The 16 best things to do in Costa Rica

It’s easy to experience sticker shock when checking into eco-lodges and renting vehicles and booking tours in Costa Rica. Indeed, it is the most expensive country in Central America, thanks to a booming economy and well-developed tourist sector. 

It must be down there, buried deep. The still-beating heart of National Geographic. The spirit that once inspired every traveler’s soul.

Costa Rica packs a world of adventure into a relatively small area. Limited infrastructure means that getting around can be a challenge, but it’s also one reason that Costa Rica is the wild and wonderful place that it is. 

On a recent trip to Costa Rica, on a hike in the remote forests of Volcán Tenorio National Park, the sky unexpectedly opened up, dumping buckets of rain on my 12-year-old twins and me. We were completely soaked, despite our rain gear. 

Summer may be coming to a close, but there's good news that comes with school being back in session: College campuses everywhere are springing back to life in full force. The Midwest is home to several of the best, with world-class museums, acclaimed restaurants, and notable festivals, boasting their own unique draws. And while autumn is always an exciting time to visit (think football and foliage), there’s enough happening in each of these destinations to warrant a getaway any time of year. From a bustling big-city suburb to a UNESCO City of Literature, here are the Midwest’s best college towns to visit now.

This story is part of the Great Bagel Boom, a Bon Appétit series celebrating the vast creative expanses of bagel culture across America—because yes, you can find truly wonderful bagels outside of New York now.

Whether it’s divine providence or this travel writer giving it the thumbs up, take the hint! Book a flight to Costa Rica!

Costa Rica is an eclectic mix of customs, beliefs and people, whose multicultural and multilingual inhabitants descended from the cultural fusion of immigrants, including Africans, Chinese, Jews, Lebanese and Italians. With a population approaching five million, similar to that of Kentucky, Costa Rica remains small enough to afford visitors the opportunity to become acquainted with its friendly people.

With its puffing volcanoes, pounding surf, sprawling salt flats and glistening glaciers, Chile is the ultimate wonderland for South American adventures. But you don’t need to be a skier, surfer or hiker to find something fun to do here.

With a durable peace deal in place that has opened up vast swathes of the countryside and an ever-growing number of international visitors, Colombia has become one of the most sought after stops on any South American ticket.

While you might have heard of North Dakota’s largest city, Fargo, from the Coen Brothers' 90s hit movie Fargo or the recent television series with the same title, the Midwestern city attracts hockey enthusiasts, college football fans, and those in love with the Great Plains to the Peace Garden State. With new hotel openings, the renovation of a Radisson Blu, and the opening of a community square—all taking place within the past two years, the city is reimagining its downtown area.

The United States is vast and varied, spanning roughly 3000 miles from east to west and 1650 miles from north to south – and that’s not including Alaska and Hawaii.