Day 1: Arrive in San Jose
Depending on the time of day, stay the night or get your rental car or shuttle and drive to your first destination!
We got there at night and chose to rent a car since we were going to stay in 4 different locations.
Days 2-4: La Fortuna/Arenal Area
If you have only a week, you’ll probably choose between La Fortuna and Monteverde for your rainforest experience. Both locations have a ton to do but take a long time to travel between them even though they are relatively close. We only went to La Fortuna but from my understanding, Monteverde is distinctive in that it is a cloud forest and is a bit quieter/less touristy than La Fortuna.
We chose to go to La Fortuna and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone!
Accommodations in La Fortuna
There are plenty of options to choose from for lodging in this area. Your choice will likely depend on whether you have your own car or whether you are taking a bus or transfer to La Fortuna. If you rent a car, I recommend opting for something a bit out of town. There is everything from hostels to luxury resorts. We stayed in a hostel focused on wellness. All of the meals were plant-based and most of the food was grown onsite. There were yoga classes offered each morning for a low price and a ton of land to wander around. And, or course, a great view of the Arenal Volcano.
Things to do near La Fortuna
- Visit the La Fortuna Waterfall. This is probably the most visited part of this area because it is easily accessible and very beautiful!
- Swimming in the hot spring river. The river is warm like a bathtub! You can visit or stay at a resort on the river where they have pools built with the hot springs flowing through them. For a free, casual option, head over to Tabacon Resort where you can park along the road and swim in the river on your own. We went at night and there were a ton of Costa Ricans hanging out all over the river.
- Mistico Hanging Bridges: This is the top of my list of things I’d recommend doing in Costa Rica, My friend that had lived in Costa Rica told me that I must not skip the guided tour of this! We did not book our tour ahead of time so we had to wait a bit for the tour to start. We went in the morning because it’s more likely to see animals in the morning while they’re active. I’m so glad we did the guided tour because otherwise I’m not sure we would have seen any cool animals or insects. The guide pointed out all of the animals near and far and had telescopes to see sloths or snakes in the trees.
- Canyoning (or other adventure sports)! Canyoning/Waterfall Rapelling was the most surprisingly fun part of our trip to Costa Rica. We did our canyoning through Pure Trek and I can’t recommend it enough. They provided a delicious lunch and then we were driven up a mountain to start the journey. Waterfall Rapelling is exactly what it sounds like: you’re attached to a rope and pulley and someone at the top and bottom of the rock cliff or waterfall is easing you down. We made our way down the mountain through the jungle with frequent repels in waterfalls or swinging into little ponds. It was so thrilling! There was everyone from 10-year olds to 75-year-olds in our group!
Day 5-7: Pacific Coast - Samara or Nosara
Samara is about 3 hours drive from the Arenal area and is on the Pacific Coast. The beaches are expansive and beautiful here. I would definitely recommend stopping at Playa Carillo (South of Samara) if you’re going to this area. It’s a bit quieter and very clean and beautiful – great for swimming. On our trip we headed all the way to Nosara which is about an hour drive down a rough gravel road from Samara. This is not for the faint of heart but Nosara ended up being worth it! There are lots of expats in Nosara and tons of trendy restaurants with all types of food. Still, the roads are mostly dirt and a lot of people get around on tuktuks or ATVs. Although it is popular for foreigners, the amenities are very basic and it is a very simple surfing community.
Things to do in Samara/Nosara
- Surf! There are a ton of surfing schools. The one I anticipated trying had moved locations but there was another school across the street. We signed up for 1-hour long lessons on the spot and boards are cheap to rent for the day if you don’t want a lesson! I’ve always wanted to surf and was worried that I would be terrible but the waves are gentle and our instructor was great. It ended up being very empowering and so fun.
- Sea turtle hatching. Unfortunately we didn’t have time or arrangements to go to any sea turtle sanctuary areas at night but I’d love to see it someday! There is a lot of protected wildlife land throughout Costa Rica and this part of the coast is mostly protected for wildlife.
- Go to the beach! Sunset on the beach is enjoyed by the entire community here. It can get hot during the day. The sun is strong and the water is warm so your best bet of refuge is going inland where there might be shade and a breeze. But the beaches are so huge here that you must spend some time walking and enjoying!
Day 7: Back to San Jose
Note: We continued on to Punta Islita after Nosara because we were in Costa Rica for a wedding. Punta Islita is so beautiful! It's hard to get to and is very remote - it's primarily a Marriott Autograph Collection Resort.
Options to Extend Your Trip
- On our trip, we were in Costa Rica for about 10 days. We went to Rincon de la Vieja National Park for a few days between Arenal and the Coast. The National Park itself was nice for a short visit. It is in a dry rainforest which is a big contrast to Arenal which is a wet rainforest. I don’t think it’s a region you must see if you’re on a shorter trip but it was interesting. We saw sulphur ponds and hot springs bubbling at the national park. It was very windy in this region so it was a bit cooler for taking hikes, which was very nice! I would recommend doing some adventure activities to fill your time here. We went to the hot springs. I would also recommend trying Ziplining, horseback riding, or another adventure in this part of the country. It’s nice countryside and not super touristy but it’s also not as beautiful (in my opinion) as the other places we went.
- Manuel Antonio. Almost everyone recommends Manuel Antonio. The animals and the beaches are supposed to be the highlights of this park. We were not able to fit it into our trip but I’d love to return and go there!
- Other parts of the Pacific Coast. We strongly considered going to multiple parts along the Pacific Coast for our trip. There are a few natioinal parks and some areas are good for different water sports (snorkeling, diving, boating, etc.). We only ended up going to Nosara and Punta Islita. When I return to Costa Rica, I’d love to go to the northernmost part and also to Santa Teresa.
John Martin Ford
Dear Melanie, I have been to Costa Rica, and it was a super trip. It DOES sit on some teutonic plates, and we definitely experienced some scary earthquakes while we were there. Did you deal with anything like that?
And can you explain to me why people live near that volcano and shorten their average life spans by twenty years or more? You like shouldn’t be breathing sulfur every day. Duh! John
Melanie
Fortunately I didn’t experience any earthquakes but it is interesting how everyone always just has an eye on the volcano in case it erupts again! Must have mystical powers…I don’t want to breathe in sulfur every day!