Your next Costa Rica trip

Trip Ideas

Routes and ideas built around realistic drive times, with each experience booked separately so you stay flexible.

Updated: October 30, 2026. Schedules, prices and conditions change; always confirm on the booking page.

Sunset over Jacó Beach, Central Pacific · Photo: WildPhotography.com

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Coming back

If your first trip was Arenal plus Manuel Antonio (the most common pairing), here are three swaps:

Trade Manuel Antonio for Uvita: whales in season, waterfalls and Caño Island. See Southern Pacific.
Trade the Pacific for the Caribbean: Tortuguero canals and Puerto Viejo. See Caribbean.
Trade Arenal for Monteverde or Río Celeste: cloud forest or a blue river. See Arenal & Monteverde.

More in Returning to Costa Rica? Plan a Different Kind of Vacation.

Short escapes

Escape	From	Road time (approx.)	Idea
Jacó weekend	San José	1.5–2 h	Surf lesson + Carara birding
Coffee & volcano day	San José	1–2 h	Doka coffee farm or Irazú
Arenal long weekend	San José	About 3 h	Hot springs + hanging bridges
Guanacaste beach weekend	Liberia	30 min–1.5 h	Sunset catamaran

One-week route

A relaxed week: three nights in La Fortuna, then four on the Pacific coast. Full plan: A Relaxed One-Week Costa Rica Itinerary.

Two-week route

Days 1–2: Central Valley — coffee tour, first night near SJO.
Days 3–5: La Fortuna — hot springs, hanging bridges (about 3 h drive).
Days 6–7: Monteverde — cloud forest walk (about 3–4 h by road, or jeep-boat-jeep transfer).
Days 8–10: Manuel Antonio — park and catamaran (about 4–5 h).
Days 11–13: Uvita — whales in season, Caño Island (about 1 h).
Day 14: return to SJO (about 3.5–4 h).

Each tour is booked separately with its operator; nothing on this page is a package.

La FortunaAgoda