With such a big beautiful world out there, I typically wouldn’t visit the same place twice, yet that Pura Vida pulled me back again to the lush and friendly Costa Rica for a third time. Each trip has been wonderfully different, and when I didn’t think I could possibly top the girls’ trip to Manuel Antonio or my solo adventure in Montezuma, this recent week long road trip exploring Puerto Jimenez, Uvita, and La Fortuna gave them a run for their colones. This jam packed itinerary with two days in each area was planned with the help of friends, family, and lots of other travel bloggers to whom I am very grateful!
Car Rental: We knew we wanted the freedom to move around and see as much as possible so this would require a 4x4 SUV rental. Though tempting, we followed the advice of My Tan Feet and avoided the cheaper third party sites opting to use their discount link for Adobe Rent a Car, $430 for the week in high season. Additionally, we contacted our credit card company which covers the primary insurance providing a letter to that effect and accepting only liability coverage through the rental company. The experience with Adobe was super easy from the airport shuttle service to the pickup and return at the nearby office, just as long as you put the right San Jose location in your GPS (oops!). The overall road quality was quite impressive with the speed limit posted in km/hour on the signs or even on the road itself; just be prepared for one lane bridges, dogs in the road, getting stuck behind trucks, and being passed by locals until you gain the confidence to start driving like them. Gas stations are full service, and we had many good Spanglish chats with the attendants and other customers. There are a few toll roads around San Jose costing around 600 colones ($1) which we were fine using small US bills when it was all we had though local currency is always easiest. It was also recommended to use Waze rather than Google Maps, and I’ll never forget those long late hours navigating the curvy mountain roads through the fog in the Hyundai Tucson.
OSA PENINSULA
About 6 hours south of San Jose lies the small Osa Peninsula (as compared to the larger more popular Nicoya Peninsula to the west) surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Golfo Dulce. Typically the drive would take you west to Jaco then down the coast, but ours routed us through the mountains between Tapanti and Los Quetzales National Parks into Dominical which proved to be quite harrowing in the dark yet fun, at least in hindsight. There are two main areas to stay on the peninsula, the beautiful but secluded Bahia Drake or the small fishing town of Puerto Jimenez which is where we opted with access to Matapalo and Carate to reach Corcovado National Park.
What We Did: We spent our first day exploring Matapalo, about an hour away from Puerto Jimenez, following the advice of local yoga instructor and blogger Valentina Rose. The drive along the gravel road with the blue coastline on one side and the green pastures on the other was so beautiful, and the water crossings added just enough adventure to keep my boyfriend entertained. Our first stop was at Playa Pan Dulce, a rocky beach with small tide pools to explore and large rock formations to climb while watching the beginner surfers take lessons. We drove a little further to Playa Matapalo, another dark sand beach courtesy of the nearby volcanoes, with bigger waves and more experienced surfers. We left the car here to walk the short distance to the King Luis waterfall ahead on the right (with the help of a local Rastafarian surfer who we saw later at the market, it’s that kind of town!). There are two paths with signs reading “Catarata/Waterfall,” the lower one along and in the river and the upper one through the forest. Both proved to be challenging, but I think we chose well in approaching the falls from above and returning via the river for a mostly downhill hike outside of the brutal uphill to reach the upper trailhead. The views and dip in the swimming hole were well worth it though and we ran into only 2 other people the whole time back there. After the waterfall, we continued down the gravel road to the very end where we found a completely empty beach with huge driftwood and smooth gray rocks making a soft bubbling sound as the waves rolled out. Though looking a little ragged after the hike, we finished our afternoon with a delicious late lunch and cocktails at Lapa Rios with stunning ocean views while monkeys played overhead in the treetops. We planned to hike the waterfall on their property, but decided instead to head back to our hotel for a sunset canoe trip in the bay, learning only afterwards it is populated with crocodiles.
We were up early the next day to hike in Corcovado National Park with Rodolfo Gutierrez of Corcovado Hiking Tours ($75/person). I communicated easily and often with his wife Inka over email prior to the trip to coordinate and prepare. They also offer multi-day hikes with overnights in the ranger station, but these are limited and must be booked in advance. We met him in town, and he rode with us the 1.5 hours to the end of the gravel road in Carate where we met our other 5 group members from France, stopping to point out wildlife along the way we easily would have missed such as a toucan in the distance. We began in the dry river basin learning about the gold-mining community which is still active in the area though much less than its heyday in the 1980s. Then we walked about 3.5 km (2 miles) through the forest, along the beach, and maybe a little on private property to enter the official park at the La Leona Ranger Station with water and bathrooms. Along the total 14 km (8.6 mile) hike, we learned about the huge trees we were passing (as Corcovado is home to the tallest tree in Costa Rica) and got to see lots of animals in action. Called ‘the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity’ by National Geographic , Corcovado is the only park with all 4 Costa Rican monkey species of which we saw 3: howler, squirrel, and capuchin though we were lucky to see the spider monkey the previous day in Matapalo. We saw anteaters whose fur patterns resembled a backpack climbing the trees to consume their daily requirement of 9000 termites. Scarlet macaws squawked overhead as they flew in pairs, mated for life. Bats hid under palm leaves, easy to spot when the usually flat leaves were curved under. Long-tailed coatimundi of the raccoon family wandered around as curious of us as we were of them. A Jesus Christ lizard rested on the rocks by a small waterfall. And finally the one that surprised even the guide, a Rat Tiger snake who we watched as he spotted, tracked, and consumed a small rodent before slinking all 6+ feet of himself off into the trees. Rodolfo carried a guide scope to help us view the wildlife in more detail and even cracked a coconut for us to drink along the way. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately depending on who you ask) we did not see a tapir, puma, or jaguar on this trek though they can be spotted out there. The hike ended with fresh watermelon and pineapple provided by our guide and cold coconut water and ‘coconut’ ceviche for purchase.
Where We Ate: We weren’t too impressed by the food in Puerto Jimenez outside of the expensive Lapa Rios lunch in Matapalo. There’s a row of 3 small open air restaurants along the water near the pier, though all came highly recommended by locals, these weren’t the best meals of the trip. Perhaps we ordered poorly, but Marisqueria didn’t do sushi or the surf and turf well. Soda Marbella had a variety of ceviche, of which we tried something brown and soupy, but only served beer much to my chagrin. Il Giardino had a nice ambiance at the 4 tables on the water which we had to wait for, but Italian is probably not what the Costa Ricans do best.
Where We Stayed: I was very happy with our private cabina on the beach at Corcovado Beach Lodge ($55/night at www.booking.com). It was basic but met our needs being there only to sleep and convenient to get around town. The A/C was cold and so were the showers, arguably refreshing after a hot day. The owner Tomas and the rest of the staff were beyond friendly, even accommodating our late check-in with the security guard. They served breakfast for $6 with free coffee and tea at the central restaurant as well as use of the shared refrigerator. They provide kayaks to use for free which are often taken to the mangrove forests lining the river across the bay from the hotel. Our biggest surprise was finding out it was cash only upon departure, but we scraped together enough spare change from the car to get it covered though there are ATMs in town a few minutes away.
UVITA AND DOMINICAL
The shortest drive of our road trip at only 2 hours brought us around the top of the gulf through small towns and over the mountain passes of the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve. Once along the Pacific coast we started seeing more restaurants, large gas stations, and roadside stands selling fresh coconut water, fruit, and even ceviche. My boyfriend had been to this area over 10 years ago and noted how very much it had grown and changed since then as tourism became more popular. Though it impressed me as more of a hippie surfer town by the water with hostels and tents lining the beach, there are plenty of luxury homes, villas, and hotels up in the hills, yet it still maintains that friendly small town feel as we ran into a few of the same people over our 2 days there. You’ll need 4WD in much of the area as soon as you turn off the main roads to go down to some of the beaches or up into the mountains.
What We Did: Our first stop coming up from the south was Playa Ventanas, timed to hit it around low tide (check the charts here), as it is named for the sea caves forming windows to the ocean inaccessible at high tide. Grown up a lot recently, you’ll now pay 2000 colones ($3) to park and have access to a restroom, beach chairs and tents for rent, and food for purchase such as ceviche for 1000 colones ($1.60) and ice cream or snow cones for 500 colones ($0.83). There’s a wide flat beach at low tide, small tide pools for kids to splash in, and rocks to climb for views of the next bay against the backdrop of the palm tree lined mountains. Another 15 minutes north is Marino Ballena National Park, or Whale’s Tail, a naturally occurring land protrusion that looks like the tail of a whale formed by the surf coming in from opposite directions, again only fully accessible at low tide which we missed. It costs 2000 colones ($3) to park and 4000 colones ($6) to enter. The beach is insanely beautiful in all directions and great for a long walk though quite hot, and we even found a lagoon to the far side where locals were fishing and spending time with their families.
The next morning we drove to the hillside viewpoint mentioned in the link above to see the Whale’s Tail from a bird's eye view at a lower tide. Then we continued north into Dominical and up into the mountains to Nauyaca Waterfall, stopping first at the unassuming office of Don Lulo on the side of the road to pay the $8 per person entrance fee and the $3 per car parking fee. The road down to the trailhead is a little further on the right where you’ll begin the 4 km (2.5 mile) mostly uphill hike to the waterfalls. Other options include horseback and taking a truck to the falls for an additional fee. There are nice views and even a small restaurant with peacocks in cages along the way to distract you from the brutal hike. Just when you think you can’t possibly walk or sweat anymore, the falls appear and make it all worth it. There’s a changing area at the top, then 2 paths down to each of the falls, with the larger upper falls to the right (no swimming allowed) and the smaller still impressive lower falls with swimming hole to the left. This area was a little crowded but still so refreshing for those choosing to relax and adventurous for those jumping off of the rocks.
Where We Ate: The restaurants in this area were the best of the trip, not only for the delicious food but also the ambiance. Our first night driving through we spotted a random airplane on the side of the road and had to stop in. This turned out to be Gate One, an open air palapa style restaurant attached to a previously commercial airplane which now housed a long bar with seating on the wings. I can’t for the life of me understand why it was not busy on a Saturday night any more than I can explain why the cockpit of the plane had 2 male mannequins wearing nothing but captain hats. The staff was so nice and helpful as we were trying to call our hotel from their phone, and we greatly enjoyed the ceviche and catch of the day. Another lucky find was Fuego Brew Co, a 3 story open wooden building in a beachfront garden. The main level had a uniquely designed bar and tables with hanging kegs for lighting, tons of their craft beers on tap, a huge cocktail menu including a kombucha mojito, and awesome food such as the tuna tataki. Below was the tap room and active brewery with stainless steel fermenters visible through the glass floor above (maybe don’t wear a skirt in there). The top floor had swing chairs and lounge areas, with all floors open to the garden stage where they have live music (check the times). Another amazing dinner here was at our hotel (see below) which offered poolside dining at their Las Velas Restaurant, and though portions were small and expensive as expected at a resort, they were delicious along with top notch service and a romantic atmosphere.
Where We Stayed: A highlight of the trip, this splurge hotel was worth every cent. Tiki Villas Rainforest Lodge ($267/night) is comprised of only 12 private villa suites carved into the mountainside all with views of the jungle and ocean below. The rooms had a king bed and a double bed, a small kitchenette, huge open shower leading to the private outdoor shower, and a deck with spectacular views where we saw monkeys in the trees and were warned that wild boar roam below. In addition to the restaurant mentioned above serving included breakfast, there’s an infinity pool which became quite the happy hour spot at sunset, great for meeting people from around the world and getting tips on things to do, as well as a spa and path down to the beach. We only stayed one night as we passed through, but once we got there we never left, soaking up every second in this paradise.
LA FORTUNA AND ARENAL
The 5 hour drive from Dominical took us along the west coast through Manuel Antonia, Quepos, and Jaco before heading up into the mountains via San Ramon. We got started later than anticipated so unfortunately couldn’t see the giant crocodiles resting under the Crocodile Bridge over Rio Tarcoles outside of Carara National Park. The mountainous night drive did give us beautiful views of the city lights below as well as more one lane bridges, hairpin turns, and desolate towns. For the 3 hour drive returning to San Jose, we chose the longer more eastern route to avoid these curvy mountain passes and were gifted a lovely drive through Brauillo Carrilo National Park’s wide well maintained roads.
What We Did: This was the most touristy area we visited with no shortage of activities to do such as day and night hikes, nature and hanging bridge walks, ATV tours, and visiting caves, but we only booked zip lining prior to leaving while keeping the rest of our time open which turned out to be the best decision. With many options available, our friends’ advice led us to the only zip line excursion which goes over the La Fortuna Waterfall as well as offering views of the Pino Blanco Waterfall, the active Arenal Volcano, and the dormant Cerro Chato Volcano with Arenal Mundo Aventura booked through www.arenalcanopytour.com. We opted for the longest 12 zip line tour with horseback riding ($78/person) which not only gave us the most adventures over their shorter tour, but a very small group of only 6 people rather than the huge group which must have taken forever waiting in line for the guides to safely hook you up to the lines. For some people this was their first time, and doing the longer tour allows for you to get comfortable and hopefully enjoy it by the end. This was my 6th time zip lining, 3rd in Costa Rica, and definitely one of the best (gotta give a shout out to the one on Catalina Island in California). We finished up at the Maleku village learning about the aboriginal people of Costa Rica while being shown their crafts for sale which were beautiful but expensive. We then returned to the office via horseback on Colorado and Pinto (I always have to know my horses’ names!). They offered a photo and video package for $35/couple which you have to elect before going out so your helmet can be marked with a stylish sticker. For someone who loves smiling for the camera during fear inducing activities (I check for the camera location before getting on a roller coaster), this was well worth it and took the stress out of having to try to get the pics ourselves so we could just enjoy.
We spent the evening at the free hot springs, known as Rio or El Chollin, visiting around sunset. There were definitely mixed reviews from a dangerous place filled with dirty diapers and human feces to the best free experience around, and fortunately we had the latter. A man in an orange vest “helps” you park along the road then charges you 2000 colones ($3), though he accepted our 1600 in spare change. We heard going to the left side of the road was better and just followed the path we saw people exiting from, went through a hole in a fence, then along the trail through a shallow cold river to find a good secluded spot. Most people were smart enough to bring their belongings across the river away from the public path lined with barbed wire, but we were already cozy in the warm river when we figured this out. Yes it is just a warm river flowing over rocks where you will sit on dirt, the same exact river being diverted into the fancy paid hot springs hotels, but you get what you pay for and this was beyond worth the free price of admission. With our bodies refreshed and our skin feeling smooth, we left as it was getting dark to avoid any barbed wire mishaps while lightheaded from the heat and the cocktails we brought, just as all the young folks were lighting candles and getting the party cranked up.
Our plan was if we enjoyed the free hot springs, there was no reason to pay for the fancy ones, but instead we decided since the free ones were so good, the paid ones must be even better! After a long week of hiking nearly every day, we changed our plans from a waterfall hike 1.5 hours away at Rio Celeste to a day of relaxing at Eco Termales Hot Springs ($40/person per session, 10-4 or 5-10), selected for being quiet and less crowded as it didn’t cater to kids as much as the waterpark at Baldi or cost as much as the popular Tabacon (read about all the options here). There is a restaurant and bar on site, though we did sneak in our own, shhhh. There were multiple pools of varying temperature with very few people, and we had the most wonderfully relaxing day. We saw giant lizards and green birds in the trees while getting massaged by the waterfalls and napping on the stone loungers in the warm water. There’s a large shower and changing room with towels provided, but they actually recommend leaving the naturally occurring minerals on your skin to continue reaping all the health benefits.
Where We Ate: We had a nice lunch in downtown La Fortuna overlooking the central plaza at My Coffee as well as a huge sushi boat for dinner at Kappa. We saw lots of cool places to eat plus got many more recommendations, but being exhausted and having an AirBnB kept is in quite a bit, which leads me to…
Where We Stayed: I absolutely loved our AirBnB Roy’s Place ($75/night), a private well decorated home in a safe neighborhood with a rooftop deck offering 360 degree views of Arenal Volcano and the surrounding mountains. The convenience of having on-site free laundry and a market on the corner for cooking meals was invaluable, and the experience of staying in a real local neighborhood only a few minutes from downtown La Fortuna was priceless. The streets came alive in the evenings with children playing, neighbors chatting, families cooking, and dogs barking. Our host went over and above with clear instructions, recommendations, and was quick to reply when booking us in-room massages at the last minute ($40 for 1 hour). If you haven’t used AirBnB before, click here for a discount!
This road trip around Costa Rica to celebrate my 40th birthday was better than I could have ever imagined! The early January weather was perfect, raining briefly some nights but never affecting our daily activities. We enjoyed moving around to cover different areas and staying active with hikes and adventures while also finding time to relax when needed. We met great people from around the world and most of all the super friendly locals teaching us how to live the Pura Vida!
Itinerary Summary:
Sat-Arrive to San Jose and drive 6 hours to Puerto Jimenez, 3 nights at Corcovado Beach Lodge
Sun-Explore Matapalo beaches and waterfall hike with lunch at Lapa Rios
Mon-Hike in Corcovado National Park
Tues- Drive 2 hours to Uvita, visit Playa Ventanas and Marino Ballena National Park, 1 night at Tiki Villas Rainforest Lodge
Wed-Hike Nauyaca Waterfall and drive 5 hours to La Fortuna, 3 nights at AirBnB
Thur-Zip lining with Arenal Mundo Aventura, evening dip in the free hot springs
Fri-Relax at Eco Termales Hot Springs followed by in-room massages
Sat-Drive 3 hours to San Jose for afternoon departure