How did I choose Costa Rica as a destination? I have to say one of my best friends had done this trip a couple of years back and I wanted a not-so-famous destination where everybody goes. I was there in January of 2020; it turns out Costa Rica is indeed quite preserved from mass tourism and its population is charming and so welcoming with tourists.
The place is ideal for nature discovery, with plenty of hikes, national parks, national reserves, and volcanos, but it is also a great destination for farniente! Experiencing the “Pura Vida” lifestyle the locals enjoy every day has been the best part of my trip! And beaches are just beautiful! Also, I was initially considering this as a friend’s trip but none of them were available at that time, so I just decided to go there anyways and make it a solo trip. Although I had already traveled solo for my studies, this was a first for me and I’ve truly appreciated that solo time abroad with me and my camera.
Transportation
Although getting a rental vehicle is by far the easiest way to do things if you are not traveling solo, it is more expensive when you do. The public transportation network in Costa Rica is quite extensive so I personally chose that solution.
In terms of booking, I personally booked my commutes via the website GetYourGuide which I felt was great and offered many different possibilities depending on your budget. Among these possibilities and according to road conditions, I did book some van shuttles, public bus commutes, taxi boats and regular taxis. Also, Uber is working in some parts of the country so I might want to check that as well.
Some of the tips I could give is be careful as some of the itineraries in Costa Rica might seem quite easy when you look at the map, but the mountains and road conditions sometimes actually make the commute 3 hours longer. You will want to plan your long commutes in advance. Also if you decide to rent a vehicle for your trip, you want to consider an all-terrain vehicles and big wheels: road can be slippery, in bad conditions, super rocky, muddy or flooded (I know this may looks bad haha, trust me it doesn’t, but making sure that you have the appropriate vehicle if you do encounter this type of road will avoid some problems and after all this is part of the trip as well!)
My itinerary for 8 days
Most people told me that San Jose was not worth it so apart from the airport transfer, I skipped this city in my 8-day itinerary and started from La Fortuna. I’ll briefly outline here the highlights of my stay and further fully-detailed articles for each of the different places where I stayed in.
La Fortuna (2 days)
After commuting to La Fortuna village where I stayed, I enjoyed the region which hosts a couple of Costa Rican must-do’s. Home to the Arenal Volcano, this is the first thing you will see when in La Fortuna. Although you must hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park, you can also enjoy the volcano’s hot springs and climbing down La Fortuna Waterfall steps. A couple of things I didn’t have time for: hiking the Cerro Chato, Arenal hanging bridges (I did some later in the trip in Monteverde) and seeing the other side of Arenal Volcano National Park overlooking the Arenal Lake.
Monteverde mountains at Santa Elena (2 days)
I booked a public commute to Monteverde which included one taxi boat and a bus trip in the mountains to Santa Elena where I discovered the charming village, enjoyed some alone time in Monteverde Hanging Bridges early morning and also visited the Cloud Forest Natural Reserve with a guide.
Montezuma (2 days)
These two days included some farniente time for sure on the beach but also some yoga time, and a trip to Montezuma Waterfall before reaching the other shoreline with a second taxi boat (quite fun!)
Manuel Antonio (2 days)
Although weather conditions were not forthcoming, I enjoyed these two last days between Quepos village and Marina, and visiting Manuel Antonio National Park with a guide as well (this is the way you’ll see way more wildlife). Also enjoyed some relaxing around the pool under the sun when I could!
For more detailed info, you want to review the dedicated articles I wrote on each of these places, and for those of you who are planning on doing a road trip to Costa Rica, I hope you have a lot of sun, loads of fun
& PURA VIDA!!
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