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Tourist Maps of Costa Rica – Beaches, Cities & More

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Having a map of Costa Rica can be an invaluable resource when deciding which attractions to visit during your trip. It also helps you craft an efficient itinerary, ensuring you don’t miss any important destinations. In my opinion, maps are indispensable companions for any traveler, so I always make sure to have them with me on every adventure.

That’s why I’ve compiled a selection of the best maps of Costa Rica , so you can print them or download them to your mobile phone. In addition, you will find maps that cover different activities and many of the top attractions in Costa Rica , such as a map of the main beaches, the most famous national parks, the best places to dive, and much more.

• Interactive map of Costa Rica
• Map of Costa Rica beaches
• Map of national parks in Costa Rica
• Map of Costa Rica’s provinces
• Map of Costa Rica’s regions
• Map of cities in Costa Rica
• Map of diving spots in Costa Rica
• Map of surfing spots in Costa Rica
• Road map of Costa Rica
• Distance map of Costa Rica
• Physical/geographic map of Costa Rica
• Map of volcanoes in Costa Rica
• Printable map of Costa Rica (high-resolution)

1. Interactive map of Costa Rica

This interactive map of Costa Rica allows you to easily pinpoint the most captivating tourist spots. It’s the one I used to plan my 7-day trip to Costa Rica , which includes all the must-see attractions.

You can download this map of things to do in Costa Rica as a KML file to store it on your mobile device using a travel app like Maps.me. This way, you’ll have access to all the information even when you’re offline (although I recommend getting a Costa Rica SIM card for your trip).

Additionally, feel free to drop me a comment with recommendations for places worth visiting, and I’ll try to incorporate them. Together, we can craft a more comprehensive map through our collective efforts and insights within Capture the Atlas .

2. Map of Costa Rica beaches

This map of Costa Rica’s beaches  is designed specifically for beach enthusiasts and those who love basking under the sun. While there are many beaches in Costa Rica , this guide highlights the most famous ones, along with some hidden gems. Here, you’ll find my personal favorites, like the beaches of Guanacaste , along with many others to explore.

3. Map of national parks in Costa Rica

No collection of Costa Rica maps would be complete without one dedicated to the national parks of Costa Rica . If you wish to explore the country’s diverse flora and fauna, this map highlights the prime locations of its best-protected environments.

4. Map of Costa Rica’s provinces

When you’re visiting a new country, it’s incredibly useful to familiarize yourself with its provinces and districts. Here’s a map of cities and towns in Costa Rica displaying its provinces so you can navigate the country more easily. You’ll also start to be able to discern the cultural similarities and differences among them.

5. Map of Costa Rica’s regions

Beyond the provinces, it’s crucial to appreciate the diverse topography, landscapes, and climates of your next destination. So, I present to you a map of the regions in Costa Rica . This will prove particularly handy in combination with our guide to weather in Costa Rica .

6. Map of cities in Costa Rica

Here’s a map of cities in Costa Rica , which allows you to locate the finest restaurants, key tourist destinations, and the best places to stay in Costa Rica . While there are countless places worth visiting, these are the most important cities in Costa Rica .

7. Map of diving spots in Costa Rica

Undoubtedly, one of the most exhilarating activities you can enjoy is diving in Costa Rica . The country’s seabed boasts an impressive richness, which is why I’ve provided this Costa Rica map showcasing the best diving spots.

Note that Cocos Island is featured separately, as it lies approximately 310 miles off the coast of Costa Rica .

8. Map of surfing spots in Costa Rica

While the Tamarindo beaches in Costa Rica are renowned among surfers, there are numerous other spots where you can hone your skills and ride the waves. This is the ultimate map of surfing spots in Costa Rica .

9. Road map of Costa Rica

Tailored for those planning a car tour or embarking on a road trip, this map of Costa Rica’s roads features both primary and secondary routes, as well as other useful routes to consider for a memorable journey.

10. Distance map of Costa Rica

If you’re thinking of traveling by plane or bus, this free map of Costa Rica displaying distances between key locations will help you organize your trip more efficiently. Often, we come up with itineraries that prove overly ambitious. This map allows you to calculate distances easily and create a more realistic and tailor-made plan for your journey.

11. Physical/geographic map of Costa Rica

This geographic map of Costa Rica will allow you to easily locate various mountainous regions and beaches. If you’re planning to visit any of the volcanoes on the island, this physical map of Costa Rica will come in handy.

12. Costa Rica volcano map

There are approximately 150 volcanoes in Costa Rica . This map pinpoints the most famous ones, ensuring you visit those featuring the most stunning landscapes and abundant nature.

13. Printable map of Costa Rica (high-resolution)

Below, you’ll find a high-resolution, printable map of Costa Rica , perfect for printing or downloading to have on hand during your trip.

Now you’re all set! With these maps of Costa Rica , you’re well-equipped to make the most of your trip.

If you find yourself in need of any other tourist maps for Costa Rica , just let me know, and I’ll do my best to find them for you.

Enjoy your trip!

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Maps of Costa Rica

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Costa Rica Maps - Main Cities

Map of San José City

Map of Puntarenas City

Map of Limón City

Map of Heredia City

Map of Cartago City

Map of Alajuela City

Costa rica maps - activities.

Horseback riding in Costa Rica map

Zipline, cable car and walkways in Costa Rica map

Whitewater rafting in Costa Rica map

Kayaking in Costa Rica map

Surfing in Costa Rica Map

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Stand up paddling in Costa Rica map

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Costa Rica Travel Information

The Best Costa Rica Maps, Brochures and Guides

October 26, 2020 By Sammi Leave a Comment

If you’re planning your first trip to Costa Rica, we highly recommend getting a Costa Rica map to help you get around and orient yourself. Getting a map is one of the first things we do when we book a trip. It makes travel planning much easier!

Here are our recommended Costa Rica maps and guides to help plan your trip. Even though most of the Costa Rica maps on this list are for purchase, I’m including a local tip for you to get free maps.

National Geographic Costa Rica Map

The National Geographic Adventure Costa Rica map is excellent. I have also used their Iceland map and they have a ton of information geared towards adventurers such as road conditions, campsites, hiking trails, etc.

If you like nature and wildlife, I also recommend you to get the National Geographic Adventure + Naturalist Set . You get the map and the naturalist guides so you can read about the different flora and fauna in Costa Rica. It’s a lot lighter than carrying the heavy books!

ICT Visit Costa Rica Tourist Map and Brochures (free)

And here are the free Costa Rica maps you can get when you are in the country.

In both San Jose Airport   and Liberia International Airport , there is a Visit Costa Rica/ICT (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) office where they have free maps and brochures. The maps are in both English and Spanish. The office is right next to where you exit customs in the airport.

They have one main Costa Rica map with cities, national parks, beaches, volcanoes, wildlife refuges, museums, highways, provinces and more. It even includes all the roads, separated out by highways, paved roads, lastre (gravel), 4×4 only and concrete. Additionally, it has the distances in kilometers between major cities.

On the other side, it has a zoomed in map of San Jose and the main metropolitan area (Central Valley). It also has the downtown map of Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago, San Isidro de El General, Liberia, Ciudad Quesada, Limon, Puntarenas and Ciudad Quesada.

For a free map, this one is very detailed and informative. If all you want is a map to use once in awhile or as a Costa Rica souvenir , this is an excellent option (plus it’s free).

They also offer many free brochures and informational guides to national parks and cities in Costa Rica.

All of them have information about the place such as how to get there, what to do, a map, and photos.

Even though we live in Costa Rica, we grabbed a bunch because they have a ton of handy information for places we haven’t been to yet.

CRMaps (Free)

CRMaps produces excellent cartoon maps of Costa Rica beaches, beach towns and main tourist destinations. They are free and you can find them in most supermarkets or tour desks. We always grab them from the supermarkets.

They also have a free app you can download and it’s one of the best apps for Costa Rica . CRMAPS has maps for Jaco, La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio and Quepos, Tamarindo, Playas del Coco and Hermosa, Dominical and Uvita and Herradura so far.

Free Maps You Can Find at Hotels, Supermarkets, Tour Desks, Etc.

You can also find a lot of destination specific maps at hotels, supermarkets, tour desks, car rental offices, info centers, etc. Here are a few that we have grabbed.

We got this one at the Monteverde info center in Santa Elena.

It’s pretty useful with a zoomed in map of Santa Elena downtown, the roads and Monteverde.

It also lists hotels, tours, restaurants, shopping, transportation and services phone numbers and contact information.

I tried to find the app but their website is down and I couldn’t find it in the app store. Because of that, I’m not sure if they have maps for other destinations since we haven’t seen other iPuraVida maps around. But the one I found for Monteverde was nice and easy to read.

Hopefully they continue making them!

Costa Rica Road Map

We have found a couple Costa Rica road maps. If you’re renting a car, we found Costa Rica road maps by the ACAR (Costa Rican car rental association) and Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica. The ACAR map has the whole country and San Jose with distances and points of interest.

I will say that for the ACAR map, it wasn’t as detailed as I thought it would be for roads. The free one by the ICT is more detailed as it has all the different roads (official, gravel, concrete, 4×4) whereas the ACAR doesn’t. All it has is roads, seasonal roads and main roads.

The Adventure Hotels map is much more detailed and it also has elevation. Additionally, it lists all of the hotels that participate in Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica (nonprofit organization of small, eco-friendly hotels). This costs $3 but we found it for free at one of their hotels.

Nicoya Peninsula

At our Airbnb in Montezuma, we got a free map of Nicoya Peninsula that was extremely helpful.

Costa Rica Bird Guide

If you’re an avid birdwatcher, then you’ll want to come prepared with a thorough bird guide . I have this bird guide in particular and carry it with me whenever we go birdwatching so I can tick the ones off I’ve seen.

Costa Rica Wildlife Guide

To learn about all wildlife in Costa Rica, get the Costa Rica wildlife guide . One of the author’s is the same as who wrote the bird guide and it’s just as informative and helpful.

If you don’t want to bring a whole book, you can get a small laminated field guide . Not as much information of course but way lighter and easier to carry!

Mytanfeet Destination Map

For an extra, make sure to check out our online destination map! We put this map together that separates all the articles we’ve written by beach, city, activities, hotels, national park/reserve, things to do and more.

Read other Costa Rica travel tips below!

Costa Rica road conditions

17 things to know about Costa Rica before you go

10 mistakes to avoid making in Costa Rica

Common Costa Rica tourist scams

10 best places for first time visitors to Costa Rica

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Tourist map of COSTA RICA

Interactive travel and tourist map of Costa Rica: click on icons and writings on the map to open web links.

“Pura Vida” is the Costa Rican motto… it couldn’t exist a better way to summarise the friendliness of the people and the beauty of this small country with rainforests, cloud forests, volcanoes and beautiful beaches.

Population: 4.805.000  Area: 51.100 sq.km Official Language: Spanish  Currency: Costa Rican Colòn  Drivers Lane: Right  When to go: from November to April Book Now Climate Rent a Car Flights

FURTHER LINKS Costa Rica tourism official website Isla del Coco Isla del Caño

Whale & dolphin watching: Marino Ballena National Park Diving & snorkeling in Costa Rica

Discover Costa Rica’s best tourist attractions and top sights through our map! Which are the best places to visit in Costa Rica and the best things to do in Costa Rica? Simply click on the map’s links to be quickly redirected to images and useful websites for accommodation, activities, transport and much more about Costa Rica travel.

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