For adventure, beach, wildlife and nature lovers looking to experience the best of Costa Rica all in one trip. It was incredible and our kids still talk about how fun it was a few years later. drive from popular beach destinations such as Playas del Coco and Tamarindo. However, the final ascent up to Monteverde is an unpaved, winding road. Samara Beach in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The following itineraries are adaptable to the use of the Liberia Airport: Costa Rica Collection, Rainforest-to-Beach, Avid Explorer, and Tropical Honeymoon in Paradise. Click to read our 2 week coast to coast itinerary. You can choose to replace Rincon de la Vieja with La Fortuna, as thematically, both have volcano, hot springs and waterfalls, whereas Monteverde is more of a cloud forest, hiking and adventure kind of destination. The organization uses funds raised through tours to help rehabilitate rescued animals in Costa Rica. Lots of hotels and things to do and see with a mix of rainforest, volcano and beach. Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR) in Liberia welcomes more than 3,000 passengers every day, according to the newspaper Voz de Guanacaste. We are tempted to follow this almost entirely! Also includes recommendations for restaurants and things to do and day tours. It was completely covered by clouds the entire time. Visit Proyecto Asis This is a small animal rescue located near La Fortuna. 51 km or 32 miles ~ 1 hour 20 minutes drive. Central America ; Costa Rica ; Costa Rica Travel Forum; Search. But you will be burning a lot of calories as the day involves quite a few hours of walking. Destinations: Bijagua, Bajos del Toro and Manuel Antonio, Fly into LIR Airport, fly out of SJO Airport. Yet there is so much more to discover in this beautiful country in Central America. They were working on the roads when we were there but we still got slowed up twice on the drive (once for cows and once for traffic). . Are you looking for sample Costa Rica itineraries? You follow the well marked nature trail which also takes you through a series of high and long suspension bridges. Our recommendations for hotels, hostels, lodges and Airbnb/vacation rentals. Day 1: Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica. With direct flights from North America and Europe, visitors prefer landing here to avoid the 4 to 5-hour drive from San Jos to Guanacaste destinations. Costa Rica family itineraries (7/8 days). We recommend getting there early because there is often a line to get in, especially during peak seasons. In this post, I have outlined our favorite Costa Rica itineraries for 4 days to 1 month which should be very helpful for your Costa Rica trip planning. I've also flown into San Jose and found Liberia easier and it's the perfect airport for this itinerary. Apart from its cloud forests, this mountain town is also known for several exciting activities and attractions, and hence your next couple of days in Monteverde are going to be packed. Visiting Liberia and the Pacific Northwest province of Guanacaste is typically dependant upon the airport that you use to fly in and out of Costa Rica. Bijagua is a small rural farming town home to the Tenorio Volcano National Park, many hotels have a working farm so its great for kids to interact with livestock and learn about Costa Rican farm life. Its coffee. If you are a newbie or a beginner, you can sign up for surfing lessons from one of the surf schools. One of the highlights of the Santa Elena Reserve is the observation tower. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. San Jose has the biggest airport, but we were also able to find excellent flights to Liberia. After the short ride across the lake, theres just a quick, smooth ride into La Fortuna (maybe 45 minutes max). On your last morning in Monteverde, spend some time learning about the other thing Monteverde is famous for. The ultimate Costa Rica travel guide: 1-month itinerary. As a family of 5, getting a rental car is often the most cost-effective option as long as driving is safe. If you are re-energized after all the days rest, you can still fit in a Monteverde activity on this Day 3 of your Costa Rica 10 day itinerary. The Tamarindo estuary is a beautiful nature reserve thats home to a wide variety of wildlife which you can easily see on a tour. Destinations: San Jose, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Manuel Antonio. Thanks Nitin. However, this One Week Itinerary for Costa Rica that starts from Liberia and ends in San Jos allows you to see the best things Costa Rica has to offer the beach, rainforests, volcanos, and the city. At around 2 km (1.2 miles), Playa Lagartillo is the closest to Avellanas. Explore the cloud forests of Monteverde from inside. 2020 ThemeSphere. Book the best day trips from Liberia, Costa Rica directly on Tripadvisor and take the stress out of planning. Situated at a higher elevation, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve gives you an immersive cloud forest experience. Looking for other great Central American Itineraries? Help! Its also become a haven for people seeking eco-friendly vacations. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please tell us how we can help you plan a trip to Costa Rica. The church, which stands in the city center on 25 de Julio Avenue, was restored in 2012 after years of looking slightly dilapidated. A Few Things to Know About This 2 Week Costa Rica Itinerary First As you conclude this Costa Rica itinerary, reflect on the experiences you have gathered from this land of Pura Vida. Here is my ultimate Costa Rica travel guide that gathers notably a 1-month detailed itinerary! We did consider working this into our 1 week in Costa Rica but didnt want to spend the whole vacation driving. Typical of cloud forests, the forests often wear blankets of passing clouds. Another great beach town in Guanacaste is Samara. After wrapping up the coffee tour by afternoon, it is time to say good bye to Monteverde and proceed to your next destination, Playa Avellanas. Surfing is one of the best things to do at Playa Avellanas. Recreo. A Days 1-2: Arrive at the Liberia International Airport (Daniel Oduber) and explore Rincn de la Vieja (horseback riding, hiking, waterfall, hot springs, mud baths).. Rincon de la Vieja National Park belongs to the Guanacaste Conservation Area and comprises about 13 hectares. Theres a butterfly garden at the top of the waterfall, and after a short, but steep, hike down you can see the bottom of the waterfall and swim in it. For a relaxing hostel with workout classes and a pool, check out La Botella de Leche. The previous day you walked over the clouds of the cloud forest and zip-lined high above the cloud forest canopy. Click to read our 10 days Costa Rica itinerary. Please contact us for help planning your trip to Costa Rica. For this 1 week in Costa Rica, you will need to rent a car. Liberia International Airport (LIR airport code) in Guanacaste is the airport to fly into. Costa Rica Escapes is a boutique Costa Rica vacation planner who, since 2006, uses extensive knowledge and local relationships to create one-of-a-kind Costa Rica vacations for travelers looking seeking a unique travel experience. This is when you get the chance to spot several nocturnal birds, mammals, arthropods, amphibians and reptiles. Click to read our Guanacaste 5 days itinerary. Click to read our Costa Rica 1 month itinerary. Due to the road conditions in some parts of the country, driving here can turn out to be adventurous. Plus, its a pretty cool experience to simply be in the jungle at night. Day 1: Fly in to Liberia - Rio Negro Hot Springs and Waterfalls We guarantee youll see way more wildlife and learn more than if you dont hire one. Ranging from tropical dry forests to tropical rain forests and cloud forests, from mountains to beaches, volcanoes to waterfalls, we explored various landscapes in this Costa Rica 10 day itinerary. 1 Pratical Matters 1.1 When to visit Costa Rica 1.2 Where to stay in Costa Rica 1.3 Getting around in Costa Rica 1.4 Money, costs and communication 2 Places to Visit During 2 Weeks in Costa Rica 2.1 San Jos and/or Liberia 2.2 Mountains and Volcanoes 2.3 The Pacific Coast 2.4 The Caribbean Coast 3 Is 2 Weeks in Costa Rica Enough? Enjoy the views of this wildly beautiful waterfall from the viewing deck. That said we had an amazing time in Nosara its just helpful to know what to expect. This should come as no surprise since this city, along with the entire province of Guanacaste, used to be part of Nicaragua until the provinces annexation in 1824. This made it an easy place to stay in terms of dining and lodging, but if you are looking for a more authentic Costa Rica experience, you may want to consider Samara or other small beach towns. For comparisons of different hanging bridges tours of Monteverde, and details on how to book the tour, what to expect and how to prepare for the tour, read this post on hanging bridges of Monteverde. Its definitely been influenced by tourism over the years, but there are plenty of cool places to check out. It is an equally exciting destination, and takes around the same amount of time to reach from Liberia as Monteverde.Monteverde is great for cloud forests, cool mountain climate, wildlife sighting opportunities, hanging bridges and zip-lining. Once the wedding festivities were finished, we picked up our rental van at Liberia airport and headed on a two-week-long road trip to Costa Rica's National Parks. 00:00 / 00:00. 14 reviews 2 helpful votes 9 day itinerary from Liberia Oct 2, 2022, 12:57 PM Save We are a group of 4 adults arriving in Liberia on 11/30 and departing on Dec/9. Based on your preferences, you can also choose to go for either the hanging bridges walk or the zip-lining tour, if not both. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. If you want a tougher hike, consider one of the waterfall trails or the volcano crater trail. The first time I visited Costa Rica I did it as part of a full tour and we had a driver. Cabinas Coco Alegre. When you click on an affiliate link, we get a small compensation at no cost to you. Click to read our one week Costa Rica Central and South Pacific itinerary. Most major North American airlines, such as Delta, American Airlines, United, and Air Canada, fly into LIR. Some of the links on MY Travel BF are affiliate links. All that kind of good stuff so you are prepared for your trip. Samara is a bit more laid back with a local vibe compared to Samara. Great for any traveler, all families, couples, solo travelers, backpackers, luxury travelers. Good for couples, backpackers and solo travelers who want to see more places in less time and dont care too much about doing tours. 1. Head back to Monteverde and get some lunch after visiting the cloud forest. But Tamarindo is always bustling. Explore Mistico Hanging Bridges One of the must-do activities in La Fortuna is taking a walking tour in the hanging bridges. This is also the most popular time to visit and the most crowded. Were sharing our exact itinerary below, but if you scroll down we also have suggestions for other itineraries or ideas on how to shorten or lengthen your trip. Day 1 - Arrive in Liberia, Shuttle to Tamarindo In this one week itinerary for Costa Rica, you fly in to Liberia and fly out of San Jos. White clouds float over green mountains. Today, tourism is fast becoming a significant contributor to the economy. If you have 6 or even 5 days in Costa Rica, you can easily adjust this itinerary. In the morning, head to the La Fortuna Waterfall. The most recent time, we decided to rent our own car. The best travel tips for visiting Liberia The gorgeous white waterfall tumbling into a turquoise natural pool is totally worth the effort of the 10 km (6.2 miles) hike. The Volcano Arenal National Park is in two sections the Main Section and the Peninsula Section. Here's the route broken out by days: Day 1, San Jose to La Fortuna. While you can definitely enjoy the hanging bridges on a self-guided walk, on a guided tour, the naturalist guide can help you with better wildlife sightings. Mytanfeet is full of local tips, detailed guides, photos, videos and maps to help you plan the perfect trip to Costa Rica. The cloud forest has tons of wildlife and rich biodiversity. Note: Still wondering what gipipa is? The bakery has a kids playground and trampoline and is located on Highway 21, a few minutes from the airport. It is a less developed beach in a village of the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Looking for new places. If this is the case, I would suggest the La Fortuna/Arenal area. What to pack. One such bird is the elusive Resplendent Quetzal. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If youre still looking for reasons to visit Costa Rica, here are 20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Costa Rica. As you glide in air, enjoy the views of the vast expanse of the cloud forests. You can easily see how flying into Liberia makes the most sense for visiting La Fortuna and Nosara. Later at night once it got dark, we went on a Night Walk. After the adrenaline rush of zip-lining, get some dinner and relax in Monteverde because youll be on the move to La Fortuna tomorrow morning. Experience the cloud forests of Monteverde from close quarters and get transported to a different world of solitude and serenity, while still experiencing an adrenaline boost. I would recommend starting with Monteverde. We stayed at Los Lagos Spa and Resort and enjoyed having pools and hot spring tubs right at the property. Some of the good car rental providers in Costa Rica are Economy, Adobe and Avis. Bajo del Tigre reserve is positioned in a transition zone of wet to seasonal moist. Plus, there are some great spots . Also has information on how to get around each destination. Would like to do the Caribbean coast if possible. Hailed as one of Costa Rica's most popular sights, this 1,670m high geothermal wonder last erupted in 2010 and has remained quiet ever since. Popular homes in Liberia. They will guide you about safety features, assist you with the gear, and help you with take-off and landing on every line. The drive to the conservatory is beautiful and you often get excellent views of the volcano. It offers exciting activities and attractions for all kinds of travelers, families, couples or solo travelers. Without a doubt, Liberia is Costa Ricas stronghold of colonial architecture, and it offers a few sights that will allow you to soak up the citys history and culture. There is a hotel property by the same name, Hotel Playa Nagra right on the beach, which makes activity at Playa Negra a little more prominent. Better for couples? Can travel via car or private shuttles. Tours of the rocket company are organized for a minimum of 10 people. Is ideal for those who like hiking and nature this Costa Rica itinerary goes to just 1 beach town so more rainforest, less beach. Finish off your 1 week in Costa Rica with a drive to the airport. Day 5-7: Enjoy the beach at Nosara, horseback ride, surf, and watch the sunset. Read more about Gretchen in the about section and Join the Chasing ADVNTR community for a free FIND YOUR ADVENTURE guide. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It does not store any personal data. Beyond that, if you want to add more destinations to your trip, a rule-of-thumb is to add two or three nights to your vacation per destination. In this one week itinerary for Costa Rica, you fly in to Liberia and fly out of San Jos. There are several ways you can visit including taking a guided tour and walking trails or spending time on the water. If you are traveling as a couple or solo, you can also consider transfers or buses to get around Costa Rica. Enjoy Some Hot Springs Thanks to the thermal activity related to the Arenal Volcano, you can find many hot springs in the area. To help you plan how to best spend your 10 days in Costa Rica, we shortlisted an assortment of destinations that will give you a glimpse of different diverse ecosystems. 7-Day Itineraries Costa Rica Pacific Coast Road Trip - 7 Days Costa Rica Pacific Coast Road Trip - 7 Days View Map This seven-day itinerary is perfect for travelers who want a comprehensive beach holiday. We spent 3 nights there then 2 nights in San Jose. Liberia weather is hot, hot, hot, year-round. You'll arrive in Liberia, the hub of Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province. This itinerary is not for those looking to relax or be at the beach the whole time it is for active travelers who love hiking, waterfalls and rainforest. Here are some snaps from our zip-lining adventures at Sky Adventures and Selvatura Park in Monteverde. This means you will need to book tours for many of the activities do will be more expensive in the long run. There are quite a few hotels, guesthouses and eateries near this beach. So, you may reach town just in time to catch a beach sunset at Playa Avellanas. Warning:It will be difficult to sleep, read, eat, or generally look down from the road on this part. The airport's current terminal was built in 2010 to . As the estuary tour only takes about 2 hours, youll have the rest of the day free in Tamarindo to enjoy the beach, take surf lessons, or even visit a nearby beach if you want. Tamarindo is around 40 minutes drive from Avellanas. Full Day Nicaragua Tour from Costa Rica. Day 5 starts with an 8 a.m. ride from Monteverde to La Fortuna. Go for an early morning tour for better chances of birding and also to fit in other activities for later in the day. This Costa Rica one-week itinerary takes you right to Arenal Volcano on your second day. The Tamarindo estuary is located just north of the city. If you are looking for a nice and easy hike, choose the Las Pailas sector for your hike in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Has beaches, volcano, rainforest, adventure, relaxation and cloud forest. We did the Kinkajou Night Walk and had a great experience. We've already seen Arenal, Poas, and Manuel Antonio. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Costa Rica is a great destination for nature seekers. The next day in Monteverde is also filled with activities, but they are more calming than thrilling, like birding and hiking. This itinerary goes to both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Costa Rica. Mytanfeet LLC Copyright 2013 - 2023 - Thank you for supporting our Travel Blog! Most major North American airlines, such as Delta, American Airlines, United, and Air Canada, fly into LIR. . Thank you. We stayed at Kayasol (now part of Iluminar) and found it wonderful for our family with a pool and a great location. The drive from the Liberia Airport to La Fortuna is about 2 hours and 30 minutes. There are so many options of amazing places to stay and awesome things to do that putting together the perfect Costa Rica 7-day Itinerary can be difficult. Check out more about the Butterfly Conservatory. 14 day itinerary from Liberia : r/CostaRicaTravel I'm looking for some input on our 14 day travel itinerary (May 4-18) flying into/out of Liberia: Thinking of two possible options: Travel to La Advertisement Coins 0 coins Premium Powerups Explore Gaming Browse all 109,342 Costa Rica topics . But the most interesting part of this Las Pailas trail is the variety of secondary volcano activities like volcanic mud pots, water pots, fumarolic lagoon and more. Playa Junquillal is a 4 km (2.5 miles) stretch of tan sand beach, the main beach of the town of Junquillal. Here is an overview of the itinerary with some suggestions of things to do in Costa Rica: Use this map to plan you 1 week Costa Rica Itinerary. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Must rent a car for the ultimate road trip adventure. These are seven-day itineraries but also would work for shorter trips. It comes as no surprise that this Central American country is a bucket list travel destination for many people around the world. On the estuary tour, we saw tons of animals, including crocodiles, various species of birds, iguanas, and howler monkeys. The best way to experience this night time forest of Monteverde is by going on a guided night tour. In addition to the beach at sunset, we also saw lots of monkeys and a boa constrictor. One week in Costa Rica was the perfect amount of time and fits well into a one-week school vacation. This day of your Costa Rica 10 day trip is bound to give you the ultimate adrenaline rush. You can book several different types of tours, including the volunteer tour where you help feed the animals. Once it gets dark, one of the best things to do in Monteverde is a night walk in the jungle because at night is when the jungle really comes alive! There are scores of hotels, restaurants, stores, souvenir shops, all packed in the town center, and spread out in the vicinity as well. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. While you cannot guarantee what animals you will see on a night walk in Monteverde, there is a very good chance you will see quite a bit of wildlife because the guides know where to spot al the different animals. The trip should take between 2 and 2.5 hours, without any stop. Spend the next 3 days exploring La Fortuna. If you prefer something in between, like not too touristy, neither lacking development, consider Nosara. The sunny rural capital of Guanacaste has long served as a transportation hub to Nicaragua, as well as being the standard-bearer of Costa Rica's sabanero (cowboy) culture. Do you have questions or suggestions on this itinerary for 1 week in Costa Rica? This sample 5 day Guanacaste itinerary helps you decide where in Guanacaste to stay, what to do and how to get around. Located just a couple of hours drive from the border with Nicaragua, Liberia shares this countrys colonial charm. Again, make sure to hire the guide when you go. How to get around this itinerary. The itinerary has been optimized in such a way that you get a taste of beaches, cloud forests, waterfalls, hot springs, volcanoes, wildlife, but without much hassle of long distance travels. It is time to say goodbye for this time and start preparing for the next trip to Costa Rica! Gretchen is here to share 15+ years of experience working in outdoor education and 13 years of parenting and sharing adventures with her own family. The setting is therapeutic. Then pamper yourself by soaking in the Rio Negro hot springs by the river. When you land in Liberia, take a shuttle to Tamarindo. Quite precise itinerary. To get the feel of a busier beach town, head to Tamarindo for your last night in Costa Rica. We chose to do the longer volunteer tour and definitely think the longer tour is worth it. After arriving in town, treat yourself to a filling lunch at one of the many nice restaurants of Monteverde. Here they have thermal pools heated by the nearby Arenal Volcano. Go for hiking in the cloud forest reserves, after going for (an optional) birding tour in the morning. Here are some other excellent places to visit if you have more than one week in Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo or Cahuita- fun towns on the Caribbean coast, Tortuguero this massive park is the land of turtles, Corcovado another park on the Osa Peninsula, Manuel Antonio beautiful beaches and nature on the Pacific Coast.

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