also can find Chorotega indigenous tours in nearby Matambu. This is the last remaining indigenous population in the Guanacaste region. These tours are smaller and harder to organize since they’re not well-known. However, it’s worth it if you’re interested in learning about Costa Rica’s rich indigenous culture. We did a pottery making tour and enjoyed it.
A few hotels are located in and around Hojancha. Our family stayed in one of the cabins at Hoja Azul right in the center of town.
Hojancha can be easily paired with the small beach town of Samara, about one hour away.
Rincon de la Vieja – Northern Mountains
Although Rincon de la Vieja volcano is a popular attraction in Costa Rica, the surrounding towns are small and off-the-beaten path.
Curubande on the southern side of the volcano is best known for a small resort called Hacienda Guachipelin. Although a resort, Hacienda Guachipelin is a ranch and still has an authentic feel despite having several activities on and around the property. Popular things to do from Curubande are hiking the trails at Rincon de la Vieja National Park to see volcanic features, the Rio Negro hot springs, and Oropendola Waterfall.
Farther away, on the northern side of Rincon de la Vieja, is the even smaller town of El Gavilan. You have to drive along rough dirt roads to get here, but once you arrive, you’ll find a charming local town. Most people visiting stay at the Blue River Resort, which is a family-friendly hotel with hot springs and a dinosaur park. There are other small hotels too, though, like Cabanas Don Ramiro, which our family enjoyed.
We have stayed in both Curubande and El Gavilan and liked them both for different reasons. Curubande is easier to access and has more to do, while El Gavilan offers a true glimpse into local life in a small Costa Rican town.
Conclusion
Although places like Arenal Volcano, Tamarindo, and Manuel Antonio get most of the hype, Costa Rica has plenty of lesser known destinations that are worth a visit. Whether you want less crowds or are just looking to get away from it all, we hope this list of off-the-beaten-path destinations in Costa Rica gets you excited for your next trip.
Have a question about visiting an off-the-beaten-path destination in Costa Rica? Ask us below.
Looking for more information to plan your trip? Check out these posts:
Rental Car Discount – For these more remote areas, we highly recommend a rental car to get around. Check out our discount to save 10% or more and get extras like a free second driver, surf racks, and car seats.
Packing for Costa Rica: The Essentials – Since most remote destinations don’t have a lot of amenities, bringing what you need can be crucial. Read our packing post for a detailed list.
Destinations Guide – Check out our full destinations guide for short summaries of every town we cover on this website (more than 50!).
Off-the-Beaten-Path Things to Do Near Manuel Antonio – This guide will give you eight ideas for lesser-known excursions near Manuel Antonio like a chocolate tour with a local family, bee farm, and hiking and hanging bridges at a rural tourism organization.
Costa Rica Itinerary with Osa Peninsula – This itinerary will help you incorporate a visit to the remote Osa Peninsula for nature and wildlife viewing.
