If you are looking for an 8 days Costa Rica itinerary, here is a fantastic one that goes to La Fortuna for rainforest and volcano and Playas del Coco for beach. It’s an easy itinerary to plan if you don’t want the hassle or stress of planning an extensive itinerary on your own.
Playas del Coco and La Fortuna are two very tourist friendly destinations with plenty of things to do, hotels and restaurants.
This itinerary works for all travelers, particularly families visiting Costa Rica. You will have with plenty of downtime but still see and do quite a bit.
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 may not reflect current pricing. It is the readers responsibility to research current pricing. Prices are quoted in USD. More info: Disclosure
8 Days Costa Rica Itinerary Details
You will fly in and out of Guanacaste Airport (LIR airport code). This international airport is 3 hours from La Fortuna and 25 minutes from Playas del Coco.
This itinerary includes your flying in and out days and travel days.
How to Get Around
You can rent a car, take the bus or book private/shared shuttles for this itinerary. However, renting a car is the best option for the most flexibility and is the best way to maximize your time in Costa Rica.
You do not need a 4wd for this itinerary. A sedan is fine for 1-3 people (2+ people with light luggage).
If you do not want to drive, we recommend to book private shuttles. Then you can book tours that include transportation in La Fortuna and Playas del Coco.
We offer discounts for La Fortuna tours and Guanacaste tours – check them out in the links!
Want to book private shuttles? Contact us for a quote!
Good for all travelers, especially families
This one week Costa Rica itinerary is excellent for every traveler: solo, couples, honeymooners, backpackers, families, multi general families, young families and seniors.
It works well for big groups too. Both destinations are easy to get to, have good infrastructure and all the services for tourists.
This is a particularly good itinerary for multi generational families as Fortuna and Coco are extremely family friendly destinations in Costa Rica with plenty to do.
You can choose to stay at a different beach or at a resort
You don’t exactly have to stay in Playas del Coco though it is the most convenient for those without a car being the main town in the Papagayo Peninsula.
Other beaches to stay at are Ocotal, Hermosa and Panama but these do not have a proper downtown or town center. Playa Hermosa and Playa Panama has some very nice beachfront hotels.
On Playa Panama, there is the amazing El Mangroove Autograph Collection beachfront resort (part of Marriott).
There are also many luxury resorts out in the Papagayo Peninsula such as Riu Palace all inclusive, Occidental Papagayo adults only all inclusive, Secrets Papagayo adults only all inclusive (Hyatt), Riu Guanacaste all inclusive, Planet Hollywood all inclusive (Marriott), Four Seasons Papagayo Peninsula and Andaz Papagayo (Hyatt).
If you want a super easy itinerary, then you can stay at one of the resorts for your beach days.
You can switch to have 3 full days at the rainforest and 2 days at the beach instead
If you’re not big beach people, you can switch the days to stay 4 nights in La Fortuna and 3 nights in Playas del Coco instead.
Map
Click here to go to our map of this 8 days Costa Rica itinerary with driving routes, destinations, hotel and restaurant recommendations and activities.
Day 1: Land in Liberia, Travel to La Fortuna (~3 Hour Drive)
Once you clear customs and immigration at Guanacaste Airport (airport code LIR), you will collect your rental car and drive to La Fortuna.
La Fortuna is the main tourism hub near Arenal Volcano in the Northern Lowlands rainforests.
If you book a private shuttle, the cost is approximately $220 USD one way for 1-6 people.
Driving Route
The best route is the one that goes around Lake Arenal and takes around 3.5 hours. You can watch a video and read more about driving to Arenal from Guanacaste here.
If you are landing at night (it gets dark by 6 PM everyday), we don’t highly recommend driving all the way to La Fortuna, especially in the rainy season. We recommend to either stay by the Guanacaste Airport, get a good nights sleep and leave the next morning fully rested. If you are landing in the late afternoon and don’t want to drive all the way, you can find a hotel halfway. There are many cute boutique hotels in Nuevo Arenal like Gingerbread Hotel, Lucky Bug B&B and Hotel La Mansion Inn that are halfway ish.
Find our list of recommended hotels near Guanacaste Airport in the link. You can also read more about driving to La Fortuna after landing.
Hotels
There are a ton of hotels in La Fortuna so there is one for every budget and travel style. A few cheaper hotels in town are Hotel Las Colinas, Hotel Secreto La Fortuna and Arenal Xilapolo.
One of our favorite hotels in Costa Rica is the Arenal Observatory Lodge, the only hotel in Arenal Volcano National Park. Another is Lost Iguana Resort and Spa.
These two hotels are 30+ minutes outside the town center, so if you stay at those hotels, you should rent a car. They are outside the free transportation zone for tour companies.
You can check more recommendations in our post hotels in La Fortuna here.
Day 2 and 3: La Fortuna
You have two full days to explore La Fortuna! Here are some of our recommendations on how to spend your days.
If you’re visiting with your family or families, check out our list of best things to do in La Fortuna with kids so you can see what tours they can do.
Also check out our specific La Fortuna 3 days itinerary which also works for 2 and 4 days.
Don’t forget we have a discount on tours in La Fortuna! You can also read about other things to do in La Fortuna and Arenal in the link.
Day 2: Adventure!
For a full day of outdoor adventure, go ziplining in the morning and white water rafting Class 2 and 3 in the afternoon.
For a combination of nature and adventure, we love a specific tour that goes horseback riding around Arenal Volcano and then visits the La Fortuna waterfall by car.
You’ll end the day by visiting one of the hot spring resorts like Tabacon, Baldi, Paradise or Ecotermales if your hotel doesn’t have their own hot springs. Read more about other Arenal hot spring resorts.
You can also go canyoning (waterfall rapelling) in La Fortuna or Rainforest Falls river adventure instead of ziplining, if you plan to zipline in Playas del Coco instead.
Day 3: Wildlife and Nature
Today is an easy wildlife watching day.
In the morning, you’ll visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges for spectacular rainforest and volcano views. On the 3 kilometer (1.9 miles) trail that goes through several bridges, your guide will point out various flora and fauna.
Then in the afternoon, you’ll go on the Peñas Blancas river safari float for a quiet, easy and peaceful wildlife watching tour to see animals like sloths, monkeys and iguanas.
In the evening, you can go back to the hot springs or sit in the local park to people watch and have an ice cream or shaved ice.
Other Ideas
If you are a coffee drinker, we highly recommend a coffee tour in La Fortuna. If you are a foodie, then a La Fortuna farm tour and cooking class has to be on your list!
Day 4: Drive to Playas del Coco (~4 Hours)
On day 4 of this 8 days Costa Rica itinerary, you’ll drive to Playas del Coco, the main beach town in the Gulf of Papagayo. It’s a small fishing village that has grown to become a very popular North American retiree destination.
For ocean activities and beach, this is an excellent place for first timers (or even second timers) in Costa Rica.
Stop at Rio Celeste: If you are up for a hike, you can stop by Rio Celeste, the sky blue river in the rainforest on the way.
Leave La Fortuna early in the morning at 8 AM, drive to Rio Celeste (around 1.5 hours), hike the park (around 3 hours), have lunch in Bijagua and drive to Coco (around 2.5 hours). It’s doable and you will get to see one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica!
Hotels
Hotels in town and near the beach are Hotel Colono, Toro Blanco, Hotel Villa del Sol and Hotel La Puerta del Sol.
There are also many vacation rentals in Coco which you can find on Airbnb or VRBO. You can find condos with a furnished kitchen, secure parking, laundry and pool (for most of them).
Popular neighborhoods are Las Palmas and Breeze Residences in Pacifico and Los Tucanes.
Day 5, 6 and 7: Playas del Coco
You have 3 full days to soak up the sun, check out town and enjoy the beach. Here are ideas of what to do for your two days.
Beach hopping and snorkeling
This is a must do in this area! The Gulf of Papagayo has many little bays that are home to beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters and snorkeling spots.
A private boating tour in Playas del Coco is the best way to experience the Gulf of Papagayo as you can visit as many beaches and snorkel spots as you want, everything is on your schedule. You can do a half or full day trip.
Fishing
Fishing in Costa Rica is excellent and Playas del Coco is one of the top places for it. Many locals live off of fishing and it’s a great area to do in shore and off shore fishing.
You can catch snapper, tuna, mahi mahi on in shore trips and off shore, you can go for the bigger fish like marlin and rooster.
Happy Hour and Relax
In Playas del Coco, many of the bars have happy hour from 11 AM to 7 PM, so it’s more like happy day! Have a drink, people watch, check out the town, go souvenir shopping, take it easy.
Itinerary Ideas
First day: Just relax, sleep in, walk on the beach, lay by the pool, walk around town, watch the sunset on the beach
Second day: Full day private beach hopping and snorkeling tour in the Gulf of Papagayo. Add fishing if you like to fish. This is the best way to experience all the beautiful bays, beaches and clear water in the gulf!
Third day: Drive to Playa Ocotal in the morning (10 minutes) to check out that beach. Have lunch at Father Rooster and then head back to your hotel/rental in Coco to relax, pack and enjoy your last night in Costa Rica.
Day 8: Fly Out
And your vacation has come to a close on your last day of this 8 days Costa Rica itinerary. You’ll drive to Liberia Airport to fly home.
Remember to arrive at the airport at least 2.5 hours before your flight.
Read more Costa Rica itineraries below!
2 week Costa Rica itinerary: Rainforest, cloud forest, volcano and beach
1 month Costa Rica road trip: Visiting both coasts driving throughout the country
5 days Arenal and Monteverde: Ideas for La Fortuna and Monteverde cloud forest
10 day waterfall itinerary: Chasing some of the best waterfalls in Costa Rica
Costa Rica 13 days itinerary: Specifically for those not renting a car
Costa Rica in 8 days: Flying in and out of SJO. Wildlife, nature, rainforest and hiking.
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.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Adam says
This blog has been so helpful in planning my wife and I’s honeymoon! We are so excited to travel around Costa Rica!
This itinerary seems perfect for us, but I am slightly worried about one thing. As we drive from La Fortuna to Playa Hermosa, taking a stop at Rio Celeste seems really cool. The pictures look so beautiful, and I know my wife would love to see the waterfall! But I’m worried that we would have all of our luggage in the car rental, and we’re renting an SUV so there is only so much we can do to cover up to up the luggage. And of course, we would take all the valuables with us. But do you have any thoughts on safety/break-in’s for the area around Rio Celeste?
Sammi says
Hi Adam, I’d try to park as close as possible to the office and there are always a lot of tour groups and guides going in and out. There are locals who man this parking lot but it’s still important to take all your valuables with you like passport, credit card, wallets, phones, tablets, etc. and just do not leave any valuables visible and try to cover up as much as possible. Many rental car agencies offer a luggage cover so I recommend you to get one
Jennifer DiRossi says
Hello, wow I love this blog! So much info! We will be staying in an Airbnb in Hacienda Pinilla for 8 nights. We are a large group with many different age groups so felt it best suits us to have one home base and travel for our adventures. Is it crazy to think that we can do a full day tour to Arenal/La Fortuna driving from there? Thank you for any info! We also need to see sloths . Jen
Sammi says
Hello Jennifer, sure we have sent you an email with more information.
Sammi says
Hi Caylin, you can check our post for Things to do in Jaco and day tours. For white sand beaches, definitely do the Tortuga Island day cruise, the island is gorgeous.
Also if you want to do any of the day tours, we have discounts for them as well as the Tortuga Island. Feel free to email us at services @ mytanfeet . com
Caylin says
We are staying in Jaco but willing to travel for excursions. We are staying 1 week and would like to do as much as possible. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on rainforest experiences (zipping, etc) and if there are any blue water/white sand beaches within 4 hours from Jaco.
I have really enjoyed reading your blog and preparing for our trip in about a month.
Todd says
In the La Fortuna Area I like hotel/restaurant Los Heroes. It has a million dollar view of Lake Arenal and the Volcano. It has spacious apartments for groups/families or rooms for smaller parties and a great restaurant. It also has possibly the only revolving restaurant in Latin America complete with views of the lake, mountains and jungle. You take a small train up to the revolving restaurant. Kids loved it. It has a nice pool too. The staff was excellent too. Not too hard on the pocket book either. There is also a dock right across from the hotel that you could probably use for fishing or if you like swimming in the cold lake.