If you’re a nature lover or you’re up for a little adventure, then how will you choose between Fiji vs Costa Rica for a vacation destination? Both Costa Rica and Fiji are top spots for seeing outstanding flora and fauna as well as being natural playgrounds with plenty of heart-racing activities to boot.
In Costa Rica you can glide through Tortuguero’s flooded forest by boat, soak in hot springs after hiking through Arenal Volcano National Park and find tropical beaches on the Caribbean Sea or the thundering Pacific Ocean.
In Fiji you can dive with sharks, swim in the light-filled pools of the Sawa-I-Lau Caves in the Blue Lagoon and hike the Sleeping Giant Mountain Range – that’s after you’ve soaked up the sun on Fiji’s stunning beaches, enjoyed a swim and watched magnificent sunsets.
Plus a Fiji or Costa Rica vacation will undoubtedly offer as standard a smorgasbord of in-resort activities including snorkeling, stand-up-paddle boarding and diving excursions. Read on to find out more about whether your next vacation should be in Costa Rica or Fiji?
COSTA RICA VS FIJI FOR SURFING
With 1,016 km of coastline on the Pacific Ocean side and 212 km of beaches on the Caribbean coast it’s easy to see why Costa Rica is a haven for water lovers and surfers in particular.
The surf in Costa Rica is surprisingly consistent, although the prime months are from May to September. The three main surfing provinces in Costa Rica are Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon.
Fiji is also an incredibly diverse surfing destination with thousands of islands and coral reefs facing out into the Pacific Ocean. Top surfing regions in Fiji are the Mamanucas, Coral Coast and Tavenui. Between them they offer great surfing all year round for all levels of abilities.
The Mamanucas archipelago and barrier reefs to the South-West of the main island of Viti Levu are home to surf breaks including Cloudbreak, Restaurants and Wilkes Pass. The Restaurants surf break, on Namotu Island, is known as a ‘skate park’ in the water and is thought to be the best place to surf in Fiji, with perfectly-shaped tubular waves.
COSTA RICA OR FIJI: BEST FOR NATURE?
With its immense biodiversity, Costa Rica is a nature-lover’s paradise with nearly a quarter of the country made up of protected jungle teeming with wildlife, from toucans and the striking quetzal birds to sloths and howler monkeys.
Corcovado National Park is a ‘must visit’ while in Costa Rica. This reserve on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula is considered to be one of the world’s most biodiverse regions and includes scarlet macaws, tapirs, jaguars and squirrel monkeys. Hiking trails follow coastal and inland routes through habitats ranging from Pacific beaches and mangrove swamps to lowland and mountain rainforests.
Fiji can lay claim to an equally impressive array of flora and fauna, from rainforests and tropical flowers to mangroves and coral reefs. With more than 100 unique flora species, there are many conservation areas in Fiji to protect the beautiful landscape.
A birdwatchers’ paradise, the rainforests along Fiji’s Coral Coast and Pacific Harbor are ideal places to spot musk parrots, fantails and honeyeaters. The endangered long-tailed silky-flycatcher can be found in the south eastern region of Vanua Levu with many smaller islands including Namenalala, Qamea, Matagi and Bird Island set up as sanctuaries.
On the intimate 500-acre Turtle Island Resort, many sea turtles make their home and make fragile nests on its shores. In partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, a Turtle Conservation program saves the lives of the sea turtles in the Yasawa Islands, where Turtle Island is located. Local fishermen bring sea turtles to Turtle Island where they are tagged and released back into the sea, helping to share knowledge of the turtle population and to strengthen the sea turtle population in the Yasawas.
FIJI OR COSTA RICA VACATION: BEST FOR ADVENTURE?
From mist-covered cloud forests to jungle-backed beaches, Costa Rica is a tropical paradise playground where nature is king. Adventure vacations to Costa Rica are all about ziplining through misty rainforests, hiking up active volcanoes and soaking in hot springs.
The best ziplines in Costa Rica can be found in Arenal and Monteverde, with the lush green natural settings making for magnificent canopy tour backdrops. You can also immerse yourself in the rainforest on a two-day Arenal-Monteverde tour which covers the Arenal volcano and the Monteverde Skywalk, where you’ll be close to animals like spider monkeys, parrots and sleepy sloths.
Fiji’s stunning natural landscape lends itself to plenty of activities on land and in the water. On the Yasawa Islands there are the awe-inspiring Sawa-i-Lau caves, a series of half-submerged limestone caverns where you can swim with manta rays and discover colorful coral gardens. More adventurous visitors are invited to swim underwater though a dark tunnel into the second more dimly lit cavern. The caves can be accessed via boat from several of the neighboring Yasawa island resorts including Turtle Island.
If you prefer to spend your time under the water, then choose from snorkeling and diving in Fiji. Known as the ‘soft coral capital of the world’, it’s a well-deserved nickname with beautiful reefs encrusted with soft corals – shrub-like organisms that puff up in the current and appear in a rainbow of vivid colors.
You can also head to Fiji’s lush interior and make a day of hiking tracks and bike trails. On Taveuni Island, the third largest in Fiji, you can hike through the rainforest at Bouma National Park and head to the towering Tavoro Falls, a group of three waterfalls surrounded by wildlife including many colorful species of parrot.
HOW TO GET TO COSTA RICA AND FIJI
There are daily direct flights from Sydney, Auckland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Singapore to Fiji, ranging from around 11 hours (San Francisco) to just three hours 40 minutes from Sydney.
To get to Costa Rica it takes around five and a half hours from Los Angeles and just over five hours from New York. If you’re flying from Miami it takes just under three hours to reach Costa Rica.
FIJI VS COSTA RICA: WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT?
The best time to visit Costa Rica is between mid-November and April. Not only is it the driest part of the year, but it’s also warm with temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit with up to 12 hours of sunshine each day.
The best time to visit Fiji without the crowds is from February to April. Generally, the wet season is considered the off-peak season, but the months of November to April still see many people travelling to Fiji to enjoy all that the islands have to offer.
EXPLORE TURTLE ISLAND FIJI
For a vacation packed with adventure and surrounded by nature, then take a look at Turtle Island resort. Think breathtaking secluded beaches reserved for only 14 couples at a time. With 500 acres of tropical lush forests and 12 private beaches, you’ll feel as if you’re staying in a natural sanctuary. Contact us today to book your Fiji vacation.
