Tour Costa Rica Pacific Coast Tour Itinerary
Welcome to Costa Rica. Getting through customs can be a pain, but it’s definitely worth it! Since I’m not a big fan of San Jose myself, I’d recommend you to book a flight that arrives early in the day and then go straight to Manuel Antonio. Then, you’ll wake up the next day with the sound of the waves instead of honking cars and city noises. However, if you arrive late during the day, no worries, I’ve made an optional extra day for this itinerary with some nice things to do in San Jose and a great place to sleep.
Depending on the itinerary that you are reading, you might stay in San Jose for a night or two. Look at my other itineraries or contact me. I can adjust any of the itineraries to adapt to your needs and I will be happy to help you planning your vacation to Costa Rica.
Welcome to San Jose Costa Rica! This is the country without an army, but with lots of flora, fauna, and beautiful places instead. This is the start of an amazing trip along the pacific coast of Costa Rica, but before we hit the beaches, we will spend some quality time in the capital, San Jose.
I usually get pretty tired after a long flight, so I’d recommend you to go to your accommodation first. Drop your bags there, take a shower and head out to see the city.
Whenever I go to San Jose, I have to stay for the night due to the distance from my house to San Jose. However, I found staying in San Jose very comfortable in the following two places.
-Hotel Santo Tomas. This hotel is located in the center of San Jose. It’s a beautiful historical building with fantastic staff. It has a swimming pool, jacuzzi, and lots of outside space—standard room price and accessible for everyone. (Tip: it’s very near to the national museum of Costa Rica. This museum is definitely worth visiting)
-Inca Real. Located in the center of San Jose and for a relatively low price. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a great home base to explore the city.
To be honest, San Jose is great for three things.
1: There are some amazing restaurants.
2: San Jose is home to some very interesting museums.
3: The main airport to arrive in Costa Rica is located here.
Getting around in San Jose can be difficult and dangerous, depending on the area and time. I'd recommend you to make use of the many cheap taxis driving around! Feel free to walk around in the more busy areas, but try to avoid walking into unknown neighborhoods.
The first time that I went to San Jose was to learn more about the country's culture and history. Costa Rica is mainly beautiful due to its nature but does not have many obvious cultural aspects (nothing like Maya or Inca temples). However, there have been people for many centuries. The following two places are amazing to visit and very educational.
-National Museum of Costa Rica.
This museum is housed in the barracks of the Bellavista Fortress and tells you everything about the flora, fauna, and history of Costa Rica. Make sure that you have at least two hours to spend at this museum! The entry ticket is $33.- USD.
-Pre-Colombian Gold Museum.
My personal favourite! This museum is all about the history of the pre-Colombian people who roamed around in Costa Rica. It shows their culture, craftsmanship, and way of life. It has a little bit of information about flora and fauna, but its main focus is the historical culture of Costa Rica and its artifacts. The entry price is $14.-.
One of the three reasons to visit San Jose is for the restaurants. I’ve listed my favorite ones down here, but there are many more great options in this city!
This itinerary is about a tour of one of my favorite coastlines—the west coast of Costa Rica. The country is famous for its amazing surf, volcanos, national parks, wildlife diversity, great climate and of course for its lifestyle of ‘Pura Vida’.
My name is Luuk van Garderen. I moved to Costa Rica after almost ten years of backpacking around the world, experiencing the hostel- and van life, doing volunteer work for food and accommodation, and surfing as much as possible, trying to experience everything this world has to offer. I have met lots of amazing people and gained heaps of fantastic experiences throughout my years of traveling.
Since I love traveling, hospitality and writing, it seemed logical to become a travel designer. This way, I could use my experiences and knowledge to help others get the most out of their journey.
Costa Rican has world-class waves, an amazing climate, and just way too much to see and do. I try to include the best variety of activities per location, good advice, and some locals-only information in my itineraries. There will be different options, and when necessary, don’t hesitate to contact me. (Important advice before booking your flight…! Decide if you want to enter and exit the country through the same airport. Traveling within Costa Rica can be time-consuming. It would make sense to land in San Jose for this itinerary and book your return ticket from Liberia Airport. However, if this is not possible, don’t worry, I’ll provide you with other options too).
Maps are automatically generated and provide an indicative, yet inaccurate, representation of the route.
Este tour aún no cuenta con reseñas. ¡Sé el primero en compartir tu experiencia!
Start: San José, Costa Rica - End: San José, Costa Rica
10 days from
1,177 cad
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Tour designed by:
LuukvG
The best beaches of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in this fun and relaxing beach vacation itinerary.
