t’s wintertime in many cities in Europe and the East Coast of the U.S. and as you walk from your office to your house, you must be thinking, I need some Sun. So you look up flights to Costa Rica. You’ve heard it is tropical paradise. The Sun does shine very bright and very constantly. The people are friendly and the best part, the options are very varied and relatively easy to access. Up for some surfing and ocean time? Maybe just jungle walks and birdwatching? Yoga near a waterfall? We’ve got it!
Costa Rica has:
-780 miles of coast in the Pacific Coast and 132 miles in the Caribbean: the beach options are endless, all with warm blue water, white and yellow sand, and plenty of palm trees!
-28 national parks, out of which 3 are UNESCO World Heritage Sites
-158 miles from port to port: From Puerto Limón to Puerto Puntarenas can be a 5 hour drive, depending on traffic. Still, think about this: you are going from one ocean to another ocean in a matter of hours. Costa Rica is one of the narrowest countries in the Americas!
If you rent a car, you can cover a lot of territory in 10 days. Of course, we recommend that you stop and enjoy each place you stay. There is a lot of magic in our forests, mountains and beaches. The more time you spend in each, the more special you will find it.
Guanacaste: at the North has a dryer climate, bigger beaches, and is popular for its golf courses and diving. Towards the mountains, there are beautiful volcanoes and lush rain forests.
Here you´ll find a suggested route that will make you want to come back for more of Costa Rica:
- Day 1 and 2: Monteverde is the paradise for birdwatching and a cool place to bungee jump. It is a 2 hour and 30 minute drive from San José airport and has all types of lodging available. The hanging bridges are full of life, green and will give you a feeling of being wrapped up in nature.
- Day 3 and 4: Coming down from Monteverde, go towards Tamarindo. It should be a 3 hour drive. Although it is considered to be ‘touristy’, it is a good homebase if you are trying to do daytrips or get to know the area. Tamarindo has good surf, good parties, good food and in general friendly locals.
Hang around this surf town and enjoy the beach, the wide diversity of local restaurants and cafés. You have everything from American and Tico food to more vegan options. Tamarindo is also a good place to go out dancing or just for a beer or two at popular sports bars with reggae and other genres of music.
- Day 5 and 6: Take day trips to other beaches like Playa Langosta, Playa Brasilito, Playa Grande (turtle nesting tours are available from April to October in this beautiful beach!), Playa Avellanas. Pack a picnic and drive 30 minutes to experience these other places and their smaller village feel. Sportfishing is another interesting daytrip that can easily be arranged in the area.
- Day 7, 8 and 9: Arenal Volcano is one of Costa Rica’s highlights. It is a 4 hour and 30 minute drive from Tamarindo and has hot springs, rafting, hikes, hanging bridges and waterfalls. The Lake is popular for water sports. This volcano is active and is beautiful to look at night. Take one day for exercise, another to relax and the last one to repeat or combine both. The area has so much to offer in terms of nature, relaxation and wellness.
- Day 10: Drive back to San José. Enjoy the drive down surrounded by the beautiful mountains.
