Costa Rica: Itineraries

From the capital San José, head north to La Fortuna, gateway to the spewing might of Volcán Arenal. Escape the touts by having a good long soak in the hot springs. Cross Laguna de Arenal to Monteverde via the jeep-boat-jeep service and trek deep into the heart of wildlife-packed Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde. Stay a night or two and you may even spot the elusive quetzal. End your stay with a zip-line canopy tour.

From the jungle to the coast, the pretty surf of Playa Tamarindo is beckoning. Play a while before escaping the crowds in search of nesting leatherback turtles on nearby Playa Grande. Serious surfers will want to head south to Playas Avellana and Negra, whose consistent waves are well known in surfing circles.

You only have a week but you still want to see the farthest corner of Costa Rica?

Fly into Puerto Jiménez and spend a few days kayaking around the mangroves, panning for gold and otherwise soaking up the charm of this tiny town. Head north to La Palma; from here you can visit the Reserva Indígena Guaymí de Osa and observe firsthand the lifestyle of one of Costa Rica's indigenous groups. From here, head to Los Patos ranger station, which will be the starting point for a trek across the Parque Nacional Corcovado. The first day of the trek lands you at Sirena station, one of the country's best wildlife watching spots, especially for squirrel monkeys and Baird's tapirs. It's worth spending an extra day exploring the trails around this area without your pack on your back. Finally, the last day of the hike brings you to La Leona ranger station. In the nearby village of Carate, catch the taxi collectivo to the Cabo Matapalo, where you can chill out for the rest of the week, enjoying some of the country's most beautiful beaches. From here, it's a quick taxi ride back to Puerto Jiménez for your return flight to San José.

Travel exclusively by boat through some of Costa Rica's (and Nicaragua's) most remote regions near the sparsely populated northern Caribbean Coast. Begin the journey in the tiny town of La Virgen, a rafting and kayaking mecca, where you can take a ride on the Río Sarapiquí and spend a night at the luxurious Centro Neotrópico Sarapiquís. Then head up the river to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, where you can wander through banana plantations and spot wildlife and scientists at the Estación Biológica La Selva. Grab the morning boat up the Río Sarapiquí to the Trinidad Lodge. Stay on a working ranch, ride horses and go birding before setting out, again by boat, on the Río San Juan, with your eye to the Caribbean coast.

This river (Nicaraguan territory) offers an incredible ride, which will take you through a combination of ranches, forest, wildlife and old war zones to the remote Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado. Stay in a lodge here and go sportfishing, bird-watching and looking for crocs. Afterwards, continue to the more touristed town of Tortuguero. Here you can watch turtles (of the leatherback and green sea varieties) nest on the beaches, and canoe through the infinite canals of Parque Nacional Tortuguero, Costa Rica's mini-Amazon.