Many travelers have a bit of an Indiana Jones concept of adventure tourism, and the idea of exploring the jungles and beaches of a tropical foreign country is very appealing. Since you’re reading this article, you’re probably one of them, and you’d probably prefer to follow an online map or travel guide to one of these more remote spots, farther away from the usual tourist adventures.

First of all, let me tell you that from personal experience, going with an experienced local guide is a really great idea, at least once during your trip. He or she will spot ten times as many jungle animals than you will on your own. On your own, it’s easy to walk for hours in the jungle without seeing anything other than a squirrel. This is especially true on night hikes.

With that said, exploring on your own in this part of Costa Rica is a great idea, because we are lucky in that there are very few dangerous animals that you really have to worry about. The two super dangerous (and aggressive) snakes that Costa Rica is known for, the Fer de Lance (Terciopelo) and Bushmaster, don’t live in this area. There are a few other types of poisonous snakes here, but they are super rare… so rare that I’ve only seen one (a coral snake on the road at night) in eight years here. So you can pretty much crash around the jungle like an idiot and not worry much about ending up in the hospital from a snakebite.

Self guided tours are free, and there’s definitely a thrill to not knowing what could be around the next corner. So, I’ve tagged here all the best places to explore that will appeal to the India Jones in you. These spots are all out of the way, seldom-visited by tourists, with a high potential for adventure.