Costa Rica! Such a beautiful country and the people are extremely nice. Volcanos, waterfalls, hot springs, zip lining, hanging tree canopy walks, exotic wildlife, gorgeous beaches, paradise!
ONE WEEK IN PARADISE
I visited Costa Rica for one week and wished I had more time. You can definitely see beautiful places in a week and if you only have a week, I recommend spending the majority of your time at a beach town (Quepos, Jaco, Tamarindo). And I would consider taking a flight to the beach town instead of taking the bus or renting a car. Quepos and Jaco are reachable by a 3-4 hour bus ride (or private car), but Tamarindo is quite far from San Jose. Flying into Liberia is recommended if you are visiting a northern beach.
DON’T SPEND ANY TIME IN SAN JOSE
I stayed in San Jose for a night (which I would not recommend) and then three nights in Fortuna (near the Arenal volcano). If I did the trip again, I would only spend 1-2 days at most in the Arenal region. Top things to do in Arenal are zip-lining, thermal hot springs and white water rafting! You can see the volcano as you travel around and no need to spend money on a formal volcano tour. You can also visit the park on your own and take a hike around the volcano. And after the Arenal region, take a flight to a beach on the Pacific side for the remainder of the time. The beaches are beautiful and the sunsets are unforgettable!
TOP DO’S AND DON’TS
It is going to be very difficult to recommend specific places to visit and things to do in Costa Rica since it is such an amazing country, however I can share with you my top do’s and don’ts of what I experienced during the week that I visited in December:
DON’T
- Spend any time in San Jose (the capital)
- Visit Arenal volcano more than 2 days (or stay longer than 2 nights)
- Drive from Arenal to the beach (it’s a hike and very windy over mountains)
- Take the public bus from the beach to San Jose to catch a flight the same day; take a private bus instead (or plan a buffer of time since the public bus can be delayed for a number of reasons)
DO
- Pack light if taking a local flight within Costa Rica (there are weight restrictions)
- Pack bug spray (I got eaten by mosquitos)
- Spend the majority of your time at the beach
- Zip-line and canopy walk in Monteverde and Arenal regions
- Visit Manuel Antonio Park near Quepos
Of course this list is not exhaustive since I was only in Costa Rica for a week. What other do’s and don’ts would you recommend? Add a comment below.
