Costa Rica : travel guide | Itineraries and Highlights

Costa Rica: the must-sees

Beaches and national parks in Costa Rica

This slender piece of land is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other.

So there is no lack of choice in terms of beaches. There are six distinct regions with water access and there is not one beach that is necessarily better than another.

In fact, the choice will depend on your interests and activities, your timing for your trip to Costa Rica and your itinerary.

• The beaches of the northern region of Guanacaste
• The beaches of the southern region of Guanacaste
• The beaches of the Pacific Ocean
• The beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula
• The beaches of the Osa Peninsula
• The beaches of the Caribbean Sea

Likewise, depending on your itinerary, you can easily find a national park to admire the iconic fauna of Costa Rica or to do activities according to your preferences.

Indeed, there are a great number of parks in Costa Rica. Let yourself be tempted by an excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park.

San Jose

San José, the capital of Costa Rica, is a city rich in culture and history. Despite all that this metropolis has to offer, it is often overlooked by travelers who rush to the beautiful beaches and tropical forests.

It’s understandable; we’re often drawn to the exoticism of Costa Rica and don’t linger too long in the city!

However, a day or two is a good compromise to discover this Central American metropolis: the majority of San José’s attractions are centralized around Avenida Central. In this neighbourhood, it’s easy to walk through a variety of museums, restaurants, parks, markets, etc.

Discover the charm of its historic center on this free tour of San José.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo will delight your taste buds with its Afro-Caribbean fusion cuisine. This small town on the waterfront is ideal for relaxation and water activities.

Indeed, it is a very beautiful place with magnificent reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving.

The picturesque town of Puerto Viejo and its many beaches are surrounded by tropical forest and the Manzanillo National Refuge. Thus, one can take small hikes in the jungle and see monkeys, sloths, etc.

Tortuguero

From July to October in Costa Rica, thousands of gigantic turtles come lay eggs on the beaches of Tortuguero during the night.

It is an amazing natural phenomenon: you can see the turtles coming out of the water, then they go to their spot on the beach to dig their hole and finally, lay hundreds of eggs.

When they have finished, the turtles bury their offspring to protect them from predators and return to the sea. The process takes about 2 hours.

Don’t hesitate to book an excursion to Tortuguero National Park.

July and August are the peak of the egg-laying season. So it is possible to see turtles laying eggs everywhere and observe the different stages without having to stay on the beach for a long time.

Then, seven to 10 weeks later, the sea turtles hatch. Since the egg-laying period extends over several months, it’s possible to watch the eggs being laid and the little turtles braving the beach to reach the ocean during the same Costa Rica trip!

La Fortuna

The town of La Fortuna lies at the foot of the Arenal volcano and is an excellent place to base yourself on an adventure-oriented trip to Costa Rica: rafting in the rapids, abseiling (canyoning), mountain biking on the volcano, kayaking or SUP on Lake Arenal, etc.

You could discover the suspension bridges in the heart of the Arenal forest , or try your hand at zip-lining up the Arenal volcano.

Hot springs are available to round off the day!

Monteverde

The Monteverde Reserve is the most popular national park in Costa Rica. Also described as a cloud forest, the atmosphere here is mysterious and the temperature is cooler.

You’re sure to love this hike through the Monteverde cloud forest.

In this forest, there are many footpaths and suspension bridges where you can meet animals and contemplate the sublime scenery. This is perfect for a family activity.

Instead of walking through the region’s dense vegetation, thrill-seekers can zip-line over the forest at Monteverde.

Finally, another way to discover the Monteverde forest is to take a night tour when some animals come out to hunt.

Sarapiquí Rainforest

Located in the northwest of Costa Rica, the Sarapiquí rainforest is well suited to a route that includes La Fortuna and Monteverde.

Sarapiquí is known for its ecological tourism, wildlife, ornithology and outdoor activities.

The views of the rainforest are magnificent; early risers can see the first rays of sunlight peeking through the fog and the green canopy.

Liberia

Liberia is the gateway to the Guanacaste region. Air Canada and Air Transat serve this international airport from Montreal and Toronto.

So, if you don’t want to do a lot of driving and focus your trip in the north of Costa Rica, you should consider Liberia. Also, be on the lookout for plane tickets to Liberia compared to San José, they’re sometimes cheaper!

Like San Jose, a day or two can be enough to get a feel for a big city before heading to the beach.

Playa Negra

With beautiful waves, Playa Negra is a surfer’s paradise. The waves are very consistent and attract surfers from all over the world!

Besides surfing, Playa Negra is a charming place to rest. Indeed, it is a popular getaway for locals as well.

Tamarindo

Like Playa Negra, Tamarindo is known for its beaches and waves. Being close to the Liberia airport, it is a very touristy place.

Tamarindo Beach is three kilometers long with a view of the rainforest in the background.

In addition, Mario Las Baulas National Park, another famous nesting site for sea turtles, is not too far from Tamarindo.

Manuel Antonio National Park

The city of Quepos is located on the west coast of Costa Rica and is a beautiful place to rest and enjoy the beautiful beaches.

The Manuel Antonio National Park is not too far from Quepos. The park’s beautiful beaches and crystal-clear seas are ideal for swimming, kayaking, surfing and more.

Hiking trails are also available to meet toucans, monkeys and sloths.

An excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park will plunge you into the splendors of Costa Rica.

Organize your trip to Costa Rica

When to visit?

The best time to discover Costa Rica is between December and April since it is the dry season.

However, May, June and November are also good times to visit the country, when tourist numbers are lower. As for the temperature, these are months when the seasons are in transition: the green season.

The months of September and October should be avoided because of the rainy season. However, since Costa Rica is a tropical country, you should expect rain even if you are in the dry season.

How much time is required to visit?

We recommend that you allow between seven and 14 days for a vacation in Costa Rica, so that you can discover the country’s major attractions. Since the roads are not always very easy, getting from one area to another can be time consuming.

Thus, plan your trip to Costa Rica according to an area and do not spread yourself too thin. You can go back there since it is not too far from Canada. To tour the entire country, you’d need at least three or four weeks!

Here are some suggested itineraries

• Seven days: San José, La Fortuna (Arénal volcano), Manuel Antonio National Park
• 10 days: San José, La Fortuna (volcano Areal), Monteverde, Pacific Coast, Manuel Antonio National Park
• 14 days: San José, La Fortuna (volcano Areal), Tamarindo, Monteverde, Pacific Coast
• One month: a complete tour of the country

Public transportation

The local bus is still the most economical way to get from one place to another, especially if you want to visit well-served tourist spots. In fact, most of the bus routes are to and from the capital, San José.

However, if you rely on the bus system, you can waste a lot of time, as it may be necessary to constantly return to San Jose, the hub, to get to another part of Costa Rica.

The bus schedule site can be useful for finding the routes served and the operating schedule.

How to get there?

Where to start your trip to Costa Rica?

The country has two international airports:

• In Liberia: for a trip to the northwest and the Guanacaste region
• In San José: for vacations to the Pacific, Central and Central Valley regions

Costa Rica: saving with points

Travel points

Airline ticket prices to Costa Rica can vary greatly. Indeed, depending on the season, fares can be high, and using travel points is best.

Many credit cards offer generous welcome bonuses to help offset the cost of airline tickets.

First, when researching airline ticket purchases, there are always several factors to consider when determining whether to use airline points or pay with cash.

Then, when you choose to pay in cash, there is always a way to use points to reduce the cost of the purchase.

For example, these flights found on the Expedia for TD website are notably cheaper than a similar ticket purchased with points from an airline program like Aeroplan, but these flights involve a stopover.

In addition, it is possible to use TD Rewards points to purchase this airline ticket; if you don’t have enough, it is possible to add money.

TD Rewards points are easily earned with the TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card, and for a family, each adult could sign up to unlock a pile of points for a trip to Costa Rica.

Aeroplan Points

Air Canada provides direct service between Montreal and San José, Costa Rica.

The Aeroplan loyalty program offers you many advantages. In Canada, major banks offer credit cards in partnership with Aeroplan, allowing you to earn points on your daily spending.

In economy class, for a one-way trip from Montreal, you’ll need at least 12,500 points, according to Air Canada’s points predictor.

Would you like to find out more about this program? Here’s our Aeroplan beginner’s guide.

Car rental

For a trip at your own pace, you will have to rent a car.

Is it advisable to pay more for a 4 x 4? Between the different cities, you will not have any problem with a standard vehicle, but the roads are not always well maintained everywhere. In addition, many areas are only accessible by unpaved trails.

Although car rental costs can be very high in Costa Rica, this expense can be easily absorbed by credit card rewards points.

Once again, we used TD Rewards points to cover the cost of the car rental.

If you use points to pay for your car rental: we suggest you pay the difference, if any, with the credit card associated with the points.

For example, if you use TD Rewards points for your car rental, you will need to pay in full with points or top up with the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card^® to benefit from the credit card’s car rental insurance.

This is the TD Certificate of Insurance.

Lodging

Independent hotels

For most itineraries in Costa Rica, it will be more economical to make independent hotel reservations and then apply points against the expense upon return from the trip.

There are a large number of accommodations with cooking facilities or including breakfasts, which is ideal for saving money.

Since hotel expenses are categorized as « travel », it’s possible to use points, such as NBC travel points from the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®, to help offset costs.

Our guide How do I choose the best credit card for my trip? will be very helpful.

The ecolodges

An ecolodge is an accommodation that seeks to minimize the negative impact on the environment. Costa Rica is one of the world’s top destinations for a wide range of ecolodges.

Indeed, the country is so rich in rainforest and diversity that it’s the perfect place to soak up the tranquility of nature from sunrise to sunset.

Marriott Bonvoy Hotels

In Costa Rica, there are several Marriott Bonvoy hotels. However, they are mainly located in San Jose and on the west coast, including the Aloft San Jose Hotel, Costa Rica.

There are also establishments where you can maximize your annual one-night free certificate. A certificate costing 35,000 points(up to 50,000 with additional points) can be used for overnight stays in top-of-the-range hotels.

On foreign currency transactions

If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, choose a credit card with no conversion fees. That’s 2.5% savings per transaction! Discover our tips in our guide to saving on foreign currency transactions.

Bottom Line

To follow my adventures on my Instagram account @wanderingaline, it’s this way!

https://www.instagram.com/p/yvJJrJNvzc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Frequently Asked Questions