Costa Rica is an incredibly scenic country and offers several scenic drives and blissful boat rides. The scenic drives are listed below:

• The old Pacific highway winds along the sea from the west of San Jose via Priscal. This route follows the central Pacific and offers views of the ocean throughout the journey. Along the central Pacific there are several national parks, including the infamous Manuel Antonio. This route rewards travelers with views of coffee, sugarcane and banana plantations. The central Pacific route includes travel highlights such as Quepos.
• The La Fortuna to Lake Arenal route leads to the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano. This travel region was known for farming and ranching but has slowly become a baby boom retirement resort. The Arenal route is charming and highlights the Arenal Volcano, numerous hot springs, waterfalls, Laguna Arenal, a rainforest reserve, several gardens and charming villages.
• The Braulio Carrillo highway is the main highway from San Jose to the Caribbean. The drive is scenic and leads through tunnels, a mountain and emerges in a primeval wilderness. The central valleys and highlands around San Jose are often overlooked as a travel destination, and instead, visitors focus on the beaches of the Pacific coast and rainforests of the north. This driving route highlights an aerial tram ride with a view of Braulio Carrillo.
• San Jose to Monteverde is a premier scenic route in Costa Rica and climbs to the Continental Divide. The Monteverde Cloud Forest is one of Costa Rica's main travel attractions. Not only is the cloud forest a highlight, but there are other fabulous travel and tourist attractions on this route. This includes outstanding ecological facilities, gardens and a fabulous cheese factory.
• The Costanera highway is one of the best-maintained highways in Costa Rica. It leads from Dominical to Cortes and provides unparalleled views of the Pacific and a wonderful backdrop of jungle-covered mountains.

There are several must-do boat rides in Costa Rica and these are as follows:

• Tortuguero canals of Tortuguero National Park are a perfect spot to drift in a boat through a network of waterways. These canals are located in the area north of Limon on the Caribbean coast. Travelers can float dreamily on these canals and if one hires a naturalist guide, wildlife viewing opportunities are plentiful.
• Isla del Caño is a one-hour boat ride from the Osa Peninsula. This reserve is composed of 300-hectares (750-acres) and is the perfect trip to spot marine life such as turtles, dolphins and whales. There are also some terrific spots for snorkeling.
• Huedal Nacional Terraba-Sierpe is a river delta of waterways, channels and mangrove swamp. Most visitors must past through this to get to Bahia Drake. Composed of 33,000-hectares (81,500-acres), this reserve offers a great chance to see mangrove roots which are above ground.

More travel information on destinations in Costa Rica

Learn more about other travel destinations in Costa Rica.