Since this is my last week in Costa Rica, I decided to post a list of the top ten things someone should do while visiting Costa Rica! (Disclaimer- I haven't been everywhere, so this list is based on the places I have been. 1) Manuel Antonio- The national park is awesome and its the prettiest beach I've ever seen. It may have plenty of tourists but its worth it. Its beautiful, full of good restaurants and plenty of chances to do activities like para sailing. There are local beaches that aren't in the park that you don't have to pay to get into that are really pretty as well. 2) Monteverde- I love Monteverde. Its a town in the mountains with so many activities. Its also a break from the intense heat at the beaches. You can do everything from horseback riding to ziplining. Its beautiful and not like many places. 3)La Fortuna- La Fortuna waterfalls are beautiful and worth the small hike to get to them. They are beautiful and you can swim if you want (the water is cold). Its so pretty and not something you can see everyday. 4) Playa Samara- I LOVE this place. Its really low key and the locals are awesome. Its really pretty and not overcrowded. Also if you go, take a kayak tour! Its cheap and is well worth it. My friend and I kayaked to a small island with a guide who provided us with snorkeling equipment once we got there and also fresh pineapple and cold water. We also ended it by kayaking back during the sunset. The sunset in Samara is absolutely breathtaking and that is coming from someone who isn't passionate about sunsets. Overall, Samara is one of the best beaches and I would recommend it to anyone. 5) National Soccer stadium/soccer game- The soccer stadium is one of my favorites because it allowed me to see something so many ticos are passionate about. Soccer isn't nearly as popular in the States as everywhere else so it was fun for me to see their passion at a game. The games are fun and research before you come to see if you can make it to one! Although its in San Jose, its definitely worth the trip. 6) Ostional- This was one of my favorites. Its a small town with one of the few turtle reserves in the world. The whole town relies on turtle eggs and they have such an interesting project going that benefits them and in return they work to help keep predators away from the beach. Its small and pretty far but I would recommend going for a night or two but make sure to try and go during the time the numbers of turtles arriving is big. 7) Playa Jaco- Jaco has its own representation but its a good time. Its close to San Jose, around 2 hours by public bus. It has its number of tourists and the beach isn't the prettiest in the world but its fun and is always filled with people. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from and its close to Playa Hermosa if you are looking for a day trip to somewhere that is quiet and has less people. 8) Playa Uvita- Playa Uvita is a small area on the central pacific coast. The beach is in a national park and is famous for being shaped in the shape of a whale tail during low tide. It is hard to see while you're on it, but it is definitely different. When you talk to the part of the beach that is shaped like a whale tail, the water is different. There were barely any waves and the view was breath taking. There is also a local waterfall near by that costs two dollars to go to and is so much fun. The water is cool and there is a natural water slide you can slide into the water through. Our hostel was awesome and really laid back, its called the Tucan Hotel. Its a place that I would definitely recommend because its unique and very laid back. 9) White Water Rafting- Rio Pacuare. The workers are what made it so fun, the program is called Exploradores Outdoors. Its fun and not too intense. They provide you with breakfast and lunch. Its beautiful and at parts you can jump out and float alongside the raft. Its 4 hours and well worth the money, and the guides are fun! 10) Puerto Viejo- Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, around 4 hours away from San Jose by public bus. It is a lot different than most of Costa Rica and is a lot of fun. It's really cool to see the Caribbean side because most of the popular beaches are located on the Pacific Ocean. Its unique, to say the least, but definitely worth visiting.