Costa Rica

An epic adventure in the teeny, tiny destination of Costa Rica, meeting sloths and watching turtles nest, plus a little monkeying around between rare wildlife sightings, zip-lining and volcanic lava trails. All this to find out what makes it one of the happiest places on earth — despite, and because of, the rain.

Macaws squawk and monkeys chatter on a hike through the Osa Peninsula — a wild corner of the country where a longstanding tradition of gold panning still shimmers in the rich and verdant landscape.

National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with TUI Tours to offer a trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica

Aching muscles, fatigue and mosquito bites are a price worth paying on a cycle tour of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Its remote beaches, volcanic peaks and lush jungle are home to giant butterflies, macaws and howler monkeys — any of which could await around the next corner

In the capital, San José, a group of enterprising chefs are turning Costa Rican cuisine on its head, looking beyond rice and beans and attempting to create a new national cuisine

Santiago Fernández Benedetto’s recipe puts a fine-dining twist on a dish that started out as ceviche spooned into bags of tortilla chips. The fish needs to be super-fresh — check with your fishmonger