This must be one of the most well established tourist destinations in Central America. A country, where every day we walked outside we would see a new animal we had never seen before. Mind you, we're both far from experts when it comes to the world of animals but we were about to get some lessons in Costa Rica. After seeing a sloth in Panama, we were not too worried about seeing one in Costa Rica. We could have known that if a sloth is on the actual national currency (10,000 colones bill), then we would see a lot more and lucky for us we got to see a mother and baby sloth!
It was very easy to travel around in Costa Rica, and pretty much everyone spoke a good level of English. Unfortunately, this also comes at a price. The feedback from most of our friends was something along the lines of: it is a beautiful, biodiverse country with nature unlike anywhere else. However, a hotspot destination for Americans and very expensive.
We will share our itinerary, whether we thought the national park entrance fees were worth it and some helpful tips on how to leave feeling like you had a good slice of the pura vida lifestyle!
But first, we mentioned in our last blog post "Best of Panama in 5 days" that we would share our land border crossing experience. If you want to skip ahead to Costa Rica, just keep scrolling!
How to get to San José (or Puerto Viejo) from Bocas del Toro, Panama.
We booked a shuttle service with a company called Caribe Shuttle. The reason for this is because the company chaperones you through the land border crossing procedure and for the two of us who don't speak Spanish this was perfect. We booked it in advance online but they have a physical office in Bocas del Toro, so if you want to have more flexibility you can also book it in person there.
What it included:
The boat transfer between Bocas del Toro and Almirante
A shuttle between Almirante and Changuinola (Panama side border)
Crossing the bridge between Sixaola-Guabito border
A shuttle between Sixaola to Puerto Viejo/San José (they bring you to the door)
If you go to San José, a lunch stop at Banana Azul. We got the option of a vegetarian or meat burrito.
The land border crossing on both sides went very smoothly for us. Caribe had an hour for scheduled for the border crossing but we were done in approx. half an hour. The immigration personnel were friendly on both sides and only asked questions about where we were going.
You do need to prepare some documents just in case. Panama and Costa Rica both require you to have a plane ticket booked leaving Central and South America back home. Even though we were not asked to show it, it is best to come prepared in case your immigration officer asks for it. There are ways to do this that won't require you to book an actual ticket, just check do a quick search online and you'll find some options.
How to get around Costa Rica
By car - This is the method of transport we chose and will give you the most flexibility when travelling around Costa Rica. A few things to note when renting a car is that it is expensive (minimum 90 euros/day with full insurance through rentalcars.com) and the road to Monteverde is full of potholes, so we would recommend getting a car that has a higher ground clearance. If you're a budget traveller you will want to look into public bus options. Uber is only reliably available in San José and perhaps other bigger cities.
By shuttle/transfer - If you're travelling solo, this could be a semi-affordable option. When we were staying in Quepos, prices at our accommodation were quoted between 40 USD - 70 USD per person depending on where you're going. For two people this would already work out to be 80 USD - 140 USD which means that the car was not that much more expensive and the convenience and flexibility far outweighed the cost.
Hop on/hop off bus - This option was available in La Fortuna (company name: Easy Hop), which will bring you to all the main sites to see. We did not see whether these options were available in other places.
Day 1: San José
We arrived around 17:00 with our shuttle service to the hotel. If you're flying into San José airport, we have read that Ubers have a bit more trouble picking you up there as there is a bit of controversy between Uber and taxi drivers. Dropping off at the airport does not seem to be an issue and we also used an Uber to bring us to the car rental location near to San José airport.
Going from a routine of 4-5 times a week of working out to full time travelling has made our workout routine suffer a bit. Being in the capital meant that chances were high we could find a Crossfit gym to join for a drop in. We were warmly welcomed at Warriors Cross Training which was an easy walk from our hotel. After that we picked up our car rental and went on our way to La Fortuna.
Where to stay:
Fleur de Lys hotel - This was perfect for an overnight stay, we didn't expect much judging by the pictures on Booking.com but this place really surprised us. The rooms are located in a Victorian mansion and is beautifully decorated from the inside. We were kindly upgraded to the Heliconia room (all rooms are named after flowers native to Costa Rica) and had a view on the mountains surrounding San José. Breakfast was included in the room rate and admittedly was basic but its part of what made this stay good value for money (we paid approx. 43 euros for one night).
For the foodies:
Since we were only in San José for one night, we don't have many food recommendations but we liked our dinner place so much it deserved a special mention.
Dinner
Tāmura (You can reserve a table via Whatsapp and place an order already so all you have to do is sit and relax when you arrive. We had the ramen and some nigiri sushi and really enjoyed it)
Day 1-2: La Fortuna
After an easy 2 hour 45 mins drive, we arrived to La Fortuna. As we were at our accommodation around 15:00 and took some time to settle in, we decided to have a relaxed afternoon.
La Fortuna Waterfall
The next day we started at La Fortuna Waterfall at 7:30. You can swim there so bring your swim gear! After paying our entrance fee (16 USD per person), we were told to wait at the top viewing deck for instructions from one of the park rangers that it was safe to head to the waterfall. We noticed that a small group of tourists were already waiting there, probably since opening time. Apparently, a tree had fallen across the path and they needed some time to clear it. To get to the waterfall, it's 500 steps down a well paved path through a tropical wet forest. We had to climb around the fallen tree as it was going to take them some time to clear it so we got a bonus adventure on our way down.
Once you get to the bottom of the steps there is another viewing deck to get some great photos of the waterfall. Then you can get to the base of the waterfall and go for a dip, just note that the waterfall is quite powerful so the area is a bit wavy and not ideal for swimming. It's nice to cool off and sit on one of the rocks admiring the waterfall.
There is a marked swimming area, when you're facing the waterfall it's to the left and there are some steps down. If you're looking for a calmer spot to relax, this is a great option.
Arenal Volcano National Park
After that we headed over to Arenal Volcano National Park. When you arrive at the parking lot, you will need to pay a 25 USD per person entrance fee. This is very typical to Costa Rica so if you're on a budget, the best thing is to decide on a few activities you absolutely want to do. When you enter the park, you can start at the reception where they'll explain the walking trails to you. We decided to go for the longer loop (5km), which will bring you to a beautiful viewpoint and past a lake which has alligators in it. We didn't actually spot any that day.
Keep your eyes peeled though, we did spot a white-nosed coati up in a tree and a colourful bird called a broad-billed motmot. At the end of the walking trail, you will pass a really cute cafe which has a big viewing deck on top as well as around it.
Both La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano National Park are worth a visit but if you're choosing between the two just choose the one where you'll enjoy the experience more: swimming and cooling off at a beautiful waterfall or hiking around a majestic volcano.
The El Salto rope swing is a deep river with some small falls around it where you can find a rope swing. It's one of the free things to do in La Fortuna and a good hangout spot or for the thrill seekers to use the rope swing to jump into the water.
There are free hot springs really near to the Tabacon hot springs, we didn't end up going because it was 30C and the last thing we wanted to do is have a hot bath! To get to the hot springs, navigate to the Tabacon hot springs but don't actually drive into their entrance. You will see lots of cars parked down the side of the road, and once again people flagging you down to help you park. Just ask them where to head to the free hot springs, it's on the opposite side of the road to where the Tabacon hot springs entrance is.
Top sites to visit:
La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal Volcano National Park
El Salto rope swing
Free hot springs (just past the Tabacon hot springs)
Good to know:
There are good parking facilities at La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano National Park
Clean bathroom facilities at both La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano National Park. Showers and lockers are available at the waterfall.
Before heading to Arenal Volcano National Park, check whether you can see Arenal Volcano from the road. When it isn't too cloudy/overcast it's very visible. If you don't see the volcano, there is not much point to pay the entrance fee to go hiking around it.
Both the La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano National Park have last entries by 16:00 and close at 17:00.
The entrance tickets can be paid by credit card (card payment in general is easy in Costa Rica, you don't need to have lots of cash).
There is no official parking around El Salto rope swing, you will see some people flag you down right by the bridge and they just want a small tip for helping you find parking and "watching your car".
Where to stay:
Confort Arenal - it is a bit outside of La Fortuna but still very well located (close to Arenal Volcano National Park) and the whole place has a view on the Arenal Volcano when it's a clear day. If you're not travelling by car, then this would not be the best recommendation because you'll need to walk quite a bit to get to restaurants/cafes and supermarkets. We had a superior twin room which had two double beds, A/C and a good breakfast included (65 euros per night). Bonus: hummingbirds frequent the garden around the breakfast area.
For the foodies:
If you're looking for budget friendly places, we recommend going to the local restaurants called "soda's". They have generous portions and prices typically starting from around 7-8 euros for a main course (in tourist areas). We noticed that any places that serve different types of food would start from about 15 euros for a main course.
Breakfast/coffee
Dinner
Tiquicia (traditional Costa Rican food, we can recommend the BBQ pork belly! Reservation is recommended, or coming in early)
LA Street Bistro (a selection of international dishes, we went for the tacos)
Day 3: Monteverde
The smooth drive from San José to La Fortuna made us very confident on the Costa Rican roads until we went to Monteverde. There's no sugarcoating it, the roads are full of potholes. When we saw on our navigation we were going to take 3 hours over a distance of 120km we were surprised but we really did take that long due to the road condition. Don't let this put you off driving, just ensure you have a car with higher clearance as it will be more forgiving on those roads and drive slowly.
We arrived around 11:00 to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve where we had to pay, you guessed it, 25 USD per person. At the reception they recommended the following trails: Sendero Camino, Sendero Wilford Guindon and Sendero La Ventana. Sendero Camino brings you to the hanging bridge which is beautiful and one of the highlights in the reserve. La Ventana brings you to a viewpoint but it was so overcast on our way there that we knew we wouldn't have much of a view. On the way back we walked the Sendero Tosi and Quebrada Cuecha to the waterfall.
Honest review of Monteverde Cloud Forest is that you should go if you've never seen a cloud forest before, it is truly beautiful and we did spot quite some birds that we hadn't seen before and the trees are huge! We also spotted a mystery creature that we think was an olingo and it was very cute. Note that it took quite some time to spot these creatures and it requires spending some time there and quietly observing your surroundings.
Was it worth 25 USD per person? In our opinion, not really. The facilities weren't as good as for instance in La Fortuna. That being said, it is one of the few things we could do in the area under 30 USD per person. If you want to see more hanging bridges they're 46 USD per person, ziplining will set you back 54 USD per person, a coffee tour 38 USD per person. Some places do offer student discount, including the cloud forest!
Top sites to visit:
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Ziplining and hanging bridges (we were recommended Selvatura Park, 100% Adventure Canopy and Canopy Extremo)
We did not do ziplining and the hanging bridges because we have done both activities before in other countries and really wanted to see the cloud forest but we have been told by our friends that it was memorable and worth doing!
Good to know:
You can park for free along the side of the road right by the park entrance. There is a parking lot claiming to be an official parking area for Monteverde Cloud Forest about 1km away from the entrance if you don't find parking by the entrance.
Bring your hiking boots or shoes that can handle a bit of mud, the cloud forest is very wet and we found that especially the Camino trail was very muddy.
It is quite dark in Monteverde Cloud Forest so if you're really into wildlife spotting, we would recommend hiring a guide.
It is colder in the cloud forest, so make sure you bring a light jacket!
Where to stay:
Eddy's Cabinas B&B - Conveniently located in Santa Elena (the main town right by Monteverde), and walking distance from restaurants/cafes. It was very good value for money, for 30 euros a night you get a room with shared bathroom facilities and a simple breakfast. They also have a very cute sausage dog, so if you're a dog lover, this is the place for you!
For the foodies:
Breakfast/coffee
Choco Café Restaurant and Coffee Shop (we had coffee and empanadas here which was a good lunch spot)
Dinner
Soda La Amistad (traditional Costa Rican food with their version of a casado: meat, rice, black beans, salad, plantain. It looked like small family run business and the food was amazing!)
Day 4-6: Quepos & Manuel Antonio National Park
Our next and final stop of the trip was Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. On the way from Monteverde to Quepos there is one place where you should certainly stop to see crocodiles in the wild. The place is called Crocodile Bridge and it will be hard to miss as there will be quite some other tourists doing the same. Just park outside one of the restaurants/shops or pass the bridge and stop by the side of the road and walk back to the bridge.
Quepos is a small town right by Manuel Antonio National Park and we decided to stay there as it was a bit cheaper and had more options for accommodation, restaurants/cafes and supermarkets.
Playitas Beach & Espadilla Beach
We arrived around 13:30 and decided to explore some of the beaches in the Manuel Antonio area. It took a bit of time to figure out how to get to the beaches as everything from the road side is on a cliff, so at some point you have to drive downhill to get closer to the beaches. If you're looking for a less busy and more secluded area of the beach, we would recommend going to Playitas Beach or the bit of Espadilla Beach near to Playitas Beach. During our stay we visited it twice and it never felt busy or touristy. The best way to get there by car is to go down 'Playitas Road', just before the "solo 4x4 sign", there is a bit by the side of the road which is good for parking. We didn't have a 4x4 car so we decided to park and walk about 400m to the beach. If you do have a 4x4 car at your disposal and feel confident on rocky and sandy roads you can get all the way down to the beach and park there. On the way up, we did see a 4x4 car struggle so we would recommend having some experience and lots of confidence if you decide to venture down.
If you want to get to Playitas Beach, you have to access it via Espadilla Beach and you'll see some black rocks separating the two beaches. It's an easy climb over the rocks to get to Playitas from Espadilla Beach.
We really enjoyed both beaches, Playitas is a bit more secluded and there is an accommodation right by the beach with a few sun beds. Espadilla beach is about a mile long so you'll also be able to find a good spot there that won't feel like you're in the middle of the crowds!
The last day we also checked out Biesanz Beach because on our way to Playitas we first navigated to a different road and that one led to Biesanz Beach. Parking was only along the side of the road and quite crowded so we decided to skip it that day. We came back on the last day early in the morning to see whether we'd missed out on anything but if you're short on time we recommend skipping it. Playitas and Espadilla are sandy beaches, which are great for walking and relaxing on a towel. Biesanz Beach has lots of pebbles and we found it less appealing to stay there. There are sunbeds for rent if you like that option and that would make it considerably more comfortable!
Manuel Antonio National Park
This was our favourite national park of the trip and the one where we decided to book a guided tour. After our experience at Monteverde Cloud Forest, we had a look online to see if it would be better to book a guide for Manuel Antonio National Park. If you want to book a guided tour through the Manuel Antonio National Park website, it will cost you 60 USD per person (2-2.5 hours). Typical Costa Rican prices (especially for us gringos)! We can recommend doing a bit of searching online, it is possible to book cheaper tours through Airbnb and Viator. We booked one through Airbnb which had good reviews but they cancelled the tour one day before without any comment. This is why we'll not be recommending them but another company instead who you can book online too or directly at the office in Manuel Antonio. We went with Edwin's Manuel Antonio Nature Tours and his is 30 USD per person (2-2.5 hours).
Honest review: Was it worth having a guided tour and in general is Manuel Antonio National Park worth its entrance fee?
Short answer: Yes!
Long(er) answer: What we really preferred about this national park over Monteverde Cloud Forest was that for the entrance fee, you get to explore beautiful hikes as well as two beaches for a much more reasonable price.
We would also highly recommend going for a guided tour, there were a lot of animals we wouldn't have spotted as easily without Edwin's awesome scope. What we really liked about him in comparison to some of the other guides was that we didn't need to crowd around the scope taking turns to observe the animal. He placed his phone in front of it on camera mode and this way we could all see the animal at the same time, he could take pictures and videos and shared those with us after the tour as a wonderful memory to take back home. With a lot of the other guided tours, people had to take turns to look through the scope. Our group was only 6 people, which meant we all had time to ask questions. We got to see a toucan, potoo, nesting hummingbird, howler monkey, bats, basilisk lizards, three-toed sloths and the blue emoji butterfly (we overheard someone saying that and we think it perfectly described it).
That being said, will you be able to spot animals without a guide? You need to be a bit patient and lucky but yes, absolutely. A guide will give you helpful tips on what to look out for, so we of course got a lot better at spotting animals after the tour when we went off on one of the hiking trails. We managed to spot a mother and baby sloth, a group of howler monkeys, and capuchin monkeys (they hang out at the beach) without our guide.
After our hike we spent some time at the beach which was also beautiful but a bit more crowded than Playitas and Espadilla because it was 12:00 when we got there and all the guided tours end there.
Top sites to visit:
Manuel Antonio National Park (Manuel Antonio Beach & Las Gemelas Beach)
Playitas Beach
Espadilla Beach
Good to know:
Parking at Playitas Beach just before the "solo 4x4" sign is free, there is nobody there trying to help you for a tip.
You can park all the way down at Playitas beach but beware you'll need a 4x4 to get back up the steep rocky and sandy road.
Parking at Biesanz Beach is not really free, there are people waiting there to "help you" with parking and then tell you they'll watch your car for 2000 colones (approx. 3 euros).
Wear closed shoes to climb over the rocks between Playitas Beach and Espadilla Beach.
The beaches in Manuel Antonio are known to be frequented by capuchin monkeys, so keep an eye on your belongings!
8 important things to know before you go to Manuel Antonio National Park:
The entrance tickets need to be booked online, this is the only way to purchase them and they are 16 USD per person.
The park is closed every Tuesday (open all other days of the week)
When booking the entrance tickets, it will ask you to select an entrance time, if you're booking a guided tour make sure the times match up.
Book (a few days) in advance as they sell limited tickets per day, 2000 according to the website.
Go early (7:00)! It gets really busy from around 9:00 onwards.
Bring your ID on the day, they didn't ask us for it but they can at the entrance.
You're not allowed to bring food to the park and there used to be a cafeteria in the park but it's been closed for a long time so make sure you have food before you go!
There is a paid parking lot right outside Manuel Antonio National Park, right by the Donde Alex Restaurant. They charge 5000 colones (approx. 8.50 euros) for the day and it's the closest spot to park. Right before you reach that area, there will be lots of people trying to flag you down for parking, ignore the shouting and continue driving until you reach the carpark.
Where to stay:
Villas Jacquelina was a good stay in Quepos. If you don't have a car at your disposal, it is about a 10 minute walk down a sandy road to get to town. The facilities were great, there are two shared lounges with well equipped kitchens. They offer yoga (on a donations basis), breakfast (6 USD per person) and have a swimming pool. We had shared bathroom facilities but were only sharing with one other room. The only thing to keep in mind is that the rooms are fan only which means it can get pretty hot. We also do not recommend this place if you have limited mobility as you'll need to be able to walk up some stairs to get to the lounges and reception area.
For the foodies:
Since our accommodation had good kitchen facilities, we decided to buy simple breakfast ingredients at the local supermarkets in Quepos. This allowed us to have an early start and it was budget friendly.
Lunch/snacks
Pupusas (don't let the simple restaurant exterior put you off having a meal here. We had no idea what pupusas were until we came across this place, it's a dish from El Salvador. They're like a corn flatbread with various fillings and taste amazing! The ladies working here are really friendly, try the pupusas and empanadas)
Cafetto (we had a fruit smoothie and the tuna wrap and it was delicious!)
Dinner
Sabromar (we really enjoyed this fish restaurant, especially their ceviche and deep fried whole fish with a Caribbean shrimp sauce)
De la Finca (we had a tuna wrap here which we absolutely loved for dinner that we had to find another place that served it for lunch, see above)
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