Mapa de Costa Rica: Guía Geográfica de Provincias y Destinos

Costa Rica occupies a narrow land bridge connecting North and South America, a position that gives it extraordinary biodiversity as species from both continents intermingle. The country is bounded by the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, giving it two distinct coastlines with different climates, cultures, and ecosystems.

The central spine of the country consists of several mountain ranges running northwest to southeast. The highest point is Cerro Chirripó at 3,821 meters above sea level, located in the Talamanca Mountain Range in the south. The Central Valley, home to the capital San José and roughly half the national population, sits at 1,000–1,500 meters elevation, giving it a comfortable year-round temperature of 18–24°C (64–75°F).

The Pacific coast runs approximately 1,016 kilometers and includes the dry Guanacaste region in the northwest, the Central Pacific zone near Jacó and Manuel Antonio, and the wetter Southern Pacific around Dominical and the Osa Peninsula. The Caribbean coast runs about 212 kilometers and is characterized by flat lowlands, heavy rainfall, diverse Afro-Caribbean and indigenous cultures, and the unique ecosystems of the Tortuguero canals.

Costa Rica is divided into seven provinces, each with a capital city. The provinces are: San José (capital: San José), Alajuela (capital: Alajuela), Cartago (capital: Cartago), Heredia (capital: Heredia), Guanacaste (capital: Liberia), Puntarenas (capital: Puntarenas), and Limón (capital: Limón).

The four Central Valley provinces — San José, Alajuela, Cartago, and Heredia — form the densely populated heartland of the country. San José province is the political, commercial, and cultural center. Alajuela is home to the international airport and the historic coffee highlands around Poás Volcano. Cartago contains the revered Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles and the Irazú Volcano. Heredia is known as the City of Flowers and is home to the National University.

Guanacaste province in the northwest is the driest region, corresponding to the Pacific dry forest ecosystem. Its beaches — including Tamarindo, Flamingo, Nosara, and Sámara — are some of the most visited in the country. Puntarenas province is the largest, stretching along most of the Pacific coast and including the entire Nicoya Peninsula and the southern zone down to the Osa Peninsula. Limón province encompasses the entire Caribbean coast.

For tourism purposes, Costa Rica is commonly divided into distinct travel zones that reflect geographic and experiential characteristics. The Central Valley and Central Highlands region encompasses San José and the surrounding volcanoes and coffee farms. This is the gateway for most international visitors and home to cultural museums, the National Theater, and day-trip destinations like Poás and Irazú volcanoes.

The Northern Zone (Zona Norte) covers the lowlands around La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal, and the cloud forests of Monteverde. This region is the most visited inland destination in the country, offering volcano hiking, hot springs, zip-lining, and hanging bridge walks through cloud forest canopies.

The Caribbean Coast encompasses Tortuguero (accessible only by boat or small plane), the town of Cahuita and its national park, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, and the indigenous Bribri territory. The Southern Zone, sometimes called the South Pacific or Zona Sur, includes Dominical, Uvita and the Marino Ballena National Park, the Osa Peninsula, and the town of Puerto Jiménez as a gateway to Corcovado National Park.

Costa Rica's central spine is formed by four major mountain ranges. The Guanacaste Volcanic Mountain Range in the northwest contains several active and dormant volcanoes including Rincón de la Vieja (most active), Miravalles, and Tenorio. The Tilarán Mountain Range connects Guanacaste to the Central Ranges and is home to the Monteverde cloud forests.

The Central Volcanic Mountain Range contains the country's most visited volcanoes: Poás (with an accessible summit crater), Irazú (highest accessible crater in Central America at 3,432 m), Barva (in Braulio Carrillo National Park), and Turrialba (periodically active and closed to visitors). Arenal Volcano, technically separate, is the country's most iconic — a near-perfect conical stratovolcano that was highly active from 1968 to 2010 and remains geologically active today.

The Talamanca Mountain Range in the south is the longest in Central America, forming a continuous ridge from central Costa Rica into Panama. Cerro Chirripó, the highest peak at 3,821 m, requires a permit and multi-day trek to summit. The Talamancas are a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with Panama.

Costa Rica has 28 national parks plus numerous wildlife refuges, biological reserves, and wetland conservation areas, collectively protecting approximately 26% of the national territory. The parks are administered by SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación) and are distributed across 11 conservation areas covering the entire country.

The most visited national parks are Manuel Antonio (Central Pacific), Arenal (Northern Zone), Poás Volcano (Central Highlands), Tortuguero (Caribbean), and Rincón de la Vieja (Guanacaste). The most biodiverse but remote park is Corcovado, on the Osa Peninsula, which National Geographic has called the most biologically intense place on Earth.

On the Pacific coast, Marino Ballena National Park near Uvita protects a unique whale-tail-shaped sandbar visible from the air, plus offshore marine zones where humpback whales congregate. Cahuita National Park on the Caribbean coast protects the country's most significant coral reef. La Amistad International Park, shared with Panama and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest protected area in Central America at over 400,000 hectares.

San José, the capital, is Costa Rica's largest city with a metropolitan population of approximately 1.4 million. Located in the Central Valley at 1,170 meters elevation, it is the country's commercial, political, and transportation hub. Key cultural landmarks include the Teatro Nacional (National Theater), the Mercado Central, the Jade Museum, and the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro Precolombino).

Liberia, capital of Guanacaste province, is the second most important gateway city, served by the Daniel Oduber International Airport. It serves as the launch point for the Guanacaste beach resorts and the Rincón de la Vieja volcano. The historic colonial center around the central park and the Casa de la Cultura museum reflect Guanacaste's distinct cowboy (sabanero) culture.

Other important towns include La Fortuna (base for Arenal Volcano tourism), Quepos (gateway to Manuel Antonio), Puerto Jiménez (gateway to Corcovado and the Osa Peninsula), Limón (Caribbean port city), and Ciudad Neily in the southern zone. Smaller but significant tourism towns include Monteverde, Tamarindo, Santa Teresa, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, and Nosara.