If you’re lucky enough to have a full month in Costa Rica, here is an epic one month Costa Rica road trip itinerary.
This one month Costa Rica itinerary takes you all around the country from coast to coast, experiencing the best of what Costa Rica has to offer.
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Costa Rica One Month Road Trip Route
This route starts and ends from San Jose so you will fly into and out of San Jose International Airport.
The destinations in this Costa Rica road trip itinerary are San Jose, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Playa Hermosa Guanacaste, Samara, Manuel Antonio, Uvita and Drake Bay.
What Type of Car to Rent for This Costa Rica One Month Road Trip
It is best to rent a 4wd or a high clearance car because of Monteverde and Uvita for this itinerary. For 2 people, cars that work are Toyota Rav4, Suzuki Vitara, Mistubishi ASX, Hyundai Tucson or Suzuki Jimny.
**If you are on a budget, visiting during dry season and staying hotels in the town center, a sedan like a Hyundai Accent can work. You will not be able to go up in the steep mountains in the Uvita area.**
If you have a bigger group, the Chevy Trailblazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Palisade and Mitsubishi Montero Sport are examples of 7 passenger 4×4 SUVs that work (best for 5 people max with luggage). These cars will not work for 6-7 people with tons of luggage. It can work for 6 people with very light and minimal luggage.
If you are just 1-3 people with minimal luggage, you can rent a high clearance car that is not necessarily a 4wd or 4×4. An example is the Hyundai Venue or Geely Gx3.
However, if you are visiting in the rainy season, we do recommend a 4wd with high clearance due to the locations.
Many hotels and vacation rentals are up in the mountains so if you want to explore a bit more, a 4wd is highly recommended.
We can help you get the best rate and deal for your car rental. You can read our renting a car in Costa Rica tips first. Then click here to get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits. We also offer monthly rates.
Additionally, for any tours, please contact us as we have discounts and partnerships with tour companies in various parts of the country.
What to Pack
Swimsuit, flip flops/sandals, trail running shoes or sneakers, rainjacket, clothes that are lightweight, dry fast and wick away moisture, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, microfiber towel, battery pack, handlight/small flashlight, toiletries, cell phone car holder.
Get our full Costa Rica packing list and our Costa Rica rainy season packing list here.
Best Time to Visit Costa Rica for this 1 Month Road Trip Itinerary
January, February, March and April for the best weather in Costa Rica as these are the driest months (summer months).
December can work as well however that is the tail end of rainy season so it may still rain a lot and roads are in the worst condition.
Likewise, December is incredibly busy and expensive due to Christmas and New Years so I don’t highly recommend the month of December.
It is possible to do this itinerary May – November, however if you visit in the rainiest months of September and October, be extremely prepared for rain which can come with flooded or washed out roads, storms and less sun.
If you are visiting during those months, I recommend removing days somewhere and adding more days to Puerto Viejo.
This is because the Caribbean coast has a different weather pattern and October is their summer month.
Read more about Costa Rica weather and best time to visit Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Road Trip Map
The map below has all the destinations, the driving route, hotel and activities recommendations for this one month Costa Rica itinerary. Click the sidebar for more information.
Day 1: Fly into SJO, Travel to Puerto Viejo
Land in San Jose International Airport, pick up your car rental and drive to Puerto Viejo, the Caribbean beach town. It’s about a 5-6 hour drive depending on traffic.
Puerto Viejo Hotel Recommendations
Hotel Banana Azul: Adult only beach front resort on Playa Negra
Le Chameleon: Beautiful luxury resort
Cariblue: Very nice, relaxing resort
Villas del Caribe: Spacious rooms on Playa Chiquita
If you are landing in the afternoon, then we do not recommend driving to Puerto Viejo right away as this is an extremely long drive. It is best to stay somewhere in San Jose and then leave the next morning to drive in daylight. It gets dark at 6 PM everyday in Costa Rica.
Day 2, 3, 4 & 5: Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is famous for gorgeous beaches, lush jungles, a chill atmosphere, parties and abundant wildlife. On day 2, we recommend to checking out and walking around Puerto Viejo town.
Then on days 3, 4 and 5, you can split your time renting bikes and riding around to the different beaches like Playa Cocles and Playa Chiquita, visiting Cahuita National Park for hiking and snorkeling or seeing cute animals at Jaguar Rescue Center on a guided tour.
You can read about other things to do in Puerto Viejo here.
As for day trips, the best one for adventure is the Pacuare River white water rafting Class 3 & 4. This is an amazing rafting trip and one of our favorite things to do in Costa Rica!
We offer a small discount for the Pacuare rafting tour here.
You can also do a 1 night, 2 day trip to Tortuguero. If you visit during July – October, this is a fantastic time to see nesting Green Sea Turtles!
Day 6: Travel to La Fortuna
Today is a travel day and the second destination on this one month Costa Rica road trip is La Fortuna, the main town near Arenal Volcano. The drive from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna takes around 5 hours depending on traffic.
We recommend to leave before noon so you can get to La Fortuna before dark. Early is best however, since there is a lot of traffic out of Puerto Viejo during the day.
La Fortuna Hotel Recommendations
- Hotel El Secreto: Cute little hotel in La Fortuna town, cheaper/mid range with hot breakfast included.
- Arenal Observatory Lodge – Best lodge for nature lovers. Has the closest view of the volcano and has their own hiking trails, waterfall and hanging bridge.
- Nayara Springs: Romantic luxury adult only hotel with bungalows that each have their own private plunge pool.
- Los Lagos Hotel: Beautiful hot springs, rooms and property with their own frog sanctuary.
- Arenal History Inn: This hotel has 10 bungalows and a great budget – mid range option.
- The Springs Resort & Spa: Luxury hotel with their own outdoor center, two separate hot springs sections and beautiful rooms with a stunning volcano view.
If you’re on your honeymoon or want to splurge on a nice hotel, La Fortuna is one of the best places to do so! You can find a handful of luxury hotels here. Read more about where to stay in La Fortuna here.
Day 7, 8 & 9: La Fortuna
La Fortuna is the adventure capital of Costa Rica and the amount of amazing things to do is endless. You can go canyoning, hiking, rafting, ziplining, horseback riding, tubing, ATV’ing, mountain biking and so much more!
It also has great hiking and birdwatching and is the best place to see a “cone shaped” volcano.
Here are some of our favorite activities:
- Arenal hot springs. This is a must! Get our hot springs day pass discount to one of our favorite hot springs resorts, The Springs Resort and Spa.
- River safari float. Great way to relax, see wildlife and enjoy a beautiful river scenery. Peñas Blancas and Rio Frio are two great ones.
- Canyoning and ziplining. Both awesome outdoor adventures to experience the rainforest.
You can read in this post for more ideas of things to do in La Fortuna, our specific La Fortuna 3 days itinerary and we have a discount for La Fortuna tours and a discount for the La Fortuna canyoning tour!
For day excursions, you can take a day trip to hike Rio Celeste or Children’s Eternal Rainforest.
Day 10: Travel to Monteverde
Today is a travel day to Monteverde. You’ll drive around Lake Arenal and go around to the other end to Monteverde. This route has some gorgeous views so leave early, go slow and enjoy the bumpy drive! If you leave early in the morning, you can make a quick stop at Los Vientos waterfalls.
Monteverde Hotel Recommendations
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.
Day 11: Monteverde
Monteverde is famous for the cloud forests, birdwatching and ziplining. Since you only have one day in Monteverde, head to the adventure parks for a full day of ziplining and hanging bridges.
Selvatura Park, Sky Adventures Monteverde, 100% Aventura are some of the best.
If you’re more into hiking and nature, you can take a guided tour of Santa Elena Cloud Forest, Monteverde Cloud Forest or Curi-Cancha Reserve.
For birders, Curi-Cancha is a must as it’s an excellent place to spot Resplendant Quetzals!
We recommend to do a guided tour of Curi Cancha in the morning and go ziplining and walk the hanging bridges in the afternoon. Perfect way to experience the absolute best of Monteverde!
To get the most of your one day in Monteverde, head to Cerro Pinocho to watch the sunset after your day of adventures (get there by 430 PM).
Day 12: Travel to Playa Hermosa GTE
The fourth stop on this Costa Rica road trip is Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste and the next week is all about relaxing at the beach. This drive is around 3.5 hours via Route 145 (Las Juntas) from Monteverde.
Playa Hermosa hotels
- Hotel Bosque del Mar: Lovely hotel on the beach
- Villas Sol: Rooms and condos, also has an all-inclusive option
- Condovac La Costa: Resort with beach club and villas
Day 13 and 14: Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa is a very beautiful, quiet beach in the Gulf of Papagayo. There’s not much going on which makes it perfect for relaxing.
A must do thing in Hermosa is to take a boating tour in Gulf of Papagayo as Hermosa is a dark sand beach and doesn’t have good snorkeling.
If you take a boating tour, you’ll find gorgeous boat access only white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters in the Gulf!
You can also go into Playas del Coco one night for souvenir shopping, nightlife and to check out the town because Hermosa is pretty low key.
Day 15: Travel to Samara
Now it’s onto a beach town further south in Guanacaste, Samara. This is a small but lively and family friendly coastal village with beautiful beaches.
Samara Hotels:
- Hideaway Hotel Samara: Cute boutique hotel with a pool on the road towards Carrillo.
- Villas Kalimba: 6 villas with a pool and Jacuzzi
- Sol Samara: Walking distance to the beach, simple, basic but clean rooms
Day 16, 17 & 18: Samara
Samara is an excellent beach town for all tourists, especially families. There are lots of restaurants, hotels and activities and it has a very family friendly atmosphere.
You can take a surf lesson, visit Puerto Carrillo beach, go for a guided walk at Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, go horseback riding, kayak to Isla Chorro and go snorkeling or hop in your 4×4 and visit Barrigona beach.
If anything, you have to watch the sunset on the beach. Samara has some of the most beautiful sunsets in Costa Rica!
Day 19: Ferry and Travel to Manuel Antonio
After the past week in Guanacaste, it’s time to head down the Central and South Pacific coast in the Puntarenas province. Today is a long travel day so bring lots of water and snacks.
You’ll drive around the Nicoya Peninsula to take the Naranjo ferry to Puntarenas and then drive to Manuel Antonio.
The drive to the Naranjo ferry dock is 2 hours, the ferry is about 1 hour and the drive from Puntarenas to Manuel Antonio is about 2.5. I recommend to take the morning ferry so you can drive to Manuel Antonio in daylight.
The ferry has beautiful views of the Nicoya Peninsula and if you’re lucky, you may see some whales or dolphins!
Manuel Antonio Hotels
- Hotel La Mariposa: Beautiful luxury resort with infinity pool
- El Faro Containers Beach Hotel: clean and comfortable hotel with pools and ac. Very close to the national park
- Jungle Beach Hotel: Nice “jungley” comfortable hotel by the beach.
- Hotel San Bada: Closest hotel to the national park. Has two pools, two restaurants, spa and nice comfortable rooms
- Tulemar: Luxury vacation rental that has its own beach and offers an exclusive sloth walk to guests.
Manuel Antonio is another great destination to splurge on a nice hotel. You can find a handful of luxury resorts, all with ocean views!
Day 20 & 21: Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio has gorgeous beaches, lush jungles and a national park that was named as one of the most beautiful parks in the world.
Take one full day to hike Manuel Antonio national park to see monkeys and sloths.
For your second day, you can relax at your hotel, go parasailing, go souvenir shopping or hang out at the beach.
You can read about other things to do in Manuel Antonio here.
Day 22: Travel to Uvita
For the next stop on your Costa Rica road trip, you’ll head down to Uvita, the small beach town in the Costa Ballena. It’s a short trip thankfully, only about a 1 hour drive.
Uvita Hotels
- Hotel Cuna del Angel: Hotel off the highway with beautiful gardens, pool and spacious rooms.
- Hotel Los Laureles: Nice family owned property. They have cabins and their own rainforest trails.
- Manoas: Beautiful glamping and villa resort by a river, 2km from town.
- Whale Tail Hotel: Hostel and brewery right in town, great for solo travelers with shared and private rooms.
Another option is to stay in Dominical, a laid back surfing town 45 minutes south of Manuel Antonio. As it’s only 15 minutes from Uvita, you can do the same things and take the same day trips.
You can even stay in Ojochal, a small town 20 minutes south of Uvita. These three towns: Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal are collectively known as the “Costa Ballena.”
Day 23, 24 & 25: Uvita
Uvita has the perfect mix of pristine jungle and beach. You can spend one day at Marino Ballena National Park, another day visiting Nauyaca Waterfalls and another day snorkeling at Caño Island.
If you visit during January – April or July – November, you have a good chance of seeing humpback whales so you should definitely take a humpback whale watching tour. Best times are August and September.
You can read about more things to do in Uvita here.
Day 26: Take Boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay
On your last stop for your Costa Rica road trip, you’re actually going to return your rental car! Since you’ll be going to Drake Bay via boat and then flying back to San Jose, you’ll return your car rental at the Sierpe dock.
The drive from Uvita to Sierpe is around 1 hour and the boat ride is around 45 minutes to 1 hour. The boat ride is fantastic with wonderful views. It will drop you off at your hotel in Drake Bay.
Read our guide on taking the boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay here.
Drake Bay Hotels
- Tranquilo Lodge: Beautiful small hotel up in the hills with ocean view. Modern and luxury cabins.
- Copa del Arbol: Amazing exo-luxury hotel with a very big property and steps from the beach.
- Aguila de Osa: Small rainforest lodge located at the southern end of the bay, great location. No air conditioning or pool. Gourmet kitchen, free kayaks and walking trials.
Day 27, 28 & 29: Drake Bay
Drake Bay is in the Osa Peninsula, one of the most biologically diverse places in the world. It’s known as the “last frontier” of Costa Rica for its remoteness and wildness.
Spend your last few days in Costa Rica getting your fill of nature and wildlife in Drake Bay.
You can go fishing, hike Corcovado National Park, go scuba diving or just relax and soak up all the jungles and sunsets before you go home.
Day 30: Fly to SJO Airport, Fly Home
Today you’ll take a local flight from Drake Bay to San Jose and then fly out of San Jose Airport to go back home. Make sure to keep your camera out because the views on the local flight are spectacular!
If your domestic flight and international flight times don’t match up, you may need to stay a night in a hotel near the SJO Airport.
Adapting the Itinerary to a Two Week Costa Rica Road Trip
You can perfectly adapt this itinerary to a two week Costa Rica road trip.
A sample Costa Rica two week road trip itinerary is San Jose – Puerto Viejo – La Fortuna – Monteverde – San Jose. Another one is San Jose – La Fortuna – Jaco/Manuel Antonio/Uvita, San Jose.
If you want to do a more adventurous, jungle, nature and beach itinerary to mostly the Central and South Pacific, we recommend to keep the car for the entire itinerary and skip all of the rainforest and northern part destinations.
An example would be San Jose – Jaco – Uvita – Drake Bay – Puerto Jimenez – Dominical – San Jose.
This is a great itinerary to explore the Osa Peninsula and experience one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Here is what it’s like to drive to Drake Bay.
We have written a two week Costa Rica road trip itinerary you can read here.
Ten Day Costa Rica Road Trip
We have also written a ten day Costa Rica road trip itinerary and one week Costa Rica itinerary for those who are shorter on time.
For more ideas, check out our Costa Rica itinerary page. We hope this Costa Rica road trip planner helps you create the perfect vacation!
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.
istvan bojte says
Hi,
My girlfriend and I will be traveling to Costa Rica from August 13 to September 2, 2025. We’re planning a road trip with a rental car and would love to explore both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. We’re aware that this falls during the rainy season, so we’re looking for an optimal itinerary that takes the weather into account. We’d appreciate your recommendations—thank you! Istvan
Sammi says
Hi Istvan, we have several itineraries with both Pacific and Caribbean but I would make sure you leave the Caribbean for last during September as that coast tends to have less rainfall in September, you can check them out here: Costa Rica itinerary 10 days: Caribbean, Central Valley and Beach and An Incredible Two Weeks in Costa Rica Itinerary: Discover the Caribbean and Pacific
Xin says
Hi Sammi,
I’m so glad I found your website! Thank you so much for all the helpful information you’ve shared. It’s been extremely useful in planning our trip.
We’ve booked a 20-day trip to Costa Rica, arriving in San José on December 29. We’re trying to decide which stops to skip based on a balanced itinerary with a mix of beaches, hiking, and nature. It’s been a bit hard to narrow down! We’re a young, active couple and want to see as much as possible, but we also don’t want to visit too many destinations and constantly change hotels.
We’ll have a rental car for the entire trip and plan to spend just one night in San José before starting our journey. We were thinking about spending New Year’s Eve in La Fortuna since you mentioned Puerto Viejo will be super packed. Does that make sense?
This will be our first time in Costa Rica, and we’ll be departing from San José, so we’ll return the car there as well.
Thanks again for your help!
yeison says
Hello Xin,
We already sent you an email.
Thank you
Rima says
Hi Sammi, am a solo traveler planning to come im january or march, for 1 month, sea, and forest lover, 58 year old, in shape and active! do you think it is ok for me to follow ur 1 month plan dribing alone, or do you suggest else? Like to settle in 2-3 places and pick up differemt tours consequently?
Pls advise. Thank you
Sammi says
Yes you can definitely do this exact itinerary as a solo traveler, it’s a bit of driving by yourself but it’s definitely possible especially in January or March, which is the dry season months.
Ian Incremona says
First timer to Costa Rica this upcoming summer…….and trying to decide upon a roughly month long itinerary and consider many different options. I like your month long itinerary with one or two adjustments (Tamarindo), so I thank you for that!! I’ll be going in July and August so I’m looking to rent a e wheel drive car for the duration of my trip….renting from San Jose and then returning the car at the Sierpe Dock in Drakes Bay. Do you have any recommendations for a car rental company that charges reasonable rates for a pick up in San Jose and drop off at the dock in Drakes Bay?
Thank you in advance for your response,
Ian
(I may have missed it in your postings, but what is your favorite beach; favorite beach town; and favorite activity in Costa Rica?). I’ll be re-reading these pages in the next few days more intently.
Sammi says
hi Ian, we’ve sent you an email with more information to assist you.
Irene says
Hola Sammi!
Thank you so much for your extensive and informative site. I’m really enjoying reading the articles as I’m learning a lot!
I visited Costa Rica in the mid 90’s and am planing to return in February with a friend or two. We’ll be staying for 4-6 weeks and my friends have never visited before. We’re all seniors and do not want to rent a car nor to switch accommodations too often. Originally the plan was to stay around Jaco, since it seems to be accessible to most sites and easier to access tours. Now I’m not so sure.
Any thoughts on how best to divide our time, perhaps between 2 locations. We have no problem landing in San Jose and departing from Liberia to return home. And we plan to find accommodations through Airbnb or VRBO as you suggest. Thank YOU!
Sammi says
Hello Irene, we have sent you an email
Robyn Marie Frye says
Thanks for the great travel information. My husband and I are hoping to come to CR for a month in the April/May 2023 time period. We love travelling on our own and road tripping although we have only done this in Europe. Several questions – Are there any towns/cities that we need to be more careful about safety/security? If we want to add a day or two to the itinery for some down days, where would you recommend we do this. We find that when we are travelling for that long we need to add some time to just relax, do laundry vs going every day. Finally are there places were you feel we should spend the money to hire a tour guide or join a more organized day tour vs going on our own?
Sammi says
Hello Robyn, you can read our Costa Rica safety tips for more information
Gina Davis says
Where is the best place to exchange money in San Jose? Can you go to the Walmart straight from the airport?
yeison says
Hello Gina,
The best place to exchange money is at any bank, in some Walmart you will find small bank offices, you can read more about handling and exchanging money by clicking here
Or says
Hi,
Thank you for this great post. We plan to do a 1 month trip based on your itinerary.
Our dates are End of September till end of October.Should the weather change the itinerary? ( is it more rainy in parts of it)? Do you recommend this season for visiting Costa rica?
Sammi says
Those times of the year are our rainiest times in Costa Rica and it is common for there to be tropical waves and even storms so make sure you are very prepared for rain and very flexible in case of weather delays.
Hilary B says
We just finished a month in Costa Rica and your site was SO helpful! We enjoyed using this itinerary as a baseline and planned an epic road trip to see much of the country. Thanks for creating this valuable resource for Costa Rican tourism!
Seb says
Hello! Next month, I’ll have 18 days and I am planning a tour from San José – Puerto Viejo and surroundings – Arenal/Monteverde – Utiva – San José and I was wondering if I should book most hostels and activities since there might be less tourists and I usually improvise to remain flexible. What activities would you recommend on booking in advance (canyioning, rafting, whales watching…), please?
Btw: your website is amazing, in one day on it, I prepared way more than in the last 10 days going to other websites. Please continue and thank you very much for providing all this!!
Seb
Sammi says
Hi Seb, March is actually our peak tourism month because of North American spring break and then also locals have Semana Santa off (April 10-18) so it is very very busy, I would recommend to pre-book activities and hotels because of this.
Nina says
Hi Sammy,
We are planning to do the itinerary with some adjustments in 3 weeks at the end of April – the beginning of May. Unfortunately we can’t find the tour company Costa Rica way for the Tortuguero trip from Moin. Can you recommend some other company or is it better to do the tour from San José and then visit puerto viejo?
Thank you so much for the information on this site, it is very helpful!
Nina
Sammi says
Unfortunately it looks like they may have closed- check with your hotel or with Caribe FUn tours
Lotte says
Hi! Thanks for your elaborate trip plan! The one month trip described above, what is the approximate pricetag that comes with it?
Sammi says
Honestly it depends on the type of car you rent, type of hotel you book, how many excursions you do, so the range can vary immensely.
Keerthy says
Thankyou for lots of info on several trip details in Costa Rica!!!
I am looking for an answer for a month staycation in costarica with a week of vacation and rest 3 weeks working from costarica and chilling out on weekends. Do you suggest a specific location for this kind of a trip in the month of Nov- Dec. we don’t mind spending on a good vacation home or Airbnb to do this but somewhere closer to a good beach
Sammi says
Many of the coastal towns are popular with digital nomads, you can read more here Best places in Costa Rica
Sammi says
Hi Natasha, you can check our Costa Rica money saving tips post.
Natasha says
Hi there, we are going to be in Costa Rica for at least two months! Travelling as budget as can be, do you have any recommendations?
Diana Vontobel Chiu says
Hi! If we do have a rental car and can’t return it until we head back to San Jose, is there still an option for us to head to Drake Bay with the car? A ferry perhaps?
Sammi says
There is a parking lot in Sierpe that you can leave the car which is recommended for tourists. You can read more about it here Sierpe to Drake Bay boat
Tuija says
Hi, we are planning a trip for June-July 2022.
In addition to parents, the family has two children, 6 and 17 year old boys. Route plan: Tortuguero – Puerto Viejo – Corcovado – Manuel Antonio – Monteverde – La Fortuna.
6 nights in each destination.
What does the plan look like?
Does the order of the items make sense?
What about the number of overnight stays?
Thanks for the help in advance
Sammi says
Hi Tuija, a lot of it will depend on how you plan to get around but 6 nights is a very good amount of time for each place. Most people usually only stay 1-3 nights in Tortuguero though as it’s a tiny area and you can see and do a lot of it in just a few nights.
Also I would note that Puerto Viejo and Corcovado are on complete opposite sides of the country and it will take you one full day to get there, depending on where in Corcovado you will be because that is the national park so you have to stay outside the national park in the Osa Peninsula towns like Drake Bay or Puerto Jimenez.
Tuija says
Hi Sammi,
Thanks for the quick reply 🙂
We have planned a one night stop in San Jose between Puerto Vieja and Corcovado.
Are these destinations suitable for a 6-year-old?
We like peace and nature, not big cities or nightlife.
The time we have in Costa Rica is 5-6 weeks.
Sammi says
They’re all great places for nature!
Mona says
Can I do this trip in reverse? I’d like to see the Caribbean side of the county at the end of my trip.
Sammi says
You can tweak it however you want!
Julie Stinson says
Hi Sammi,
Was wondering if this month long itinerary could be done using shared shuttles instead of renting a car?
Thanks,
Julie
Sammi says
Yes, you may have to book it with different companies since there may not be all the routes from one company but check with Interbus, Caribe Shuttle, and Easy Ride.
Laird Markland says
We are currently in Uvito. Looking out from our condo, we see the ocean and the beach.Its SO beautiful here.
Daniela says
Hi Sammi,
reading your itinerary you suggest to get to M.Antonio from Samara taking the Naranjo ferry to Puntarenas.
Is this the best and fastest way to get to M.Antonio?
We were wondering to drive up to Nicoya then La Amistad and heading south driving the PanAm 1. But maybe we are wrong.
What do you suggest?
Thanks, Daniela
Sammi says
The ferry is much more fun and the views are nicer. You can drive but it’s kind of a boring drive.
Sammi says
Hi Laurie, I would choose 3 places to go and La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio and Monteverde are nice places. All of them do require a 3.5 hour drive (San Jose – La Fortuna, la Fortuna to Monteverde) but Monteverde to Manuel Antonio is around 5 hours so it’s a bit longer. If you don’t want to have to rent a 4×4 or drive on bad roads, I’d skip Monteverde and depending on where you fly out, you could do La Fortuna – Manuel Antonio – Uvita – San Jose or if you’re flying out of Liberia, you could do La Fortuna – Samara – Flamingo – Liberia.
Laurie Vandervoort says
Thank you Sammi!
Laurie says
Hi there, I wonder how you might recommend adapting this itinerary for a couple with a young child. We will have 2.5-3 weeks next February and will travel with our 2.5 year old. We would prefer not as much driving and to stay in each place at least 3-4 nights. I know some of the places are too remote for children in our opinion (e.g. Tortuguero, Osa). We will also skip the Carribean coast to limit driving and apparently a very small chance of Malaria there (even though the beaches look lovely!). Manuel Antonio and Arenal seem like musts but then I wonder if Monteverde is a tricky drive around and might not be worth it. Then I am debating between either Playa Flamingo or Tamarindo or Samara and completely different Uvita.
Ana says
Hi, I’d like to ask something, what’s the best route (most safe) from Puerto Viejo to Sierpe?
We are planning to travel from Puerto Viejo to Dominical, spend the night in Dominical and then go to Bahia Drake. Where are the best places to stop while driving and it’s Dominical a good place to spend the night?
Thanks
Ana
Sammi says
Dominical is a nice small surfing beach town, you can read our guide to Dominical here: Things to do in Uvita and Dominical
The best route is Puerto Viejo to San Jose, San Jose to down south to Dominical/Sierpe.