Costa Rica's Natural Wonders - 10 Days

Day 1: Arrive in San José, Afternoon Sightseeing & Museums

Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon arrival, a driver will transfer you from the airport to your hotel in San José. After settling in, stretch your legs with a self-guided walking tour of downtown. Depending on your hotel's location, you can walk or take a taxi to your first destination: Mercado Central (Central Market), featuring over 200 shops, food stalls, and sodas (traditional restaurants).

From there, it's a short walk to Parque Central, a small plaza always bustling with activity. Cross the park toward Catedral Metropolitana, and continue down Avenida Central to reach the Teatro Nacional, an opulent neoclassical building constructed in the late 19th century. 

Your first museum stop is the Museo del Oro Precolumbino, which is accessible from beneath the Plaza de la Cultura and holds the most extensive pre-Columbian gold collection in Latin America. Next, stroll a few blocks east to the Museo del Jade to discover five floors of archaeological artifacts and learn about the region's Mesoamerican history and culture. As evening falls, grab dinner nearby before heading back to your hotel for an early night.

Day 3:  Sloth & Wildlife Hikes, Soak in the Tabacón Hot Springs

You're off on more hiking adventures today, starting with the Sloth Trail. This nature trail cuts through a habitat for sloths (both two-toed and three-toed) who like to hang on the branches of the trees and feed on bright green leaves. On this two-hour guided hike, you'll see a few of these animals and perhaps even spy a mother sloth and its baby. During the walk, your bilingual guide will also point out other animals common to this area, like the famous red-eyed tree frog.

In the afternoon, discover more of La Fortuna's natural landscapes with a hike around Arenal Volcano and other nearby nature reserves. Start at the entrance of the 1968 Trail, where you'll hit the well-maintained trails that skirt the base of the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. This 1.5-hour route offers some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the park, and your naturalist guide will keep a well-trained eye out for exotic birds, monkeys, and other animals along the way. After hiking the trails, your guide will drop you off at Tabacón Hot Springs so you can soothe your muscles with a dip in mineral-rich waters. 

Day 4: Río Celeste Waterfall Hike, Finca Verde Nature Farm Visit

Today you'll venture into Tenorio Volcano National Park for a moderate three-hour hike along the Río Celeste, one of the most remarkable natural attractions in Costa Rica. The legend says that after God painted the sky, he washed his brushes in this river, which resulted in its famous electric-blue waters. The hike takes you 4 miles (7 km) along the river through a rainforest ecosystem home to animals like monkeys, sloths, peccaries, and anteaters. The hike culminates with a descent of 253 steps to reach the Catarata Río Celeste, a waterfall of such profound beauty you'll think you've found your private paradise.

After the hike, stop at Finca Verde Farm and go on an inspiring walk to spot natural wonders such as tropical plants and flowers, birds, sloths, frogs, snakes, and insects. Along the way, you'll learn fascinating facts about the life cycle of butterflies and the day-to-day practices of organic farming, before transferring back to your hotel for a relaxed afternoon at your leisure.

Day 5: Transfer to Monteverde, Coffee Experience & Nighttime Nature Walk

Today you'll trade La Fortuna for Costa Rica's Monteverde region—with a scenic four-hour journey that combines shuttle bus and boat. After a pickup at your hotel, transfer to the shores of Lake Arenal and step aboard a water taxi for the 30-minute cruise across the lake (keeping an eye out for herons, kingfishers, and storks along the way). When you arrive at the Monteverde side of the lake, a shuttle will be waiting to take you the rest of the way to your hotel, where you can rest and refresh before this afternoon's activities. 

Considered one of the country's main ecotourism destinations, Monteverde is located in the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range, and its cloud forests, cooler climate, and wildlife-drenched terrain offer plenty of outdoor adventure opportunities. You'll start your explorations with a guided visit to a local coffee plantation, where you'll have the opportunity to identify and learn about the coffee plant firsthand. Your guide will walk you through every step of the process, from harvesting to roasting and brewing, and show you the simplest way to prepare a perfect cup of coffee.

Day 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Get ready for an expedition into the famous "green lung of Costa Rica." Meet your guide in the morning and embark on a half-day hike around the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, which boasts a whopping 2.5% of the world's biodiversity. Unsurprisingly, the reserve is teeming with wildlife, including spider monkeys, tree frogs, sloths, spiders, and big cats like pumas and jaguars. It's also a birder's paradise, with more than 350 bird species, including the quetzal.

Follow your naturalist guide along forest trails and get an up-close look at the region's remarkable biodiversity as you search for some of the birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects that call the 26,000-acre (3,500 ha) reserve home. After an immersive and educational few hours in nature, you'll stop by a local women's artisan cooperative to end the experience. 

Day 7: Transfer to Manuel Antonio National Park

The last leg of your Costa Rican adventure takes on another memorable transfer, this time down the Pacific coast to Manuel Antonio National Park. This protected area is home to virgin rainforest running from the mountains to the coast, where white-sand beaches and coral reefs await. The drive takes approximately four hours, depending on traffic, and you'll stop along the way in the town of Tárcoles, famous for having the largest American crocodile population in Central America. You can usually see at least a dozen sunbathing on the riverbanks or floating in the water from the town's bridge.

Afterward, continue to Manuel Antonio National Park and get settled at your hotel. You'll have the remainder of the afternoon free, so you can wind down on one of the park's four beautiful beaches or set off on a short, self-guided hike along one of the park's many well-marked trails. In the evening, head to the town of Quepos for dinner. 

Day 8: Manuel Antonio National Park Hike

Dive deeper into the Pacific coast's unspoiled nature today with a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. At 1,680 acres (680 ha), this is the smallest of Costa Rica's national parks, but it's also one of the most biodiverse, with a range of habitats that include coral reefs, beaches, mangrove swamps, and primary rainforest. Meet up with your expert naturalist guide and head out along a 2-mile (3.2 km) trail through the rainforest, spotting sloths, monkeys, reptiles, butterflies, and various birds along the way.

Your guide will have a spotting scope on hand so you can get a look at even the shyest residents, and you'll end up at one of the country's most famous beaches, where you'll have some free time to relax and swim before transferring back to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to savor some more relaxed beach time or set off on more optional adventures. If you're eager to hit the water, opt for a kayaking excursion, or get a closer look at some of the species you spotted this morning with a visit to a local wildlife sanctuary.

Day 9: Morning Surfing Lesson, Afternoon Catamaran Cruise & Snorkeling

Costa Rica's central Pacific coast is famous for its surfing, and this morning you'll get a taste of the action with a fun lesson on the sands of Playa Scull. Gentle waves and experienced instructors mean you'll be riding the waves in no time, whatever your level—you can even rent a board and continue catching some surf afterward on your own. 

Later in the day, you'll end the penultimate day of your trip with a memorable catamaran cruise that sets off from the pier in Quepos. Your knowledgeable crew will point out the region's islands, cliffs, and rock formations as you cruise the coastline, then the captain will drop anchor at Biesanz Bay, where you can snorkel or relax onboard. Look out for the parrotfish, starfish, angelfish, and dolphins that frequent these waters before climbing back aboard to enjoy a barbecue meal. Depending on the time of day, you might catch a colorful sunset on the cruise back to port.

Day 10: Transfer to San José, Depart

The sun rises on the final day of your Costa Rican adventure today. When the time comes, your driver will be waiting to transfer you roughly three hours north to the San José airport, where you'll catch your flight. Safe travels!

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