What to see in Costa Rica. Itinerary for adventurers

In this article you will find places essential things to see in Costa Rica. Our trip to Costa Rica lasted 10 days and we were able to see more than 50 different species of birds, mammals, amphibians, insects, crustaceans and reptiles in their natural habitat.. Species that we had not seen until now and that increased as we visited each of the national parks and biological reserves in the country. That's not counting the flora.

In the following lines We are going to tell you about our trip to Costa Rica on our own. We hope that our tips and itinerary are helpful to you. If you have more or less days to enjoy the country, surely With this guide you can select the places you like the most to complete your itinerary.

What to see in Costa Rica in 10 days: insurance, flights and rental car

First of all, we hire the travel insurance with IATI and we chose the option IATI Backpacking for the type of trip we were going to do. It cost us about €64 for 10 days with a 5% discount that you can also benefit from here. Our flight itinerary was Gran Canaria – Costa Rica with a stopover in Madrid, all with Iberia. The flight from Madrid to the capital San José is direct (11 hours).

About Us We rented a 4×4 because of the possible rains and to cross small rivers to get to Drake (if you don't go to Drake, we don't think it's necessary). We rented it with Sixt, they had a small shuttle from the airport to his office 5 minutes away by car. You can compare all international and local rental companies that operate at the San José airport here.

Travel to Costa Rica, complete itinerary

Next we show you which one it was our 10 days and 11 nights itinerary with the places to see in Costa Rica.

1. San Jose - Isla Verde Hotel
2. Drake Bay - Pacheco Tours & Cabins
3. Corcovado National Park - Corcovados Backyard
4. Marino Ballena National Park (Uvita) and Manuel Antonio National Park - Uvita Paradise
5. Santa Elena, Cloud Forest Biological Reserve – Camino Verde B&B Monteverde 
6. Santa Elena, Cloud Forest Biological Reserve –  Camino Verde B&B Monteverde
7. Celeste River (Tenorio Volcano National Park) and La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano National Park) - Casa Luna Hotel & Spa
8. Tortuguero National Park - Tortuguero Casa Pelican
9. Cahuita and Puerto Viejo National Park - Black Bamboo B&B
10. Rafting on the Pacuare River, Turrialba - Casa de Lis Hotel & Tourist Info Center
11. City of San Jose - Radisson Hotel San José

We did a total of 1.600 km by car, with which we do not stop. But, if you like them road tripsYou will love this route. We visited a total of 7 National Parks, the Monteverde biological reserve and some biological corridors such as Kinkajou. Below we will tell you the places we visited, where we ate, tours booked, advice and the hotels we booked. This way, you can save time when planning essential places to see in Costa Rica in 10 days or more. As we mentioned above, in total there were 11 nights, but we will have 10 full days.

Day 1, San José – Drake Bay (driving day)

One thing was clear to us, we wanted to visit the Corcovado National Park. So when we wake up in the Isla Verde hotel From San José, we headed to Drake. During the trip we decided to take the highway without tolls that crossed the Cerro de la Muerte and the Quetzal National Park. We stopped to eat in Buenos Aires. Throughout this area we will find large plantations of the tropical pineapple “Del Monte".

Day 2, Corcovado National Park, one of the essential things to see in Costa Rica

Corcovado is located on the Osa Peninsula. 2,5% of the world's biodiversity is concentrated in this national park, which includes dangerous animals such as the bull shark, the crocodile, the velvet snake and the jaguar. Therefore, to enter the Park you must do so with an Official Guide of Costa Rica. As we told you, we did our research on the different options and the one that convinced us the most was Top Trails Corcovado, led by Charly and Laura. One of the best experiences of our life. We go out by boat at 6:00 in the morning from Drake Bay. We sailed for about 1 hour and a half until we reached the usual entrance to the park and the Sirena station.

Here we walked a path of about 8 kilometers in which we could see the famous tapir or tapir, several coatis, tiger herons, marmosets, white-faced monkeys and endless birds. As well We went to have a snack at the Sirena station, one of the few where you can spend the night (the most touristy option). Finally, we visited the crashed plane next to Sirena and took a boat to San Pedrillo.

San Pedrillo Station

San Pedrillo is where we can enjoy the wildest nature, since it is less touristy. Here you will find yourself in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by its primary forest. The boat left us on a paradisiacal beach next to the station. Caño Island can be seen perfectly from here. As soon as we arrived we could see some macaws or limpets as they are called in Costa Rica. Also, you should know that this area of ​​the park is where you will have the best chance of seeing cats, snakes and other dangerous species. We could only see the tracks of a jaguar. Charly's scares certainly livened up our day.

On the other hand, during the route through the jungle Charly warned us and explained each of the species of flora and fauna that we encountered. Furthermore, he took us to bathe at some pools and waterfalls in the middle of the jungle. After the bath we stopped to eat and headed to our Eco Lodge Corcovados Backyard. What a surprise of a place. An environment of 10 surrounded by nature, outdoor showers, organic plantations, happy chickens, etc. All the meals we had here included products from their farm: pineapples, avocados, organic eggs, etc. Delicious Costa Rican food with views of nature.

The second day we did a small bird watching tour and then We walked to the Río Claro. Here a surprise swim awaited us under a large waterfall.. What a feeling of freedom. Finally, we arrived walking to a small soda (homemade food from Costa Rica), practically arriving at the Los Planes station. Another homemade Costa Rican meal awaited us. Delicious. Once we finished eating, they dropped us back at Drake where we had our car and we headed to the next stop. Our incredible adventure through the Osa Peninsula.

• Restaurants in Drake: we recommend the Bahía Azul restaurant. The ceviche was delicious.
• Hotels in Drake: we choose Pacheco Tours & Cabins for the views and proximity to the bay from where the tour departed at 6:00 am. Don't expect great luxury, but everything there was in style.

How to get to Corcovado?

You can do it by boat from Bahía Drake or from Puerto Jiménez. We chose from Drake, since this is where our tour with the company Top Trails Corcovado departed from.. Furthermore, the information we found about the landscapes of Drake Bay caught our attention.

How to get to Drake Bay?

To get to Drake Bay you have two options. One of them is by boat from Sierpe leaving your car in Sierpe. The other one (the one we did) is by car on an unpaved road that passes several rivers. Depending on how much it rained, you may or may not be able to do it. You can always ask Laura from Top Trails first. In any case, we recommend a 4×4. There are several ways to get there by land, all with the passage of rivers. We chose the shortest dirt road on the way out and the longest on the way back. To go for the longest one, at the end you must put your car on a kind of platform and pay about €6. Both land routes last approximately two hours.

Drake Bay is a small coastal town with beautiful beaches. There are no ATMs here, but you will find supermarkets and restaurants. The places we visit and the establishment where we stay, Pacheco Tours & Cabins, They accepted payment by card. We did pay for the tour in cash. In Drake we toured a small path to Cocalito beach from which we saw the sunset. The sea is a little rough here, so be very careful. We were alone...

Video of Corcovado and Drake (days 1 and 2)

Then we leave you with a video of this part of the visit to Corcovado. Here you will see the passage through rivers with the 4×4 to reach Drake that we told you about. You can subscribe here to the channel and see the Complete list of our trip to Costa Rica.

Day 3, Uvita (Marino Ballena National Park) and Manuel Antonio National Park

In the Ballena Marine National Park you can visit the famous Uvita beach shaped like a whale's tail, as well as perform some turn of whale watching. If you want to see the formation of the whale's tail and walking along it, remember to go at low tide. We rest like kings in Uvita paradise and we had a luxurious meal at a pizzeria called La Fogata.

On the other hand, despite being a very touristy place, on our itinerary through Costa Rica we did not want to miss visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park. Apparently one of the parks in the country where you will be able to see more species in a smaller space. We managed to see poisonous frogs, toads, deer, white-faced or capuchin monkeys, lizards and sloths. The beaches here are dreamlike and suitable for swimming, so take your swimsuit!

• Manuel Antonio Restaurants: we ate at Falafel Bar. We had read good comments and the truth is that we ate very well, healthy and cheap.

Video of Marino Ballena and Manuel Antonio (day 3)

Then we leave you with a video of our visit to Marino Ballena and Manuel Antonio, you can subscribe here to our channel and see the complete trip list.

Days 4 and 5: Santa Elena, Monteverde Cloud Forest

En Santa Elena We decided to stay two nights, since we would arrive late on the first day after visiting Manuel Antonio and we did not want to miss the famous Monteverde night tours. In the morning we did the best canopy in Costa Rica or zip line in Selvatura Park. It is the only one inside the Cloud Forest. The activity was very good, especially the tarzan jump final. Furthermore, we were lucky enough to see the famous Quetzal bird. Spectacular!

After this, we returned to our hotel Camino Verde B&B to regain strength. By the way, this hotel is highly recommended. The rooms are very good and so is the breakfast.. Look how it looks! To eat we went to Tico flavor, but everything was very delicious and at a good price. 

Monteverde night tour

At night we chose the Kinkajou night tour (€20 per person) outside Monteverde. There are many options. We chose this one following the recommendation of the receptionist at our B&B and we think it was a success. Here we could see new species: two types of tarantula, scorpions, boobies, toucans, spotted owls, endemic frogs, giant snails, stick insects, etc.

This same day we went to dinner at The Tree house. A restaurant with a large tree inside. we ate one exquisite grilled meat for €15 per person, highly recommended. The night before we went to the Mexican restaurant in town, but we don't recommend it.

Video of the canopy through Monteverde and Night Tour (day 4 and 5)

Then we leave you with a video of our zip line adventure through Selvatura Park in the Cloud Forest and the animals we were able to see on the Kinkajou night tour. You can see here all the videos of the trip.

Day 6: Río Celeste (Tenorio Volcano National Park) and La Fortuna Waterfall (Arenal Volcano National Park)

On the sixth day of our trip we dedicated it to two essential places to see in Costa Rica: the Rio Celeste Waterfall and La Fortuna Waterfall. To visit both places you must pay an entrance fee. In the case of Río Celeste it is about €12 per person to enter the Tenorio Volcano National Park. Then you must walk a path of about 2 kilometers. Us We were caught on a super rainy day and we couldn't see it blue. There are 3 other points to visit that extend the trail and that you will be able to see in our video soon.

After this stop, we head towards the town of La Fortuna. We wanted to visit the famous La Fortuna waterfall. Keep in mind that in the country it gets dark before 18:00 p.m., so many national parks close around 16:00 or 17:00 p.m. We arrived right at the end of the day, even so, there were many people. The water was cool, ideal for muggy days. Also You have to pay about €15 per person to access.

In La Fortuna there are various hot springs or hot spring areas, the only ones free are those of the Chollín River and, therefore, overcrowded. We didn't go to any and We decided to enjoy the jacuzzis among nature at our hotel Casa Luna Hotel & Spa. Finally, if you want to see a cocoa plantation in Costa Rica, there is a small one on the main road in the town of La Fortuna.

• Restaurants in La Fortuna: we recommend the Victorinos restaurant. It is on the way between Río Celeste and La Fortuna.
• Visit to Arenal Volcano: If you have time, you can make a hiking activity to Arenal Volcano which includes a visit to the waterfall and some hot springss (11 hours). It has very good reviews from other travelers and you have all the information here.

Video of Río Celeste and La Fortuna Waterfall (day 6)

Here you have the video of our rainy stop in Río Celeste with a happy ending at La Fortuna Waterfall. If you don't want to miss the rest of the trip, you can subscribe here to our channel.

Day 7, Tortuguero National Park

Another of the places to visit in Costa Rica is Tortuguero National Park. To get to Tortuguero, it is only possible by boat. We park the car in the La Pavona Ranch and from there we went by public boat to the town. The journey takes about 45 minutes and cost us about €8 per person round trip. In La Pavona you will feel like a real tourist because the guides will entertain you upon arrival, you have to pay to go to the bathroom and there are signs telling you not to trust certain excursion companies. These are the boat tickets that they gave us, one for the way and one for the return. Below you can see the boat schedules to Tortuguero.

Be very careful. To this day, we still don't know if we were scammed or not. In any case, what matters is that everything went well and the car was in perfect condition upon return.

What to see in Tortuguero

About What to see in Tortuguero, there are three great attractions:

• Watch the turtle spawning. The best time is from July to October, the rest of the months are a lottery. In any case, you can walk on the beach, since bathing is dangerous.
• Canoe through the Tortuguero National Park through its aquatic trails. The entrance to the park is about €15 per person, you also have to pay for the guide.
• Go up to Tortuguero Hill to have panoramic views. The entrance fee is just €2, but you have to go by private taxi.

We took the tour along the water trails. During the excursion we were able to see caimans, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, giant iguanas, river turtles and beautiful birds.

• Restaurants in Tortuguero: we recommend a site called My child, just in front of where the boats arrive at the town. Another option is El Patio, especially to watch the sunset and have a cocktail (although we also had dinner). Finally, For breakfast with views of the Tortuguero lagoon we suggest Dorling's Bakery.

• Hotels in Tortuguero. We believe It is best that you stay in the center of town. Otherwise you will have to pay for private boats (taxis) to go to restaurants and tourist sites. In this town the same thing happens as in Drake, everything is falling apart. We were lucky to find availability in Casa Pelican Tortuguero, quite in line with the comforts we look for when we travel.

Video of Tortuguero (day 7)

Below you will see the video of our time in Tortuguero. To continue watching the rest of the videos of our trip through Costa Rica, you can subscribe here to our channel.

What to see in Costa Rica – Day 8, Cahuita National Park and Puerto Viejo

Another of the places to visit in Costa Rica es Puerto Viejo. Here it seems like you are in another country: spectacular Caribbean beaches, reggae, stranded ships, coconuts, hermits, sloths, pelicans and lots of partying. When we arrived, we rented a bike for 24 hours (only €6) and rode 13 kilometers along the coast to Manzanillo.. Here we visit the famous Manzanillo beach and its stranded ship, Punta de Uva and Cocles beach.

Cahuita National Park. Costa Rica essentials

The next day we went to Cahuita National Park. Important: If you enter the park through Puerto Vargas, they will make you pay an entrance fee. If you enter through Cahuita, access is free (you only pay the will). Bathing is allowed, so Don't forget it so you can enjoy these beaches next to the coral barrier (bathing is allowed). Here you will be surprised by the millions of hermits who live in the Cahuita National Park.

El Cahuita National Park It takes around 4 hours to visit. We were able to see raccoons, squirrels, many hermits, insects and small reptiles. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any sloths.

Keep in mind that if you start your visit to the Park in Cahuita, you will end in Puerto Vargas and vice versa. It is not a circular route. At the exit of the park you can take a public bus that runs every hour to return to where you have parked. Likewise, We recommend that you bring flip flops or cholas to visit Cahuita, since you have to cross two rivers. Ah! Y slather on mosquito repellent.

Where to see sloths in Costa Rica?

If you would like to see sloths in Costa Rica, one of the best places is in Puerto Viejo. We in the same town did not manage to see any. However, already leaving the town, Just arriving at the Aviarios del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary we found a couple of them hanging from the trees outside (we show you in the video).

• Restaurants in Puerto Viejo: for breakfast we loved it De Gustibus Bakery, very close to the hotel. On the other hand, to have a drink with sea views we liked it Grow (the food is worthless). Finally, to eat we recommend the Pirate Port with views of the sea and the “Delicious” Soda. In this area of ​​Costa Rica the Pati, a type of empanadilla that you can buy at many stalls. There are sweet and salty ones.

• Hotels in Puerto Viejo. We recommend the Black Bamboo B&B. The owners are Spanish, so it gave us even more confidence. Has private parking, swimming pool And on top of that they can do your laundry for you (laundry service). It can be reached perfectly on foot from the town.

Video of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Cahuita (day 8)

Here we leave you with him video our visit to this area of ​​the Caribbean of Costa Rica and the complete list of the entire trip to Costa Rica in our YouTube Channel.

Day 9, Rafting on the Pacuare River, Turrialba

Without a doubt, one of the essential places to see in Costa Rica and activities to do in the country is the rafting on the Pacuare River. It's one of the longest rafting in the world with around 23 kilometers and 3 hours duration. We did it with Tico's Rivers & Adventures and we loved it. Along the river you will find some Spectacular waterfalls and several rapids that will get your adrenaline pumping.

Almost finishing the tour, they set up a delicious taco picnic. After the visit to Corcovado, it was what we liked most about the trip. This tour cost us approximately € 70 per person. Includes food, transfers from Turrialba and about 3 hours of descent down the river.

• Hotels in Turrialba: Casa de Lis Hotel & Tourist Info Center. There are hardly any hotels here, it is a very "ethical" city.
• Restaurants in Turrialba: A few steps from Casa Lis there is a bakery, try the ears for breakfast. Are a kind of sweet puff pastry shaped like a pizza base. Delicious.
• Excursion from San José. If you don't want to sleep in Turrialba, you can also do this tour along the Pacuare River with transfer from San José.

Video rafting in Pacuare River

Below you can see the video of the rafting in Costa Rica and the entire list of the trip in the YouTube Channel.

Day 10, San José, a city to see in Costa Rica

On our last day of the trip to Costa Rica, we couldn't miss a visit to the city of San José. Of course, very carefully, since apparently It can be dangerous, especially at night and in the market area. We went during the day and everything was quite quiet. We visited the Central Market, some main shopping streets and the National Theatre.

If you are looking for a store of remembrances In San José, in the central market we were able to buy everything we were looking for: cups, magnets, bookmarks, educational games with Costa Rican animals, handmade slingshots, etc.

• Hotels in San Jose. For sleep this time we chose the hotel Radisson San Jose, much better than the first night. It has Breakfast buffet, Super spacious rooms, private parking, swimming pools, check out at 12:00 and it is very close to the center on foot.
• Restaurants in San José. For lunch/dinner we recommend the Escalante neighborhood. One of the coolest areas of the capital of Costa Rica. We loved it, although we didn't get the dinner right, we went to an Arepas bar and the truth is that it was average. In our case, Since it is not recommended to walk at night, we went by car and there was no problem parking.

As you may have seen, in our Costa Rica itinerary we do not visit the tourist area of ​​Tamarindo or Tamagringo, as the Ticos call it. Needless to say, it is for all the gringos or Americans who visit it. We live in Gran Canaria, a destination of sun and beach. Thus, For us it was a priority to visit the National Parks and take a more adventurous trip.

Trip price to Costa Rica

The flight cost us about €800 per person from Gran Canaria and at the destination we spent about €1.700 per person including the car, hotels, gasoline, all the tours, guides, tickets to national parks and meals. That is, about €2.500 per person. We can say that it is an expensive destination except for food and hotels.. You can eat from €7 to €15 per person (no more). Regarding accommodation, you can find wonders for €50 a night. On the contrary, Keep in mind that you have to pay to enter all the parks and the adventure activities are expensive. The Corcovado tour alone cost us more than €250 per person.

On the other hand, renting the 4×4 type car and with comprehensive insurance, we spent about €900 in total. Can this trip be done for less money? For sure yes.

Weather in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has two different seasons, the dry season that goes from December to April and the rainy season that goes from May to November. We went at the end of May / beginning of June and the truth is that we only got heavy rain on one day of the 10 days. Of course, after a certain time in the afternoon it always used to rain. Therefore, The best time to travel to Costa Rica may be during the dry season. This way you will avoid heavy downpours and the roads will be in better condition. Likewise, When we did rafting, for example, they told us that in times of heavy rain it could not be done because the river level rose too much.. Likewise, the roads to Drake would surely be practically flooded by the rivers.

In our experience, Traveling at the end of May and beginning of June was great. Despite the intermittent rain, The climate is tropical, in other words, It is quite hot and, above all, very humid.. On the other hand, as our guide from Tortuguero told us, on the Caribbean side the seasons are not so marked. There are simply sunny days, very sunny days, rainy days and very rainy days 🙂 We were lucky to have some very sunny days..

Tips for traveling to Costa Rica

• Take out travel insurance. Remember that we have a 5% discount here. We hire the IATI Backpacking, since it has good coverage when you do risky sports such as hiking, zip lining or rafting.
• You do not need an international driving license, With your European license you can rent a car.
• Carry a card that allows you to pay in all shops and withdraw money at ATMs in Costa Rica. We carry our Revolut card, with the lowest commissions abroad. Remember always pay in colones.

• If you are going to do a road trip, take out colones (Costa Rica currency) as soon as you can, tolls are only paid in cash
• Carries mosquito repellent and get smeared every day, especially in national parks
• Try the local food in traditional sodasThey are usually cheaper places and the portions are super filling.
• Costa Ricans are called ticos, in case you hear and read it on the signs of some of their establishments. For example, the “Sabor Tico” restaurant that we tried in Monteverde.
• Usually It dawns around 5:45 and dusk around 17:45 pm. We recommend you follow the rhythm of the country, that is, get up at 6:00 and be sleeping at 22:00.
• Avoid driving at night, since the roads are not very good and, in addition, it can coincide with torrential rain.

Coffee of Costa Rica

On the other hand, if you want Buy Costa Rican coffee, you can do it at the airport or at any Wallmart supermarket. Guide Charly from Top Trails told us that the best coffee in Costa Rica was Dota. We also buy there Costa Rican chocolate.

Finally, we can now say that we know first-hand why the phrase is used in Costa Rica Pure Life for all. Now it's your turn to experience it. We hope this article has been inspiring and helpful to you. If you have any questions, leave us a comment, I'm sure your questions will help more travelers.. Pura Vida localguides!

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.