Costa Rica is a dream destination for wildlife lovers and if you go to the right areas it’s easy to spot wildlife with, or without a guide. Wildlife watching was the main reason for our trip, so we made it our mission to find the best places to spot everything from sloths, to monkeys, anteaters, crocodiles and of course the Resplendent quetzal - one of the world’s most beautiful birds.
This guide focusses primarily on wildlife watching, but it helps that some of the best places to see animals are also the most spectacular areas in the country.
This 10 day itinerary takes you from jungle, to cloud forest, to pristine beaches, spotting all the most weird and wonderful Costa Rican creatures along the way.
A 10 day itinerary for Costa Rica
Day 1-2: Tortuguero
Day 3-4: San Gerardo
Day 5-7: Manuel Antonio
Day 8-9: Drake Bay / Corcovado
Day 10: Jaco
A quick note on how we put this itinerary together
We only ever put itineraries together based on our own personal experience. However, for the first time ever, we are including one spot in this guide that we didn’t visit ourselves: Corcovado National Park. And that’s because it’s arguably the best place in all of Costa Rica to see wildlife.
The reason we didn’t visit was simply down to budget. All trips into this particular national park require a mandatory guide and as we wanted to stay overnight - which is when you’ll see the most wildlife - it was prohibitively expensive.
We made it as far as the gateway town - Drake Bay - but not into the park itself. We will include an option for if you want to enter the park, or for if you only want to visit the borders of the park, which doesn’t require a guide and is therefore free (this is what we did).
All other areas covered in this guide are able to be visited for free or very cheaply - generally for the cost of a national park entry fee.
Other than that, the only thing to note is that this itinerary is based on you having 10 days for activities and a rental car.
Therefore you ideally want to fly into San Jose the night before this itinerary starts and leave the day after it finishes. It’s an action packed trip which makes the most of every day. If you have two weeks in country you can build in a little more rest time : )
Before hiring a car read this guide about a common rental car scam and here’s some tips for driving in Costa Rica.
We’ve created a Google Map version of the itinerary that shows the driving involved in this trip - you can see it by clicking here.
Day 1 - Tortuguero National Park
AM - Getting to Tortuguero
Distance from San Jose: 120km, 2.5 hours by road and 1.5 hours by boat
The road between San Jose and La Pavona - where you’ll board the boat to Tortuguero - is now fully paved and it’s an easy journey.
The great news is that your wildlife extravaganza begins the moment you board the boat to the island, because though it’s a public ‘ferry’ (the boat is actually pretty small), it takes you along beautiful waterways which are alive with wildlife.
We’ve done the boat journey four times now and always seen plenty of wildlife, from Squirrel monkeys, to crocs, caiman, huge iguanas and so many incredible birds.
So as not to make this itinerary monstrously long, we won’t cover all the boat details here, but you can find the timetable, prices and info for parking (as you can’t bring your rental car to the island) at the bottom of this guide.
PM - A walk in Tortuguero National Park
The walk in the main sector of Tortuguero National Park is very easy and entirely flat - perfect for an afternoon stroll on your first full day in Costa Rica! The trailhead is just a short walk from the middle of the village, so it’s easy to get to.
You’ll start in a beautiful section of dense rainforest which is alive with Howler monkeys roaming the tree tops.
After a short time in the rainforest the vegetation changes. We called it coastal rainforest - I’m not sure of the technical term for it - but either way it’s gorgeous.
Along this stretch you’re likely to see plenty of lizards, including the delightfully named Jesus Christ Lizard (so named because they can walk on water) while Great green macaws soar overhead.
Once you reach the end of the track you can choose to return the same way, or head back along the wild and rugged black sand beach. Depending on recent rainfall the start of the track, which goes through the jungle, can be very muddy - there’s a reason they hire welly boots just outside the park!
However, for our visit in the dry season it was bone dry. The walk is 6km return, but you don’t need to do all of it to get an appreciation for the jungle and wildlife.
You have to pay an entry fee online in advance, more on that and all other trail details are in this guide.
Evening - Sunset drinks and dinner at Tortuguero’s best restaurant
There is no better way to end a day exploring Tortuguero than watching a sunset over the water. There are lots of places you can catch the sunset, but our favourite is El Patio bar.
There are lots of tables on the back deck, including some right down on the water’s edge which have an uninterrupted view of the sunset. Although the tables beside the water are the most scenic, they do wobble as boats pass, so watch out for that!
Drinks are a fairly standard price for Costa Rica and include the famed ‘coco loco’ (although it’s sadly not served in a coconut here!).
After sundown, we’d recommend treating yourself to dinner at Tortuguero’s best restaurant, Taylor's Place. We ate at quite a few restaurants in Tortuguero and we’ll be honest, the food isn’t great.
Even some of the well reviewed places that look very promising based on the menu were a bit of a disappointment. Taylor's Place is the exception.
The food was excellent and the atmosphere is very romantic, think lots of beautiful flowers, tropical plants and candle light.
Both our meals were lovely, especially the fish. The downside is the cost. Costa Rica is not a cheap country, but Taylor’s Place was expensive even by Costa Rican standards. However, if you’re not travelling on a tight budget and you want a tasty meal in tranquil surroundings, this is the place to come.
Day 2 - Tortuguero
AM - Kayak or take a guided boat trip through the national park
Kayaking the Jurassic Park-esque waterways of Tortuguero National Park is magical. Paddling along the deep green rivers, under hanging vines and endless tropical trees and plants is an unforgettable experience.
Add to that there’s wildlife around every corner and it’s easy to see why it’s so enchanting.
It pretty much encapsulates why so many of us visit and fall in love with Costa Rica: wild landscapes and endless animal encounters.
We were lucky enough to spot Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys, caiman, huge iguanas, two types of toucan, Great green macaws, Jesus Christ lizards, two types of kingfisher, Northern jacanas, a Lineated woodpecker, egrets, and cormorants, all without a guide.
We chose to kayak without a guide (because we’d already done a guided canoe trip on a previous visit) and it turned out to be better than we could have imagined.
You see a bit less wildlife as the guides are expert spotters, but what you do see you found yourself, which is incredibly rewarding.
You can also time your trip to avoid some of the tour groups in the narrower channels which makes it so much more special.
The paddling itself is easy. For all the details on doing it yourself, we have you covered in this guide.
However, if you don’t fancy paddling or going it alone, there are many guided trips and they will also offer easier wildlife spotting than going independently. We loved our guided trip too, so whichever option you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
Just make sure you opt for the sunrise trip whether you’re hiring a kayak or going with a guide. That’s the most beautiful time of day and of course when wildlife is more active too.
PM - Cerro Tortuguero Walk
The best view of Tortuguero can be found at the lookout on top of Cerro Tortuguero, an extinct volcano.
It’s an easy walk and though it does go uphill, it’s only 1km return and all on a very well maintained path. It’s nice and shady as you’re walking under the dense forest canopy.
When you get to the top you’ll find a lookout platform with views over the village, rainforest, river and ocean. Scores of vultures circled overhead on our visit, which made it feel a bit more dramatic.
You can also walk an additional flat path from the same area which takes you through a stretch of rainforest teeming with Howler monkeys.
There’s even a small bat cave, which you can’t enter, but even peeking into the entrance will give you some good sightings.
You have to take a short boat ride to reach the start point for the trail and pay for entry to the national park, but it’s a real bargain at just USD $2.
All the details on the walking tracks, plus the boat trip are in our Cerro Tortuguero guide.
Evening - Turtle tour if in season
Despite the fact we’ve visited Tortuguero twice now, we’ve never actually been there in Green turtle nesting season sadly (roughly June to October, with peak season being July - September).
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting during these periods then a turtle night walk is a must. Though we have visited in Leatherback turtle season, it’s extremely rare to see them and night walks are not offered at this time, so you do need to visit in the above time period to see turtles.
Having not done it personally we can’t comment on the experience, but by all accounts it’s pretty special. You have to take a guided tour to ensure the safety of the turtles and various operators will offer trips, including the Guide Association in the village who tended to have the cheapest prices (but shop around to be sure).
General night tour - year round
Night walks are wildly popular in Costa Rica, especially because you can often catch sight of nocturnal animals that you just wouldn’t spot during the day time. We were a bit unlucky on our walk in Tortuguero because we visited during a very dry period which is the worst time to go animal spotting in this area. In fact I would say if it’s been very dry then it’s not worth it, but in wetter times there’s plenty to see.
Despite not seeing an awful lot, we did see a Two-toed sloth, as well as a variety of birds and lizards. The walk is easy and goes for about 1.5km each way. Part of the walk is along the sandy path running beside the beach, which doesn’t feel very wild as it’s right by the village.
The best part was when we went into the forest which felt much more like you’d expect a night walk to be and was still easy and flat.
We booked at the Guides Association in the village and paid USD $20 to join a group tour. Other companies around the village offer similar walks. Our accomodation provider offered a smaller group tour to a different part of Tortuguero which included a boat trip and sounded amazing and much more private.
However as it was USD $35 we couldn’t stretch to it on such a long trip (over three months in Costa Rica). If we had a bigger budget I would definitely have gone for that option instead
Where to stay in Tortuguero
Casa Chilamates 2.0
There was a lot to like about Casa Chilamates 2.0, but also some faults. Firstly, it’s a little house with a kitchen, a good shower, very powerful AC and a jungle setting, yet just a five minute walk from town. It was perfectly quiet at night apart from the sounds of the insects, which I personally love.
However, the curtains are very thin and the surrounding houses leave their porch lights on all night. If light bothers you, do not stay here. Also the AC unit is powerful, but very noisy and had a bright light which couldn’t be turned off. Personally I didn’t like these two things, but I am very sensitive when it comes to sleeping - not one previous reviewer had mentioned these points, so I guess I am alone in this!
If you don’t mind the light and AC noise, then you’re surrounded by Great green macaws and Howler monkeys in the nearby trees, which is very special.
You can check out more reviews and the prices on:
Mawamba Lodge
Due to the aforementioned sleeping issues, If I am lucky enough to return to Tortuguero for a third time I would stay at Mawamba Lodge. We actually walked passed it on our night walk and it looked great. It was in a quiet location a bit further away from town, but if you don’t want to walk in, I believe you can catch the boat.
The rooms look lovely and each window is netted so you get the full breeze, which is why I’d pick it as Tortuguero was insanely hot (although we were visiting in a rare time with no rain!). They also have hammocks on the porch and there’s a pool.
You can check the reviews and prices on:
Day 3 - Tortuguero to San Gerardo de Dota
Distance from Tortuguero: 200km - 1.5 hours by boat then 4 hours by road
The journey to San Gerardo de Dota is quite a long one, beginning with the boat back to the mainland. It is going to eat up most of the day, but we think it’s worth it for the excellent chance at spotting one of the world’s most beautiful birds, the Resplendent quetzal.
If you aren’t massively keen on seeing a quetzal, then we would recommend you skip San Gerardo de Dota and instead replace it with La Fortuna. Our 7 day Costa Rica itinerary has a full section on La Fortuna, which includes sloth watching and a fabulous frog night tour, which you can see details of here.
If you are keen to see a quetzal then San Gerardo is the place to head. And though we have included it here for the quetzals in particular, there’s a lot to love about the small mountain village.
It’s a magical little place where the air is cool and the forests are misty and mysterious. It’s one of our favourite places in Costa Rica and a wonderful respite after the intense heat of Tortuguero.
This is the place to slow it down and take a breather before the itinerary ramps up again as you move on to Manuel Antonio.
After arriving at the cloud forest we’d recommend enjoying whichever mountain lodge you’ve picked to stay at. Most have gardens you can potter around and some have cosy fireplaces for the chilly evenings.
You can feast on fresh trout in the evening (which is a speciality on every menu in San Gerardo) and if the sky is clear do a spot of star gazing by night.
Day 4 - San Gerardo de Dota
AM - Quetzal spotting
Known as one of the most beautiful birds in the world, quetzals are a coveted sighting by more than just birdwatchers. The colours of the males in particular are so striking, and if you are lucky enough to see them fly, it’s absolutely dazzling.
There’s a lot of talk about whether you need a guide or not, and I think it partly comes down to what time of year you visit, and what you are hoping to get from the experience.
We didn’t take a guide because we were lucky enough to be visiting during the nesting season (our visit was March) when it’s pretty easy to spot a quetzal.
You just need to ask a local for some tips, we asked the lovely staff member at Café Kahawa, and she kindly told us where they were most often spotted.
We turned up at the exact spot she’d mentioned at 5.30am (said to be the best time for spotting them, although we saw them in the afternoon too) and we saw the female immediately and the male a little later.
We then saw the same couple numerous times throughout our stay and always in the same trees. I have no idea if couples return to the same trees year after year, but just incase, it was directly opposite the terrace of the Alma de Árbol Dota cafe. However, do ask at the cafe just incase this changes.
You can drive and park at the side of the road to see the quetzals, or walk depending on where in the village you are staying. If you go with a guide they may take you to the same spot or somewhere different.
Do ask ahead of time where they will take you because it does vary and some people are disappointed to find they are viewing quetzals at the side of the road rather than in a forest.
We finished our quetzal spotting experience at around 7.30am so you can even pop back to bed for a few hours if you fancy it.
PM - Coffee and forest walk
We’d recommend heading to a cafe for lunch, our favourite for food and drink was Alma de Árbol Dota cafe and that’s where we also saw quetzals from the terrace - an incredible experience we were definitely not expecting!
You could easily while away an afternoon moving from one cafe terrace to another in San Gerardo, but if you are keen for another activity we’d recommend heading to the gorgeous Savegre Reserve.
It’s a private reserve with a network of forest trails which was a highlight of our time in San Gerardo de Dota.
If you don’t stay at the hotel (which we didn’t) you can pay USD $10 for access to the reserve, which is absolutely spectacular, and oh so quiet.
We saw just a handful of people during our time there, for the most part it felt like we had this whole sensational cloud forest to ourselves.
For a very easy walk opt for the Los Pioneros and La Quebrada Tracks, which connect to form a 2.3km circuit. This spectacular trail winds down through a glorious stretch of cloud forest.
The path is very well maintained, although there are a few very small sections which were damp and a touch slippery.
The forest is dense, with giant strangler figs, tree ferns and hanging vines - it’s completely captivating and we didn’t even have mist. If the clouds roll in, it would be simply magical.
If you don’t have a 4WD you can’t access the closest car park to the trails. You can either walk for 1.8km up the gravel road (all uphill) or take the hotel’s shuttle for USD $3 per person. You can read more details in our San Gerardo de Dota guide.
If you love wild swimming, an alternative to this would be to walk to the stunning swimming hole on the Rio Savegre Waterfall Track, details of which can be found here.
Where to stay in San Gerardo de Dota
Lauraceas Lodge
We stayed at Lauraceas Lodge and it was our favourite stay in Costa Rica. We had an individual cabin, with a comfy bed and great shower. It had a really lovely feel to it and we fell asleep to the sound of the river (which is opposite the hotel). It was the quietest place we stayed in the whole country and we would have extended our stay if we’d had the chance.
The only thing to note is that San Gerardo de Dota gets very cold at night. They do offer a heater if needed. We were ok with all the bedding and blankets, but I imagine a lot of people would prefer to take the heater!
You can see the reviews and prices on:
Day 5 - San Gerardo de Dota to Manuel Antonio
AM- Drive to Manuel Antonio via Miriam's Quetzals
Distance from San Gerardo de Dota: 140km, 2 hours 40 minute drive
As you leave San Gerardo de Dota, on route to Manuel Antonio, you can stop at Miriam's Quetzals for a final spot of bird watching. Miriam's Quetzals is a cafe with a view!
The view alone would be worth a visit, with layers of forested mountains which look straight out of a David Attenborough documentary when the clouds roll in.
However, most people visit because they have a large feeding station in front of the terrace, which attracts a plethora of different bird species.
Despite the name I think you’d be lucky to spot a quetzal here, but you’re almost guaranteed to see Acorn woodpeckers, hummingbirds and various types of tanagers (we saw blue-greys, scarlet rumped and flame coloured tanagers here).
We’ll be honest, the food isn’t fantastic - nor the coffee - but it’s worth stopping for a drink to appreciate the beautiful views and birdlife. The staff are also very sweet.
PM - Sunset walk to Biesanz Beach
After a drive and a bit of a rest in the afternoon, head for an evening stroll to Biesanz Beach, which is located just outside the village of Manuel Antonio - but not inside the national park - so you can visit anytime you like!
This gorgeous little cove is reached via a short (5-10 minute) jungle trail and it’s around dusk that the jungle comes alive. Not only did we see a big family of Howler monkeys on the path, but also heard their roars which definitely gave the beach a wild feeling.
Whilst the beach doesn’t face the horizon for sunset, this is still the perfect time to go as the soft light is stunning and the wildlife is more active.
Day 6 - Manuel Antonio National Park
A visit to Manuel Antonio National Park is a must for wildlife lovers. Yes the park is phenomenally busy, and yes it can feel like Disneyland at times, but if you plan your day carefully, it’s still possible to have an incredible time at Manuel Antonio National Park, and on that note you don’t need a guide. More on that in this article.
We highly recommend booking tickets for the earliest possible time slot in the national park, currently that’s 7am.
This will maximise your chance of seeing plenty of wildlife and allow you to get most of your hiking done in the coolest part of the day.
You are almost guaranteed to see sloths (it’s likely to be how many you see, not whether you can spot one) and Capuchin monkeys.
Other likely sightings are Howler monkeys, Poison dart frogs, Agoutis and various birds. You might even see an anteater (most common on the Official Road trail).
After hitting the trails you can then relax on one of the many beautiful beaches for the afternoon. The beaches close at 3pm which is another good reason to get to the park early, so you have plenty of time to enjoy all that it has to offer.
We have a whole article dedicated to how to spend one perfect day in Manuel Antonio here.
Evening - where to eat in Manuel Antonio
For dinner we liked the Manuel Antonio Falafel Bar. The hummus was actually not great, it definitely didn’t taste like it does in the Middle East, but the falafel, salad, pitas and homemade chips were excellent.
We also ate at En Todas food truck, which does a range of burgers and tacos etc. I had the fish burger which was great. Joe didn’t love his beef burger, so maybe opt for the fish, as I was really happy with mine. It’s all outdoor seating and food is served from a big yellow school bus which is fun.
Although we didn’t try Hola Indian in Manuel Antonio, we ate at the same chain in Jaco and Uvita. The Jaco branch was excellent, so good we went to the Uvita one. Sadly that wasn’t nearly as good, so we can’t say the one in Manuel Antonio will be great, but if you’re craving Indian, it’s worth a try and if it’s like Jaco, you’ll be happy!
Where to stay in Manuel Antonio
You can either stay in the small town of Manuel Antonio itself, or 10 minutes down the road in Quepos, which is a cheaper option.
Apartamento Karibu, Manuel Antonio
This apartment is great if you want to self cater, as there’s both an oven and hob. It’s set in pretty gardens and has an extra large bed, as well as a smaller double and the all important AC. The host Rosa gets rave reviews, as does the place in general.
You can check the reviews and prices on:
Villa Iguana, Quepos
Villa Iguana is the place we were planning to stay at, but as we were so last minute with our booking, we missed out. I picked it because it’s in a really quiet spot, set in lovely forest surrounds - at this point in our trip we were craving peace and quiet as Costa Rica can be surprisingly noisy. There’s a full kitchen including dishwasher - something we never saw elsewhere in Costa Rica. There’s even a little jacuzzi in the garden. If you don’t mind being a little further from restaurants etc, it’s definitely worth a look.
You can check the reviews and prices on:
Day 7 - Manuel Antonio
Although this guide is focussed primarily on wildlife watching, we couldn’t write about Manuel Antonio and not include a couple of the incredible day trips options.
Whilst there are some mangrove tours which are great for wildlife, we’ve saved that kind of scenery for our final spot on the itinerary and are instead including a couple of different ideas.
Option one - Nauyaca Waterfall
Our top recommend would be Nauyaca Waterfall, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica. The lower falls would be a must see in its own right, but then you have a second waterfall above, and the two together really do have the wow factor.
The falls flow into a deep emerald swimming hole, one of the best pools for swimming we visited in the whole country.
You have several options for reaching the Nauyaca Waterfall, normally we’re all about the hike, but after a particularly hot and humid couple of days in Manuel Antonio, we opted for the easy option and took a 4WD most of the way.
You can read about the various options for visiting here, and note that there are two different entry gates, with two different price tags.
Option two - Rainmaker Hanging Bridges
Much less famous than their counterparts in La Fortuna and Monteverde, the Rainmaker Hanging Bridges offer a quiet alternative for lovers of rickety rainforest swing bridges. It’s a less flashy more rustic set up, but I actually really liked that, and it came with the added bonus of lots of gorgeous jungle pools to swim in.
The walk is a fairly easy 2.4km circuit and the rainforest is stunning. Many people actually do spot wildlife here (particularly frogs) but our visit was during a very dry spell and we didn’t get lucky. However, wildlife here is a bonus, you really come for the forest, bridges and swim spots.
At just over a 30 minute drive from Manuel Antonio, it’s an easy leisurely day trip which you can read more about in our Rainmaker guide.
Day 8 - Manuel Antonio to Drake Bay
Distance from Manuel Antonio: 120km, 1 hour 45 minutes by road and a one hour boat ride
Drake Bay is a wild place, known as the gateway to Corcovado National Park, a true wilderness area. As mentioned at the start of this itinerary, Corcovado is a very expensive trip, but if it is out of your budget you could opt to visit Drake Bay, which is what we did.
However, if you have the budget then I can’t imagine you can beat Corcovado for wildlife from everything I have read and heard about the place.
The journey to Drake Bay
Although with a 4WD you could drive all the way to Drake Bay, it’s said to be a pretty rough road - although more bridges are being constructed, so definitely read up closer to the time of your trip. Most people opt to leave their car at one of the paid for car parks by the ferry dock and take the scenic boat ride to Drake Bay (us included).
You’ll start the journey on a calm river between the mangroves - your captain will usually point out wildlife like crocs as you pass. You’ll then have a short (20ish minutes depending on conditions) ride in the open sea.
As you leave the river, there are some big waves to get over and I was very nervous as someone who gets incredibly seasick - we lucked out with good conditions and the boat ride was actually great fun.
If visiting in season (mid July to October and again between November and April) you are very likely to encounter Humpback Whales on the journey, in fact it’s one of the best places in the whole country to see whales.
There are currently only two boats a day from Sierpe to Drake Bay, one at 11:30am and one at 3.30pm. The cost is $20 USD pp for the first boat and $25 USD pp for the second. Please check for up to date timings though incase it changes!
At time of writing you can’t book online and instead just turn up and buy your ticket on the day. There’s a cafe with toilets where you can wait if you want to get there a little earlier (we actually turned up 15 minutes before and got on, but I wouldn’t recommend this, especially in peak season!).
The boat will drop you at the beach and you’ll need to walk in the water for a little bit. It can be a tad wavy, but for us it was easy to disembark. During wilder weather you may need to take care. If you can’t walk to your accommodation you’ll want to organise a pick up. Sometimes there is a taxi hanging around, but not always.
If you’re not staying in the town, the boat can take you onwards to other beaches (so long as you organise it in advance), such as Playa Rincon. You’ll have to pay slightly more, but it’s cheaper than taking a 4WD taxi.
We’d recommend taking the first boat of the day so you have a bit of time to relax in Drake Bay. You then have time to head to one of the beaches in the afternoon, or if you were really keen take on the river hike to Naguala Waterfall.
If you want to treat yourself to a lovely dinner before heading into the national park the next day, then opt for Kalaluna Bistro. The portions are quite small, but the food was great and the iced coffee was one of the best I’ve ever had (more like a desert really!). There’s a variety of fish dishes and also things like pasta.
Prices are high, but we felt it was worth it enough to go several times on our visit. The vibe is nice and the staff are too. We visited in May and didn’t need a reservation, but we’re told in high season that you do need to book a table.
Day 9 - Corcovado National Park or Drake Bay
If you have the budget spend it on an overnight stay in Corcovado - one of the most biodiverse places on the planet - if you haven’t, opt for our DIY Corcovado light option.
Corcovado National Park
When it comes to Corcovado you can either do a long hike or a short one and both include a boat journey over to the park (Sirena Ranger Station). It’s said to be pretty rough, so take seasickness tablets if you’re like me and tend to get queasy. In whale season you would be unlucky not to spot at least one Humpback.
The park must be visited with a guide and all my research suggests the place to go for is Sirena Ranger Station (rather than the nearer San Pedrillo). You can stay at the station in a dorm like set up where meals are provided onsite.
This allows you to go looking for wildlife for much longer than on a day trip and spotting a tapir is almost guaranteed. It looks like an incredible place and if we hadn’t been in Costa Rica for three months, we would have splurged on a visit - hopefully we’ll make it there one day.
You will see an abundance of wildlife, as well as soak up a true wilderness environment.
The Drake Trail - the Corcovado alternative
The Drake Trail offers a taste of the sort of scenery you’d see in Corcovado National Park, without the need for a guide and the associated hefty price tag. You definitely won’t see as much wildlife as you would with a guide in Corcovado, but there’s no chance you’ll finish the trail disappointed.
You’ll hike past endless pristine beaches and small coves, and the further you get from Drake town, the more remote they start to feel. If you’re looking for Robinson Crusoe vibes, this is your trail.
The tree tops are alive with Capuchin monkeys and Scarlet macaws soar overhead. We saw people at the beginning of the walk and at the end, but nobody at all on the whole 10km inbetween.
The walk is long, even longer if you choose to walk both ways (we’d recommend organising a taxi one way) and the sun is intense.
But in terms of the trail itself, it’s reasonably flat and pretty easy due to the predominantly good paths. However, this does change if you go past Playa San Josecito, which makes a good turnaround point.
All the details on the Drake Trail and how to organise your one way hike are in this guide.
Where to stay in Drake Bay
Drake Lapus
If you’re only spending one night in Drake Bay and then heading to the national park, it’s probably easiest to stay in town. However, if you’re staying two nights then you might want to consider one of the beaches.
When in town we stayed at Drake Lapus. We would only recommend booking the Deluxe bungalow. We had to move to the other room after one night as the bungalow was fully booked and we missed the Deluxe bungalow!
It’s basic, but nice and private and has views directly into the forest. It’s lovely and quiet at night and has a kitchen and hammock on the balcony. They also have filtered water as you can’t drink the tap water in Drake Bay. The internet even worked pretty well by Drake Bay standards!
There is no AC, so it’s hot in the day, but at night it’s relatively cool as the windows are screened, so they can be left open all night. There’s also a fan if needed and it’s just a few minutes walk to town.
You can check the reviews and prices on:
Poorman’s Paradise
We also stayed at Poorman’s Paradise on Playa Rincon. I’ll be honest, this was primarily because I was desperate to see a tapir and they often have them come into the garden at night. Sadly I saw tracks but no actual tapir!
However, the room was great and the setting, just back from the beach, was wonderful. We watched some great sunsets here. It’s located along the Drake Trail, so allows easy access to places like Playa San Josecito too.
You’re very limited when it comes to food options here, we ate all our meals at the accommodation and it was decent. Generally fish, rice and veg, with a small dessert for a set fee.
Day 10 - Drake Bay to San Jose via Jaco
Distance from Drake Bay: One hour boat ride (from Drake Bay, possibly two rides from Corcovado) then 280km, 4 hours by road
It’s a hefty journey to get back to San Jose, but you can break it up roughly halfway in Jaco. We don’t love Jaco, but there’s a few decent (ish) coffee shops and a beach. You’ll also pass over the famous Crocodile Bridge, which is well worth a stop for guaranteed croc sightings and it’s free.
You can park a couple of minute’s walk from the bridge and then peer down into the murky water below. We saw crocodiles here every time, both in the water and sunning themselves on the river bank.
Where to stay in San Jose
BEE Suites Escalante
We stayed in BEE Suites about five times over our three month trip and liked it every time. The rooms are large and modern with comfy beds, a good shower and good wifi. There’s AC, but we preferred opening the large windows and getting fresh air. The view has a lot of greenery and there’s a self service laundry on one of the floors. Parking is free and secure. It’s located in our favourite suburb in San Jose, Barrio Escalante. It’s not good for tourist attractions (which are limited in SJ) but for cafes and restaurants, trust us, this is your spot.
We still talk about the breakfast burritos and brownies at Franco. The coffee could be hit or miss, but we had more hits overall. It gets busy on weekends but it’s worth queueing.
The downside to BEE Suites is that you can hear the train sometimes - but it is more muted than other parts of the suburb (where it can be comically loud). You also want to be on a mid level floor as the rooms directly beneath the gym could be a bit noisy - they moved us without hassle when we got put there one time. And I mention these points as someone who is noise sensitive, they won’t bother everyone.
You can check out the reviews and prices on:
Important info on visiting Costa Rica
The best time to visit
As Costa Rica is a tropical destination so the dry season is generally the best time to visit Costa Rica, which runs between December and April. It does rain during this time, but generally far less than the rainy season. However, this is also the busiest time of year and prices can reach eye watering levels for car rental and accommodation.
Visiting in the shoulder season of April (after Easter) and May is a good compromise for decent weather and lower prices.
Most animals can be seen year round, unless you are particularly interested in seeing whales or turtles.
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