Vacation in Costa Rica
5-day itinerary to explore the heart of Costa Rica
Craving an adventure in tropical weather? Costa Rica is calling your name!
I have been to this country a few times and still can’t get enough of it - so much to see and to do here! This itinerary focuses on exploring the heart of Costa Rica and the natural gems it has to offer. Keep on reading if you want to see volcanoes, discover trails of the rain forest, swim in waterfalls and hot springs, try white water rafting, ziplining, and more!
Plus, there is a MAJOR surprise for you - we are giving away a 5-night stay, all-inclusive (meals & activities included) - details at the end of the itinerary!
Are you ready to plan your next vacay!? Let’s do this!
Costa Rica has two international airports: San Jose (Juan Santamaria International Airport – SJO) and Liberia (Daniel Oduber International Airport- LIR). For this itinerary fly into SJO.
Next step: rent a car!
Note about transportation: to travel freely in this country I recommend renting a car. There are buses and taxis, of course. I have used all of these options, and I found that car is the best way to explore. Taxis get very expensive very fast, and buses could take a whole day of your treasured vacation. You do NOT need an international driver's license to drive in Costa Rica unless you’re from a country that does not use the Latin alphabet.
Getting to the Could Forest:
There are many different accommodations in the area but I found Lands in Love resort to be the best for this itinerary. Located in the Cloud forest of Costa Rica, Lands in Love is also strategically located near several day-trip destinations.
Address: Route 702, road San Ramon to La Fortuna, 32 km from San Ramon, Alajuela, COSTA RICA
This resort has everything: comfortable accommodations, a delicious vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and all the fun activities you want to try in Costa Rica: white water rafting, horseback riding, canyoning at the waterfall, ziplining, and adventure cables! Plus, many hiking trails that you can explore at Lands in Love.
Watching clouds resting in the rain forest is just another perk from staying here!
Amazing fact: this resort is solely financially supporting a no-kill shelter with over 1200 dogs, cats, and other animals! So staying here is also supporting a great cause.
5 nights here is a perfect amount of time to try the activities* that this place has to offer as well as a few day trips to major tourist attractions nearby.
Here is a sample itinerary:
Day 1: Zip-lining, adventure cables, and horseback riding
Day 2: White water rafting and waterfall canyoning
Day 3: Day trip to La Fortuna
Day 4: Day trip to Waterfall trip to Catarata del Toro, Cataratas Las Gemelas and Catarata Tesoro Escondido
Day 5: Day trip to Poas Volcano
*For planning your activities, email the property when you book the accommodations.
Planning Day Trips:
Day trip 1: La Fortuna 44 km / 27 mi (about 1 hour) away from Lands in Love
The name La Fortuna derived from a major eruption in 1968, in which the town was saved, making it fortunate indeed! La Fortuna has everything your adventurous heart desires, so prepare for a busy day!
Being one of the most well-known hiking destinations, Arenal National Parks has many trails you can choose from:
Los Miradores — 0.75 miles / 1.2 km Starting at park headquarters, this hike will lead you straight to Lake Arenal through the rain forest.
Los Heliconias — 0.6 miles / 1 km: at the end of this trail you will see an overlook of the volcano, Lake Arenal, and lava flows from former eruptions.
Las Coladas — 1.24 miles / 2 km: this route goes around the base of Arenal and around lava fields that were caused by an eruption in 1992.
Los Tucanes — 1.86 miles / 3 km: continuing on Las Coladas will lead you to a scenic path through a rainforest and lava beds.
Another option (my favorite one) is the Arenal 1968 Trail: 2.9 miles (4.7 km) loop located near San Carlos, Alajuela. You will be hiking through a rainforest, lava fields from the 1968 eruption, and see breathtaking views on Arenal Lake.
This well-known over 230 feet high waterfall of Costa Rica is located within the rainforest of Arenal National Park. You will be taking a 500-step staircase down to the bottom of the waterfall. Depending on the weather you can swim near the base of the waterfall.
Note: there is an $18 entrance fee for adults and $5 for children. Hours of operation are between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM.
Hot Springs
One of my favorite experiences is soaking in the Hot Springs, so this is a must-do
activity when vising La Fortuna! Even good things can come from something scary like a volcano eruption. Enjoying the warm and soothing thermal hot springs naturally heated by the volcano and slowly mineralized underground is a perfect way to relax after an adventurous day!
There are many options to choose from: from a free option to a luxurious one!
Enjoying thermal water the way it is meant to be: free, out in nature, and right in the river!
If you prefer to experience this natural wonder in a luxurious setting, get a day pass for Thermal Experiences at Tabacon resort. You will enjoy numerous river pools, with temperatures ranging from 72 to 105 degrees F, with the perfect combination of high volume and mineral content.
Pricing starts at $75 for adults and $30 for children. Note: the day passes sell out fast. Book in advance!
- Los Lagos Resort
If you are looking for more affordable options I recommend the hot springs at Los Lagos resort. I stayed there a few times and really enjoyed their hot springs setup.
No reservations are required and you can drive to the gate and pay for passes there. The best part is that most people don't know about the day passes so it's not very crowded.
Day Pass pricing starts at $17 for adults and $9 for children, with other meal packages available for upgrades.
Do you want to squeeze more in this day trip? Here are some bonus ideas:
Hanging bridges at Sky WalkThis guided tour of the suspension bridges offers a spectacular view of the tropical forest from all perspectives! The price for adults is $41 and $28 for children.
Go caving in the Venado Caves
Imagine yourself exploring the underground world, taking trails deep into the earth, discovering marine fossils, bats, spiders, and crickets! The tour costs $28 and takes about 1.5 hours.
Day trip 2: Poás Volcano (101 km / 63 mi, about 2.5 hours from Lands in Love)
Poas Volcano National Park features one of the most well-known volcanoes in Costa Rica that is famous for its huge crater and its geothermal activity. I highly recommend getting there early in the morning before it gets too cloudy!
Before you go you will need to create an account with SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación), Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas, and reserve the date and time of your visit. Tour times start at 7 am and go till 2:30 pm daily. Parking is paid in cash and is 2,000 colones / $4.
On top of the crater, you will see Poas’ beautiful, light-blue pool.
Crater of Poas Volcano in Costa Rica
La Paz WaterfallCatarata de La Paz
La Paz Waterfall Gardens is 25 minutes away from the Poas National Park. The main path will lead you to incredible sights of 5 waterfalls and local wildlife that this park has to offer. The admission price is $48.
Coffee Tour
It's a mistake to visit Costa Rica and not take a coffee tour! Doka Estate is a coffee plantation near Poaz volcano that has a great tour of the step-by-step process of seed germination from the first crop to the roasting.
Bonus:
This hidden gem is about 30 min away from La Paz. This waterfall is not well-known but very beautiful! Google Maps will get you to the destination through a gravel road and is about a 0.5 meters walk to the waterfall through the forest. The trail is not very obvious so it's good to have a local guide with you.
Day 3: Waterfalls trip to Bajos del Toro (70 km / 43 miles from Lands in Love, about 1 hour and 50 min)
Finding this place was pure happenstance - the reason I planned to stay in this area in the first place was to see the infamous active Poas Volcano. I've been obsessed with volcanoes since my childhood, and Costa Rica's eruptive craters do not disappoint (there are 6 active volcanoes here!). Anyhow, I ended up booking a cabin which was at the foot of the Poas volcano mountain. Little did I know there were no direct roads from there to the actual volcano, so I had to go around the mountain, which took me the better part of a day.
In spite of not planning my base camp a little more efficiently, my arduous exploration itinerary allowed me to stumble upon these gorgeous waterfalls!
Catarata del Torro
This waterfall is located in a privately-owned territory. It is a pretty strenuous hike down (especially if you're in flip-flops like I was which I do not recommend) with many panoramic views of the waterfall. This path will lead you to one of the biggest and most impressive waterfalls in Costa Rica that throws itself in an old extinct volcanic crater.
This place is a gem and it's time it became insta famous!
You can visit this waterfall without a reservation Monday through Saturday 7 am - 5 pm. The price for the visit is $14 for adults and $7 for children. If you are planning to visit Blue Falls as well (the next item on this itinerary), you might want to consider a combo package with Blue Falls of Costa Rica – Light - $25 for adults and $12.50 for children.
Cataratas Las Gemelas (or Blue Falls of Costa Rica)
After exploring Catarata del Toro, you can pay the entrance for Blue Falls at the same location. Take a short walk down the main road to meet the guide that will lead you to the waterfalls. It is required to have a guide for this sight.
There are two different options you can choose from:
Blue Falls of Costa Rica – Light (Adults: $15 / Children: $7.50) or Full (Adults: $50 / Children: $25)
The Light tour will take at least 2 hours. The hike is considered easy to moderate and is about 4.5 km / 2.8 mi. No reservation is required.
Blue Falls-Full is much more intense and recommended for people in great shape. It is a strenuous hike which is about 6 km and will take about 5-6 hours. Remember to make a reservation for this hike a day in advance.
Here is another fun place to visit and swim in - Pozas Celestes! Blue pools are formed by volcanic water running down the river from the Poás Volcano. It's a short hike to the lagoon, and the price is 2,000 colones.
A short but intense hike through the forest and across bridges will lead you to this amazing waterfall with a very interesting name, "sour water". Because the water originates from a volcano some believe it to have healing properties. You won't be able to swim here as the current is quite strong.
This property is owned by the same family as Pozas Celestes, and it costs 3,000 colones per person.
Now to the good news! I partnered up with Lands In Love resort to give away:
1 double room for 2 people for 5 nights
3 meals per day
Canopy tour & Tarzan
Adventure Cables & Superman
Canyoning
Horseback Riding
Rafting
*Valid until 30.11.27*
To enter into the giveaway:
The only thing you need to enter to win is to donate any amount to the Animal Love no-kill Shelter. 100% of your donations are going to support over 1200 animals. $20 dollars will feed one dog for a whole month, so every contribution counts.
We will be tracking donations through THIS LINK and choose the winner by the end of March of 2022! Follow my Instagram for the announcements about this giveaway or email me with any questions!
Good luck to everyone!!!
Pura Vida and keep on roaming,
Polina
