Everyone should travel to Costa Rica sometime in their life! I’ve heard so many people rave about their Costa Rican vacation that I honestly thought there was no way that it could live up to the hype. But after only 12 days, I have been thoroughly convinced that Costa Rica is a must-travel location!
In a country that is slightly smaller than the size of Lake Michigan, lies the home of 5% of the world’s biodiversity! Within a few hours drive, we saw rainforest, volcanos, beaches and coffee farms! It was amazing to experience walking through the rainforest spotting sloths and monkeys one day and the next to be scuba diving with sea turtles and devil rays!
Not only is there so much to see in Costa Rica, but the people alone make the trip worth the visit. Costa Ricans have been ranked among the happiest people in the world for several years (probably in part due to living in such a beautiful location with delicious food! =) We got to experience this kindness first hand when we pulled off on the side of the road to take some pictures and 3 different locals stopped to ask if we needed help! All across the country we experienced this incredible welcoming and kindness!
We were in Costa Rica for 12 days and only scratched the surface! Here’s our favorite 16 things we experienced in Costa Rica! To help plan for your next trip to Costa Rica, below this list is a summary of the different areas of the country we visited, where we stayed, and where we ate.
1. Rappelling Down Waterfalls
Pure Trek Rappelling (La Fortuna)
One of my favorite activities we experienced in La Fortuna was rappelling down waterfalls! It was amazing getting to walk through the Costa Rican rainforest and bounce our way down five beautiful waterfalls. I’m not going to lie, I definitely had a few butterflies looking over the first falls edge, knowing that I would soon be dangling 165 feet in the air. But by the last waterfall, everyone in the group bounded over the edge without hesitation.
*Read our full Pure Trek waterfall rappelling experience here.
2. White Water Rafting Through the Jungle
Wave Expeditions White Water Rafting (La Fortuna)
White water rafting with Wave Expeditions felt like the real life version of an amusement park’s river rapids ride. But instead of floating past fake animals, the monkeys, iguanas, and birds were all very much real! The rapids themselves were also very real too! With class three rapids, it was a great balance of being fun without needing to hold on for dear life. My favorite part was when we got to float down the river on our own, outside of the raft. Best lazy river ever!
*Read more about our white water rafting in La Fortuna experience!
3. Bajos Del Toro Waterfall
Catarata Del Toro (San José / La Fortuna)
This waterfall isn’t actually anywhere close to the town of La Fortuna. But due to my love for waterfalls, we took a detour on our drive from San Jose to La Fortuna to see this 270 tall waterfall. The roads to the falls are well paved, but very steep. It took every bit of our little 4-cylinder car to make it up over the mountains. But we were so thankful we did take the detour. There are actually several different falls in this area, but each has its own entrance fee. The waterfall was an incredible place to fly the drone too! The path is well kept, but be prepared to climb a lot of steps on your way back up!
*Read our full Bajos Del Toro Waterfall post here.
4. Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park (Manuel Antonio)
The main attraction of Manuel Antonio is the national park. It’s one of the best places in Costa Rica to get to experience jungle, beaches, and wildlife all within the same area. The animals we were most excited to see were sloths and monkeys! Although we weren’t lucky enough to spot any during our visit, we loved walking the park’s trails and beaches. Our favorite area was the thin peninsula where two beaches are separated by a small strip of jungle. It was a really cool feeling walking through the dense trees knowing that on either side there were amazing beaches!
*Read our full Manuel Antonio National Park post here.
5. Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna
Mistico Hanging Bridges (La Fortuna)
We loved swaying our way across the hanging bridges at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. The six hanging bridges gave us an incredible view of the Costa Rican jungle. The highlight of our time in the park was seeing monkeys climbing and sleeping in the trees! If you keep your eyes open, you never know what wildlife you might see in Costa Rica!
*Read more about our visit to Mistico hanging bridges here.
6. Nocturnal Wildlife Night Walk
Night Walk Tour (Monteverde)
The Costa Rican jungle is literally crawling with wildlife. But the majority of that wildlife is nocturnal, so the jungle truly comes to life at night. We booked our Monteverde Night Walk Tour to see what the rainforest is like at night! Our guide was extremely friendly and an expert at identifying the nocturnal animals! Even in the rain we saw two vipers, tarantula, frogs, birds and insects. Em wasn’t too sure about walking around the jungle at night trying to find snakes and spiders, but we loved our night walk experience. The trails were well kept and our guide was amazing.
*Read more about our Costa Rica Night Walk Tour in Monteverde.
7. Guanacaste Beaches
Tamarindo, Conchel, and Flamingo Beach (Guanacaste)
Costa Rica may be best known for their rainforest, volcanos, and waterfalls, but they also are home to more than 750 miles of coastline! One of the most popular areas for beaches is the northwestern province of Guanacaste. The coastline is known for its surfing, resorts, wildlife and dozens of adventure activities. Three Guanacaste beach towns that we drove to were Tamarindo, Conchel, and Flamingo Beach. Each is unique in their own way. Tamarindo has a fun, surfer town vibe with wide beaches. Conchel is full of beautiful white sea shells. Flamingo beach is more of a resort town. There are dozens of other beaches with their own personality along the Guanacaste coast.
8. Scuba Diving in Guanacaste
ConnectOcean Scuba Diving (Guanacaste)
From whales, manta rays, and countless varieties of fish, the coast of Guanacaste is a popular destination for people looking to scuba dive in Costa Rica. We went diving with ConnectOcean and were instantly amazed by the dozens of jumping devil rays! We did two dives and saw several different types of fish and a small white-tip reef shark. But the coolest part of our dive was hearing whales communicating with each other under the water! Ernst Van der Poll, the owner of ConnectOcean is an expert with more than 10,000 dives. But his primary goal is preserving the Costa Rican coastline.
*Read more about our scuba diving in Costa Rica experience!
9. Las Catalinas
Las Catalinas (Guanacaste)
A really spectacular and unique beach town is the carless community of Las Catalinas. This magical town feels like Europe met Central America. Designed with every detail in mind, this sustainable settlement was designed to recapture a small town, European charm. We spent four days at the new Santarena Hotel relaxing in this truly unique town. It felt like we were transported to another world. We spent our days wandering the narrow walking streets, listening to the crashing ocean, and visiting the tranquil spa. In addition to relaxing, Las Catalinas offers an endless number of activities and adventure.
*Read more about our amazing visit to Las Catalinas here.
10. Ziplining in a Cloud Forest
Sky Adventures (Monteverde)
One of the best ways to experience the incredible cloud forest is by ziplining through it’s canopy! Because it was raining, we were the only ones on the whole course! At up to 2,460 feet long, the seven cables were some of the longest lines we have ever ridden! Even despite the rain, the views were incredible. Our guides at Sky Adventure made every line a safe and exciting experience. It was a lot of fun getting to zip through the cloud forest at 40 mph!
*Read more about our amazing ziplining in Costa Rica through Monteverde’s cloud forest here.
11. Hot Springs In La Fortuna
Baldi Hot Springs (La Fortuna)
You can’t visit La Fortuna without going to a hot spring! From a free dip in a riverbed to luxury hot spring resorts, and everything else in-between, La Fortuna has a hot spring for every type of person. We visited Baldi Hot Springs Resort. We had a lot of fun lounging in the various hot springs that ranged in different levels of heat. It was a great way to relax and finish out our day.
*Read our full blog about our visit to Costa Rica hot springs.
12. Sloth Spotting
Sloth Watching Trail (La Fortuna)
Just outside of downtown La Fortuna is Sloth Watching Trail. It’s a small patch of woods with sloths. It cost about $10 per person or $50 for a guide to walk around the 2 miles of trail. The pictures on their website are amazing, but even though the sloths are wild, it felt like we were walking through a zoo. The entrance seemed a bit expensive and definitely isn’t the same as spotting a sloth while trekking through the Costa Rican jungle. However within 30 minutes we were able to spot 2 sloths. So even though it wasn’t our favorite experience, we were still happy we went. If you want an easy, slightly expensive, place to spot some sloths, the Sloth Watching Trail is a convenient option.
*Here’s our thoughts on the Sloth Watching Trail in La Fortuna.
13. Horseback Riding To A Waterfall
Horseback Riding Arenal (La Fortuna)
One of the main attractions in La Fortuna is the La Fortuna Waterfall. Instead of driving, Em and I visited the waterfall in style on horseback. We booked our horseback tour with Chaves Tours. Being such a big fan of waterfalls, I had a lot of fun swimming in the waterfall’s pool. Horseback riding through the Costa Rican jungle was a unique experience. The ride might not be the best for people who don’t feel comfortable riding horses. There are some steep hills and the horses did slip a few times walking on the road.
*Read our full horseback riding in Costa Rica experience here!
14. Jaco & Playa Hermosa
Jaco & Playa Hermosa (Drive to Manuel Antonio)
On the drive to Manuel Antonio we stopped for acai bowls in the beach town of Jaco. Jaco is one of the most developed beach towns in this area and is known for its surfer vibe. It isn’t necessarily known for its white sand, but has a really cool beach town atmosphere. You can drive right onto the beach or walk from town.
Just down the road is Playa Hermosa, more remote and bigger waves, Playa Hermosa is a popular beach for surfers. I loved the ability to drive right up to this beach, park your car, and spend the day out on the ocean!
15. Crocodile Bridge
Crocodile Bridge (Drive to Manuel Antonio)
If you drive long enough in Costa Rica, you are bound to see some pretty interesting things. This was definitely true on our drive from the mountains of San Jose to the national park of Manuel Antonio. Halfway through our drive, we passed through an area that looked like the African Sahara. To make it seem even more like another continent, there was a bridge with about 8 huge crocodiles underneath! It was hard to miss as it has become a sort of a roadside tourist attraction. Although it isn’t anything worth going out of the way for, the roads are in great condition and it is just another example that you never know what you might see driving around Costa Rica!
16. Volcano Viewing From Your Bedroom
Arenal Manoa Resort & Hot Springs (La Fortuna)
La Fortuna is home to the massive Arenal Volcano. The combination of the beautiful rainforest, waterfalls, and hot springs make this area the perfect place to relax. During our visit, we stayed at an incredible hotel called Arenal Manoa Resort. Whether in our room or the hot spring, we always had an incredible view of the volcano!
*Read our full post about our stay Arenal Manoa Resort here!
Areas of Costa Rica
With only 12 days in this incredibly diverse country, we had a really hard time narrowing down which areas to visit! There are so many areas that we would love to still see. But after doing some research and talking with our amazing travel agent Costa Rican Treasures, here’s a summary of the five areas of Costa Rica we stayed in.
1. San José
San José is the capital and largest city in Costa Rica. It also has the largest international airport in the country, making it the arrival point for most tourists. Most people visit Costa Rica for its jungles, beaches, waterfalls, and wildlife and not to visit the city. But with 1 in 5 Costa Ricans living or working around the capital city, it is worth experiencing one of Central America’s largest cities.
Like most tourists, Em and I were eager to get to the beaches and jungles and try to spot some sloths, so we only took a half day driving around downtown San José. Some of the city’s highlights are Central Avenue, National Museum, Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, National Theater and Mercado Central. If you plan to spend more time downtown, the blog Two Weeks In Costa Rica has a great article written about what to see and do in downtown San José.
2. Manuel Antonio
Three hours southwest of San José is Manuel Antonio. We debated whether or not to go here because it was in the total opposite direction of everything else we wanted to visit. But we are so glad we made the decision to visit this incredible national park. Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to experience the jungle meeting the beach. It is full of incredible Costa Rican wildlife. The drive is really beautiful with several fun beach towns along the way. If you have time, Manuel Antonio is a great “out-of-the-way” detour to add to your Costa Rican roadtrip. =) You can read more about our Manuel Antonio National Park visit here.
3. La Fortuna
My favorite area of our Costa Rican roadtrip was the small town of La Fortuna. Full of rainforest, wildlife, countless activities, and a stellar view of Arenal Volcano, it is pretty easy to see why La Fortuna is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Here is more about what to do in La Fortuna. Within only four days we were able to visit hanging bridges, whitewater rafting, rappelling, sloth spotting, hot springs, and horseback riding! But the thing that truly made La Fortuna the best was our stay at Arenal Manoa Hotel! If you only have time for one area to visit in Costa Rica, I would suggest staying near La Fortuna!
4. Monteverde
Before traveling to Costa Rica, I didn’t know what a cloud forest was. And to be honest, after traveling to Costa Rica I’m pretty sure I still don’t fully understand cloud forests. One thing I do know is that cloud forests are rare, beautiful, and make everything green. Monteverde is one of the best known cloud forests in the world, and its 35,000 protected acres are full of diverse flora and fauna. The roads in Costa Rica were great, but Monteverde definitely had the most potholes of our trip. The drive from La Fortuna to Monteverde was beautiful but definitely windy. If you’re thinking about driving, click here to read about our experience.
5. Guanacaste Province
The northwestern province of Guanacaste is one of the best places to go for Costa Rican beaches! As mentioned above, three Guanacaste beach towns that we visited were Tamarindo, Conchel, and Flamingo Beach. Each is unique in their own way. Tamarindo has a fun, surfer town vibe with wide beaches. Conchel is full of beautiful white sea shells. Flamingo beach is more of a resort town. There are dozens of other beaches with their own personality along the Guanacaste coast.
How We Planned Our Trip
Costa Rican Treasures
While in San Jose, we were so happy we had the chance to meet our travel agent, Sonia, the founder of Costa Rican Treasures. Whether it is your first time or tenth time visiting Costa Rica, Costa Rican Treasures can help maximize your vacation. We felt like we had a local friend giving us expert travel advice and making sure that our trip ran smoothly. (Like when our rental car key broke three hours away from the rental office! =) Costa Rican Treasures specializes in accommodations, transportation, activities, and making sure that you have the best Costa Rican vacation possible.
*Read our full post about our experience with this amazing Costa Rica Travel Agency here!
Mapache Car Rental
Another thing that Costa Rican Treasures helped arrange for us was a rental car. They suggested Mapache Car Rental in San Jose. If you enjoy driving, renting a car is a great way to explore Costa Rica. Most of the roads were in good condition and easy to navigate! We started in San Jose and finished in the northern city of Liberia, making it easy to continue on with the rest of our Central American roadtrip.
*Here’s our full post of our experience of how to rent a car in Costa Rica!
Where We Stayed
San José
Hotel Crowne Plaza Corobici
Our first night in Costa Rica, we spent at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Corobici. Located between the airport and downtown, this hotel and conference center is the perfect place to stay! It’s clean, comfortable, and the staff is extremely friendly! Most of the staff spoke excellent English and made sure our first night in Costa Rica was an enjoyable experience! There is a complementary breakfast and an incredible Japanese restaurant inside the hotel. Hotel Crowne Plaza Corobici also did a great job ensuring health and safety with their Covid safety protocols. During the beginning of lockdowns, the hotel was one of the main locations where people from other countries could stay while they waited for their country borders to re-open. So the hotel has a lot of experience at making sure their guests’ stay is safe and comfortable during Covid.
Manuel Antonio
Hotel San Bada
During our stay in Manuel Antonio, we stayed at Hotel San Bada, the closest hotel to the national park. It was amazing waking up and feeling like we were in the jungle. We could hear the tropical birds and howler monkeys in the morning. The hotel has its own walking path to the beach and is literally steps away from the National Park entrance. There are plenty of other hotels in the town, but for a true Manuel Antonio experience, Hotel San Bada is as close as you can get.
*Read our full post on our stay at Hotel San Bada.
Monteverde
Hotel Fondavela
We stayed just outside of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve entrance at Hotel Fondavela. National Geographic said that Monteverde Cloud Forest is the “jewel in the crown of Cloud Forest Reserves.” Everything in the area is green and teaming with life. Hotel Fondavela is a local, boutique hotel that brings luxury to the rainforest. Our lodge style room had huge windows overlooking the cloud forest. The hotel grounds are beautifully kept. With better weather, I would have loved to relax in the hot tub or heated pool. We loved waking up every morning to the included hot breakfast. We had fun pulling the couch up to the big bay window and watching the storm role in!
Guanacaste
Santarena Hotel in Las Catalinas
During our time in Guanacaste, we stayed at the Santarena Hotel in Las Catalinas. The hotel is brand new and is located within the tranquil, carless town of Las Catalinas. We loved sitting on our balcony and listening to the crashing waves. The staff was very friendly and the modern luxury room was the perfect place to relax! The hotel also has a beautiful, rooftop pool with incredible ocean views.
*Read more about our visit to Las Catalinas here.
Where We Ate
Ronny’s Place (Manuel Antonio)
Ronny’s Place
If you are visiting Manuel Antonio National Park, you should plan a night to get dinner and watch the sunset at Ronny’s Place. It is one of the best ways to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately we ran into some traffic and missed the sunset view, but the food was still well worth the visit! I had the BBQ pork ribs and Em ordered the shrimp alfredo. We definitely did not leave hungry! The staff was very friendly and the outdoor patio with lights made for a great dining atmosphere! The restaurant is a little bit off the main road on a gravel path. But the unpaved road is short and easy for any car to drive on. Just follow the signs or your GPS and look for the amazing sunset views!
La Saca Restaurant (La Fortuna)
La Saca Restaurant
La Fortuna has several options when it comes to restaurants, but we loved the views and food at La Saca Restaurant. Located in the center of Arenal Manoa Resort, we had an incredible view of Arenal Volcano while watching tropical birds flying around the resort’s grounds. The food was great and we loved experiencing authentic Costa Rican dishes. We really loved our time in La Fortuna!
*Read more about our stay at Arenal Manoa Resort here.
(Monteverde)
Monteverde’s downtown center is pretty small, so there aren’t as many dining restaurants. We grabbed some great boneless chicken to go from one of the downtown restaurants. (I’m not sure if the chicken was that good or if we were just that hungry!) A restaurant that looked really interesting was the Tree House Restaurant. We didn’t eat there but from pictures, it looks like the restaurant built itself around a large tree. I can’t vouch for the food, but the pictures look really interesting! =)
Ponciana (Guanacaste)
Ponciana
Since we were staying in Las Catalinas, it was an easy choice to eat at the Santarena Hotels’s Ponciana Restaurant. Each dish we ordered was delicious and the staff was very friendly. We loved trying traditional Costa Rican seafood dishes. It was a refreshing feeling being able to walk from our room to dinner in less than a minute!
*Read more about our Las Catalinas stay here.
We absolutely loved our time in Costa Rica and are so thankful for the memories we made in such a beautiful country! We would love to return someday and experience more, but we are so thankful for what we were able to see during our time in this amazing country!
