11 Day Costa Rica Itinerary
This family trip to Costa Rica was the most I’ve ever planned in advance for a trip. Booking tours/classes/activities etc. at specific times- days, weeks, or months in advance is SCARY! Like what if we aren’t feeling it that day?! What if the activity prior is longer than expected? Alas, it all worked out. Our itinerary can be saved in the link below:
Our 11-day itinerary in Costa Rica was a testament to our ambition to immerse ourselves fully in the country’s rich tapestry for the very first time. Unfamiliar with the precise locales and the distances between our chosen activities, we navigated through our adventures with ease. However, armed with the knowledge we have now, I’d advocate for a strategic swap between the Safari Float and the 1968 Trail days. The 1968 Trail, nestled in proximity to the Mistico Hanging Bridges and the hot springs, offers a more streamlined journey with minimal driving. Conversely, positioning the safari float nearer to the Two Little Monkeys Chocolate Tour and El Salto Rope Swing enhances the logistical harmony of the itinerary.
Day 1
We arrived in Liberia at 1pm and there was a little concern about whether we could get through customs and get the rental car with enough time to drive to La Fortuna before dark. We decided to take the risk! There was a decent line getting through customs but it moved quickly. Getting the car is what took a good chunk of time. Our reserved vehicle had not arrived yet which was a 12 seater. After waiting about 45 minutes, we decided to check other available options and went with a 7 seater Mitsubishi. With a party of 6 and a lot of luggage, it was TIGHT. To add to it, we stopped at the local Walmart to stock up on food and water. We were certainly feeling the lack of space. After Walmart, we hit the road, heading for our AirBnB in LA Fortuna. I stocked up on Bonine motion sickness meds just in case, but no one felt the slightest bit of illness from the curvy roads. This may be in part because we drive in the mountains of NC often and are used to it. Driving around Lake Arenal, we had our first animal sighting- Coatis! (Pronounced like quatee) They were adorable and made my animal loving heart so happy! We made it to the house just before dark and were greeted by the owner who showed us around. The house was amazing, new, clean and not close enough to walk to downtown, but a short drive- maybe 2 miles. There was a nature trail beside the house with Sloths. We walked the trail early one morning and there were a few guides giving tours, but the sloths were so high up, it was difficult to see them.
Day 2
In the morning, we explored downtown La Fortuna. We ate breakfast at Chocolate Fusion and from then, It became a daily stop- sometimes twice! Yes, it’s that good. Acai bowls and the Avocado Toast were amazing, as were the waffles. At Lunch, we had a cooking class with El Fogon De Chela.
This is a MUST do! Our entire party enjoyed learning about Costa Rica, the food, a little history. The owner is a kind, beautiful soul and the food was amazing. After the cooking class, we had a tour with Sloth’s Territory. Not worth it. Our tour guide was very kind and we saw sloths through a scope as there were pretty high up. I chose this company after learning about another sloth tour in the area (that comes highly recommended) possibly took sloths out of their territory to put in this small wooded area surrounded by city- to make a trail and charge people. I wanted to see sloths naturally. At this point, I’m not sure any of the sloth tours have value. I don’t believe in stealing/relocating animals for money. You can see sloths naturally in Costa Rica. After the sloth walk, we had our night walk at Arenal Oasis night walk. They provide water and flashlights for all participants and will be in a small group with a guide. The guide takes pics for you and sends them to you at the end of the tour. I was hoping to see a variety of colorful frogs. We had a new guide who was not experienced with the camera he had, so our images are low quality. We only saw two types of frogs. A blue jean frog and the red eyed tree frog. We also saw a Fer-De-Lance which was pretty exciting. Next time, I’d skip this tour and try a different night walk or opt for an early morning bird watching hike instead.
Day 3
We started this morning with a volcano hike. There are a few recommended hikes in the area and we went with the Arenal 1968 hike. There are two trail options and we chose the longer one. On this hike, you walk over lava rocks and lava fields, winding around the arenal volcano leading you to a breathtaking view of the volcano. Once you make it to the end, you will find a restaurant and outdoor seating with more stunning views and space for kids to run around and adults to rest after a challenging (or easier if you choose the shorter trail) hike. The food was excellent. Next, we moved on to Two Little Monkeys Chocolate Tour. Our group of 6 were the only ones there ( they had a few no shows). The folks running the tour were phenomenal. This mas more hands on than most of the chocolate tours in CR. They shared the history of cacao and after learning the parts of the plant, we got to grind cacao seeds using various methods. We then had amazing hot chocolate and went on to make our own chocolates and Cane juice. The kids really enjoyed both of these activities. While our chocolates were setting, we took a tour of the farm and learned so much. We got to taste raw cacao from a pod and WHOA. It was so good, I asked for a whole one to take with me. Delicious! We ended the day visiting the El Salto Rope Swing which is just outside of downtown La Fortuna.
Day 4
We began day 4 with a safari float. This is when I learned you have better luck seeing animals if you go on the 7 AM slot (it also costs more). It was OK. My boys and mother-in law enjoyed it, but I’d either go 7AM next time or find a different activity to try. We stopped mid float for some fresh fruit the guides pack and cut up for us. The fruit in CR is AMAZING. Once we returned, the tour company provided a meal- the typical Costa Rican food and boy, is it delicious. After our lunch, they took us on a “tour” of their farm where we had more Cane juice and the kids got to help express the juice from the cane. This company seems to raise roosters for fighting, so I can’t recommend them. The afternoon lead us to the Mistico Hanging Bridges. We did not use a guide for this activity and I think that was a good choice. The hanging bridges were neat, but nothing I feel the need to repeat. Next time, I’d try the ones in Monteverde. Several groups had guides while we were there and again, looking through scopes to see an animal through a small circle far away. We did see monkeys on our own towards the end of the trail close enough that a scope was not needed so that was fun. The best part was once we made it to the end, it was closing time and maybe 30 coatis came out looking for food left from tourists. These little guys are cute, fast and brave. One tried taking our gopro! We finished our day playing in the free hot springs. It was busy, but we had so much fun. The hot springs, 1968 Trail, and Mistico Hanging Bridges are close together. If you want to do these, I’d plan them all on the same day to avoid driving back and forth.
Day 5
We drove from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, making sure to visit Chocolate Fusion one last time. We made a stop at a little side cafe along the main road called Restaurante Loveat in San Ramon. Lovely owners and great smoothies! We stopped at Crocodile Bridge because it seemed like the thing to do. My 4 yr old wanted a croc tooth necklace. They told us $10 and then when we said he could get it, and let him pick one out, the guy said we owed him $20. We gave the necklace back because, wow, shadiness. We walked away and then he agreed to $10. We reluctantly bought it because the little one was set on it.
We stayed at Los Altos in MA and WOW! We had a rainforest suite that included 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The Elevator opens up to your suite, so perhaps this could get weird when you have elevator malfunctions! The kids had a blast in the game room, breakfast is included and the staff were all lovely. We arrived at almost dark, so we ate at the resort restaurant. It was one of the best- if not the best meal I’ve ever had at a resort. I usually try not to eat on property, but I want to go back for that food! The resort offers several complimentary classes that we did not have time to take advantage of. We had the pool to ourselves and this is where we had an excellent view of a sloth hanging out in a tree right at the pool. So much better than the sloth tour- we could actually see it with our own eyes! While in MA, we took a guided tour of MA national park and my daughter and husband took surfing lessons. Our park guide was great, however, it was the same- looking through a scope to see an animal far away. I would pay to enter the park again, but I’d skip paying for a guide. The best view of an animal was a sloth by the shop in the middle of the park- and you did not need a scope to see it! The beach inside the park may be the best beach I’ve ever been to. I lost my favorite sunglasses at that beach thanks to amazing waves. Hint: once you get to the beaches, most people will be going to the left- the first beach you see. GO AROUND TO THE RIGHT. It’s perfection. I’m dreaming of the day I get to go back to this beach! We ate lunch at El Avion (the airplane restaurant.) Prices are a bit high but the food was great and the view was gorgeous.
My 14 year old and husband took surfing lessons. I booked lessons with Dante’s Watersports. I booked for the afternoon because we spent the morning at the park. After reading about high tides and big waves, I reached out to Dante’s asking if this would be safe for a child who has never surfed before. He assured me anytime of day would be fine, so I took the expert’s word for it. The high tide was insane and not safe for my child. I was highly disappointed that he lied to me to ensure he got $$$. While she is glad she did it, had fun for the most part, she did get knocked over really hard and with the strong waves, she struggled getting up and my momma heart freaked out for a minute. The teachers we had were very kind. The owner watched, smoking weed during the lesson. I definitely recommend surf lessons, but I do not recommend Dante’s Watersports. Yes, I’m still salty about him lying to me.
Day 7
The next morning, we left the kids in the room while we walked the grounds. There are probably miles of walking trails through woods that lead to beaches. This beach area was not like MA park. We ran into a gaggle of squirrel monkeys in the woods. Squirrel monkeys are very active and the most fun monkeys. After exploring for 2 hours, we headed back to the room. From there, my M-I-L took the kids to breakfast while monkeys were trying to steal the bananas off the table. They don’t bring bananas to the tables anymore because of the monkeys, but my 4y/o only wanted a banana, so they got him one. Next, chaos ensued. OOPS! While they enjoyed dinner and a show, hubby and I walked up the hill ~5 minutes for a 90 minute couples massage at Holis Wellness Center. This was the best massage I’ve ever experienced and at a better price than the US. On our way back, we got to experience a show from a couple of Macaws on the resort property. Two Macaws seemed to be fighting for ownership of a hollowed out post. I was thrilled to finally see a colorful bird!
Next up was driving to Monteverde. This might’ve been the most stressful stretch of driving…not the entire drive…only a few areas were sketchy around curves with trucks and busses. We arrived to our airbnb in one piece which happened to be located across the street from Morpho’s Restaurant. This place was recommended for the sunset view. I’ll agree, it was beautiful. The food wasn’t really worth writing about. After dinner, we took a walk to the nearby grocery store. It was in a shopping center with our cute little shops. In fact our favorite shops were in Monteverde. IF you didn’t already know, Monteverde is WINDY. I did not pack proper warmth for this area! Our airbnb was dirty, had ants and mold, so we requested a refund and thankfully the owner refunded us with no issue.
Day 8
Our second night we stayed at Ecolove airbnb with a lovely host who also offers breakfast for an extra charge. It was delicious. She allowed us to drop our luggage off early since we had excursions and didn’t want to leave our car full. We visited Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve in the morning. It was rainy and very muddy and hard to see any kind of wildlife. We chose this cloud forest because it is not as busy as Monteverde Cloud Forest. We all were expecting the cloud forest to be different than what we experienced. There are also arguments online about whether Santa Elena is actually part of the cloud forest. It was definitely a rainforest. Next time, we will check out the Monteverde Could Forest. I’m excited to compare the two.
We had a great lunch at Choco Cafe before going ziplining. We booked through Selvatura Adventures. I believe they have the longest zipline in CR. It was PHENOMINAL and a highlight of the trip.
Here is our ziplining experience!
We spent the evening walking around the town of Monteverde and shopping!
Day 9
We woke up, had breakfast prepared by our host and then took off for Papagayo. On our way, we made a stop at a pottery shop on the side of the road. The name of the shop is Chorotega Arts and Crafts. This shop sits on Calle Candelaria on the way to 145- between Via 606 and 145 in Abangares. He has amazing pieces of pottery and explained to us his process. Such a kind soul. My husband and I picked out a piece as did my MiL and this is authentic Costa Rica. Most touristy shops have items coming from outside of CR. IF you have a chance, visit and support this kind family and get a true Costa Rican souvenir.
We continued our drive to Papagayo where we were staying at The Andaz. It is a stunning resort, but getting there, you are ~1hour outside of anything that feels like Costa Rica. We dropped our bags and headed for the pool! After a little fun at the pool, we walked the path to the beach but noticed beware signs for SEA URCHINS. The bottom of the ocean is covered in sea urchins. No thanks! The sand and water in Papagayo was nothing like the beaches in Quepos/Manuel Antonio Park.
We took a hotel shuttle to The Dive Bar- a restaurant on the Peninsula and I think technically part of Planet Hollywood. It is one of the cheaper options around. The food was great and the vibe was nice. They had a pool table and other games, a swing and all seating is outside.
Day 10
Ending the trip with a bang, our last excursion was the La Leona Waterfall hike. I recommend this to any and everyone going to Costa Rica. IT is worth every bit of everything to add this to your itinerary. I really wanted to include a waterfall hike and after looking into several of the popular ones you will hear about when researching, most were walk a lot, get to the waterfall and you can get in the water at the base. One popular waterfall in La Fortuna includes walking down 500 steps to see the waterfall and sometimes you can take a dip in the water at the bottom and sometimes you can’t. Not La Leona. This is private property, so you have to hire a guide, but I wouldn’t want to go without a guide. You will walk through rivers, climb rocks, go through a few bodies of water before getting to the waterfall. It is majestic.
View our waterfall adventure here.
On the way out, we stopped at Soda La Perlita. They had the most amazing PANCAKES. Yeah, i didn’t expect that at a soda. I crave those pancakes daily. Sodas in Costa Rica are look like little hole in the wall restaurants. This is where the locals go so you will get authentic Costa Rican food. We ate at as many sodas as we could. IF you visit La Leona Waterfall, you must stop at this soda for Pancakes. I don’t even think they were on the menu. We ended the day with more pool time and a show from the howler monkeys at the pool. We had fun mocktails and hot chocolate from the restaurant bar.
Andaz Papagayo is a stunning resort and it was convenient enough to the Waterfall and the airport. Would I stay there again? Probably not. It was so far removed from the real Costa Rica, from authentic Costa Rican food. The closest Soda was an hour away. I see lots of people mention staying there and taking excursions/day trips from the resort. You miss so much doing this. The property and rooms are great, but there are much better beaches too.
Day 11
This was fly home day. We packed up, drove to Liberia, stopped at Don Juans store/tour on the way. The tour was full, but we checked out the store and got a mini tour from Don Juan’s wife. We returned our car, got to airport, ate at the lounge and bought not enough chocolate at Britts Chocolate Shop. We also didn’t buy enough chocolate from Two Little Monkeys, so we definitely need to go back! The best chips are Tronaditas. You must visit a grocery store to get these chips! We did not buy enough.