The destinations
- San José is the capital and main gateway, with museums, markets and day trips to volcanoes and coffee farms.
- Arenal and La Fortuna sit under Arenal Volcano, with hot springs, waterfalls and hanging bridges.
- Monteverde is the misty cloud forest, home to quetzals, ziplines and night walks.
- Manuel Antonio combines a wildlife packed national park with white sand beaches.
- Guanacaste is the sunny northwest, with surf towns, resort bays and its own airport at Liberia.
- Puerto Viejo is the laid-back Caribbean coast, with reggae, coconut cooking and jungle beaches.
How to combine them
The classic first trip runs from San José to Arenal, on to Monteverde, then down to Manuel Antonio or across to Guanacaste. Allow two to three nights in each place, as road journeys often take most of a day. If you fly into Liberia, start in Guanacaste and loop to Arenal and Monteverde. The Caribbean coast works best as its own leg from San José.
Choosing by season
From December to April the Pacific side is dry and sunny. In the green season, mornings are usually bright and rain falls in the afternoon, and September and October are best spent on the Caribbean coast, which is often drier then. Use the free trip planner to match your dates to the right regions, and browse places to visit for each area.