Need tips for planning your 2 week Costa Rica trip? We can help! We put together this exact 2 week Costa Rica itinerary for my family and friends. They absolutely loved it as it had the perfect mix of adventure, beaches, relaxation and rain forest.
Furthermore, in this sample itinerary, you will find our personal recommendations for hotels, tours, restaurants and travel tips.
This two weeks in Costa Rica itinerary goes to La Fortuna, Monteverde, Santa Teresa and Playas del Coco and flies in and out of Guanacaste Airport.
This post has affiliate links which we may earn a small commission from if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. Any prices listed in this post may not reflect current prices of present. It is the readers responsibility to research and consult for current pricing. Prices are quoted in USD and are an estimate.
A Few Things to Know About This 2 Week Costa Rica Itinerary First
- Our group of 6 with carry on only rented a 7 passenger SUV to have the most flexibility, comfort and convenience. (We do not recommend doing this if your group has lots of luggage or are tall/large in size.)
- However, you can do this itinerary via shared shuttles, private shuttles or bus. Thinking about renting a car?
- Get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra freebies. Want to book private shuttles? Contact us to get a quote!
- Second, this itinerary flies into and departs from Guanacaste Airport. You could do it from San Jose but you will need to sacrifice one day to travel back to SJO Airport from Playas del Coco.
- Third, the best time for this itinerary is dry season which is December, January February, March and April for the best weather. However, it is doable any time of the year.
If you visit during the rainy season, you need to make sure you are staying on the main paved roads and that you rent a 4wd.
We personally did this itinerary in August and got quite a bit of rain in La Fortuna and Monteverde, but thankfully we packed for rainy season.
As our group are all from Washington state, rain did not bother us at all.
You can also click this link 2 week Costa Rica itinerary to see our interactive map of this itinerary.
Day 1: Land in Liberia Airport, Drive to La Fortuna (~3 hours)
Collect your rental car and head to La Fortuna right away. This is about a 3 hour drive. If you’re arriving in the late afternoon or evening, we don’t recommend driving all the way. In that case, you can stay a night in Liberia first.
Here are our suggestions for hotels near Liberia airport. You can also stop halfway in Nuevo Arenal by Lake Arenal.
Read more about the drive to La Fortuna after landing.
WHAT TO KNOW: It gets dark by 6 PM everyday in Costa Rica and we don’t recommend driving long distances at night. The section around the lake is VERY curvy and windy. I get carsick on that section all the time so pop your Drammamine before you start the drive.
EXTRA TIP: Stop by Llanos de Cortes waterfall on the way from Liberia – La Fortuna to see a beautiful waterfall in the dry tropical forest. It’s a 5 minute walk to the waterfall from the parking lot.
If you’re landing at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO Airport code), it is also about a 3 hour drive. Same advice as Liberia, we don’t recommend driving if you’re arriving in the late afternoon or evening, at least in the rainy season.
Then it’s best to stay by the airport and then leave the next day to drive in the daylight.
You can check our post for hotels near San Jose Airport for hotel recommendations.
Days 2-4: Arenal and La Fortuna
La Fortuna is an area in the northern lowlands famous for the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal surrounded by lush rain forests.
As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica, La Fortuna is the best place for your first introduction to the country.
This area offers many adventure activities as well as wildlife watching opportunities. Spend the next couple days adventuring through the rainforest and volcano!
Where to Stay in La Fortuna
There are a ton of hotel options in La Fortuna and Arenal. We stayed at Arenal Observatory Lodge, an incredible lodge close to Arenal Volcano for a very close stay in nature.
However, if you want to splurge on for hotels on your trip, this is a fantastic place to do so in this itinerary. Some recommended luxury rainforest resorts are Amor Arenal, Arenal Kioro, Nayara Gardens, Nayara Tented Camp, Nayara Springs (adult only), Tabacon and The Springs Resort Arenal.
If you want to stay in town and are on a budget, we recommend Arenal Xilapalo, Hotel Las Colinas or Hotel El Secreto La Fortuna. If you’re coming with a family or big group, check out this Airbnb in Arenal that fits up to 12 people.
You can check our list of hotels in La Fortuna for more tips.
What to Do in La Fortuna
- Arenal Volcano Hike: Walk the trails of the national park to see the impact of the 1968 eruption. Visitors can go for a leisurely hike through the park to get beautiful views of the volcano and the lake.
- Another excellent volcano hike is the Arenal 1968 private reserve. Arenal Observatory Lodge also has their own hiking trails.
- Canyoning: Rappel down cliffs and waterfalls 200 feet tall in the middle of the rain forest. Feel the adrenaline flow through your fingertips as you grip tightly onto the rope and hop down deep into the jungle. Read more about canyoning in La Fortuna and click the link to get our canyoning discount!
- River adventure: The Rainforest Falls tour by Pure Trek is the best way to enjoy the rivers in pristine rainforest as you rappel down waterfalls, jump into crystal clear pools, swim in a jungle oasis and climb up a rock wall. You can even book it as a combo day and do canyoning + Rainforest falls in one day!
- Wildlife Safari Float: For an exclusive experience, float down the Rio Frio river while your guide points out wildlife such as caimans, toucans, sloths, otters, birds and more. Read more about this La Fortuna river safari float. For a closer and cheaper alternative, check out the Penas Blancas safari float.
- Visit the Rio Frio river in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge by river boat if sitting on a raft is not possible (not for babies/infants or seniors).
- Hot springs: No visit to Arenal is complete without a trip to the hot springs. Soak in pools of varying temperatures surrounded by the lush rain forest. Best time to go is at night.
- Farm to table cooking class: Super fun and educational. A must for anyone who likes food and cooking. La Fortuna was originally a farming town so you can learn a lot about farming and gardening in Costa Rica and Costa Rican food.
Interested in booking those tours? Click the link to get our La Fortuna tours discount!
What Our Adventurous Group of Young Adults (mid to late 20’s) Did
Day 2: 4 in 1 combination tour with hot springs to see the highlights of the area (hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, volcano hike and hot springs with dinner included). As we had a car, we visited these places ourselves.
If you don’t have a car, we highly recommend booking a tour that includes a guide and transportation. We went to Baldi Hot springs.
Day 3: Relaxed, went to the pool, walked around the Arenal Observatory Lodge trails, visited Fortuna town to shop and eat. We also visited the hot springs again. Unfortunately, hot springs resorts do not offer multi day passes so we had to purchase another pass.
Day 4: Canyoning in the morning, rest, nap, lunch in town.
There are plenty more activities to enjoy in Arenal and La Fortuna. For more ideas, check out our post of top things to do in La Fortuna and save some money with our La Fortuna tours discount!
If you’re looking for a beautiful, luxurious hot springs resort, check out The Springs! We offer a $5 USD discount for the Springs Resort 2 day hot springs pass.
Recommended Restaurants
La Fortuna Pub, Organico, Soda Garra Pata, Piuru Peruvian, Travesia, Rainforest Cafe, Soda Nene, Restaurante Fortueño, Restaurante El Coloso, Don Rufino and Soda La Hormiga.
Days 5-7: Monteverde (Drive around 3 hours)
Leave mid morning to your second destination, Monteverde. If you don’t have a car, you can take the water taxi across Lake Arenal which costs ~$45 USD per person and takes around 3 hours. They have a taxi boat in the morning and afternoon (~8 AM and 2 PM).
Contact us to book this taxi-boat-taxi!
Travel day tip: To make the most of our day, we stopped by Rio Celeste on the way from La Fortuna to Monteverde to see the sky blue river. We left La Fortuna at 630 AM to get to the Tenorio National Park at 8 AM, hiked the park for 3 hours, had lunch in Bijagua and then drove 2.5 hours to Monteverde, arriving around 5 PM before dark.
IMPORTANT: You need to purchase park tickets beforehand on the SINAC website and you cannot be late to your appointed time slot.
Monteverde is home to an incredible tropical cloud forest, has excellent hiking, ziplining and birdwatching and is also the site of the first zipline in Costa Rica.
Read our Monteverde travel tips guide for more information.
Where to stay in Monteverde
El Establo Hotel, Hotel Belmar and Senda Monteverde are the more high end options. El Establo has big rooms with two floors with beautiful views of the cloud forest. We stayed at Monteverde Country Lodge with my brother which was very cozy and comfortable.
For our stay at Hotel Poco a Poco, we enjoyed their pool and rooms on the top in the back of the hotel near the gardens.
Use our 5% promo code “mytanfeet” to save $$ at the following hotels: Hotel Poco a Poco, Monteverde Country Lodge and Sibu Lodge. All wonderful places to stay in Monteverde with a great location, excellent restaurant and very cozy and comfortable rooms.
Airbnb is also an excellent option in Monteverde. We stayed at this Airbnb in Monteverde, perfect for couples or groups of 4.
What to Do in Monteverde
- Ziplining: Monteverde is famous for their cloud forest canopy tours, with some of the longest and highest in the country. The most popular canopy tours are Treetopia Park, Selvatura Park and 100% Aventura.
- Hanging bridges: Discover the wonders of the cloud forest by walking on hanging bridges high up in the tree top canopy.
- Bird watching: Monteverde is one of the few places in Costa Rica where you can see the elusive Resplendant Quetzal among many other beautiful birds. A great place for birdwatching in Monteverde is the Curi Cancha Reserve.
- Hike the cloud forests: This is an absolute must do. The 3 reserves, Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, Bosque Nuboso Reserva Santa Elena and Children’s Eternal Rain Forest all have beautiful viewpoints, well maintained hiking trails and ample wildlife opportunities. Read this guide to decide which Monteverde cloud forest reserve should visit.
What We Did
Day 5: We relaxed at our hotel and checked out the town the day we arrived. After dinner at Sabor Tico, we did a bit of souvenir shopping in town.
Day 6: One day adventure at Selvatura Park including ziplining, hanging bridges, butterfly garden, sloth center, insect exhibit and herpetarium. This is a full day activity. After we finished the park, we went to our hotel to freshen up and then had dinner at the Tree House Restaurant in downtown. We did more souvenir shopping after we ate.
Day 7: A 3 hour walk in Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve in the morning and coffee and chocolate tour in the afternoon.. Alternative option: birdwatching at Curi Cancha Reserve or El Tigre Waterfalls hike. Then Cerro Pinocho for sunset.
Recommended Restaurants
Tree House, Tramonti, Monteverde Brewing Company, Panaderia Jimenez, Orchid Coffee, Choco Cafe, Taco Taco and Restuarante Sabor Tico.
Tramonti has amazing pizza and Sabor Tico is the best for local food. Orchid is great for breakfast and lunch. Panaderia Jimenez is a local bakery with great Costa Rican breakfasts.
Day 8: Travel to Santa Teresa (~5 hours)
Today is a travel day to a popular beach and surf town in the Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa. We first went to Puntarenas to catch the ferry and then drove to Santa Teresa.
Read our tips to taking the Puntarenas ferry.
If you’re not driving, the best option is to take a shuttle. Shared shuttles are around $65 USD per person, private is around $300-350 USD. You can also take the public bus.
For the bus, take a bus to Puntarenas (4:30 AM, 6 AM and 15:00) and grab a taxi to the ferry dock. Once you arrive at Paquera dock, take the public bus to Cobano (6:15, 8:15, 10:15, 12:15, 15:15, 16:30, 18:15). If you arrive in time, you can get a bus from Cobano to Santa Teresa, or take a taxi. Last bus from Cobano to Santa Teresa is 14:30.
The ferry is very nice with beautiful views of the Gulf of Nicoya nd you can see what Puntarenas, an important fishing town in Costa Rica is like.
Days 9-10: Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Playa Carmen
The next couple days are yours to enjoy at the beautiful, lesser visited beaches of Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Playa Hermosa and Playa Carmen. Santa Teresa attracts surfers, yogis and those looking to escape the busy crowds of touristic areas.
What to do in Santa Teresa
Here you can try surfing, watch the beautiful sunsets on the beach, go horseback riding or take a yoga class. All we did was check out different beaches, watch the sunset, lay by the pool, shop, eat and relax.
No excursions in Santa Teresa this time, just beach time.
Our first week in Costa Rica was full of excitement and adventure, so we took these beach days to relax.
Where to Stay in Santa Teresa
We stayed at Hotel Santa Teresa which was really nice. It’s about a 1 minute walk to the beach and you’re close to small supermarkets and restaurants.
Casa Chameleon Mal Pais Adults Only is an incredibly nice hotel for couples and honeymooners. Selina Santa Teresa South is a fun place to stay for young backpackers and digital nomads.
If you prefer to be in a quieter part of this area, we highly recommend Lua Villas in Playa Hermosa. We stayed here before for a surf trip and it was a fantastic place for our group of 5. It’s about a 15 minute drive to Santa Teresa downtown however, so you need a car.
Recommended Restaurants
Drift Bar, Banana Beach, The Bakery, Eat Street, Burger Rancho, Zula restaurante, Somos Cafe, Soda Pura Vida and Habaneros. If you’re vegan/vegetarian, Drift Bar is a fantastic option.
The Bakery is a local favorite for pastries and coffee.
Day 11: Drive to Playas del Coco ~4 hours
Today is a travel day and the fourth destination in this 2 week Costa Rica itinerary is Playas del Coco. This town is a small fishing village in the North Pacific.
For the easiest driving route, you should take the Route 21 past Paquera, Nicoya and then Route 151.
Take your time on this drive and make sure to leave in the morning/mid-morning so you drive during daylight.
Also do NOT stray off the main road, there are many rural roads on this route, do not take them. Stay on the main road!
Days 12-13: Playas del Coco
For our last few days in Costa Rica, we relaxed and enjoyed a lot of downtime by the pool and the beach. We only did one excursion, a private boating tour around the Gulf of Papagayo to snorkel.
Our Recommendations
Private beach hopping, snorkeling and fishing tour: Visit beautiful hidden beaches and go snorkeling. Fish, watch the sunset, snorkel, have the best beach experience on this private beach hopping and boating tour in Playas del Coco.
*Dedicate one full day to do a full day beach hopping and snorkeling tour which is what we did*
Shop, relax, eat, watch the sunset, swim at the pool, walk on the beach, just enjoy!
Where to stay
My brother and friends rented a house on Airbnb in the Las Palmas neighborhood. There are many rentals on VRBO and Airbnb where you can get a fully furnished condo with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a pool. Breeze Residencies and Pacifico are two other popular condo complexes in Playas del Coco.
For groups and families, we recommend these condo rentals instead of hotels. There aren’t a ton of hotels in Playas del Coco anyways, there are more vacation rental options. The rentals are more comfortable for larger groups and families who want the amenities of home.
If you want to stay at a hotel, a really nice option that’s walking distance to beach and town is Villa del Sol. It has a pool and hot breakfast included.
Recommended Restaurants
Java Coffee, Coconutz, Johann Bistro, Soda Teresita, Le Coq, Cafe Corazon, Zi Lounge and Villa Italia.
Day 14: Fly out of Guancaste Airport(~30 minute drive)
And the two week Costa Rica trip has come to an end. Fly out of Guanacaste Airport and make sure to arrive at least 2-3 hours before your flight.
Tips for this Two Week Costa Rica Itinerary
- Monteverde is considerably cooler than the rest of the destinations, so make sure to bring a jacket and long pants when visiting the cloud forest.
- Make sure to bring the appropriate clothing and gear for the activities such as hiking sandals, microfiber towel, waterproof backpack, mosquito repellent and reef safe sunscreen. You can check our packing list for Costa Rica for more tips.
- Have a few more days? Consider adding more beach time in Santa Teresa and/or Playas del Coco.
- Want to add another destination? Head to Samara or Nosara for more beach or you can check out the Curubande area for tropical dry forest.
- If you’re looking for more of a party vibe, stay in Tamarindo instead of Playas del Coco.
2 Weeks in Costa Rica Budget
If you’re staying in hotels that are about $100 USD a night, spending about $60 USD a day on food and doing a few tours, your estimated cost for this sample 14 day Costa Rica itinerary will be around $1800-2000 USD per person not including the car rental or flights.
Your budget really depends on where you stay, where you eat and what you do (excursions/tours). You can do it luxury and expensive, mid range or cheap ish.Y ou can lower your costs by staying in budget hotels, doing few or no excursions and eating at cheap places only.
Want more itinerary ideas? Check out this 1 week Costa Rica itinerary, this 5 day Guanacaste itinerary, another 14 day itinerary or this 10 day Costa Rica itinerary.
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica. Get 10% off your Airalo eSIM package with our promo code “mytanfeet”
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Amy says
This is so helpful! We are considering a trip to Costa Rica. We’d have 2 weeks but would be interested in fitting in San Jose for a day or two as well. How might you alter this itinerary to fit in San Jose?
Thank you!
Sammi says
You can fly into San Jose AIrport, stay a day or two, then remove one of the beach destinations and fly out of LIR as it’s much closer than SJO to Coco/Santa Teresa
Shaun says
Hi,
We’re coming to Liberia next month, love your 2week tour but wondering how might fit in a visit to manuel Antonio instead of playa de coco, any suggestions
Cheers
Shaun
Sammi says
You can just substitute Manuel Antonio for Coco but then I would cut out Santa Teresa because you’re going to need those extra days to travel back to LIR Airport if you are flying out of there, you will most likely need to travel back to LIR the day before your flight from Manuel Antonio since it’s like a 5 hour drive
Joyce says
Hi there. Would you share the links of the “one full day beach hopping and snorkeling tour” at Playa Del Coco? Thank you.
Sammi says
Boating in Playas del Coco
K Henry says
I have another question, could I do Tamarindo first, then La fortuna, Monteverde then Santa Teresa then to airport (LIR)? I wanted to start beachy, then end beachy. Or would another order work better? Is Santa Teresa too far? I think the outgoing flight is 5 pm, so seems like plenty of time to get there.
Sammi says
Sure that can work fine
Kathy Henry says
Hello. I love this blog. I am overwhelmed trying to figure out where to go. We will be travelling with our 2 girls 21 and 24 years old. We are will be arriving in LIR, heading straight to La Fortuna (2 nts), Monteverde (2), Santa Theresa (3), then Tamarindo (3). My husband surfs, so prefer surfing beaches. I feel like this is a good mix of beach and mountain locale. I am wondering though, if Monteverde is that different from Arenal that I need to visit both. Maybe I could substitute somewhere else?
Sammi says
You can definitely visit both, Monteverde is cloud forest, La Fortuna is rainforest so if you can fit it, visit both. You can read our Monteverde or Arenal post for more information.
Kelley says
This site has been so helpful as my family plans a trip to Costa Rica! There are 4 of us, 2 kids that will be 14 and 11. We were going to get a package deal through a travel type agency – I like the ease of that, but it is not the best accommodations. We definitely DO NOT want to drive. How can we set up our trip ourselves but have transfers to everything? Are there companies to help with that? Thanks again.
Sammi says
Hi Kelley, we have emailed you information about setting up private transfers
Rochi says
Hi Sammi and Yeison,
I tried searching for flights in the SAMSA website but couldn’t find anything from SJO to Drake Bay or viceversa for January 2023. Do you have any idea what could be the problem? Thanks! I already have my itinerary in mind but need to find transportation between the places I want to see. I will be there for 2 weeks and I want to go to the South Pacific coast and South Caribbean coast.
Sammi says
I think they haven’t put up their schedules yet so you can contact them directly or try again later
JH says
Hi there,
We land in LIR in early Nov at 6:30 pm…So staying in LIR and then heading to La Fortuna for three nights then on to Samara to relax for 8 to 9 days..Trying to decide if we should stop at Rio Celeste. If so I am worried about leaving our items in the car. So, thinking it would be best to spend the night at the Rio Celeste Hideaway Hotel. So, they could hold our items maybe? Just curious about your thoughts. Thank you
Sammi says
Something important to remember is that it gets dark in Costa Rica by 6 PM and November is still rainy season – Rio Celeste closes at 4 PM and it’s a 2 hour drive from LIR to Rio Celeste so by the time you get there after landing at 630 PM, it’s dark and everything will be closed.
I recommend to stay the night at Rio Celeste Hideaway HOtel and then visit Rio Celeste the next morning, normally hotels in Costa Rica will hold luggage for guests before and after check out.
Lillian says
Hi! How would you alter this itinerary to fit into 8 days? Love this itinerary, but unsure of what should be cut out/what would work if we were to travel in August of this year, traveling out of SJO.
Sammi says
I would remove one of the beach destinations and pick just one, and then shorten Monteverde to 1 full day only. So it could be something like Day 1 SJO – La Fortuna, Day 2 and 3 La Fortuna, Day 4 – travel to Coco or Santa Teresa, Day 5, 6 and 7 – beach. Day 8 fly out (if you are flying in and out on Day 1 and 8)
Vivian says
Would you recommend a 4×4 for this 2 week itinerary and what do you estimate to be the total distance traveling.
Sammi says
We do recommend a 4wd for this itinerary, you can check the map on this post to see the routes and distances
Tara McDermott says
Hi! what do you think about doing this itinerary from SJO? how would you alter it?
Sammi says
You can from SJO, just make sure that you set a day apart to travel to SJO Airport from Coco as that drive is around 5 hours with no traffic.
Abe says
Hello! We’re planning a 1.5-week trip to Costa Rica starting the first week of September. We will be driving to La Fortuna for 3 nights, then driving to Monteverde for 3 nights, followed by 4 nights in Manuel Antonio.
I know this is during the rainy season, but how bad does it get realistically? Would it be pouring rain if we tried to hike around Monteverde or Manuel Antonio? Would there be any chance of being “rained in” and confined to the hotel or is it mainly just scattered showers?
Sammi says
Hello Abe, you can check our Costa Rica weather for more information. High elevation mountain areas like Monteverde and rainforest areas tend to rain more so make sure you come prepared for rain and schedule all your activities and long drives in the mornings.
Haleigh Bevins says
Hello!
A friend and I are planning a two week trip to Costa Rica in July. At present, we are flying into Liberia and planning 2-3 days in Monteverde, 3-4 days in Arenal, 3-4 days in Tamarindo, and 3-4 days in Santa Teresa or Manual Antonio. We want to see some of the highlights of Costa Rica, but we also don’t want to cram everything in. Is this too many places to visit? If so, what would you suggest dropping? We also will be taking shared shuttles to each location.
Sammi says
Hi Haleigh, sounds good since you’ll be giving yourself 2-4 days in each spot.
Henry says
Hello Sammi,
We’ll be staying for 3 nights at Puerto Jimenez area (Playa Platanares) and then two nights further at Osa peninsula. We’ll have a rented vehicle (Suzuki Jimny) to drive around and we are on a budget meaning we’ll be avoiding expensive tours.
Any advice on the places to see in this area? Your site is very helpful.
Thank you in advance.
Sammi says
Check out Carate and Matapalo (nice surf beaches). You can read our Osa Peninsula guide for more info (Puerto JImenez is in Osa Peninsula just fyi 🙂 )
Sammi says
Hi Krista, personally I would think so because you will be doing a ton of driving and to add Samara/Santa Teresa (which are not close to each other driving wise) will be adding many more hours of driving. I think it will be better to use that time to enjoy Manuel Antonio and Monteverde rather than stuffing in more destinations.
Krista says
Hi Sammi,
I’m loving your blog! It has been SO helpful! I am visiting Costa Rica in July for 2 weeks and plan to rent a truck to make up my own itinerary. I will be landing in San Jose and drive out to Puerto Viejo to spend a few days, then taking a tour up to Tortuguero, and returning to Puerto Viejo. I then plan to go to Manuel Antonio and will end up in the Monteverde area for a few days. I will be flying out of Liberia. Would it be too much to include Samara/Santa Teresa as well?
Thanks so much for your advice!
Krista
Banu says
Hello,
I am planning a trip to Costa Rica next week for about 10 days. I will choose a hotel or hostel that accepts credit card. When they tell prices in usd and in colones, systematicaly is it possible for them to charge in usd or their system let them charge only in colones ?
Thank you.
Sammi says
They will usually ask you which one you want to be charged in. USD is the normal here, but if you want colones you can ask for that.
YOOJIN says
Hello we were planning on going from MOnte Verde to Santa Theresa . You rec driving to Puntarenas and then taking the ferry. Is that better or faster than driving around the peninsula to get to Santa Theresa?
Thank you
Sammi says
The ferry is more fun for sure than driving but you can do either. I’d recommend the ferry since you can see the Gulf of Nicoya whereas the drive around is pretty boring to be honest.
Lauren says
Do you think it’s possible /worth it to drive to Rio Celeste for a day trip from Bahia Pez Vela? How long would the drive take? We were originally thinking of doing rio Celeste and Llanos de Cortez on the way back.
We are a group of 6, two in their 60s, two in their 30s and two 16 year olds.
Sammi says
Hi Lauren! Definitely, you can do both. The drive will take around 2.5 hours one way and this is a very common and popular day trip from Bahia/Coco area. You can read our guide to RIo Celeste and Cortes here: Rio Celeste and Catarata Llanos de Cortes I would go early in the morning to Rio Celeste to enjoy the hike. Llanos is a very short walk down and you can spend the rest of the afternoon there.
Sammi says
Hi guys, Manuel Antonio to Montezuma is pretty far and if you’re only taking bus (no shared shuttles), you will need to make sure you plan out your travel day accordingly so you can catch the bus to Puntarenas and get the ferry in time. Then to Barra Honda, there is no bus to the national park. You can stay in Nicoya, the biggest city near the park but in the actual park there are no hotels and there is no bus that goes directly up there but you can taxi
Have a great time in Costa Rica!
Madeline Roberts says
Hello! We are two female backpackers from the UK coming to Costa Rica for 3 weeks in August. We haven’t fully booked anything yet but we have a rough plan and we were wondering if you had any thoughts or tips in regards to our itinerary seen below:
1. San Jose – one night
2. Manual Antonio
3. Montezuma
4. Malpais – Santa Teresa
5. Barra Honda de Nicoya
6. Monteverde
7. La Fortuna – Arenal
8. Tortuguero
9. Puerto Viejo
10. Back to San Jose to go home.
Are we being too ambitious for 3 weeks, bearing in mind we will be travelling via buses?
Many thanks in advance – Maddy and Anna
Brenda Pierce says
Hi Sammie,
Help!!! I am trying to put together an itinerary for my 25th anniversary. We are planning to go to CR for 2 weeks, but the 2nd week (12/21/17) is my anniversary and I am planning to bring my 2 daughters with their spouse, along with my in-laws for a surprise to my husband. That would be 8 total in the party the second week, and he has no idea.
I am really leaning towards a home rental for the full second week somewhere by Domicial or Uvito or a little further south. It is cheaper for our kids to fly into San Jose. Is it less expensive in this area for the beaches and activities?
Lastly, I would like to visit the Arenal Volcano area, and he would like to do a little deep sea fishing and golf. What suggestions would you have on starting from San Jose airport and returning to San Jose airport. Is it terrible to miss out on Guanacaste and that area?
Sorry this was so long, just trying to head in the right direction and do the best loop/route. Love reading your posts, thanks for sharing
Sammi says
Hi, the tour to Barra Honda isn’t quite like that. It’s a great tour but there’s nothing else much to do in the area or stay in the national park area so it’s up to you. I honestly think it’s better to skip it since it’s a long travel day from Monteverde to Santa Teresa (it’s better to take the ferry).
Sammi says
Hi! One thing to note is that Barra Honda is a national park in Nicoya (Barra Honda National Park.) that can be seen in one day, there isn’t really anywhere to stay or other things to do so it is a one day trip. I would skip it and use that as a travel day to Mal Pais instead because from Monteverde to Santa Teresa is a very far journey. Then from Tamarindo to Manuel Antonio is about a 4-5 hour drive so just keep that in mind. Renting a car is the best way to get around this itinerary because it’ll be very rushed taking the bus and you’ll be spending a lot of time waiting around for buses whereas a car you can save a lot of time. We have a great car rental promotion on the blog here: Costa Rica car rental discount
phuong mai says
Dear Sammi,
Thank you for your input. I’ve read a lot about “Barra Honda” Since I’m in mid 50and my husband is 60. Even though we are active couple, but I want to make sure if the tour suitable for us. We did the https://insidethevolcano.com in Iceland, it wasn’t easy, but such an mazing experience. I’ve seen pictures, where people walk in the water up high to their chest?! From the Google map, we’ve planned to stop for Barra Honda tour on our way to Santa Teresa. Don’t you think it’s too ambitious or we should skip it?! If we decide to go, where can we book the tour? since we need the guide go into the cave. Also, Santa Teresa can we drive direct there, or we have to take the ferry? Yes, we’ll rent a car, and will plan to use it as much as we can.
Thank you Sammi,
Sammi says
Hi, you don’t need a guide for the waterfall or national park, you can visit on your own. You can read more about the waterfall here: La Fortuna waterfall and the national park here: Arenal Volcano National Park
There is no tour from Santa Teresa to TOrtuguero as that is super far, those places are on opposite sides of the country.
Sammi says
Tortuguero is nice and you can add it to the first place when you land in San Jose, but if you plan to drive, you should get a SUV at least since the road there is super bumpy. Tortuguero is actually also a beach area so I recommend spending a few days in the Central Valley. You can stay a few days in San Jose and explore the national parks and waterfalls around, take a coffee tour or visit the local towns which is super nice. You can read more about what to do in the Central Valley here: Day trips from San Jose
Phuong Mai says
Hello, thank you for your post. My husband and I have booked a flight to COsta Rica , arrive to San Jose from Jan 1st – Jan 15. We’ve planned to rent a small car like Toyota Corolla, and drive around. Your 2 weeks sounds very nice, but we don’t like to visit too many beach area. Is there any other area you recommend or can we add Totuguero in the itinerary?
PhuongMai says
Dear Sammi,
Thank you for your quick reply. When we are in Arenal; for the volcano and the water fall. Can we do it on our own or we need a guide. Is there a tour to Tortuguero from Santa Teresa?
THANKYOU Sammi
phuong mai says
Dear Sammi,
I have been reading your block and folow you on youtube. Thank you for sharing your experience. After some research, I have came up with the itinerary about places I would like to visit. I’m not sure how many days I should stay in each place or my itinerary is too busy for my 14 days in Costa Rica.
1/ San Jose
2/ Poas volcano /La Paz water fall
3&4/ Arenal volcano/La Fortuna
5&6/ Monte Verde
7&8/ Barra Honda de Nicoya
9&10/Teresa, Malpais
11&12/Tamarindo
12&13/ Manuel Antonio
Please let us know your thought in this itinerary.
Thank you Sammi,
Sammi says
Hi Stef, yes it’s very safe for 2 white 24 year olds to drive – we have British friends who moved here and they drive all the time, it’s very normal and it’s super normal for tourists to rent cars. Families, solo female travelers, couples, even retirees rent cars and drive around Costa Rica, you see tourists driving all the time. Costa Rica is very safe (we don’t even have an army). THe roads aren’t the best but it’s manageable. Just use your common sense and never leave valuables in your car, that’s the most important thing. You can read this post for more safety tips: Costa Rica safety tips
stef says
Hi would you say its safe for two white 24 year old british couple to drive around CR for 2.5 weeks?
We have done so in Kenya and NZ – but wondering if CR is safe?
thanks
Sammi says
Hi J, if you’re taking the bus, just be aware that the bus from Tamarindo to Montezuma is quite long and you’ll need to make a change. On your way south you can stop in Samara or Santa Teresa, those are nice beach towns to visit.
J says
Hello! I am planning on going to Costa Rica. I wanted to actually go from Tamarindo to Montezuma in 12 days! We were thinking of making two stops in between, two nights at each. Do you think that would work? What advice would you have for us? We are very flexible and have not planned anything yet.
Arlenne says
hi, really nice schedule, thanks for sharing!!! i just want to know how much did you spent in that trip?
Sammi says
I don’t have an exact amount, but I would say for each person was around $1800. They split the car rental cost which was about $1800 for two weeks among 4 people and we stayed in hotels that were around $75 a night. They did 3 tours around $70-100 each.
tin says
what did they rent? a 2016 Cadillac Escalade?
Sammi says
They rented a 4X4 7 passenger automatic Ford Everest which runs roughly $90 a day which is $1350 (automatic is more expensive), then you need to add the mandatory insurance on top of that which is about $375 and then they got super insurance which is another $300. Car rentals aren’t cheap in CR and we needed a big car for 6 people plus luggage.