A Magical Trip to Costa Rica
General
Costa Rica is an ideal tourist destination. It is extremely diverse, considered safe, and friendly.
It has everything: spectacular nature with rain forests, volcanoes, hot springs, exotic and surfing beaches, encounters with many animals in the wild, plenty of active vacation options, and attractions suitable for all ages, from restless young people to families with young children.
Everything is green and tropical, looking just like paradise, with about 1,000 bird species and over 10,000 plant species. In Costa Rica, there are activities of almost every kind – from rafting, canopy (ziplining), rappelling, trekking, and cycling, to surfing, diving, and beaches, and of course, tours in nature reserves and parks for wildlife viewing.
Additionally, it is easy to combine it with a trip to the USA, thanks to the available and relatively cheap flights from various destinations in the US, including New York.
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In this article, you will discover the attractions in several selected destinations and their surroundings: San Jose and its vicinity, the Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna area, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, and Tamarindo. For each destination, you will find recommendations for hotels and the best tours. You can book hotels here through Booking.com and your chosen tours through the successful and reliable Viator website.
I will present here suggestions for fascinating day trips from each destination as well as travel packages of 9 or 11 days in Costa Rica that include transfers, accommodations, and attractions, including pickup and return to the airport.
San Jose
San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and its largest and most central city. The international airport is located in the city, so most tourists pass through it, but many only use it as a starting point to the rest of quiet and peaceful Costa Rica, due to its mixed reputation regarding safety compared to other areas.
To book a private transfer from the airport to La Fortuna from Viator:
♦ Private transfer from San Jose airport to hotels in La Fortuna (near Arenal, about two and a half hours drive): San Jose Airport to La Fortuna Private VIP Transfer
Nevertheless, it is recommended to stay a little in the city – you can wander around the city center safely during daylight hours (though it is not recommended to walk outside alone after dark), or primarily go on guided day trips in the city and to the surrounding attractions.
Day trips in or out of San Jose
There is a variety of tours to waterfalls, volcanoes, tropical forests, and interesting towns around San Jose. It is worth taking a guided tour where you will be driven in an air-conditioned vehicle from one attraction to another, with pickup and return to your hotel in San Jose. Most of these tours also include lunch.
♦ Book day tours and excursions from San Jose from Viator:
Many day trips depart from San Jose. There are tours to the Poas Volcano, and some combine a visit to one of the many coffee plantations in the area (Costa Rica is one of the world's leading coffee producers).
The Poas Volcano, rising to a height of 2700 meters, has the largest active crater in the world – about 1.5 km wide and 300 m deep. The mountain has erupted about 39 times since 1828, but it erupts in the form of a geyser frequently.
From the park's visitor center, there is a walking trail that splits into 3 routes:
A route to the active crater, a route to the Botos Lagoon, and a hiking trail in the cloud forest on the mountain.
The crater is a very impressive sight – there is volcanic activity and steam rises from the lagoon. Botos Lagoon is another crater where there is no longer activity, and a beautiful lagoon surrounded by greenery has formed.
On the way to the mountain, you will also see a beautiful view of the valley where San Jose is located.
It is recommended to reach the mountain in the morning, because from noon the mountain usually gets covered in clouds and the lagoons and view cannot be seen.
At the coffee plantations, they will explain the Costa Rican coffee industry and show you how the work is done. Other recommended tours in the area are to the Irazu Volcano, the highest active mountain in the country at 3400 meters with a beautiful sulfur lagoon in its crater, and to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.
Recommended hotels in and around San Jose:
Park Inn by Radisson San Jose A modern 4-star hotel, close to the city center, reasonable prices, highly recommended.
Hotel Presidente A 4-star hotel in the heart of the city, right next to the pedestrian mall.
Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen A 5-star hotel with two outdoor pools, a pampering spa, golf course, fifteen minutes drive from the city center, close to the airport.
Selection of other recommended hotels in and around San Jose - Booking.com Reliable and successful booking site.
Recommended B&Bs and Hostels in and around San Jose - Booking.com
Multi-day itineraries from San Jose
Those landing in San Jose can purchase comprehensive travel packages from the reliable Viator website for the best attractions Costa Rica has to offer. The packages include experiential tours for several days across Costa Rica departing from San Jose. The tours usually include transfers, accommodations, most attractions along the way, and some meals. You can read about the destinations in these tours in my articles listed at the bottom of the page.
To book from Viator - recommended multi-day tours in Costa Rica:
Another successful starting point for tours in the green cloud forests of Costa Rica and many extreme activities is Lands in Love Hotel and Resort, located about an hour and a half drive northwest of San Jose.
This is a unique hotel that advocates for environmental protection and vegetarianism, founded by a group of 18 Israeli friends who turned the place into a small paradise. The scenery is simply amazing – lush green forests, birds, and flowers within the clouds. The place has a homey atmosphere, helpful staff, and excellent food, and from there you can go to many attractions: from hiking trails in the forest to many extreme activities like canopy, canyoning, and rafting.
On the trails, you can see many waterfalls, plenty of vegetation unique to the cloud forest, and also wildlife.
The canopy at the site is one of the best in the world – there are 12 ziplines over the tree canopies in the forest, in various lengths from 30 meters up to 250, and for dessert, 3 giant "artificial" ziplines from ramps built for this purpose, the longest of which is 750 meters and takes about a minute! Highly recommended experience!
Canyoning is rappelling done inside waterfalls. You descend several waterfalls, small and large, some by rappelling against the rock and some in the air attached to a harness – fun and unique.
The rafting nearby, on the Rio Balsa river, is also very successful – professional level 3 rafting in a beautiful area.
From the hotel, it is recommended to continue later to other beautiful regions of Costa Rica:
Arenal Volcano Region
Arenal is another active volcano, which had a major eruption about 10 years ago where large areas were covered in lava. Near the mountain is the town of La Fortuna, named so because it was lucky enough to be saved during the great eruption – the other side of the mountain was hit. The town is the base for tourism in the region – there are dozens of hotels and motels of various levels and many tours depart from it.
A recommended tour is in the forests near the mountain – you will see a viewpoint of the volcano (provided it is not covered in clouds, which happens often), and go on a tour to view the animals and vegetation in the area – everything is green and beautiful, you see monkeys on the trees and with a bit of luck also toucans and other animals.
Many tours depart in the afternoon and end with another view of the volcano, hoping to see lava flowing from the mountain.
♦ Book recommended tours from La Fortuna to the Arenal Volcano area from Viator:
Another highly recommended attraction for the evening hours is the hot springs near La Fortuna. There are 2 main springs – Tabacon and Baldi. Tabacon is smaller and more exclusive, while Baldi is cheaper and suitable for families and young people – it has 25 pools, from 35 to 67 degrees, waterfalls, and water slides. A very large, impressive, and enjoyable complex.
Various boat tours and rafting trips also depart from La Fortuna, ranging from a calm river float to levels 2, 3, and stormy 4 rafting.
♦ Book from Viator - boating options of various levels from La Fortuna:
♦ Book day and night tours from La Fortuna from Viator:
♦ Canyoning and zipline tour from La Fortuna:
Waterfall Rappelling, Ziplining, Pool Jumping, Hiking with Lunch
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
Two hours north of Arenal, near the border with Nicaragua, is the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge. The refuge includes many species of animals and plants over an extensive area.
In the wet season (May-October), the Rio Frio river overflows its banks and creates lakes. Then you can tour the area on a particularly interesting boat trip. The area is relatively remote and preserved, so you can see many unique animals there: various birds unique to the area, caimans (small crocodiles), many types of monkeys including sloths, turtles, and bats.
Booking boat tours to Caño Negro from Viator:
Recommended guided motorboat tour in Caño Negro: Wildlife Boat Trip Caño Negro. The tour takes about 9 hours including transfer from the Arenal area and lunch.
It is highly recommended to do the boat trip in a canoe without the engine noise, with fewer people. The float is downstream and paddling is mainly for steering. A wonderful nature experience!
Recommended hotels in the Arenal area:
Nayara Springs – The most impressive and successful hotel in the area. A luxury boutique hotel rich in tropical vegetation, pools, amazing restaurants, and a spa.
Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa – An extensive 5-star hotel featuring hot spring baths, sauna, luxury spa treatments, and 5 swimming pools, completely immersed in tropical vegetation.
Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa – A 5-star suite hotel overlooking the Arenal Volcano. It also has hot spring pools, beautiful swimming pools, and quality restaurants.
Arenal Springs Resort & Spa – A 4-star hotel whose rooms overlook the Arenal Volcano. The hotel has a pool, spa, and restaurant.
Hotel Lomas del Volcan – Bungalows all overlooking tropical gardens, at a 3-star level. The hotel has a pool and jacuzzi. The hotel has a restaurant. A beautiful 1.5 km nature trail passes through it.
Monteverde
Monteverde is a small town in the heart of the cloud forests in central Costa Rica. It is relatively close to Arenal, but most of the road is a dirt road and therefore takes about 3 hours. The town is much smaller and quieter than La Fortuna but also has many places to stay.
It offers a beautiful view of the area and the lake near Arenal, and primarily you can hike in the Monteverde Reserve and see the dense forests, impressive vegetation, and the wildlife within them.
In the reserve, there is a recommended trail of about 3 km on suspension bridges, where you can see the cloud forest from another angle and spot many birds, monkeys, and raccoons.
The park also has some extreme activity – several long ziplines (canopy) over the trees, and the Tarzan Swing – a kind of giant swing where you fly in the forest. This is a tour of about 3 hours over the treetops.
The total length of all zipline routes is 3 km and the maximum height is 127 meters, a fun and recommended experience!
Fascinating night tours also depart from Monteverde to watch the forest's nocturnal animals – primarily many species of insects and ants, capable of carrying enormous weights relative to their size (sometimes entire branches!), and also tarantulas.
Another recommended attraction in Monteverde is the Frog and Butterfly Farm – a farm where you can see dozens of types of beautiful butterflies, and also dozens of types of local frogs of various species and in all colors and sizes, with interesting explanations about their uniqueness.
Book tours in Monteverde from Viator:
Recommended accommodations in Monteverde:
Hotel El Establo A 3-star hotel with views of the cloud forest. Two restaurants, spa, and outdoor pool. Free internet in public areas and free parking.
Los Pinos - Cabanas & Gardens 3-star cottages, includes fully equipped kitchen. Free parking and free internet in public areas.
Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, but one of the most beautiful and popular in the country.
The park is on a peninsula, 6 km from the town of Quepos, with many accommodations nearby. At the park entrance, there is a large and amazing beach, a vast strip of white sand and turquoise water, where you can also learn to surf.
In the park itself, there are 4 small and quiet beaches, surrounded by green – a forest full of animals of all kinds that move around with almost no fear of the many tourists. You will see many monkeys, iguanas, many types of birds, crabs, sloths, and also snakes and crocodiles. At the end of the tour among the animals, it is recommended to stay at one of the park's beautiful beaches.
In the area between Quepos and Manuel Antonio, there are many restaurants, a small tourist market, and also nightlife.
From nearby Quepos, you can go on a boat trip in the area's bays where you can sometimes see dolphins and whales, go snorkeling in one of them and see many fish.
♦ Book tours in Manuel Antonio from Viator:
Recommended accommodations in Manuel Antonio:
Parador Nature Resort and Spa A 5-star hotel, 3 pools, 3 restaurants, air-conditioned rooms. Free shuttle service to the beaches. Free internet in rooms, free parking.
Hotel La Mariposa A 4-star hotel. Restaurant and pool. Air-conditioned rooms. Free internet and parking.
Gaia Hotel & Reserve A 5-star hotel for adults only. Restaurant, pool, air-conditioned rooms. Free internet and parking.
Tours, Nature Parks, and Recommended Hotels in Northwestern Costa Rica
The northwestern region of Costa Rica located in the Guanacaste province is famous for its successful sandy beaches where many hotels of all types are scattered, including luxury 5-star hotels. The region also has a variety of national nature parks with tropical forests, volcanoes and thermal phenomena, and diverse wildlife. You can tour and spend time in this area for at least a week. The main tourist town of the area is Tamarindo, famous for its surfing beaches. The largest city in this region is Liberia, which has an international airport located only about 20 minutes drive from the ocean shores.
Vacation and Tours in Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a resort town on the Pacific Ocean in the Nicoya Peninsula in northwestern Costa Rica, about 3.5 hours drive northwest of San Jose and about three hours west of Arenal.
It can be reached by bus from San Jose, but it is much preferable by large shared shuttles of the Interbus company that depart several times a day from San Jose, Arenal, and other destinations and will take you right to the hotel door.
Tamarindo is famous for its popular surfing beaches, suitable for both beginners and more experienced surfers, and for its eco-tourism. It is very popular with American tourists, both the young who are attracted to the surfing beaches and the wealth of entertainment options, and the older ones, whom it reminds of Hawaii from fifty years ago before tourism fully developed there.
Book tours and excursions in Tamarindo from the successful Viator website:
♦ Tour to Rio Celeste:
Rio Celeste Hiking, Sloth Sanctuary & Llanos de Cortes Waterfall Tour
Recommended tours from Tamarindo for booking from Viator:
Recommended hotels in Tamarindo:
The most successful hotel in the town, located on the beachfront, is Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort. This is a sprawling 5-star resort with spacious and pampered rooms, many of them overlooking the sea, lovely pools, a range of quality restaurants, and a casino.
Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel – A 4-star hotel about 500 meters from the sea. The hotel has a swimming pool and is immersed in tropical vegetation.
JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa – A luxury 5-star resort situated on a wonderful beach adjacent to golf courses about 6 km south of Tamarindo. The hotel has wonderful pools, manicured gardens, and a wealth of restaurants.
Hotel Arco Iris – A small 3-star hotel, abundant in rich tropical vegetation, with cute bungalows in various sizes, a pool, and a restaurant. For those looking for a more modest and intimate place, located a few hundred meters from the beach on a side street.
Other recommended guided tours in Tamarindo:
Additional recommended areas in Costa Rica are Tortuguero and its turtle reserve on the eastern coast, where many sea turtles and their nesting process can be seen, as well as many other animals, Corcovado National Park in the south of the western coast, and other beach areas where you can vacation, surf, and rest.