Looking for an adventure? Costa Rica is a great melody of rainforest views and beachy hues. Here's an itinerary for a one week Costa Rican vacay, with some tips I learned along the way!
I chose to fly into San Jose- it's the larger of the two airports and is in central Costa Rica, fitting my itinerary best. Tip: I found my tickets from Dallas to San Jose for $230 each, round trip, with Spirit Air. Sign up for Scott's Cheap flights to keep track of discounted flights to places around the world- it's free and often inspires where I'll go next!
Day 1
- Land in San Jose
- Pick up rental car
- Visit Toucan Rescue Ranch
- Drive to La Fortuna
Rental car: We found our car through rentalcar.com using Toyota RentACar, which picked us up at the airport. Make sure you get a car with AWD or 4WD because not all roads are smooth or paved! We chose to pay the extra $85 fee for full coverage of any car damage or damage to anything we might hit, and the car itself cost us $116 for the week. I found this to be a reasonable way to explore the country and had no issues with driving! We did pay for a daily phone hotspot, which did not work for us (we were reimbursed). Luckily my phone had adequate service for directions throughout our travels! You can also download Google Maps with pins saved for your locations so it can be used while offline.
Tip: check your phone provider's policy on international usage. I have Sprint (which generally lacks in every area) but actually has free international data and texting. The locals suggest using the Waze app for directions!
Toucan Rescue Ranch: Despite the name, Toucan Rescue Ranch has so much more than Toucans -specifically, baby sloths. And it's only about 45 minutes from the airport! I did a lot of research because I was hoping to find a place to hold a sloth. I am so glad I researched this! Apparently it is not safe- have you seen their nails?? Additionally, it is detrimental to the health of the sloth, which is a meek animal not meant for extensive human contact. The Toucan Rescue Ranch rehabilitates a variety of animals native to Costa Rica, and provides an outlet to see them up close without infringing on their space- all while simultaneously contributing to the preservation of wildlife! That's a win-win to me and was worth the stop.
La Fortuna: The drive to La Fortuna from San Jose was a smooth and scenic 2.5-hour drive (3 if you stop at all the overlooks as I did- I can't help myself). We stayed in the Princesa de la Luna EcoLodge for our first 2 nights in La Fortuna. It was a lodge up in hills with hammocks galore, the enchanting sounds of rain and animals, and killer views of the trees below. The breakfast they make is worth the extra $8, with pancakes, plantains, coffee, juice, fresh fruit, and eggs. This stay cost us about $40 a night- private room, bathroom, and plenty of windows with a fan because there's no AC (a common thing for Costa Rica). I love finding mom and pop places to stay, and would highly recommend this one!
Day 2
- High ropes course and waterfall rappelling
- Natural hot springs
- La Fortuna waterfall
High ropes course: This is my favorite activity I did while in Costa Rica. If you like adventure I highly recommend this- and you don't have to worry about being super in shape. I booked the Sky Limit tour through Sky Adventures, which was $175 for both of us. We met up with 2 other people for our morning tour (We booked for 9 am so it wouldn't be a big group). We spent $30 extra to rent their go pro, which included an SD card we took home with videos and pictures of our rope challenges. Note: this tour does involve about 6 ziplines over the treetops, waterfall repelling, and jumping off of a ledge. There are more mild versions if this is too much adrenaline for you!
Natural hot springs: This is on Google Maps as "Free Natural Hot Springs River". As the name suggests, this is free- and therefore decently crowded. This is worth the visit- we were able to lay in the perfectly warm river water and relax as monkeys played in the trees above us. It is about 10 minutes away from La Fortuna and I did not have a problem finding it (lots of cars parked, so you can't miss it). I was told that at night time they light candles on the rocks all around the river, which would be a great romantic evening if you're able to go then! I recommend you keep waterproof shoes on because there are rocks to walk over.
La Fortuna waterfall: This waterfall costs $18 a person to see. It is a popular spot so unfortunately you will not get the intimate nature serenity you often hope for. That being said, this waterfall was beautiful and the path to get there is in great condition. There are hundreds of stairs, and I definitely needed a couple of breaks on the way back. I did enjoy this experience, though I'm not sure I would do it again due to the crowd and cost.
Day 3
- White water rafting
- Stay in Salina La Fortuna
White water rafting: This experience was amazing. My sister and I got to be in a raft alone with our guides and take on class IV rapids as a team. We have both been white water rafting before, and the classifications of the rapids seemed to be in-line with American classifications. We booked through Wave Expeditions, which does offer milder white water rafting routes if you haven't been before or are nervous! They also offer a GoPro for your helmet and/or the photos from a photographer for $30 each. This did take most of the day as we met in La Fortuna and drove east to the Sarapiqui River. The scenery was breathtaking- we enjoyed dense trees, exotic birds, and playful monkeys along the river. Halfway through we stopped and snacked on fresh pineapple and watermelon, and lunch was also provided at the end of the tour (with sugar cane shots made locally and strongly). This tour costs $95 a person and I would recommend it! Note: do not forget sunscreen, you will be in the sun baking all day (oops!).
Salina La Fortuna: This is a trendy hostel in La Fortuna. With a bar, yoga sanctuary, pool, and daily activities it was a hot spot for young travelers to hang out. I chose to spend a night here because of their tepee rooms, all lined up in a V shape around a giant bonfire. While I loved the vibes and idea of staying here, my sister and I wanted to go to sleep early and it was very noisy. Once again, no AC, but fans are provided. I would recommend staying here if you're interested in hanging out with other young travelers and tend to stay up late! Also, the cost was only $55, so you really can't beat that.
Day 4
- Hanging bridges
- Llanos de Cortez waterfall
- Drive to Tamarindo
Hanging Bridges: Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park has a trail that includes 15 bridges, 6 of which are hanging. The views of the rainforest were stunning! Because we went in the morning before heading to the Guanacaste province it was quiet and we could enjoy the sounds of birds and the river water streaming below. The trail is well maintained with a mild incline for most of it. There is a turn off in the middle to enjoy views of the Blue Morpho waterfall, which takes about 10 minutes to walk to but does require the use of steep steps. For $26 a person this could be a hit or miss- I enjoyed it and would likely go again. We did see many different types of flowers and got pretty close up to some small frogs, butterflies, and exotic looking Beatles (kinda cool, kinda gross).
Llanos de Cortez: This waterfall is free but the locals ask for tips to walk you to the location, which was helpful and worth the snacks and money we gave. Much of the road to get here is unpaved and fairly bumpy. The water may have been murky and green but of course that didn't stop us from swimming. Neither did the giant iguana giving us some side-eye! I cliff jumped but asked the locals to show me where it was safe beforehand. Was that risky? Probably, but what's traveling without risking your life every couple of days, am I right?
The drive: The drive to Tamarindo from La Fortuna is about 4 hours without stops (you already know I'm incapable of that). It was well paved and a pleasant drive.
Day 5
- Beach bungalows
- Tamarindo beach
- Brasilito Beach
- Playa Conchal
- Playa Flamingo
Bungalows: How cute, right? I wanted to like these bungalows so much (on Airbnb as B&B The Beach Bungalows). We stayed the first night but it was really warm and the noises from the street (lots of barking dogs) kept me awake. I messaged the host to ask if we could cancel our second and third nights and find another place to stay because of these issues and he was very accommodating. He set up a room for us towards the back of the property that didn't have the cute vibe I liked so much, but it did have real walls that kept the barking noises out and the AC (you heard me right, real air conditioning!) inside. Our overall experience was positive- the pool was great, the breakfast was made hot and fresh, and the host and housekeeping staff were so friendly. He also did warn us about the noise and supplied earplugs, so I think if I weren't so hot I probably would have slept fine. The location was only a 5-minute drive to the Tamarindo beach, had a locked gate for security, and our 3-night stay only cost $243. It was a local business I was happy to support and I believe I would stay here again.
Beaches: we didn't want to drive far to anything because we were there to relax and had already driven quite a bit within this vacation. So all of these beaches were within 45 minutes of Tamarindo! The only way to get to Playa Conchal is to park and walk across Brasilito Beach. It is a decently long walk- bring a beach bag and sunscreen! Brasilito Beach has silk dark sand without any crowds. Conchal beach, however, had sharp shells that were burning hot for their "sand" and it was more crowded due to its small size. I had heard great things about this beach and so I rented snorkeling gear and a tent to sit under for a break from the sun (only $20 for both for the whole afternoon!). Well, we stayed maybe 30 minutes. I burned the bottoms of my feet and probably cut them up trying to walk on that sand, the water was rough and rocky, and it just wasn't the ideal place for us to relax. All of that being said, the second beach picture included above is Conchal beach- it was beautiful and the water was so blue! Playa Flamingo is the first beach pictured, and while the sand had a slightly pink hue I did not feel as though this beach lived up to its name. The sand was soft though, and there was no one else there! My sister and I enjoyed relaxing here for some time before deciding Tamarindo beach was actually our favorite, gathered our things, and drove back to catch the sunset. We loved Tamarindo Beach the most because the sand was soft, the water was stunningly clear and pale turquoise, and on the east side of the beach the depth of the ocean water was so gradual you could walk out a long way and still only be in water 2' deep. That beach was well populated but not crowded and in the end, we spent most of our time there.
Day 6
- Tamarindo Beach
- Horseback riding
Horseback riding: I did a lot of research to find the perfect horseback riding tour, as it was my sister's #1 request for our Costa Rican escapades. It was our last full day in Costa Rica as well, so it had to be perfect! I accidentally came across a small, family-owned, fairly new company that had great reviews: Guti Tours. 10/10 recommend. Our "2.5-hour mountain & beach sunset tour" turned out to only be my sister and me, so we got the 6-hour version. It was possibly the most magical thing we have done, galloping across a variety of beaches as the sun took a bow for a day well done. We stopped in the middle for dinner at a small local restaurant before turning back, returning with full hearts and stomachs (okay I'm being all romantic about this, but it was amazing). My sister's mare kicked me (I was riding a stallion, so it was likely justified), but the evening was so great that I actually appreciate the free souvenir mark I have on my leg to remember it by! This was the perfect way to end our trip and I highly recommend you take this tour if you enjoy horseback riding (worth the day-after waddle!). Note: wear long pants, a sports bra, and closed-toe shoes.
Day 7
- Drive to San Jose
This drive is about 4 hours, which we started early to ensure we'd make it to our flight on time. It was well a well paved and enjoyable drive, with plenty of roadside scenic stops to appreciate if you're able to!
Until next time, Costa Rica. You are missed!