Costa Rica's Underrated Caribbean Coast Promises A Family-Friendly Escape With Jungle Views

Two-toed sloths dangle languid from ceiba branches, amber-billed toucans fly low over forest-fringed rivers, and newborn sea turtles scurry to the ocean from Costa Rica's Caribbean shore. A wildlife haven crammed with national parks and low-rumbling volcanoes, the Central American country packs the immense biodiversity of the Amazon into a small and easily-navigable package. Coupled with its pristine coastline, few destinations on earth can offer more for nature-loving travelers. Its easterly province, Limon, pairs the highest percentage of protected land in Costa Ricawith idyllic Caribbean conditions.

Ditch the pura vida crowds and the extortionate prices of the Pacific Coast and traverse jungles, Caribbean beaches, and Afro-Caribbean culture on Costa Rica's eastern shore. It's easy to access the coast's best accommodation spots from the capital city, San Jose — a private transfer will take you door-to-door to Puerto Viejo in only 4 hours. Travel between December and April, the driest season, for peak weather conditions and a chance to spot humpback whales that pass from December to mid-March.

Wedged between the swell of the surf-friendly sea and a jungle fringe rung with echoing howler monkey calls, remote Puerto Viejo is a wild escape with a little bit of everything Costa Rica has to offer. Take a short walk or rent a bicycle to explore the town's sweeping beaches, popular with the laidback local surfers and teams fighting for soccer balls and volleyballs on the sand. Your best picks are Playa Cocles, where the jungle spills out onto the shoreline, and Punta Uva, where calm waters and a coral reef are primed for swimmers and snorkelers.

From your base in the rustic seaside town, it's possible to tour two different nearby nature reserves. Head to Cahuita National Park and roam the 5 miles of forest trails populated by hollering howler monkeys, leafcutter ants marching in tight formation, scuttling basilisk lizards, and northern tamandua's searching for food on the forest floor. Or, stick even closer to town and visit Gandoca-Manzanillo Natural Wildlife Refuge. The golden sands that line the reserve skirt around a sprawling coral reef, where rare inhabitants like sea turtles and manatees drift above webs of pink and orange mottled coral.

Isolated even from the sparsely inhabited coastal towns of Costa Rica's Caribbean shore, Tortuguero National Park and Tortuguero village are only accessible via plane or boat. Immersed in the thickets of the tropical national park, the quiet streets of Tortuguero lead out to the beaches, mangroves, swamps, forests and lagoons dotted across the park. Book a tour with one of the local providers living in the village to explore the 77,032 acres of protected wilds by boat or on foot.

While exploring the three trails that weave through the national park, keep a sharp eye out for the animals that call the jungle thickets home. Tapirs and coatis roam the forest floor, neon poisonous frogs stick to gigantic gunnera leaves, and reclusive jaguars slink out of sight. Shorefront, turtles navigate the ocean and its pooling canals. Head to the water for a chance to spot endangered green, leatherback, and hawksbill turtles spawning on the beach, or keep an eye out for land turtles while you traverse the inland canals and lagoons. They're joined by lounging manatees, slinking crocodiles, and a variety of species of freshwater fish.