Costa Rica : travel guide | Itineraries and Highlights

Costa Rica is a small country in terms of surface, but the territory offers a lot of diversity that is hard to compete with.

With its volcanoes, rainforests, beaches and wildlife, Costa Rica is a destination for everyone!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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