If you are planning a trip to Costa Rica and don’t know where to go, I’ve listed out the best places to visit in Costa Rica this destinations guide.
We’ll help you decide where to travel in Costa Rica depending on what kind of trip you’re looking for, who you’re traveling with and what time of year you are coming.
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Costa Rica Quick Facts
- Costa Rica is 8-12 degrees from the equator.
- Sunrise and sunset is roughly the same all year round, with a difference of around 15 minutes. Sunrise is generally 6 AM with first light around 530 AM and sunset is 530 PM, dark by 6 PM.
- Costa Rica uses 110 V and drives on the right hand side of the road.
- Local currency is called the colón.
- Spanish is the main language.
- 2 main international airports: Guanacaste Airport (airport code LIR) and San Jose International Airport (airport code SJO)
Check out our article “Best Time to Visit Costa Rica” or read what Costa Rica by month is like.
Best Places to Visit in Costa Rica: Where to Go in Costa Rica in
Click here to go to our best places to visit in Costa Rica map.
Arenal & La Fortuna
This area is famous for Arenal Volcano National Park, Lake Arenal and the rain forest.
La Fortuna is the town that sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano and Arenal refers to the area around the volcano.
La Fortuna is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica as it has excellent infrastructure, a ton of hotels at different price points and a handful of fun activities for every traveler.
You can fly into either LIR or SJO Airport for La Fortuna as the distance is nearly the same. Read about driving from Liberia to Arenal and driving from San Jose to Arenal.
Why Visit La Fortuna
La Fortuna is a must for nature lovers as it’s surrounded by rainforest and close to an active volcano.
It has excellent bird watching, incredible wildlife watching, fun outdoor adventures such as whitewater rafting, zip lining, hot springs and mountain biking.
La Fortuna has all the services for tourists making it one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica.
Furthermore, it has some of the most luxurious rainforest resorts in Costa Rica so it’s excellent for couples and honeymoons.
Here is our list of the top activities in Arenal and La Fortuna. Our personal favorites are canyoning, hot springs, horseback riding, zip lining and hiking.
Get our Arenal and La Fortuna tours discount here!
Arenal Volcano National Park
The main attraction of the Fortuna area is Arenal Volcano National Park. This national park features one of the most impressive volcanoes in Costa Rica.
Although it used to be one of the most active volcanoes in Costa Rica, you can still see steam and smoke from the top. Hike the many trails for up close views of this volcano.
Looking for itinerary ideas? Check out our sample Costa Rica itineraries from 4 days to 1 month!
Dominical
Dominical is a popular surf town for backpackers, surfers and solo travelers.
Likewise, this small hippie surfing beach town in the South Pacific Coast is perfect for those looking for a chill beach vacation.
Fly into San Jose International Airport for Dominical. From the airport, it is a 3.5 hour drive.
You can also fly into the Quepos airport, pick up your rental car and then drive to Dominical.
It is recommended to have a 4×4 or high clearance car for this area, depending on your lodging and itinerary.
Why Visit Dominical
This tiny town is surrounded by lush rainforest and is close to many amazing beaches of Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast (Central and South) as well as popular national parks.
If you’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean, Dominical will cross it off your bucketlist for you.
Although the beach is quite rocky, sunsets are incredible and waves are fantastic for expert surfers.
Due to it’s location, Dominical is a great home base to explore the South Pacific coast.
The best things to do in Dominical is surfing, visiting Nauyaca Waterfalls, watching sunsets on the beach and yoga.
There are some absolutely fantastic great day trips from Dominical filled with adventure, wildlife, nature and culture.
Drake Bay
As part of the remote Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica, tourists pick Drake Bay for its natural beauty, close proximity to Corcovado National Park and abundant wildlife.
It’s quite an adventure to get to Drake Bay but it’s worth it!
The most common ways to get to Drake Bay is by boat or plane. The best international airport to fly into is San Jose International Airport.
Then from the airport, make your way down to Sierpe to take the boat from Sierpe River to Drake Bay. You can also take a 40 minute local flight from San Jose.
You can drive to Drake Bay but if you don’t absolutely have to, the boat from Sierpe is more fun!
Find out how to get to Drake Bay here.
Important things to know about Drake Bay
Drake Bay does not have any banks, ATMs, large medical clinics, hospitals or full service supermarkets. It’s also not the most easily accessible destination.
For these reasons, we recommend it more for serious nature lovers, adventurous couples, adults and older families.
Not highly recommended for very young families or seniors with mobility issues or serious health conditions.
Best things to do
Drake Bay is known for amazing wildlife and nature thanks to the nearby Corcovado National Park and protected forest reserve in the Osa Peninsula.
In a few days, you can go snorkeling at Caño Island Reserve, hike Corcovado National Park, scuba dive, go horseback riding and go deep sea fishing.
Since it is in the Osa Peninsula which houses 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity, you’ll see toucans, howler monkeys, Scarlet Macaws, white face monkeys, iguanas and a ton more wildlife!
If you’re visiting end of December to April or July through September, you can go whale watching to see humpback whales, dolphins and sea turtles.
Recommended hotels
We stayed at Tranquilo Lodge (adults only)which had super nice, modern and luxurious bungalows with ocean and rainforest views.
Another luxury all inclusive hotel is Copa del Arbol Beach and Rainforest and this one was boat access only with tons of nature around.
We have also stayed at Aguila de Osa, a boat access only modern rustic rainforest lodge.
Save 5% with our promo code mytanfeet on their website Copa de Arbol!
Flamingo
Playa Flamingo in northwest Costa Rica is excellent for anyone looking for a relaxing beach vacation.
Additionally, Flamingo’s upcoming new marina has made it an even more well known fishing and scuba diving destination.
Flamingo is a 4.5 hour drive from San Jose International Airport and 1 hour drive from Guanacaste Airport.
Why Visit Flamingo
Playa Flamingo is known as one of the most gorgeous beaches in Central America. It’s whiteish sand, amazing sunsets and gentle waves are perfect for families.
Flamingo is also very close to other great beaches such as Conchal and Penca.
The best things to do in Flamingo is enjoy the beach, watch the sunset, partake in Happy Hour and relax!
Right from Flamingo, you can go on a snorkeling trip or a fishing charter. The Catalinas Islands are a 30 minute boat ride away for scuba diving and snorkeling.
You can do many great day trips such as horseback riding on the beach, hiking in Rincon de la Vieja National Park, hiking to Rio Celeste in Tenorio Volcano National Park, ziplining in Diamante Eco Adventure Park and seeing nesting sea turtles at Ostional Wildlife Refuge.
Get a discount off your Guanacaste day tour here!
Jaco
Jaco is the most developed beach town in Costa Rica since it’s only an hour and half drive from San José, the capital city.
It’s not the prettiest beach on the Pacific coast but it’s ideal for those who like a city lifestyle and a thriving night life.
Fly into San Jose International Airport for Jaco. From Guanacaste Airport, Jaco beach is a 3 hour drive.
Why Visit Jaco Beach
Jaco has everything for tourists: banks, car rental companies, cell phone stores and frequent buses. If you consider yourself a foodie, Jaco has some of the best restaurants in the country.
The town also has a lively night life with its many bars and night clubs with VIP service. Jaco is known for crazy bachelor parties but it also has a family friendly atmosphere.
Surfing is excellent in Jaco as it has year round consistent waves for surfers of all levels. Jaco is also just a 5 minute drive to Costa Rica’s national stadium for surfing: Playa Hermosa.
Jaco is close to many top attractions in Costa Rica such as Carara National Park, Crocodile Bridge, Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park, Manuel Antonio National Park and many great beaches like Esterillos Oeste and Playa Bejuco.
All of these reasons make Jaco one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica if you are looking for a party town, a surfing beach and if you are more of a city person.
Read our post on things to do in Jaco for more ideas.
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Manuel Antonio/Quepos
Costa Rica’s cute sloths can be easily found in this coastal village on the Central Pacific Coast: Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio’s popular national park, gorgeous white sandy beaches and tropical rainforest makes it the number one tourist area in Costa Rica.
Quepos is the local town near Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio is 4.5 hours from Guanacaste Airport and 3 hours from San Jose International Airport.
Find out how to get to Manuel Antonio here.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park is the highlight of this area. There are four different beautiful beaches, various hiking trails to viewpoints and wildlife watching galore.
It’s one of the best places to see sloths in Costa Rica, as well as 3 different species of monkeys and iguanas.
You can read about other things to do in Manuel Antonio here.
We have small discounts for tours in Manuel Antonio including white water rafting, night walks and a guided walk of the park with park tickets, roundtrip transportation and bilingual guide included.
Manuel Antonio is also a top honeymoon destination in Costa Rica, as it has a ton of luxury beach and rainforest resorts.
Downsides are that this area is very expensive, there are more street hawkers here than other places in Costa Rica and parking is difficult.
Monteverde
This mountain village is the perfect destination for nature lovers, birders and hiking lovers.
The canton of Monteverde is home to the Costa Rica’s most well known tropical cloud forest.
Santa Elena is the main tourism hub of Monteverde.
You can fly into either Guanacaste or San Jose International Airport to get to Monteverde as they’re both about a 3 hour drive.
A high clearance car is highly recommended for Monteverde.
Costa Rica’s tropical cloud forests are home to three things the country is well known for: zip lining, hanging bridges and bird watching!
In the mystical cloud forest, you can spot precious birds like the Resplandant Quetzal. If you love adventure, Monteverde has many adrenaline zip line tours.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena offers excellent hiking trails and viewpoints.
Our favorite parks in Monteverde are Santa Elena Bosque Nuboso and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve for hiking.
Then for ziplining and hanging bridges: Selvatura Park, 100% Aventura and Treetopia.
If you only have 1 full day in Monteverde, Selvatura Park is highly recommended as they have the most activities to do in one day.
A guided visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is highly recommended. Here are our ideas for 2 days in Monteverde in the link.
Need a hotel in Monteverde? 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.
Papagayo Peninsula
The Papagayo Peninsula in northern Costa Rica is home to the most all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica and some of the most beautiful white sandy beaches.
As it’s only 30 minutes from Guanacaste Airport, the Papagayo Peninsula is another top honeymoon and luxury destination.
Why Visit
The Papagayo Peninsula is home to the most all inclusive resorts and luxury resorts in Costa Rica.
There is a Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood all inclusive, Riu Guanacaste all inclusive, Riu Palace all inclusive, Secrets Papagayo all inclusive, Andaz, Occidental Papagayo all inclusive, Ritz Carlton Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo and Waldorf Astoria Punta Cacique.
The best things to do in the Papagayo Peninsula are swimming, snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, jet skiing, fishing, surfing at Witch’s Rock, scuba diving and beach hopping.
You can also book many different day excursions such as Rincon de la Vieja National Park, La Leona waterfall, a ziplining/horseback riding/hot springs combo at Vandara or Guachipelin or visit the Llanos de Cortes waterfall.
The Papagayo Peninsula is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica as it’s only 30 minutes from the Guanacaste Airport.
Additional, it has some of the most beautiful beaches in the province, there are many luxury resorts and it has great weather nearly all year long.
Playas del Coco
Playas del Coco is the main beach town in the Gulf of Papagayo and is also a popular town for American and Canadian retirees.
It used to be a small, sleepy fishing village and has become very popular in the last several years.
Playas del Coco and the surrounding beaches (Ocotal/Hermosa/Panama) is a 30 minute drive from Guanacaste Airport and a 4 hour drive from San Jose International Airport.
Find out how to get to Playas del Coco here.
Why Visit
Coco has some of the best weather in Costa Rica as it tends to have a longer dry season. It’s rainy season (aka green season) tends to be a bit shorter and not quite as intense as other locations.
If you’re a senior or are retired, you will love Coco as it’s full of retired expats, retired immigrants and snowbirds. Families love Playas del Coco too for its more laid back and small beach town vibe.
The best things to do in Playas del Coco are watch sunsets on the beach, enjoy Happy Hour and people watch in the park.
Thanks to Coco’s excellent location, you can do a lot of fantastic day trips to national parks, waterfalls and private reserves.
Do not miss out on any ocean activities like sunset sailing, surfing, fishing, snorkeling and beach hopping.
Our absolute favorite tour is a private Coco boating tour to see different white sand beaches, snorkel in crystal clear waters and see wildlife like sea turtles and dolphins.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Known for its laid back, chill Caribbean vibes, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a destination unlike any other in Costa Rica.
With pristine white sand beaches with crystal clear water, it’s a favorite for snorkeling and a relaxing beach vacation.
Combine that with common sloth sightings, unique dishes and friendly locals, Puerto Viejo finds its way into every visitor’s heart.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a 5 hour drive from San Jose International Airport.
Why Visit
Costa Rica’s South Caribbean coast is completely unlike the rest of the country. Puerto Viejo has a huge mix of cultures, thanks to its Afro-Caribbean roots and nearby indigenous communities.
The town is very small and has one main paved road starting from Cahuita all the way down to Manzanillo.
Within those 30 something kilometers, there are a handful of beautiful white sand beaches of the Caribbean sea surrounded by lush rainforest.
Something important to note is that since the Caribbean Coast does not follow Costa Rica’s typical tropical climate.
October is the best month to visit Puerto Viejo as that is their summer month but it’s the rainiest month for the rest of the country.
Recommended things to do are Cahuita National Park hike, snorkeling at Cahuita National Park, surf at Playa Cocles, learn about wildlife at the Jaguar Rescue Center, eat delicious rice and beans, visit the BriBri community for a chocolate tour and kayak down Punta Uva river.
Read about other things to do in Puerto Viejo here.
Samara
Samara is a very family friendly beach town in the South Guanacaste zone. It is an excellent town to see beautiful beaches, surf, relax and adventure.
Samara is 2 hours from Guanacaste Airport and 4.5 hours from San Jose International Airport.
Why Visit
Samara is very tourist friendly with plenty of hotels, restaurants, info centers, banks and tour operators.
It’s a small family friendly town with a holistic focus on wellness, making it ideal for yogis, vegans and surfers. There is less of a party scene here in Samara than in Tamarindo.
Check out our Costa Rica family itinerary for Guanacaste Airport that goes to Samara and Bijagua.
The best things to do in Samara is surfing, kayaking and snorkeling at Isla Chorro, visiting nearby beaches like Playa Barrigona, dolphin and snorkeling tour, and an ATV tour.
San José
Although San José is the capital city, you can see the city in one or two days easily since it’s not that big.
San Jose has a great food scene and is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica to learn about culture and history.
San José is 30 minutes from San Jose International Airport.
Why Visit
Being the capital city, San José has absolutely everything for tourists to experience typical Costa Rican city life.
Visit the various museums, walk through downtown, stroll through La Sabana Park, eat at Barrio Escalante (the foodie neighborhood), hit up some night clubs and take a city tour.
We love the National Theater and the Jade Museum.
San José is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica if you are only there for a few days.
From San José which is in Central Costa Rica, you can take day trips to many different places like the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Poas Volcano National Park, Arenal Volcano tour and Irazu Volcano National Park and Rainforest Adventures near Braulio Carrillo National Park for hiking and wildlife.
Get our La Paz waterfall gardens discount here!
Read our San Jose travel guide and post about day trips from San Jose. We also offer small discounts for San Jose day tours you can get in the link.
Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa’s vast beaches, excellent surfing waves and remote location is another beloved surfing, yoga and wellness destination in Costa Rica.
Although Santa Teresa is a bit far from the airports, it’s worth the journey to visit this idyllic beach town in the Nicoya Peninsula.
Fly into San Jose International Airport and then take the Puntarenas ferry or drive to Santa Teresa (4-6 hours).
If you fly into Guanacastel Airport, make sure to drive around the Nicoya Peninsula via Route 21.
4wd or high clearance car highly recommended.
Why Visit
Santa Teresa’s location makes it far from main services like hospitals but it has pretty much everything for tourists at least for hotels, tour desks and restaurants.
Santa Teresa is a cash preferred community, so bring plenty of USD and Costa Rican colones. Credit card (Visa/Mastercard) is also accepted in some establishments.
Santa Teresa is Costa Rica’s premiere destination for digital nomads. It has a very “young hip” vibe as it’s full of young adults, college students, backpackers, solo travelers, surfers and nomads.
The best things to do in Santa Teresa are the walk the beaches, watch the sunset on the beach, take a surf lesson, practice yoga on the beach, party and go fishing.
There are also many great places to visit on a day trip from Santa Teresa like Montezuma, Tortuga Island, Punta Cuchillos for a bioluminesence kayak tour and Curu Wildlife Refuge.
Tamarindo
Tamarindo is one of the best places to go in Costa Rica for the first time as it’s a popular beach town in Guanacaste with excellent surfing waves and a fun nightlife.
It’s a favorite for families looking for a fun beach and convenience.
Tamarindo beach is a little over a hour drive from Guanacaste Airport and 4.5 hours from San Jose International Airport.
There is also a domestic airport 5 minutes outside town. Find out how to get to Tamarindo here.
Why visit
Tamarindo has everything: an airport, car rental companies, hostels, banks, souvenir stores, pharmacies, tour companies and supermarkets.
Tamarindo is a party town. It gets extremely rowdy and crowded during holidays like Christmas, Spring Break and Holy Week. Many Americans visit Tamarindo.
The best things to do in Tamarindo are surfing, long walks on the beach, watching the sunset, going on estuary boat tour, fishing and hitting up bars.
From Tamarindo, you can enjoy many day trips to the national parks and other attractions.
Read our post for more info on things to do in Tamarindo as you can easily spend many days in Tamarindo doing something different.
Tortuguero
Although Tortuguero is in a remote area of the North Caribbean that is only accessible by boat or plane, it’s actually one of the best places in Costa Rica for first time visitors.
This area, nicknamed the “Little Amazon” of Costa Rica is one of the best for wildlife watching, nature and rainforest!
To get to Tortuguero, you need to fly into San Jose International Airport. Then, take a plane directly to the village or drive to the La Pavona dock and take the boat.
From San Jose, Tortuguero is around a 4-5 hour journey by bus and boat. The plane ride is only about 45 minutes. Find out how to get to Tortuguero here.
You can travel independently or book a Tortuguero tour package that includes round trip transportation, a visit to Tortuguero National Park, meals and lodging.
Get our Tortuguero tour package discount here.
Why Visit
Tortuguero is one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica for wildlife and nature lovers because it’s such a lush rainforest with abundant wildlife, giving tourists a great first impression of Costa Rica.
Tortuguero National Park protects nesting green sea turtles and is the main attraction of the area.
The best months to go to Costa Rica for Tortuguero is August and September as it’s the peak of the nesting green sea turtle season.
Recommended Hotels
- Evergreen Lodge, Aninga and Pachira: Sister lodges next to Tortuguero National Park. All have a pool, restaurants, Wi-fi, bars and variety of rooms and bungalows. (Get our Pachira Tortuguero packages discount here!)
- Manatus: Another lodge near the national park. Only hotel with AC.
- Mawamba: Lodge with cabins, restaurant and pool, also has its own entrance to Tortuguero beach and village.
Uvita
Uvita is a small coastal town on the South Pacific coast famous for humpback whales, Marino Ballena National Park, beaches, and lush rainforests.
It has a very laid back, mellow and relaxing vibe but it has been growing rapidly the last several years.
Uvita is 3.5 hours from San Jose International Airport and 5.5 hours from Guanacaste Airport.
Why Visit
Uvita has everything for tourists: supermarkets, banks, tour companies, hostels and international restaurants.
The Costanera Sur highway Route 34 is paved as well as the main road through town.
However it is hard to get around if you don’t have a car so it is highly recommended to have a rental car for Uvita, preferably a 4×4.
This area is way less touristy than the North Pacific so perfect for those who don’t like crowds.
However, there aren’t any white sand beaches down in the South Pacific and there are more rip tides as its direct to the Pacific Ocean.
The best things to do in Uvita are whale watching, snorkeling at Cano Island, walking the beaches and watching the sunset at Marino Ballena National Park and surfing.
Here are more ideas of things to do in Uvita.
Itineraries
Don’t know how to start building your itinerary?
Check out our sample Costa Rica itineraries here! Many of them includes these destinations.
These detailed itineraries have information on everything to help you get around, find a place to stay, decide what to do, where to eat and much more!
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.
Sharon Vollrath says
Hola! Thank you for your incredible website full of so much helpful information! We are planning an 18 night trip to Costa Rica, next mid February/March. We are nature and animal lovers but also beach lovers. I’m having a hard time making a decision on part of the itinerary. We will go to Arenal first, 3 nights drive to Monteverde, 3 nights (will use your car rental co) then I planned to drive to Manuel Antonio 3 nights, then Golfo Dulce or Matapalo, 4 nights and finally Drake Bay 4 nights before spending the last night at the airport. The Osa Peninsula just sounds so incredible that I thought we would enjoy being in 2 destinations there but we will be missing the pacific coast beaches. Maybe we should consider the Nicoya Gulf or the beaches up there? We go to Hawaii often so we thought maybe missing the beaches wouldn’t be an issue, not sure?
We also enjoy being away from crowds and the extra time in Osa would give us time to actually relax. Any thoughts on spending extra time in Osa at Matapalo or Golfo Dulce or choosing to see Nicoya and northern beaches. For Osa were staying at Drake Bay Getaway and looking at Lapa Rios or Playa Cativo. Would love your thoughts as I have everything planned out but just can’t decide what to do with that other 4 nights! Thank you so much!
Sammi says
If you go to Hawaii often I’d stick to Osa Peninsula – it’ll be a very different experience in the jungle. The Pacific beaches are very nice but similar vibe to Hawaii (as in lots of beautiful beaches). Osa Peninsula is truly unique and special. And beaches down there are nice in their own way (dark sand, jungle, wildlife).
Nation says
Planning a 5-day trip with the Mrs. and need some help deciding where in Costa Rica would be best for our stay. We are both in our late 20s. Ideally looking for a beauiful beach to relax at that is not too crowded with nearby authentic local cuisine and nightlife.
She is REALLY into wellness as a skincare professional so a location that is not too far to do a day trip from the beach to a volcano mud bath, hot springs, mienral pools is a MUST. Happy wife happy life.
We are both somewhat thrill seekers so a location that offers any water activities, zip-lining, horseback riding, waterfall/cliff diving and etc. would be cool but not a must.
Sammi says
I’d check Nosara or Santa Teresa for wellness. Both beach towns but no volcano mud baths, hot springs, etc. Nosara is about 2.5 hours from that.
Sammi says
You could get a car at La Pavona but there are no car rentals right there, the company would charge you a fee to bring the car to La Pavona and then charge you another fee for dropping it off in a different location.
The best option for you guys in my opinion is to leave the day after you land to Tortuguero by booking a package. The package includes all transportation, lodging, meals and some activities. Then on your way out of Tortuguero, tour companies stop in Guapiles and you can pick up your car rental there and then go to La Fortuna right after. We have a ton of readers who do it this way and we recommend this way because it’s much easier to program and schedule, it takes a ton of the stress out of getting to Tortuguero.
You can read about the Tortuguero package
If you don’t want to do a package, you can book a shuttle including land + boat with a company like Caribe Shuttle, book your own hotel, then book your transportation out and see if they can drop you off in Guapiles where the car rental companies have stations (for example, Adobe Rent a Car our partner has a station at the Rio Blanco gas station in Guapiles where clients can pick up cars after coming back from Tortuguero).
Arielle says
Hi! The info you give is wonderful! Thanks!
We are planning to visit Costa Rica in April.
Can you please tell me if this seems like a good itinerary – or too packed?
Landing San Jose Apr. 2 at 12 pm – Drive to Tortuguero, stay there until April 4 afternoon (full day and a half), then drive to Arenal. Stay there until the 6th afternoon (Full day and a half there) . From there drive to Monteverde, and stay there until the 8th (full day and a half). On the 8th in the afternoon drive to Jaco. Stay the the night of the 8th, and drive in the Morning to Manuel Antonio (Stay there a bit more than 2 full days). On the 11th in the afternoon drive back to san Jose and fly home.
Thanks so much!!!
Arielle
Sammi says
I would check on your first day because the drive from SJO Airport to La Pavona dock is going to be like 4 hours with traffic and you’ll get to the dock close to dark because you’re landing during the time when a ton of flights land at the same time at SJO AIrport so immigration and customs could take a while as well as getting your luggage and car so I’d give yourself at least 1-1.5 hours just to get everything. Also that time in April is probably the second busiest time because it is Easter week and spring break from North America. I don’t know if there are still public boats at that time in La Pavona, I think they stop at nighttime. I would personally recommend to see if you can fly there instead.
Arielle says
Thanks! will check the option. The only problem is that we need to continue to Arenal, so we would need to rent a car at La Pavona area and not at the airport. Do you think that it possible in that area? Sounds like its far from everythng. Does the rest of the plan sound OK? Not too rigourous? Thanks!
Sierra says
Love the blog!!
We are going to Costa Rica for two weeks this February and are having a hard time deciding on if it’s worth going to Uvita or not from Jaco/Quepos for two nights?
Sammi says
If you have time, I would! It’s a super easy drive from Jaco/Quepos.
Laura says
Spending two weeks in CR in January. Flying into Liberia and want to see playas del Coco ( or something nearby), Arsenal, Monteverdi, and Manual Antonio. Then fly out of San Jose. Don’t want to pack up and move to a new hotel more than necessary.
Is it possible to stay at a hotel and get to Arsenal volcano and monteverde? Should I book a tour to monteverde to avoid driving there?
Sammi says
You can use Coco as your homebase and then take day trips! Except to Manuel Antonio as that is too far, no tour operators will do one day trips there (5 hours one way) and it’s not worth it for 1 day anyways.
Sammi says
Hi Mike, Jacamar Naturalist Tours, the tour operator we partner with does offer a one day Monteverde tour from La Fortuna and we have the discount for it
Mike says
Hi!
Love the blog. Very informative! How far is the Cloud forest from La Fortuna? Is there a tour group that can take us there? I don’t see this option in your tour packages.
Thanks!
Monica M says
I need help decided where to end our trip. We are a group traveling for my wedding. I arrive before everyone else and myself and children will be getting into SJO and traveling straight to Jaco. From Jaco we travel to Manuel Antonio for the wedding for 5 days. So once the wedding is over on a Monday we need to go to our next stop and this is what I can’t decide. Some people fly out the next day on Tuesday. Others Wednesday, Thursday etc. I am there until Friday. I have already seen Samara and Arenal so I don’t want to go there again but need to decide where! I also don’t want to spend the next 5 days based out of San Jose, I would rather stay somewhere else and travel to SJO the morning of our flight which is in the afternoon. Any suggestions?
Sammi says
You can keep going south to Uvita, Costa Rica which is amazing, lots of jungle, beautiful beaches and waterfalls. You could also check out San Isidro de Perez Zeledon which is a nice local town with rainforest and also close to Chirripo and Quetzales National Park.
Mary Emsweller says
Hi there!
Your website is awesome! My husband and I are planning on moving to Costa Rica in about two years. We love the beach, snorkeling and fishing. We are planning a 6 month trial to get to know the best area for us. We are not fussy and live in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath house now about 4 blocks from the beach in southeastern NC. We will be looking for a 2 bedroom and can share a bathroom. Needs to be close to the airport and prefer furnished apartment or condo gated if possible. Our budget will afford no more than 800.00 per month. I have looked at Tamarindo and Coco. We are in our late fifties but are young at heart. What area would you recommend and where would you start to look for lodging? We will not have a car but we could rent one here and there.
Thank you,
Mary and Tom
Sammi says
Hello Mary and Tom, Tamarindo and Coco are good places to start. You can check both out, stay for a little bit at each one and see which you like more. More retirees are in Playas del Coco so you may like the vibe of that town better.