You’re headed to Costa Rica for a week, but not sure where to go? This guide is for my travelers who love a bit of culture, adventure and relaxation. I recommend flying into Liberia and exploring La Fortuna & Playa del Coco.
Where to Stay
La fortuna is a beautiful town located about 20 min from Arenal Volcano. I love staying in airbnb’s when I travel to Costa Rica, and this trip is no different. My friends and I chose to stay in a more affordable airbnb that has gorgeous views of Arenal Volcano.
2 BD | 1 Ba | Full kitchen, living room, A/C
Price range: ~$150 USD a night (note this price can flux depending on time of year)
Pros:
- Walking distance to stores, restaurants, cafes
- Beautiful view of Arenal Volcano from the bedroom
- Gorgeous backyard space (swing, dinning table, bird perches)
- The owners live in a house nextdoor and are incredibly kind
Cons: NONE this airbnb was perfect all around.
Note, this airbnb is larger with 2 rooms (can fit up to 4 people), but the owners have other Airbnbs (on the same property) for smaller groups if needed.
2 BD | 2.5 Ba | Living room, A/C, Full kitchen, washer & dryer
Price range: ~$200 USD a night (note this price can flux depending on time of year)
Pros:
- Super spacious with outside common space
- You get complimentary access to 2 beach clubs
- 5 min drive from the beach
- Less than 5 min drive to restaurants & stores
- Gated with security guard
Cons:
- None! I also loved this airbnb to the max
What to do?
This will be an exact itinerary breakdown of how I planned my trip, and how you can too. Below will be a comprehensive list of activities and restaurants to check out.
Day 1 – Arrive in Liberia
I always recommend landing by noon, so you can take advantage of your first day. Once you land, head to pick up your rental car. I always book with Adobe via Mytanfeet.com discount and they will pick you up straight from the airport! Before you begin your journey, grab some snacks or a quick meal to stay fueled up for the ride.
Rental Car Tips:
- If you own a credit card, see if they include travel insurance automatically, that way you don’t need to purchase extra insurance via the rental car. (disclaimer: read what your card covers! Dont assume its the exact same as the rental car coverage).
- If they offer a portable wifi device, grab it.
- Make sure your car has a USB or aux cord so you can enjoy some tunes on the drive.
- Book via Mytanfeet.com to get a discount
Head to La Fortuna – 3 Hour Drive
The drive is pretty easy and also beautiful as it will take you around Lake Arenal.. On the way, stop to take some pictures – you won’t regret it! After checking into the airbnb, it’s time to go grocery shopping for your stay! Whatever meals or snacks you plan for, get everything on day 1.
Day 2 – Arenal Canopy Adventures Tour
I really like excursion days because you get to accomplish a lot of staple activities in one day. This is perfect if you’re only in town for 1-2 days. This was maybe the wildest excursion I have been on. I am telling you now, to PREPARE yourself. It is a very long day, and if it rains, it will feel that much longer. However, I would do this day over and over again because we got to do so much and I truly had an amazing time. Details below on what to expect and how to prepare:
Arenal Canopy Adventures Day Tour – Top 4 Attractions
- $229 USD pp | Tour is 7:30am – 8pm
- Includes Hanging bridges in rainforest, La Fortuna Waterfall, lunch, Arenal Volcano Hike, & Hot Springs with dinner
- The hanging bridges tour is super fun. There are about 7 bridges and your guide will talk you through flora y fauna and the history of La Fortuna / Arenal. If you’re afraid of heights…maybe don’t do this lol.
- La Fortuna waterfall: what they don’t tell you is that you have to climb 530 – FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY steps down AND back up to get to the waterfall. After hiking all morning, this can be a lot so please be hydrated, wear comfy hiking shoes and be mentally ready. Honestly…the way down wasn’t bad. Going back up wasn’t HORRIBLE but it took a minute. You get about 30 min to swim in the waterfall – enjoy it.
- After the waterfall is lunch time! A traditional Costa Rican meal – you get to choose from fish, beef or chicken.
- Arenal Volcano Hike: you get to see really pretty views of the volcano and learn more about Arenal. Perfect picture op time. Be open with your guide about your level of hiking – there are two different paths and one is easier than the other. If you’re exhausted from the morning activities, the easy path may be best.
- Lastly at the end of the day, you get to enjoy a nice hot spring experience. They drop you off for about 2 hours to enjoy a wonderful hot spring resort – that also includes dinner.
How to Prepare:
- Get sleep the night before
- Pack: bathing suit, water shoes that are also good for hiking, towel, change of undies
- Bring a water bottle (they will have water for you too)
- Drink liquid IV before and the day of.
- STRETCH
- Take pics and have fun!
This was such a long day, you will get back home around 8:30pm and go straight to sleep.
Day 3 – Relaxation & Culture Day
The plan was to head to Rio Celeste at 8 am – but after our insane adventure on day 2, we decided to skip it and relax instead.
Morning Bites:
- Head over to La Case de Las FLores y Verduras Sarchisenos – its a farmers market for fruits and veggies. Grab your favorite fruits and maybe try some new fruits!
- Stop by “Red Frog Coffee Roast” for some delicious iced coffees. They also have food and souvenirs! Its just down the street from the airbnb too.
At Home Massages:
Our airbnb hosts are so amazing, they have connections with a local Spa company who will come to you for massage services. We just knew we had to book them because our bodies were exhausted from our excursion day.
Spa Jireh – Facebook Page
After our blissful massage, we got dressed for our activity of the day – cooking class & farm tour experience!
- $65 pp | 9am or 2pm
- Includes: Transportation, guide, meal cooked, refreshments, farm tour
- I recommend booking via mytanfeet.com they have a discount with the Jacamar Naturalist Tours company.
What to expect: Check out my TikTok on how this excursion went.
- You pick your own ingredients directly from the farm! The types of fruits/veggies/plants will depend on the current season of what’s growing & that will determine your meal.
- This excursion is on rain or shine. The kitchen is covered so you wont get wet
- Your guide and chef (Blanca) will talk you through everything.
Cooking is such a labor intensive activity filled with your love, passion & time. It’s a beautiful thing when you experience it with other cultures. I loved this activity and cannot recommend it enough.
The night is never complete without something a little sweet. After our cooking class, we stopped by Noa Rolls for some rolled ice cream! This is a cute little shop in town and was the perfect way to end our day.
Day 4 – Head to Playa del Coco
The day has come to say goodbye to La Fortuna. Stop by Red Frog Coffee Roast for coffee and breakfast before you head on the road. I recommend leaving La Fortuna by 10am to avoid traffic. The drive to Playas del Coco is pretty similar to the way there – one road, pretty views, 3 hours.
Casa Aire is such a breathtaking airbnb we were beaming when we arrived. As usual, we headed straight to the grocery store to grab breakfast items and snacks for our next 3 days.
Since the sun sets pretty early, we found a cute restaurant on the beach for a sunset dinner: Cafe de Playa. It’s a stunning boutique beach front with yummy cocktails and pretty good food. I recommend the Rosemary Hibiscus gin & tonic and Ceviche.
Day 5 – Beach Day
We woke up ready to take on the day and do nothing but lounge on the beach with a drink in our hands. The Case Aire airbnb comes with complimentary access to a beach club so we checked that out right away…unfortunately it wasn’t the kind of beach club WE were used to.
It had a pool, food, no drinks, and no access to the beach but a view of the beach. We were also traveling in the off season, so that may be why it was so empty. We then spent about 20 minutes driving around trying to find an actual beach club, and for some reason many were closed and under construction. SO we ended up right back up at Cafe de Playa because why not? If it aint broke don’t fix it.
We spent a few hours swimming, drinking and eating seafood all over again.
Later that night we were determined to find a homemade Costa Rican meal i.e una soda. We came across amazing recommendations for “Soda Teresita” and this was such a win. The owner of the Soda was there and he made us fresh margs that were finally tasty and strong.
I ordered a whole fried fish and I was beaming from ear to ear. It was so seasoned, flaky, & hot.
Day 6 – Boat Day
A trip to Costa Rica is never complete without a boat day. We booked a 4 hour excursion of island hopping & snorkeling in the Gulf de Papagayo. As a March baby, I LOVE being around the water. It gives me so much happiness & peace so this was truly a perfect day.
Our captain picked us up in his boat at the beach and took us all around. After some snorkeling, we stopped at another island to hang out, read, sunbathe, eat, dance, you name it! This day was a non-negotiable and I am so happy we planned it.
- You will meet your captain and his boat at the shore of the beach. He will give you an exact address for reference.
- Bring a coverup, towel, and blanket (for chilling on the beach)
- You kinda get to decide a bit of how long you want to stay somewhere (snorkeling, island hopping or beach chilling). But note you only have 4 hours total include commute time to get back to shore.
- We went to an island, hung out a bit, then snorkeled and saw sea urchin, fish & coral, then went to a different island to eat our lunch, swim, hang out.
- They will provide fruit and some water, but you need to bring your own snacks/food for lunch and drinks if you want.
Drinks & Dinner
You guys are not going to believe me when I tell you where we went for drinks and dinner but…you guessed it! Cafe de Playa and Soda Teresita. One thing about it, if we have 10/10 drinks and food? We will go back time and time again.
I can’t recommend these locations enough – Cafe de playa for drinks at sunset and Soda Teresita for a fantastic home cooked meal.
Day 7 – Say bye to Costa Rica
The last day is always so bitter sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed my time exploring this side of Costa Rica and you will too! Playas del Coco was truly a time for relaxation and vibes, so there were 0 adventurous excursions planned, and I was surprisingly okay with that.
I hope this itinerary will help you have an EPIC trip to Costa Rica!
xoxo, Nylah
Thank you for sharing your itinerary. Lots of great ideas shared! I can’t wait to go to costa rica. Sandra
Thank you for a very to the point itinerary!