Central Pacific
The Central Pacific possesses the beaches closest to the capital city. Among the most popular are Herradura, Jaco, Dominical and those inside Manuel Antonio National Park. The region experiences a hot and humid climate, with a season of brilliant sunshine from December through the end of April. There are warm waters all year long.
The landscape consists of rolling hills blanketed by green forest. It is home to Manual Antonio, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica. Manual Antonio’s popularity can be attributed to its mild climate, white sand beaches, cliffs, rivers, rain forests, and great variety of wildlife. Many animals call this park home including the white faced, mantled howler and red-backed squirrel monkeys and the two and three toed sloths. Punta Catedral (cathedral point), the bay of Puerto Escondido (hidden port), and the beautiful beaches with blue green waters represent some of the main attractions of this park.
The road from the Central Valley to this area winds through very diverse scenery from cattle grazing and crocodiles in the Grande de Tarcoles river to the plantations of oil palms in Parrita.
