In May 2023, we had the holiday of a lifetime – two weeks in Costa Rica!
With its many hikes, wildlife tours, and national parks, Costa Rica offers something for everyone.
We spent a lot of time planning our itinerary, so it would be a shame not to share it!
- Getting here:
- Getting around:
- Day 1: La Fortuna: Sloths
- Day 2: Hikes
- Day 3: Hanging Bridges, Waterfalls & Chocolate Tour
- Day 4: Hot Springs
- Day 5: Travel from La Fortuna to Monteverde
- Day 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Day 7: Santa Elena Cloud Forest
- Day 8: Night Tour
- Day 9: Travel from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio
- Day 10: Manuel Antonio National Park
- Day 11: Activities in Quepos/Manuel Antonio
- Day 12: Chill & Night Tour
- Day 13: Chill & Paddle Board
- Day 14: Travel from Manuel Antonio to San Jose
Getting here:
This itinerary is based on flying in and out of San Jose International Airport, Costa Rica.
We flew from London Heathrow to San Jose. During the wet season (May to November), flights will most likely connect in Madrid. However, during dry season (December to April), there should be direct flights from the UK.
We landed late at night, so we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which included a free airport shuttle ride and breakfast.
Getting around:
While getting a rental car is a popular option in Costa Rica, we decided to use shared shuttles (linked throughout) to get between the main towns. We used local taxi’s to explore each area, with plenty of red taxi’s available.
Don’t be like us and use Uber! On our first day we innocently ordered an Uber, only to be pulled over by the police, our passports taken off us, and our driver getting a big fine… stick to the local taxis! It turns out that Uber is not allowed here, so be careful!
La Fortuna
Transport: Shared shuttle from San Jose Airport to La Fortuna (3 hours)
Accommodation: La Fortuna Lodge – the view from our room of the volcano was amazing, the room was modern, comfortable, and the breakfast included at a nearby hotel had a cosy, unique vibe.
Day 1: La Fortuna: Sloths
- Sloth Bogarin Trail
- Self guided ($20) or guided tour: $45
- NB: payment is cash only.
Day 2: Hikes
- Arenal Volcano National Park
- Self guided ($15) or guided hike (including transport)
- Choose from the various hikes available here, depending on how much time you have.
- 1968 Lava Trails
- Self guided ($25) or guided ($65)
- Located in the same area, the lava trails offer a unique hike, with plenty of greenery and wildlife,
Day 3: Hanging Bridges, Waterfalls & Chocolate Tour
- Mistico Hanging Bridges Half-Day Tour from La Fortuna
- We went early in the morning to beat the crowds, and reccommend that you do the same! When booking through their official website, you can request transport to pick you up at your hotel.
- La Fortuna Waterfall
- This waterfall is no joke! The water is very cold, and the falls are powerful, but it’s a beautiful spot not to be missed. Be aware that there are lots of stairs to get to the base of the waterfall.
- Rainforest Chocolate Tour
- On our walk back from the waterfall, we decided to go for the rainforest chocolate tour. It was really informative, cool to see the chocolate making process & a very entertaining tour! However, we went at the same time as a Utah MLM group who tried to convince me their essential oils would cure my diabetes. Nice try!
Day 4: Hot Springs
- Choose one of the many iconic hot springs resorts in La Fortuna:
- Tabacon Hot Springs
- We opted for a full day in Tabacon, and found it was the perfect place to relax after busy days of hiking.
- EcoTermales
- Termalitas
- Baldi Hot Springs
- Tabacon Hot Springs
Short on time? Check out these combined tours in La Fortuna:
La Fortuna: Waterfall, Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs Tour
La Fortuna: Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano, and Falls Tour
La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano and Hanging Bridges Combo
Monteverde
Transport: Jeep-Boat-Jeep from La Fortuna to Monteverde
Accommodation: Outbox Inn
Day 5: Travel from La Fortuna to Monteverde
- Make the journey from La Fortuna to Monteverde (3 hours)
- Be aware the journey is very undulating, but it is much shorter to cross the Lake Arenal, as opposed to drive up, around, then down to Monteverde. Of course, Monteverde is high up, so expect an uphill climb, and for the weather conditions to be much cooler.
Day 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Self guided tour ($26)
- Choose a guided tour for the best chances to spot wildlife
Day 7: Santa Elena Cloud Forest
- Santa Elena Cloud Forest
- Explore the slightly less popular Santa Elena Cloud Forest, but for good reason. With a guided tour, there’s a high possibility you’ll spot the Quetzal.
- Monteverde and Santa Elena: Cloud Forest Bird-Watching Tour
Day 8: Night Tour
- Night tours are an absolute must in Costa Rica, because this is when the wildlife really comes alive!
Manuel Antonio
Transport: Shared shuttle from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio
Accommodation: Shana By The Beach
We splashed out on our stay here, so we spent a lot of time relaxing at our hotel, with an amazing infinity pool, and incredible rainforest views with plenty of wildlife (monkeys scaling the hotel included!).
Day 9: Travel from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio
- Travel from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio (5 hours). This journey is much smoother than the previous one!
Day 10: Manuel Antonio National Park
- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Book a guided tour here ($60, highly recommend for loads of wildlife spotting, and a knowledgeable guide!)
- We saw lots of monkeys, lizards, sloths, birds, tree frogs, and crabs – just to name a few!
- Self guided tour
Day 11: Activities in Quepos/Manuel Antonio
- There are lots of activities available in the area on the Manuel Antonio National Park website
Day 12: Chill & Night Tour
Day 13: Chill & Paddle Board
- Chill day
- We were meant to go on a paddle boat tour, but it was canceled 😦
- Instead of the paddle boarding, we went back to the national park for another visit. We just couldn’t get enough!
Day 14: Travel from Manuel Antonio to San Jose
Thank you so much for reading – I hope this itinerary has inspired your next trip to Costa Rica!
Love, Lydia x
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LYD1A KERR 
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