A luxury yacht charter in Costa Rica is like falling headlong into a nature documentary: volcanoes puff gently across a lush landscape of rolling hills covered in rainforests that roll down to a gin-clear sea where humpback whales play with their calves.
Yet for all its wild splendor, Costa Rica also offers luxury in abundance: designer golf courses, decadent resorts, and world-class marinas.
When to go?
Due to a pretty neat weather phenomenon caused by proximity to the equator and the rotation of the earth, a hurricane has never made landfall in Costa Rica, making it one of the safest destinations to enjoy a yacht charter in the region year-round.
Having said that, the most popular times to visit Costa Rica is during the dry season, which runs from December to April and coincides with plenty of local festivals as well as humpback whales and turtle nesting season.
Where to go and what to see
The Osa Peninsula lies in the deep south of Costa Rica and is home to Drake Bay, which has the longest humpback whale-watching season in the world, running from August right through to March.
On land, in the mysterious Corcovado National Park, bizarre-looking tapirs can be found curled up like tiny rhinos in forest clearings and lucky wildlife enthusiasts can spot elusive jaguars up in the trees.
In 2017 Golfito Marina opened making this the largest capacity superyacht marina in the Central American Pacific and the gateway to some of the finest surfing, sportfishing, and wildlife experiences on the planet.
Meanwhile, the Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica’s north is a spectacular, protected cruising ground of crescent moon beaches edged by green forest and turquoise water. Only golf courses and luxury resorts interrupt the natural landscape giving the peninsula an exclusive air. Fine hotels will welcome you ashore to enjoy fine dining and spa experiences as well as the stunning Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, rated one of the world’s 100 Best Courses Outside America by Golf Digest.
Of course, no visit to Costa Rica is complete without a visit to one of its magnificent volcanoes. Located on the rim of fire, Costa Rica has 6 active volcanoes, plus more than 60 dormant or extinct ones. The most famous of them all is Arenal, which last erupted in 1968. The volcano is currently in a resting phase, but visitors to Arenal will keep busy with white water rafting, horseback riding through the forest, hiking, and canyoning around the immense volcano. You can even windsurf at altitude (yes, you read that right) on Lake Arenal, one of the world’s top 10 windsurfing sites!
Other highlights you won’t want to miss include Manuel Antonio National Park where picture-perfect beaches and masses of hiking trails into the rainforest reveal capuchin and squirrel monkeys playing in the canopy and sloths sleeping in tree forks.
And in Monte Verde Cloud Forest—which hovers amongst the clouds and is home to 2.5% of the diversity on earth—you can hike through the canopy along rope bridges and zip-lines, listening to the chatter of white-faced monkeys and the call of over 400 species of birds, including tiny hummingbirds and the rare Resplendent Quetzal.
Costa Rica’s surf is legendary, and a yacht charter along the Pacific Coast allows you to surf some of the world’s best breaks, whether at Nosara on the central coast, or Pavones in the south, home of some of the longest breaks in the world.
After a day of surfing at Pavones, kayak or paddleboard through the bioluminescence at Zancudo for a moonlit paddle you’ll never forget.
If you’re cruising the Caribbean coast, Puerto Viejo is the heart of the surfing scene there.
The Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica are less than 200 miles apart, meaning that you can take a scenic helicopter trip across breathtaking volcanoes to touch down on the Caribbean coast for a day. We strongly suggest you visit the magnificent Tortuguero National Park to kayak through the flooded forest, looking out for sloths, sea turtles, and giant West Indian Manatees in the quiet canals.
With so much to do, you’ll want to start planning your Costa Rica getaway now. And the folks at OceanScape Yachts can help you do it. With complimentary travel planning and transparent pricing, they’ll help you plan your ideal vacation.
To learn more about yachting vacations download Sea The World Differently, a free guidebook to this luxurious vacation option.
