10 Day Costa Rica Itinerary: Manuel Antonio, Monteverde & La Fortuna

Zip line through rainforest canopies, hike around steaming volcanoes, go on guided wildlife walks, relax in natural hot springs, go canyoning or whitewater rafting, and unwind on Costa Rica’s white, sandy beaches. On this 10-day Costa Rica itinerary, you can do all of these things and more.

We spent two weeks in Costa Rica and this itinerary is almost exactly how we did it. We wrote this as a 10-day itinerary, since it is much easier to get 10 days off for travel, rather than a full two weeks. If you have more time, at the end of this guide, we have several more options to extend this trip.

About this Costa Rica Itinerary

This itinerary is done as a loop, starting and ending at the San Jose Airport. This makes it easy to rent a car without a drop fee.

We wrote this itinerary starting with Manuel Antonio and ending in La Fortuna, but you can reverse it and go in the opposite direction (we have this version listed at the end of this guide). In our opinion, by starting in Manuel Antonio and ending with La Fortuna, the trip keeps getting better, as the days go by. Manuel Antonio was great, but Monteverde was amazing and we LOVED La Fortuna.

Renting a car is optional. Having a car gives you more freedom and flexibility to get around and makes it a little easier to going out to dinner in the towns, but it is possible to do this itinerary without a car. There are shuttles and buses you can hire, to get you from town to town. Many tours and excursions include transportation, making it unnecessary to rent a car. Throughout this itinerary, we will give you options for how to get around without a rental car.

If you plan to rent a car, we recommend Adobe Car Rental. In our guide Things to Know for Your First Trip to Costa Rica (coming soon), we cover how to rent a car, if you should rent a car, if you need a 4×4, and what to expect driving on Costa Rican roads.

This itinerary can be done all year. The best times to do it are from November through April, which is the dry season. We did this itinerary from the end of February into early March and had sunny skies and zero rain about 95% of the time. During the rainy season (May through November), expect wet weather, more mosquitoes, cooler temperatures, and the chance that some roads could become impassable due to flooding.

10 Day Costa Rica Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Costa Rica, Drive to Manuel Antonio

Driving Distance & Time: 160 km/100 miles, 3 to 4 hours

We took a morning flight from Maryland to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. Once in the airport, the customs line was long and moved rather slowly (we were here on an early afternoon on a Saturday) and it took us about one hour to get through this line. Hopefully it won’t take that long when you arrive, but be prepared, just in case.

We rented a car through Adobe Car Rental. As you exit baggage claim, you will be met with a barrage of people holding signs, and it’s a bit overwhelming. We found the attendant for Adobe Car Rental, it was a 15-minute drive in their shuttle to their office, and they quickly and efficiently got us into our rental car.

It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to exit the airplane and get into our rental car.

From the airport, it can take as ‘little’ as 3 hours to drive to Manuel Antonio. There were a lot of slowdowns along this route, and it took us 4 hours to make the drive, putting our arrival time into Manuel Antonio at 6:30 pm. Not so bad, but we felt a bit worn out by the time we got to our hotel.

If you do not plan to rent a car, you can use this private transfer service.

This evening, get settled into your hotel, have dinner, and get some rest. We have hotel recommendations and lots of amazing restaurants listed in our article Things to Do in Manuel Antonio ↓. You will stay in Manuel Antonio for three nights.

Manuel Antonio

12 Amazing Things to Do in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

In this guide, we cover where to stay, the top restaurants, and things to do in Manuel Antonio, including how to pick a ziplining company and day trips from Manuel Antonio.

Day 2: Manuel Antonio National Park

Today, visit Manuel Antonio National Park in the morning. In the afternoon, take your pick between beach time, visiting a wildlife rescue reserve, or ziplining.

Morning: Manuel Antonio National Park

Welcome to one of Costa Rica’s most popular national parks, the place where the rainforest meets the beach. Taking a guided wildlife walk to see howler monkeys, sloths, and exotic birds, is the most popular thing to do here, but you can also go hiking and spend some time on several gorgeous beaches.

Manuel Antonio is a park where we highly recommend that you hire a guide. Unless you’ve done lots of wildlife walks in other places around the world and are a wizard at spotting wildlife, you will see very little on your own. It gets easier with practice, but if you are like us, on your first morning in Costa Rica, it can be extremely difficult to spot something like a sloth without some practice.

We took this 2-hour guided wildlife walk and it can be upgraded to a private tour. There is the option to pay a little extra for the flexibility to cancel up to 1 hour before the tour starts. We did this just in case there were any delays with getting to Costa Rica, since we flew into San Jose and drove to Manuel Antonio the day before (and if you follow this itinerary, you will too). Note: We also had to purchase our entrance tickets in advance.

7:30 am is the ideal start time. That might sound early, but temperatures are still cool and the wildlife is more active than it will be midday. Starting this early also gets you a little bit ahead of the crowds.

At the end of the tour, which will be around 9:30 am, you have plenty of time to hike a trail or two or spend some time on one of the beaches.

In our Guide to Manuel Antonio ↓, we cover everything to do in the park, where to park, more guided tour options, and lots of helpful tips.

Manuel Antonio NP

Manuel Antonio National Park: Complete Guide for First Time Visitors

Everything you need to know to plan your visit to Manuel Antonio National Park.

Afternoon: Beach Time, KSTR, or Ziplining

This afternoon, there are several different ways to spend your time. We do this frequently throughout this Costa Rica itinerary, giving you different options for things to do. Not everyone has the same interests, and this allows you to customize the itinerary to your preferences. Be aware that excursions like ziplining will also show up in Monteverde and La Fortuna, since it is so popular and we wanted to give you several opportunities to do it.

Option #1: Beaches in Manuel Antonio

For those who love relaxing on the beach and swimming, this is the best time to do it, on this itinerary. Manuel Antonio has several of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica (we cover these in more detail in our guide to Manuel Antonio National Park):

• Manuel Antonio Beach – popular, a bit crowded, but great for swimming
• Playa Espadilla Sur – long stretch of sand, less crowded, not a good swimming option because currents are strong
• Playa Las Gemelas – small, lovely, more remote beach

Manuel Antonio Beach

Be aware that once inside of the national park, you can’t exit and then reenter. There is a small café where you can purchase lunch, but there could be a long line (you cannot bring any food into the park). And you will have to carry your towels, swimsuits, etc. on the guided wildlife walk.

Outside of the national park, Biesanz Beach is public beach in Manuel Antonio. It sits in a protected cove and is surrounded by rainforests and rocky cliffs. It’s about a 10 to 15 minute on a hiking trail to get here.

For rent are lounge chairs and umbrellas. Vendors were selling coconut water and non-alcoholic drinks. We saw two sloths in the trees right next to the beach. Learn more in our article Best Things to Do in Manuel Antonio.

Biesanz Beach

Option #2: Kids Saving the Rainforest

For lunch, we recommend Emilio’s Café (casual restaurant that serves great food and has an elevated view overlooking Manuel Antonio National Park) or Manuel Antonio Falafel Bar (small, casual restaurant that serves falafel, hummus, and shawarma platters).

Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR) is a rescue center in Manuel Antonio. KSTR rescues animals that are injured or orphaned, rehabilitate them, and then release them back to the wild.

To visit KSTR, take a tour of the facility, to learn about the rehabilitation of the animals and how the animals are cared for on their property. Seeing sloths up close is a nice perk.

Learn more about KSTR on their official website. We purchased our ticket through GetYourGuide.

Getting Here: KSTR is roughly a 20-to-30-minute drive from Manuel Antonio. The final part of this drive is on a rough gravel road, so it is best to have an SUV. They do not offer transportation, so if you don’t plan to rent a car, you will have to skip this experience.

Option #3: Ziplining

Exit Manuel Antonio National Park and have lunch at Emilio’s Café or the Manuel Antonio Falafel Bar. Spend the afternoon on a ziplining tour. We used El Santuario Canopy Adventure and had a great experience, but ADR Adventure Park is another popular option.

Evening: Dinner

Our favorite restaurant in Manuel Antonio is Le Papillon Restaurante. It has an outdoor patio with stunning views overlooking Manuel Antonio National Park and the Pacific Ocean. It’s worth dining here at least once. We also really liked Karolas Restaurant in the Los Altos Resort.

Le Papillon Restaurante

Day 3: Kayaking or Ziplining + Rainmaker Park

Morning: Kayaking or Ziplining

Take your pick between kayaking or ziplining (if you didn’t do that yesterday).

Damas Grove Mangrove Tour

One of the best things to do in Manuel Antonio is to take a boat tour to Damas Island, one of the last remaining mangroves in Costa Rica. You can do this either as a kayaking tour or on a boat cruise.

On the excursion, there’s a good chance you’ll see more wildlife, including crocodiles, iguanas, basilisks, macaws, King Fishers, capuchin monkeys, crabs, snakes, and other lizards.

We took this 2-hour kayaking tour. There is some variability with tour times, as the tours are run at or near high tide. When booking your tour, be aware that the time could change.

If you prefer to go by boat (no paddling necessary!), this is a 2-hour tour that gets very good reviews, and this is a 4-hour tour (it’s longer because it also includes transportation and lunch…perfect for those not planning to rent a car).

Ziplining

If you prefer to go ziplining, we recommend El Santuario Canopy Adventure (who we used), but you can see a longer list in our article Things to Do in Manuel Antonio.

We did this ziplining tour in Manuel Antonio in the morning, which has two advantages over doing it in the afternoon: temperatures are cooler and the group size is the smallest of the day (our tour had 15 people; midday there could be 30 to 50 people on a tour).

Afternoon: Rainmaker Park

Before driving out to Rainmaker Park, return to Quepos or Manuel Antonio for lunch. There is a small kitchen at Rainmaker Park but I don’t know how good the food is. If you took a ziplining tour, it may include lunch.

Rainmaker Park is a private reserve with hiking trails, gorgeous waterfalls, and several hanging bridges that run through the tree canopies. A visit here requires a bit of hiking, but what you get in return are amazing views of the forest, the opportunity to go swimming, plus the chance to spot wildlife.

A visit here is very much like walking through the forests in Monteverde, with the hanging bridges and lush rainforest landscapes.

To get here, it is a 30-minute drive from Manuel Antonio. There are two stretches of road that are unpaved, so having an SUV is ideal. Bring cash to pay the entrance fee (credit cards are not accepted).

The main thing to do here is to walk the trail through the reserve. This trail is a 1.5-mile loop that is easy to moderate in difficulty. On the first half of the loop, you will climb a series of hills and stairs to get up into the tree canopy. After walking a series of suspension bridges, you will descend to the river and walk a trail alongside the river. During this section, you have the option to go swimming.

If you want to see wildlife, sign up for a guided wildlife walk. It is possible to see sloths, squirrel monkeys, lizards, poison dart frogs, and snakes. We did the walk unguided and only saw butterflies and a few lizards.

This tour of Rainmaker Park includes a guided hike plus transportation.

Evening: Dinner

Have dinner in Manuel Antonio or at your hotel.

Day 4: Drive to Monteverde, Ziplining or Hanging Bridges

Driving Distance & Time: 190 km, 3 hour 30 minutes to 4 hours

In our experience, the drive from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde was much more pleasant than the drive from San Jose. It’s a pretty drive, with fewer traffic jams and slow downs along the way. The drive is paved the entire way, but make sure you take Route 606 into Monteverde, to stay on the paved roads.

As you head north from Manuel Antonio, there are two quick things to see and photograph, if you like. The first is the very colorful Jaco sign. The second is Crocodile Bridge. On route 34, the road crosses over River Tarcoles and from here there is a very good chance that you will spot a few crocodiles lounging in the river.

The view from Crocodile Bridge

If you don’t have plans to rent a car, here is a shared shuttle service that runs from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde.

Lunch in Monteverde

If you leave Manuel Antonio at 8 am, you have time for lunch before this afternoon’s excursion. We had a great lunch at Taco Taco Monteverde.

Afternoon: Ziplining or Hanging Bridges

Monteverde is famous for its cloud forest, a high-altitude ecosystem that supports different flora and fauna than what you will find throughout the rest of Costa Rica. The best things to do here are ziplining, walking the hanging bridges through the tree canopies, and guided wildlife walks. It’s a lot cooler here, so make sure you pack some warm clothes.

In our Guide to Monteverde, we cover the best ziplining companies and private reserves to visit, where to stay, and where to eat.

Monteverde

10 Best Things to Do in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Detailed guide to Monteverde, covering things to do, recommended hotels, and our favorite restaurants.

Option #1: Ziplining

We weren’t joking when we said ziplining would show up a lot on this itinerary.

Since exploring the tree canopies is one of the best things to do in Monteverde, doing it by zip line is a must-have experience. If you only go ziplining once on this Costa Rica itinerary, this is where we recommend doing it.

On our first afternoon in Monteverde, we took this ziplining tour with 100% Aventura. We picked 100% Aventura because they have the longest zip line in Costa Rica and you can do it superman-style.

There are several other companies that also get great reviews, and we cover this in a lot more detail in our guide to Monteverde.

Option #2: Hanging Bridges

If ziplining is not your thing, or you already did it in Manuel Antonio, this afternoon you can walk the hanging bridges in Monteverde. Selvatura Adventure Park is the best place in Monteverde to do this.

The Treetop Walkway is a 1.9-mile trail that runs through the forest. On this trail are eight hanging bridges, ranging from 170 feet to 560 feet in length. You literally walk through the treetops, putting you eye level with sloths, birds, and other wildlife. It takes 1 to 1.5 hours to do this walk.

You can do this walk guided or unguided. We did it unguided and never saw any wildlife, but it was still a very interesting walk. This guided tour also includes your transportation, making it a good option for those who do not plan to rent a car.

At Selvatura Adventure Park, there is also the option to ziplining, so some people in your group could zipline while others walk the hanging bridges.

Evening: Dinner

We had an awesome time at Natu Speakeasy, which is a cocktail bar and restaurant. They create classic cocktails with a Costa Rican spin plus small plates (tapas) that are excellent.

Restaurant El Jardín, San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience (a unique dining experience in pods in forest canopy), Restaurante Kiré, and Restaurante El Sapo at Senda Monteverde are more restaurants to try.

Where to Stay in Monteverde

We had a wonderful experience at Hotel Belmar, which has made the list of the best hotels in Central America on both Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast.

For more hotel recommendations, take a look at our article Things to Do in Monteverde. You will stay in Monteverde for two nights.

Hotel Belmar

Day 5: Guided Wildlife Walk, El Tigre Waterfall Hike or Hanging Bridges

Start the day on a wildlife walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest and in the afternoon, go on a wonderful hike to see several gorgeous waterfalls.

Morning: Guided Wildlife Walk

Going on a guided walk through a private reserve is a must-have experience in Monteverde. Morning is a great time to do this, when the animals are more active.

There are several reserves to choose from. We recommend Curi Cancha, since it is one of the easiest spots to see the Resplendent Quetzal, since the forest is less dense.

A female Resplendent Quetzal

The reserve offers several different guided tours. We took this guided tour through GetYourGuide, which is a shorter tour than what is offered by Curi Cancha and our guide was incredible. The tour started at 7:30 am and ended at 10 am. We saw both a male and female quetzal plus lots of other birds and wildlife.

Afternoon: Cataratas El Tigre or Hanging Bridges

Again, you have a choice to make. This afternoon, you can either hike the Cataratas El Tigre trail (our favorite hike in Costa Rica) or visit the Selvatura Hanging Bridges, if you did not do that yesterday.

It’s possible to do both (we did) but you have to move FAST and this becomes a big day. Since the morning tour ends at 10:00 am, it is possible to drive to and walk the Selvatura Hanging Bridges, if you walk the trail at a fast pace. Ideally, you need to leave Selvatura by 12:00 pm, to give yourself enough time to drive to Cataratas El Tigre, have lunch, and do the hike.

Cataratas El Tigre

Cataratas El Tigre, also called the El Tigre Waterfall Hike, is a hiking loop that crosses numerous rickety hanging bridges with views of multiple waterfalls. Along the way, it is also possible to spot all kinds of wildlife.

We loved this hike, and if you are a hiker, it’s a must-do while in Monteverde. We cover this in great detail in our article Things to Do in Monteverde, which is worth referring to, since there are multiple ways to do this hike.

We did the “Full Package,” which includes lunch, hiking the main trail past the waterfalls (for a total distance of 5 km/3.1 miles), and a 4×4 ride up the hill to the starting point. You can also do this as a horseback ride. On average, this takes three and a half hours.

Getting Here: The hike starts at the El Tigre Waterfalls Restaurant, which is located on Monte de los Olivos Road. This gravel road is rough in some spots and a SUV is ideal for getting here. From town, it is a 9.5 km drive which takes about 25 minutes. From Selvatura, it is an 11 km drive that takes about 35 minutes. You can arrange transportation via the official website.

Before you go, purchase your tickets on the official website.

Day 6: Guided Wildlife Walk, Drive to La Fortuna

Start the day with another wildlife walk in Monteverde and, in the afternoon, drive to La Fortuna.

Morning: Tour a Reserve in Monteverde

There are multiple reserves to visit in Monteverde. We had our best experience at Curi Cancha, which you visited yesterday. But if you are a birdwatcher or really enjoy seeing Costa Rica’s wildlife, doing another guided walk this morning is well worth it. We have two to recommend.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

This reserve is located just outside of town. We took the Natural History Walk Tour, reserving it directly through the official website, since the timing worked best for our schedule. This tour on GetYourGuide gets very good reviews and has an option for a morning visit.

In this reserve, we saw male quetzals, hummingbirds and a nest, coati, exotic birds, and some lizards. It’s also possible to see spider monkeys. One of the highlights of our visit were seeing the hummingbirds at the feeders at Café Colibri, which is located just outside of the park entrance.

La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena

This reserve has a more remote location. It is a short drive past Selvatura Adventure Park. 12 km (7.5 miles) of trails run through the reserve, ranging from well-groomed, easy to walk trails to more rugged, remote trails. The reserve offers a variety of guided walks, which you can see on their website. 

If you like the idea of visiting another reserve but don’t want to take a guided tour, this one is a good option. We did not take a tour here, we just walked the trails. The highlight for us was seeing Arenal Volcano from the Observation Tower (keep your fingers that skies are clear). That’s where you are headed next.

The view of Arenal Volcano from the Observation Tower

Lunch

Return to your hotel and pick up your luggage. Have lunch in Monteverde, fill the car with gas, and then start the drive to La Fortuna.

Afternoon: Drive to La Fortuna

Driving Distance & Time: 115 km/71 miles, 3 hours

This drive may not be very long in terms of distance, but it’s slow going. The roads between La Fortuna and Monteverde are very windy, with many one lane bridges.

The best route is Route 606 → Route 145 → Route 142. Make sure you go through Tilaran, not around it.

The first part of the drive, right after you leave Monteverde, is the most challenging. There are a few unpaved sections, which aren’t too bad to drive. It was the paved sections that were in terrible condition. When we did this in 2025, Route 606 was covered in potholes, some of them looking more like small craters. Once you get on Route 145, road conditions get better. And the drive along Lake Arenal is gorgeous, especially if there aren’t any clouds around Arenal Volcano.

If you don’t have plans to rent a car, I found this shuttle service, which includes a crossing of Lake Arenal by boat. Another option is to take the public bus to Tilaran and transfer to the public bus to La Fortuna.

Once in La Fortuna, check into your hotel and then have dinner.

We stayed at the absolutely amazing Nayara Springs Resort (on our final night in La Fortuna we spent one night in the Nayara Tented Camp). This is one of the best places we have ever stayed in, which is saying a lot. If this fits in your budget, it’s well worth the splurge.

We have more hotel recommendations in our guide to La Fortuna. You will stay in La Fortuna for three nights.

La Fortuna

Top 10 Things to Do in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

This guide covers where to stay, the best things to do in La Fortuna, and the top day trip options.

Day 7: Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges, Hiking trails, Hot Springs

Welcome to La Fortuna!

This was our favorite place in Costa Rica. We loved the wonderful mix of hiking trails, adventure activities, and hot springs. The views of Arenal Volcano are stunning and this is all around a fun place to visit.

Morning: Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges

At Místico Hanging Bridges, a network of trails and hanging bridges runs through the rainforest. This is a great spot to see more wildlife and get a spectacular view of Arenal Volcano, if skies are clear.

We took a guided tour of the park, which ran from 7 am to 9 am. Our guide was incredible and we saw a lot of wildlife that we didn’t get to see in Monteverde or Manuel Antonio: spider monkeys, pit vipers, lots of exotic birds, howler monkeys, and we heard quite a few poison dart frogs. Without a guide, we would have seen very little in terms of wildlife, but walking the trails and the hanging bridges still would have been very nice.

Entry Tickets: Whether you plan to take a guided or self-guided tour of the park, it is best to book your tickets online in advance. This can be done on the official website. The official website also offers tickets on GetYourGuide, if you prefer to use this platform to manage your tickets and tours in Costa Rica. If you don’t have plans to rent a car, this guided tour also includes transportation from La Fortuna.

Midday: Hike through Lava Fields

One of the best things to in La Fortuna is to hike the trails that run through the 1968 lava fields and get a view of Arenal Volcano. There are several private reserves where you can do this. We cover these in great detail in our article Best Things to Do in La Fortuna.

Mirador El Silencio: Hike a rugged, slightly challenging trail through the lava fields for an awesome view of Arenal Volcano. This was Julie’s favorite hike in La Fortuna and this is the cheapest private reserve to visit.

The view from Mirador El Silencio

Arenal Volcano Park 1968: This was my favorite hike in La Fortuna. A portion of the trail runs through the lava fields. The café at the end of the hike has panoramic views of the volcano.

Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal Observatory Lodge: If you want lunch with a view of Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal, make the journey out this way. The lodge has a restaurant with a huge deck and this is our favorite view of the volcano. Plus, there are bird feeders that attract some very interesting birds, including the Montezuma Oropendola. There are some short trails to walk, if you are interested, plus a very tall, rickety observation tower to climb for an even better view. This is the most remote reserve to get to, and the final part of the drive is on a rough, potholed gravel road.

Arenal Observatory Lodge

Afternoon: Hot Springs

Now it is time to relax. Spending an afternoon at the hot springs is a must-have experience while in La Fortuna. The hot springs typically have restaurants and swim up bars, so you could have lunch or dinner here.

There is a long list of hot springs to visit. Again, we cover these in detail in our article Things to Do in La Fortuna.

Our favorite is the Springs Resort Hot Springs. We loved hanging out at the swim up bar, having lunch and cocktails, with an incredible view of Arenal Volcano. Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa is a good pick for couples and adults who want a quieter, more natural experience. Baldi Hot Springs is a great pick for families. If you are on a budget, take a look at Los Laureles or Paradise Hot Springs.

The Springs Resort

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

PRO TRAVEL TIP: Some of these are quite expensive, costing $100 per adult for a day pass. If you really want to get your money’s worth, you can skip the Místico Hanging Bridges, start the day with a hike, then spend the rest of the day at one of these hot springs. The bigger ones, like Baldi and Springs Resort, have a lot to do, so you could easily spend half to most of a day here.

Day 8: La Fortuna Waterfall, Sloth Walk, Afternoon Excursion

Morning: La Fortuna Waterfall

This is La Fortuna’s most famous waterfall and it is a popular swimming and photography spot.

The waterfall opens at 8 am. We got here right at opening time and were one of the first ones at the waterfall. To get to the base of the waterfall, you’ll walk down roughly 530 steps. Once in front of the waterfall, there are a few viewpoints, plus several swimming areas.

Tickets can be purchased on the official website or through GetYourGuide. There is a restaurant, bathrooms, showers, and gift shop at the entrance. Get hours and pricing on the official website before you go.

Midday: Go on a Sloth Walk

There are a few nature parks with trails that weave through the forests in La Fortuna, increasing your odds of spotting a sloth. If you haven’t spotted a sloth yet on your trip, it is best to hire a guide. But you can walk the trails unguided, testing out your sloth spotting skills. Here are two options:

The Bogarin Trail: This was our favorite sloth walk in La Fortuna. 2.5 km of trails run through the forest, creating two loops. We did spot a sloth here. A highlight is the birdfeeders next to the entrance.

Just a few of the birds at the Bogarin Trail birdfeeders

La Fortuna Hikes and Trails: This park is a short drive from La Fortuna and feels a little more wild and remote than the Bogarin Trail. There are no birdfeeders here, but the walking paths are beautiful and run past a few small ponds, which makes it more likely to see frogs and lizards. This park puts flags in the ground where sloths have been spotted recently.

Afternoon: Choose Your Adventure

This afternoon, take your pick between these different activities:

Canyoning: This was our favorite experience in La Fortuna. We went canyoning with Maquique Adventure and it was a blast from start to finish. This was our first time canyoning, so no prior experience is necessary.

Chocolate and Coffee Tour: There are several places to take chocolate and coffee tours in La Fortuna, with Don Juan being the most popular and Rainforest Chocolate being smaller with a hands on approach on their tours.

Hot Springs: Choose a new hot spring to visit or return to yesterday’s spring. The Springs Resort admission pass is good for two days (confirm this in case rules have changed) so you could spend another afternoon here.

It’s also possible to go ziplining, white water rafting (these tours are usually offered in the morning so would have to rearrange this day), or take a float trip on the Peñas Blancas River.

Costa Rica Travel Guide: How to Plan a Trip to Costa Rica

Day 9: La Paz Waterfall and Poas Volcano

Today it is time to say goodbye to La Fortuna and start heading towards the airport. You can do one of two things: spend the day in La Fortuna and in the evening, drive to San Jose OR visit Poas Volcano and the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

Option #1: More Time in La Fortuna

Spend the day in La Fortuna. If you have a late flight tomorrow, you could drive to the airport on the morning of day 10 (120 km, 2 hours 30 mintues), but give yourself lots of contingency time, for traffic and delays.

If you choose to head towards the airport, we have hotel options listed next.

Option #2: Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Morning: La Paz Waterfall

In the morning, drive from La Fortuna to La Paz Waterfall Gardens (85 km, 1 hour 45 minutes). On this drive, just before you get to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, you will see La Paz Waterfall from the road.

Midday & Afternoon: Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

This involves some back-and-forth driving, and a reservation at the Peace Lodge, but it is the best way to see Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens and keep your luggage safe.

Poas Volcano: Poas Volcano is an active volcano near San Jose. To visit the volcano, you will have to purchase timed entry tickets in advance (you can’t show up and buy a ticket). It’s common for the volcano to get clouded in in the afternoon, so the earlier in the day you can get here, the better. A visit here lasts about 2 hours, which includes a mandatory safety video. It’s also best not to leave luggage in your car.

To make this work, spend the night tonight at the Peace Lodge, which is on the La Paz Waterfall Gardens property. After seeing La Paz Waterfall, check in, drop off your luggage, and drive to Poas Volcano (35 minute drive). Visit the volcano, return to the lodge, and spend the afternoon exploring the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. There is an onsite restaurant at the lodge which is very good.

We did this exact plan. Our arrival time to Poas Volcano was 1 pm, and it had just clouded in. For the best chance to see the volcano, plan an earlier visit (before noon is ideal, but there is no guarantee that you will see the volcano).

Poas Volcano | shutterstock.com

The La Paz Waterfall Gardens are very nice to see. There are enclosures where you can see macaws, toucans, jaguars, sloths, butterflies, and frogs up close. Many of these animals were once pets, and are now living here, since they can’t be returned to the wild. If you stay at the Peace Lodge, the entrance fee is included.

If you don’t want to stay at the Peace Lodge, you can visit the gardens and the volcano on the drive to San Jose, just be aware that theft from cars is an issue in Costa Rica, so don’t leave any luggage or bags in view in your cars while visiting these sites.

Tonight, stay at the Peace Lodge. Other hotel options include Xandari Resort & Spa (30 minutes from the San Jose airport) or the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen (10 minutes from the airport).

Peace Lodge

Day 10: Fly home

Today, drive to San Jose, drop off your rental car, if you have one, and fly home.

Doing this Itinerary in the Opposite Direction

This Costa Rica itinerary can be reversed but there are a few things to know.

We don’t recommend driving from Manuel Antonio to San Jose airport the day of your flight. The drive times are too unpredictable due to traffic, getting stuck behind slow moving vehicles, delays at the toll booths, etc. Therefore, if you reverse the itinerary, we recommend leaving Manual Antonio the afternoon/evening before your flight and staying near the airport.

Driving between Monteverde and La Fortuna is along a mountainous road, a portion of which is unpaved. Reversing this itinerary means you will be driving up the unpaved mountain road instead of driving down the unpaved mountain road. This might not be a big deal for most, but some people may have a preference in this regard.

Things to Do with More Time          

Uvita, Nauyaca Waterfalls & Marino Ballena National Park

This would add a day and night to Manuel Antonio. In one day, you can drive to and visit the amazing Nauyaca Waterfalls, walk out onto the beach at Marino Ballena National Park to see the famous whale (a naturally occurring sandbar), and visit the tiny surfer town of Dominical. We cover this in our guide Things to Do in Manuel Antonio.

Nauyaca Waterfalls

Corcovado National Park

This national park is one of the most biodiverse on the planet. To visit the park, add 2 to 3 days to this itinerary, staying overnight in Uvita or a town closer to Corcovado, to day trip into the park from here.

Caño Island

This is done as a day trip from Manuel Antonio or Uvita, so plan on adding one to two days to the itinerary in order to do this. Caño Island is a biological reserve that has one of the best coral reef formations on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It’s a great place to see sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, and humpback whales (depending on the season).

Adding in the driving time from Manuel Antonio (it takes about one hour to drive from Manuel Antonio to Uvita), you are looking at one full day to visit Caño Island, as a day trip from Manuel Antonio.

Tenorio Volcano National Park & Rio Celeste

This is the most popular day trip from La Fortuna. Seeing the vibrant, milky-blue river and its gorgeous waterfall is the main attraction in Tenorio Volcano National Park. This adds one day to La Fortuna. Get the full details in our guide Things to Do in La Fortuna.

Rio Celeste Waterfall

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is a protected area in northern Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua. It is one of the country’s most important wetlands, and a great place to see herons, storks, caiman, sloths, and aquatic species. This is done as a day trip from La Fortuna. This full day tour includes transportation from La Fortuna plus a boat tour of the refuge.

With Less Time

If you have less time, we recommend eliminating one of the three places to visit on this itinerary (Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, or La Fortuna). That saves about three days, turning this into a 7-day itinerary.

If you have any questions about this 10 day Costa Rica itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.

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