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In this article, we’ll give you 5 different one-week Costa Rica itineraries you can follow to create the ultimate road trip experience. We’ll let you know all the things you can do in Costa Rica in 7 days while exploring various parts of the country. From beaches to volcanos to national parks and so much more, our 7-day road trip itineraries will take you to the best spots in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with so many amazing places to explore. What makes this country even more special is that you can visit such diverse places in such a short time – even in a short 7 days in Costa Rica.

From stunning beaches to active volcanos, the most biodiverse national park and protected marine parks, epic waterfalls and more, Costa Rica has something for everyone, regardless of your budget or preference.

In this article, we’ll give you a few ways you can plan for how to spend 7 days in Costa Rica. Each itinerary has something unique to offer, allowing you to discover the best parts of the country in a short time frame.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For more information, please see our disclaimer here. We take all the efforts necessary to ensure the information included in this post is accurate, correct and current, sometimes, things just change! Travel information like opening hours, business operations and prices may change. If you find anything in this post that is incorrect or outdated, please let me know in the comments so I can update it for other readers. Cheers!

Living the Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this article, let’s quickly situate Costa Rica on a map and tell you a bit about this beautiful country.

Costa Rica is a small country in Central America. It shares a border with Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the south. It has the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. This means you can go diving in 2 different oceans during your stay!

The landscape of Costa Rica is quite diverse – with mountains, rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, volcanos, islands, rivers, waterfalls and lakes. With this diverse landscape, the country is home to a huge variety of plants and animals. In fact, Corcovado, the most biodiverse national park in the world, is home to 3% of the world’s animals. From monkeys to jaguars, sloths, toucans, tapirs and more, there is so much wildlife to discover in Costa Rica.

And with its two coastlines, Costa Rica is a great place for underwater life as well. Whales use the waters here as a channel to migrate north and south. You can find many varieties of sharks, turtles, crocodiles and tons of fish. As avid scuba divers, we loved our experience scuba diving in Costa Rica. But more on this later.

Driving in Costa Rica – a few simple notes

Before getting into the different itineraries, we want to share some quick details and tips about driving in Costa Rica. This information will help you make the best of your road trip in Costa Rica and help save you time and stress.

Renting a 4×4 in Costa Rica

The best way to road trip is to rent a 4×4 in Costa Rica. We highly recommend going with Costa Rider Campervan. Not only do they have a variety of campervans that have 4×4 capabilities, but they have amazing service and offer no-nonsense rentals. This means all your necessities are included in the rental fee. No need to pay extra for bedding or cooking utensils, it’s all included in the price.

Included in all their rentals are compulsory insurance, additional drivers, 24/7 assistance, free airport pick-up and drop-off and unlimited mileage. On top of that, they give you a free local SIM card with a bit of data to help you get started. They also provide a guide with all the best places to sleep.

Basically, it’s the easiest way to get around the country and to road trip across Costa Rica with the peace of mind that you won’t get stuck or stranded.

We rented the Adventure Campervan and it was the best way to explore the country, hands down! More to come on our rental soon.

Important information about driving in Costa Rica

Here are some things you need to know about driving in Costa Rica. This is everything you need to know to make sure you can drive in the country.

• Like in all of the countries in America, we drive on the right side of the road in Costa Rica.
• Although most of the country (90%) has paved roads, however reaching some parts of the country will require a 4×4. There are places you need to cross rivers or the unpaved roads are bumpy and steep. This is why we were so happy to have our Costa Rider Adventure campervan.
• When paying with a credit card, certain rental companies will require you to have a personalized letter from your credit card company that states that you have car insurance coverage on your card. Costa Rider Campervan did not require this of us, but we did pay cash for our rental.
• Traveling on weekends might be a better option to get places faster. During the week, many of the roads we took in Costa Rica were under construction. This added a good one to two hours to our journey. On weekends, since there was no construction, it was much easier and faster to get around. However, on weekends, locals tend to travel more, so attractions are busier.
• Make sure your physical license is valid. During our time in Costa Rica, Derek’s driver’s license expired. Even if the Quebec government issued a formal letter saying his license was still valid, we were told he could not drive in the country.
• To navigate around Costa Rica, we recommend you use Waze instead of Google Maps. It’s more accurate and has more recently updated information.
• Drive distances are short in Costa Rica, but drive times are long. You may only need to drive 40 km, but the trip could take you over 1.5 hours. The roads are winding, going up and down, sometimes unpaved and often 1-lane wide. So if you get stuck behind a truck, you might go slower than anticipated.
• You will only need an International driver’s license if your license is in a different alphabet than the one used for English/Spanish.
• It is recommended to always have your passport on you when you are driving.

Camping in Costa Rica

One of the best things about renting a campervan and going on a road trip in Costa Rica is that the whole country can be your playground! You can travel as loosely as you’d like, having the flexibility to stay or to leave when you’d like.

This sense of freedom is what we loved the most about renting a 4×4 campervan in Costa Rica with Costa Rider Campervan. We could roam around and explore so many parts of the country that are lesser known to most travelers.

Wild camping in Costa Rica

The great thing about camping in Costa Rica is that wild camping is legal in the country. This means you can camp in most public places for free – Yes, that includes the beautiful beaches that have public access. The main rule you need to follow when camping on the beach is that you have to stay behind or under the line of palm trees. That means you can’t park on the beach itself – which is a good thing! You don’t want to get stuck or ruin it for others.

Paid campgrounds in Costa Rica

What is also great about camping in Costa Rica is that you have a variety of paid campgrounds you can use. They are all over the country – from Drake Bay to Bajos del Toro and Uvita.

Although the quality of amenities varies, most campsites will offer shared washrooms and showers, at the bare minimum. Some places offer communal kitchens and lounge areas. Some have wifi, some don’t. Some have hot water, others don’t. It all depends on where you are and what you paid to gain access to the facilities.

Finding where to camp in Costa Rica

One of the best apps we used when campervanning in Costa Rica was the iOverlander app. If you’ve ever campervanned anywhere in the world, then you know what a precious tool iOverlander is.

This app allows you to see where you can camp, what you’ll likely pay, what amenities are included, and what to expect as an experience at the campsite. This goes for paid and wild campsites.

When road-tripping in Costa Rica, this app is a must. And best of all, it works without data or a wifi connection!

5 different one-week road trips in Costa Rica

Even if you only have 7 days in Costa Rica, you can explore so much of the country! Luckily, Costa Rica is a small country so exploring it in a short time frame is very possible.

In fact, with one week in Costa Rica, you’re still able to cram in some of the best things to do in the country. So don’t worry about trying to see it all, or feeling like you’re missing out. Costa Rica is one of those countries that you can keep coming back to and exploring different parts without ever running out of things to see!

In the options below, we’ll share 5 different 7-day itineraries for Costa Rica. We’ll take you to different parts of the country, so you can see the highlights in each area. As always, these are a baseline for your final itinerary, so feel free to make them your own – add or remove days in certain places depending on how you feel about them.

We know your time is precious, so we’ll keep the driving to a minimum. This way, you can explore more of what the country has to offer, and not spend the majority of your time in the car. The roads in Costa Rica are fairly well-maintained and paved, so driving here is actually pretty easy.

1. 7 days in Costa Rica visiting Manuel Antonio & the Pacific Coast – The most popular highlights of Costa Rica

If you only have 1 week in Costa Rica, these are the highlights you can see within a quick driving radius. This is probably the most popular route, but there’s a reason why. These sites are close together and they are some of the most beautiful places to explore in the country.

Here is what the Costa Rica Highlights 7-day road trip looks like:

• Arrive at: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Depart from: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Number of kilometers to & from Costa Rider Campervan: About 475 km
• Total time driving: About 8 hours

Your one-week Costa Rica itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrive in San Jose. Drive to Quepos (about 2.5 hours)
• Day 2: Spend the day at Manuel Antonio National Park
• Day 3: Drive to Dominical (about 45 minutes). Beach at Dominical or Dominicalito in the afternoon
• Day 4: Visit Nauyaca waterfalls in the morning. Lunch in town. Drive to Uvita in the afternoon (about 45 minutes)
• Day 5: Visit Uvita National Park for the day (beaches, snorkeling or scuba diving)
• Day 6: Visit the Uvita waterfalls – Morning at Catarata Uvita and the afternoon in the hidden waterfall.
• Day 7: Drive to San Jose (about 4 hours)

This 7-day road trip around Costa Rica will take you to the country’s most popular national park: Manuel Antonio. Although Manuel Antonio is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, you can still see so much here. Its short distance from San Jose, its biodiversity and its beauty are what attract so many people here.

While you’re here, expect to see capuchin, howler and squirrel monkeys, as well as sloths, iguanas, agoutis, and tons of birds. Manuel Antonio is also home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, and even some of the best beaches in Central America. You can easily spend a full day here, hiking the trails, searching for animals and enjoying your first full day in Costa Rica.

Recently, the Costa Rica government has tried to curb visitor influence on the park’s ecological balance – this means there’s a limit on the number of daily visitors to the park, which is around 1200 people per day. The only way to visit the park is to reserve tickets online in advance.
We recommend you buy the earliest entry possible at 7 am (best) or 8 am (latest). By 10 am, the park felt really full and the main beach was starting to get crowded.

After spending time in Quepos, you can head to Dominical, a beautiful but small beach town south of Quepos. Right next to Dominical is the smaller Dominicalito. We recommend checking out both beaches and towns and seeing which of the two you prefer. We enjoyed Dominicalito more. It was quiet and a lot more low-key than Dominical. The latter felt too developed and busy for our liking but to each their own!

You can pitch your tent or set up your camper on either beach. Just be careful not to park underneath palm trees with coconuts, and check where the tide comes in as it can get quite high. Also, make sure you check the iOverlander app to find the best spot.

The next morning, get up as early as you can and make your way to Nauyaca Waterfall. These are one of the most popular but beautiful falls in Costa Rica. They tend to get quite busy, but if you get there at opening, 7 am, and hike down, you’ll have the falls to yourself for a good hour or so before the crowds start coming in at 9-9:30. You can either hike to the falls or take a ride on their 4×4.

After the falls, drive 10 minutes into town and have lunch at Amor Mediterraneo. This Middle-Eastern-influenced restaurant serves some amazing wraps, fries (the best in Costa Rica) and coffee. If you’re looking for anything other than rice and beans, this is the place for you.

Once you’re done, head back to the coast and go to Uvita, about 45 minutes away. You can spend the afternoon exploring the town or driving to other beaches on the coast (Arcos beach, La Ventana and Playa Hermosa are all great options).

The next morning, head to Uvita national park. This park is known for its whale tail shoreline, one of the most unique in Central America. It’s also a popular national park as you watch humpback whales that migrate here every year, from July to October. If your budget allows it, you can go on a snorkeling tour (either to Caño Island or to local sites) in the morning or the afternoon, depending on where you want to go. Although we didn’t dive with them, we heard great things about Costa Rica Dive and Surf.

Although you can’t camp on the beaches in Uvita since they are part of the national park, we recommend staying at Casa Viva campsite. The owner is super sweet, the amenities are super clean and the grounds are quiet and beautiful.

The next morning, head to Uvita waterfall. Try to get there early, as crowds start rolling in around 9:30 am. This waterfall is unique because you can slide down it, like a natural rock toboggan. You can also jump from its platform and swim in the rock pools further down. You can easily spend a good 2-3 hours chilling here.

After lunch, you can make your way to the hidden waterfall. We won’t geotag this place because we want to keep it as nice and clean as possible. You can either ask locals about it or send us an email at hiwediditourway@gmail.com, agreeing to join our newsletter. We’ll send you the direction on how to get to these waterfalls.

If not, you can hang out on the beach or make your way back up north, stopping in a town along the way, depending on when your flight leaves the next day.

We hope this trip allowed you to see so many of the highlights in Costa Rica in 7 days!

2. Costa Rica in 7 days – exploring Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula

For this one-week road trip in Costa Rica, we’ll take you to Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula. These regions are growing in popularity because of the beautiful beaches, the great scuba diving and the bustling nightlife.

Exploring this part of the country will show you a different side of Costa Rica. This itinerary is best for those who love to spend time on the beach, who love to scuba dive or snorkel, and those who love to party.

Here is what the Costa Rica 7-day road trip around Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula looks like:

• Arrive at: Liberia Airport (LIR) preferably, or Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Depart from: Liberia Airport (LIR) preferably, or Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Number of kilometers to & from Costa Rider Campervan: About 435 km if you arrive in Liberia. Approximately 600 km from San Jose.
• Total time driving: About 8.5 hours from Liberian but closer to 12 hours from San Jose

For a $150 fee, Costa Rider Campervan will deliver the car to Liberia Airport. If you want to spend less time driving, and more time enjoying your one week trip to Costa Rica, this may be a good option for you.

One week Costa Rica itinerary exploring Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula:

• Day 1: Arrive in Liberia, the gateway to the Guanacaste region. Drive to the next location, or stay the night if you arrive later. The drive to Playa del Cocos will take about 1 hour.
• Day 2: Drive to Playa del Cocos (about 1 hour). Enjoy the afternoon at the beach. If you arrived yesterday, explore Cocos all-day
• Day 3: Scuba dive in Playa Cocos. Relax in the afternoon. Party at night
• Day 4: Drive to Flamingo or Potrero (about 45 minutes). Afternoon at the beach.
• Day 5: Ziplining in the morning. Drive to Montezuma in the afternoon (around 3.5 hours).
• Day 6: Spend a day in Montezuma.
• Day 7: Drive to San Jose or Liberia (SJO is 4.5 hours away, including a ferry ride. LIR is 3.5 hours away)

This 7-day Costa Rica road trip has a bit more driving to it, but it’s well worth it. Once you arrive in Liberia, you have a few choices. If your flight arrives early enough, you can leave and drive directly to Playa Del Cocos, around 1 hour away.

If you don’t want to spend so much time on the road after your flight, you have a few other choices. You can visit the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, about 1 hour 15 minutes away from the airport. Here, you can visit an active volcano.

You can also explore the old town of Liberia, including the Parque Mario Cañas Ruiz, where you’ll find street vendors, food stalls and its iconic church. Other options include checking out the La Leona or La Vieja waterfalls nearby, or going to the Poza Los Coyotes, only 20 minutes away from town. You can also just relax that afternoon – you have plenty of adventure coming your way!

The next day, head to Playa del Cocos. Spend the afternoon chilling on the beach, and go sign up for your scuba dive trip tomorrow.

For those who love to scuba dive, Playa del Cocos is one of the best places in Costa Rica to explore the underwater world. We had the pleasure of spending over 6 weeks in Playa del Cocos and dove the many dive sites over 55 times.

We highly recommend going with Rich Coast Diving. They’re the most professional dive shop, their equipment is great, and the team is absolutely amazing. Tell them Carine & Derek from We Did It Our Way sent you! On your third day in Costa Rica, you’ll visit some beautiful dive sites. Our favorites were Tortuga, Playpen, Sorpresa and Argentina.

After your dive day, you can relax on the beach at Cocos, head to the beach at Ocotal (the next town over) or just hang out around town. At night, you can enjoy the party scene in Cocos. Some of the best places to party are Tortuga Bar, Zi Sports Bar or anywhere on the main strip. Most nights, you’ll find open mic nights, live music and more.

The next day, head out to Potrero or Flamingo, these are 2 small towns where you can relax some more. If you want to keep the party going, Tamarindo, Nosara and Samara are bigger towns you can enjoy. Either way, all have things to do and great beaches.

You can spend your next day on a zipline adventure. When we stayed in Potrero, we visited the El Roble zipline. A family-run business, we had such a great morning zipping around. Their team was sweet and professional and we had such a great time. You can also go on an ATV tour here to get your adrenaline going. You can spend your afternoon chilling on one of the many beaches in the area.

The next day, head out to Montezuma, about 3.5 hours away. This hidden gem town has some beautiful things to do. You can chill on one of the best beaches in Central America, check out the stunning waterfalls, walk to Cabuya Island during low tide, or just take it easy. Montezuma is known for being a laid-back bohemian town, so just enjoy the Pura Vida.

If Montezuma is too far for you, you can choose to stay in one of the other towns. These towns are more developed and home to American and Canadian immigrants who have come to settle here.

• Santa Teresa is known for being a great surf town, but it’s very touristy and expensive. There are some great beaches in the area, as well as the famous Mal Pais tide pools. You can also go hike at one of Costa Rica’s first conservation areas, the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.
• Tamarindo is famous for its beautiful beaches with strong surf. You can also check out the nesting site for huge leatherback turtles, part of Las Baulas National Marine Park. Or visit the mangrove-lined estuary of Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge.
• Nosara is known as a yoga center and a surf town. It’s also one of the rare Blue Zones in the world. You can go to the SIBU Sanctuary where they rescue and rehabilitate animals like coatimundi and white-faced monkeys. Or check out the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, a nesting site for olive ridley turtles.
• Sámara‘s main beach, of the same name, is a postcard-perfect palm-lined beach. Sámara is also one of the nicest places to dive in the Nicoya peninsula (after Cocos). The wildlife reserve on Chora Island boasts pink sand and serves as a sanctuary for marine birds. Playa Buena Vista, in the north, is a sea turtle nesting site.

Depending on where you choose to stay, you can enjoy your last full day in Costa Rica. On your final day, you can drive back up to Liberia or San Jose.

The trip from Liberia should be about 3.5 hours, while the trip to San Jose will be around 4.5 hours and will require a ferry crossing. You need to buy your tickets ahead of time and make sure you check the schedule so you don’t miss your flight.

We hope this trip made you enjoy the best of the party and scuba diving in Costa Rica.

3. One-week itinerary in Costa Rica, visiting the iconic Corcovado national park & Uvita

If you’re looking to visit the most iconic place in Costa Rica, this itinerary is for you. Corcovado national park is the most biodiverse national park in the world, with around 3% of the world’s animals found here. If you love seeing rare animals, this is the itinerary for you.

If you have a few more days, like 10 days total, this is an even better trip as you can really enjoy the trip. But it’s also doable in Costa Rica in 7 days. You’ll just be on the move a little longer.

Here is what the Costa Rica 7-day road trip around Drake and Uvita looks like:

• Arrive at: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Depart from: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Number of kilometers to & from Costa Rider Campervan: About 720 km
• Total time driving: About 12.5 hours
• Special notes: For this 7-day Costa Rican itinerary, you will need to make some plans ahead of time. You’ll need to book your snorkel or dive tour for Caño Island, and you’ll need to book your visit to Corcovado National Park. During the busy season (November to April), you’ll need to book these tickets a few months ahead of time.

This is what your one week in Costa Rica itinerary will be:

• Day 1: Arrive in San Jose. Drive to Dominical (about 3 hours) or spend the rest of your day in San Jose.
• Day 2: Visit Nauyaca waterfalls at opening (7 am). Drive to Drake in the afternoon (about 3 hours). If you stayed in San Jose upon arrival, drive directly to Drake (about 7-8 hours).
• Day 3: Day trip to Corcovado National Park. Afternoon on the beach
• Day 4: Day trip to Cano Island for snorkeling or scuba diving. Drive back to Uvita in the afternoon (About 3.5 hours)
• Day 5: Spend the day at Marina Ballena National Park
• Day 6: Visit the waterfalls in Uvita
• Day 7: Drive to San Jose

During this week in Costa Rica, you’ll experience some of the best wildlife accessible, almost anywhere in the world! That’s right! We’ve included a stop in one of the most biodiverse places in the world. So let’s get started.

After arriving in San Jose, you can either spend the day here, or you can make your way down to Dominical. Dominical (and Dominicalito) have beautiful beaches where you can lounge for the rest of the day.

In the morning, head to Nauyaca Waterfall. These are some of the most impressive and beautiful falls in Costa Rica. Doors open at 7 and you can either hike down or take a 4×4, which leaves every hour. You’ll need about 2 hours at the falls (not including the time to get to them), and then, after grabbing lunch in town, you can make your way to Drake.

The ride to Drake is a long and bumpy one, but well worth it. We recommend driving, especially if you have a car, as the scenery is beautiful, and it will give you a chance to explore more of the town. If not, you can park your car at Sierpe, and take a ferry from there. Just know that accommodations in Drake are a little more expensive, so having a Costa Rider Campervan is great. We found wild camping spots for free and a campground with amenities where we parked for $20.

Since you’re spending 7 days in Costa Rica, why not head to one of the most unique and biodiverse places in the world. Corcovado National Park is a gem, as well as nearby Caño Island! And these activities needs to be booked way ahead of time. We booked our 2 next outings with Drake Divers, and they gave us a little discount since we did 2+ activities with them. You can also ask for this discount.

Your first day in Drake starts quite early, meeting at the main beach at 6 am. You’ll be taken to the Corcovado National Park by boat, about 1 hour away. We chose to go to Sirena Station, where you’re most likely to see larger animals like Tapir, Pecari and more. If you’d rather have a shorter boat ride, San Pedillo Station is about 30-45 minutes away by boat and includes more birds and insects, as well as a waterfall.

For the 4 hours spent in Corcovado Park, we were able to see so many animals. The tours have to be done with guides, which is great because they know how to spot the coolest animals and give you all sorts of fun facts about them. We saw the rare King Vulture, a Gladiator Frog, tons of Spider Monkeys, Tapir, Coati, Pecari and so much more!

We left the Park around 12:30 and we were so tired but so grateful for everything we saw. We had lunch at Jungla, the restaurant associated with Drake Divers. For the rest of the afternoon, you can either relax on the beach or chill out at your accommodations. For the beaches, we don’t recommend the main one. Instead, you can walk to Cocolitos Beach, about 30-45 minutes away, or drive to Playa La Gitana, a 15-minute drive out of town.

The next day, you have another early wake-up call to head to Caño Island. You can either choose to go scuba diving if you are certified, or you can go snorkeling. The boat ride to the island will take about 45 minutes and the whole trip lasts about 4-5 hours from pick-up to drop-off.

We chose to go with Drake Divers and were quite happy with the service. The cost of the trip included all rental gear, transport, a guide, snacks on the boat, and lunch. You’ll need to reserve this activity ahead of time and pay a deposit online. You’ll also need to visit their shop before your dive day to get fitted for the gear.

You can choose to stay in Drake for the afternoon or head back to Uvita after your dive day. Since you return to Drake early enough, you can totally make the drive back if you’d like.

The next day, if you have a full day in Uvita, you can spend it at the Marina Ballena National Park, exploring the town, or going beach-hopping between Dominical and La Ventana.

For your final day in Costa Rica, before heading back to San Jose, we recommend checking out the different waterfalls in Uvita. There’s the famous Uvita waterfall, where crowds start rolling in around 9:30 am. If you want to enjoy it for yourself, arrive early.

This waterfall is unique because you can slide down it, like a natural rock toboggan. You can also jump from its platform and swim in the rock pools further down. You can easily spend a good 2-3 hours chilling here.

After lunch, you can make your way to the hidden waterfall. We won’t geotag this place because we want to keep it as nice and clean as possible. You can either ask locals about it or send us an email at hiwediditourway@gmail.com, agreeing to join our newsletter. We’ll send you the directions on how to get to these waterfalls.

Depending on when your flight is the next day, you can either head back to San Jose on your final day or drive up in the afternoon. Regardless, we’re confident you’ll have had a wonderful time in Costa Rica, enjoying the best it has to offer in terms of wildlife, natural landscapes and all its beauty!

4. One week Costa Rica itinerary exploring the hidden gem of Bajos del Toro & the popular La Fortuna town

This one-week itinerary in Costa Rica will take you to two very different locations. The first part will be in Bajos del Toro, a hidden gem of a destination where you will find lush rainforests, tons of waterfalls, volcanos and more. For the second part, you’ll be going to La Fortuna, one of the most popular areas in Costa Rica… with good reason!

This Costa Rica itinerary is perfect for those looking for adventure and to explore the natural beauty of Costa Rica. It will be a physically demanding trip (you need to work hard to see waterfalls) but it will be well worth the effort!

Here’s some basic info for planning this 7-day Costa Rica itinerary:

• Arrive at: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Depart from: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Number of kilometers to & from Costa Rider Campervan: About 650 km
• Total time driving: About 6.5 hours

This is what your one week in Costa Rica will look like:

• Day 1: Arrive in San Jose. Drive to Bajos del Toro (about 2 hours)
• Day 2: Visit waterfalls all day long
• Day 3: Visit waterfalls or Poas volcano
• Day 4: Drive to La Fortuna (about 1.5 hours)
• Day 5: Visit La Fortuna Waterfall then relax at the hot springs
• Day 6: Go white water rafting
• Day 7: Drive to San Jose (about 2.5 hours)

As always, if you arrive in Costa Rica early enough, you can make the short 2-hour drive to the Bajos del Toro region. This hidden gem is one of our favorite places in Costa Rica. It has lush rainforest, almost year-round. It’s also full of waterfalls, volcanos and rolling hills that take your breath away.

If your flight gets into San Jose later, you can stay in town and make the trek to Bajos del Toro the next day, but be ready to hit the ground running, as there are so many beautiful places to explore in the area.

During your time in Bajos del Toro, we recommend visiting its many waterfalls. There are so many to choose from. So depending on your physical abilities, the time you have available and what you feel like doing, here are your options. Mix and match these as you wish!

• Blue Falls of Costa Rica & Catarata del Toro
  • This is a combo ticket we recommend purchasing to visit the 7 falls on this property
  • Total cost: $25 USD, or you can show them this coupon for 15% off
  • Time required: The Catarata del Toro will require 45-60 minutes. The Blue Falls will require closer to 4-5 hours
  • What you’ll see: 1 very tall waterfall (Catarata del Toro) and 6 other falls & natural pools
  • Physical activity: You can choose to stay put and check out the closest falls, or do all of them. If you do all the falls, you will need to be in fairly good shape.
  • Special notes: During the rainy season, some of the waterfalls may not be accessible because of flash flooding. Closed on Sundays.
• Paraiso Manantiales
  • This is a family-owned property with a few falls to explore
  • Total cost: $10 USD per person
  • Time required: About 1.5-2 hours depending on how much time you spend at the natural pool
  • What you’ll see: 6 waterfalls (depending on the season) and 1 natural pool
  • Physical activity: You’ll need to go down a steep staircase and walk a few hundred stairs (up and down) in the forest. We recommend being in good health
• Tesoro Escondido
  • Another family-owned farm with a big waterfall on the property
  • Total cost: $15 USD per person
  • Time required: About 1.5-2 hours depending on how much time you spend at the natural pool & at the waterfall
  • What you’ll see: 1 tall waterfall, a lookout and several natural rock pools
  • Physical activity: This is a fairly easy waterfall to access, but you still need to be able to walk through the forest and on rocky terrain
• Vuelta del cañon
  • Another family-owned farm with a big waterfall on the property
  • Total cost: $16 USD per person
  • Time required: About 4-5 hours depending on how much time you spend at the waterfall
  • What you’ll see: 1 tall waterfall
  • Physical activity: You must be in good physical health – you will need to cross the river about a dozen times and walk through it to get to the waterfall.
  • Special notes: You can’t do this hike if it’s raining as the river risks flooding

There are plenty of other waterfalls in Bajos del Toro. You can also visit the many rock pools (pozas) and spend the day relaxing, although the water will be very cold!

If you want to do something other than check out waterfalls, you can also explore the Poas Volcano National Park and hike the many trails there.

After your time in Bajos del Toro, you can make your way to La Fortuna, for some more adventures. The drive there should take about 1.5 hours.

If you’re planning on seeing Arenal Volcano, your best bet is to go in the dry season. During the wet season, chances of seeing the volcano are slim, unless you go early before the rain starts.

While you’re in La Fortuna, there are plenty of things to do. You can choose what best suits your desire:

• Visit Arenal Volcano National Park and hike the trails there
• Spend a day at the natural hot springs. There are many resorts all around town with varying entrance fees and amenities. You can also go to the free natural springs at the Tabacon River.
• Check out the Salto Rope Swing and chill out with locals
• Go white water rafting on the river
• Check out the local wildlife on a sloth tour or a night tour
• Hang out at the Mistico hanging bridges
• Go on a road trip to Rio Celeste waterfall (if you haven’t had enough yet)

Depending on your budget and what you’re in the mood for, there is plenty to do in La Fortuna.

Since we were at the end of our 3-month trip in Costa Rica, we chose to stay a little more quiet when in La Fortuna. Plus, the poor weather made it that we couldn’t even see Arenal volcano. But that’s ok – just another reason to come back.

We did however choose to go on a night walk and it was absolutely amazing! We saw so many different animals on this guided night walk. It was one of the highlights of our trip. We went to do a frog night tour at Arenal Oasis Eco-Lodge – they have many other tours available too, and their guides speak many different languages. Overall, it was a great experience and we highly recommend splurging on it.

After you’re done here, you can make your way back to San Jose. We know this trip will have been full of adventure, lots of treks and more natural beauty than you could ever imagine in such a short radius!

5. 7-day itinerary in Costa Rica – The best of the Caribbean coast

For the final 7-day itinerary in Costa Rica, we recommend visiting the Caribbean coast. This coast is a lot less touristy and its vibe is quite different from the rest of the country. Whether it’s the food, the culture, the vibes, you will definitely feel the difference.

This itinerary is also for nature lovers who want to see different types of wildlife. Each destination on this 7-day itinerary will show you a different side of Costa Rica.

Here is the basic information you need for this itinerary:

• Arrive at: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Depart from: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
• Number of kilometers to & from Costa Rider Campervan: About 600 km
• Total time driving: About 12 hours
• Special notes: This itinerary will take some planning as you’ll need to catch a ferry from La Pavona in the Limon province, to get to Tortuguero. Make sure you coordinate ferry times to and from Tortuguero.

Here is how to spend your full week in Costa Rica:

• Day 1: Arrive in San Jose. Drive to La Pavona (about 3 hours)
• Day 2: Day in Tortuguero
• Day 3: Day in Tortuguero
• Day 4: Ferry back to La Pavona. Drive to Cahuita
• Day 5: Spend the day at Cahuita National Park
• Day 6: Day trip driving from Puerto Viejo down the coast to Manzanillo (about 2 hours)
• Day 7: Drive to San Jose (about 4-5 hours)

Before you arrive in Costa Rica, make sure you check the ferry times to and from La Pavona to ensure you’re getting to Tortuguero on time. If you arrive with ample time, you can make the drive to La Pavona after picking up your Costa Rider Campervan.

If not, you can spend the afternoon in San Jose, or even drive closer to La Pavona to make sure you’re ready to take the ferry bright and early the next day. Although La Pavona doesn’t have much to offer, you can check on iOverlander to see where there are the most amenities to hang out.

The ferry will be about 45-60 minutes each way. This is the only way to get to Tortuguero (well, you can also fly, but we don’t recommend it for the environmental impact, as well as recent safety concerns with the local flight providers). You will need to keep your car parked here as the only way to get around Tortuguero is by boat or on foot.

Once in Tortuguero, you can do a few things here. Of course, as always, these are some suggestions, feel free to make this itinerary your own.

Visit the Tortuguero National Park. It is the main attraction in the area. Here you can kayak, canoe or boat around the park to explore the wildlife. This experience is very different from the other national parks in Costa Rica. You may need to book your entrance ahead of time, so make sure you check before going.

See the turtles. Of course, with a name like Tortuguero, you can expect to see turtles here. There are 4 main types of turtles that call this area home. The best time to go is during the nesting and release period which is from early March to mid-October. The Green Turtle, the most common of the four species is famous for its massive annual nesting from June to the middle of October. You can arrange a turtle nesting night tour with a licensed guide from your lodge. The tours are about 2 hours long.

Chill on the beach of Playa Tortuguero. This black sand beach is where most turtles come to nest, so you do have to be careful. Also, the waters of this beach are not the safest for swimming. In fact, the beach is home to the powerful currents and there is a high risk of shark attacks. This is why we say it’s best to chill on the beach! You can still observe the local wildlife from the shores.

Explore the town of Tortuguero. Located on a remote sandbar, the town of Tortuguero is a cute place to explore. You can check out the local life and find out more about the nature and conservation efforts they have in place. The town is small but colorful, with shops and restaurants to discover.

Once you’re done in Tortuguero, you can head back to La Pavona to pick your car back up and drive to Cahuita. Cahuita is the first town on the strip that heads to Manzanillo. These two towns are fairly close in distance, separated only by about 30 kilometers, but they each have a national park to explore and many cute towns and beautiful beaches between them.

During your week on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, there are a few things you can do between Cahuita and Manzanillo. You can absolutely use your campervan to get around, or you can opt for a bike to stroll around the towns.

Cahuita is home to an amazing national park. The entrance is donation-based (if you enter from Cahuita, not Punta Vargas), and its huge territory, as well as the beautiful beaches it’s home to are a great way to spend a day. You can walk from one end of the park to the next (about 5.2 miles) will take around 2 hours without stops. However, there are so many beautiful beaches along the way, and it gets so hot, that you will want to spend some time cooling off. Playa Blanca is the closest beach to the Cahuita entrance and it’s absolutely beautiful. Punta Cahuita, about halfway from both entrances, is also amazing.

Manzanillo is a smaller town with its own national park. It’s also a great place to explore, as well as chill out in. You can spot so many animals in both parks, from monkeys to sloths, raccoons, lizards, snakes and so much more.

Between those two towns, there are so many others to explore depending on what you’re looking to do.

• Punta Uva is a small laid-back town with beautiful beaches and a few great restaurants. It’s great to spend a morning or afternoon here just relaxing.
• Puerto Viejo has become a hub for immigrants looking for that pura vida lifestyle. It’s probably the largest of the towns in the area and it’s home to plenty of restaurants, bars, clubs, as well as wellness & healing centers. It also boasts a few great beaches you can lounge on.
• Punta Cocles is another beach town. It’s small, but its strong currents and waves make it a great place to learn how to surf.

You can spend your time on the Caribbean coast between the national parks and the beaches. Taking in the natural beauty and discovering its wildlife as well as exploring the different towns, laying on beaches, or heading to the many waterfalls in the area.

In terms of waterfalls, here are the ones you find within a short distance from Cahuita, Puerto Viejo or Manzanillo:

• Volio Waterfall is a beautiful 15-meter-high waterfall located within the Bribri Indian Reservation. It’s hidden in the rainforest and the best way to check it out is with a local guide. Although the hike to get to Volio is not long, there have been many reports of robberies, which is why a local guide helps. The trail is also not marked well, with a few river crossings, so having a local helps. We were a group of 7 people and paid $20 (total) for our guide. We spent about 1.5 hours hiking and chilling at the waterfall
• Two waters waterfall is located at Finca Las Brisas. On Google Maps, it is marked as ‘BriBri Hidden waterfalls’, there are signs along the main road pointing towards the entrance of this small waterfall. It’s not very impressive to see, but can still be worth exploring if you love waterfalls as much as we do!
• Bri Bri Sparkling waterfalls or Catarata Ma-Cu are much bigger compared to the other falls in the area. The names for this fall are used interchangeably, so don’t worry about seeing signs with different names. This waterfall is easy to get to and is quite beautiful.

With so many amazing things to do on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, we’re sure you’ll enjoy your one-week itinerary exploring this part of the country.

What to do in Costa Rica in 7 days

There you have it! 5 different one-week itineraries for Costa Rica. Through these various options, you’ll be able to explore the best of what the country has to offer. As we mentioned before, renting a campervan from Costa Rider Campervan will make any of these trips and itineraries much more enjoyable and easy. It truly is the best way to get around the country.

As a reminder, here are your different 7-day road trip itineraries for Costa Rica:

1. The highlights of Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio & the Pacific Coast
2. Exploring Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula
3. Discover the fantastic wildlife at Corcovado, Drake Bay & Uvita
4. Check out the hidden gem of Bajos del Toro & the popular La Fortuna town
5. Caribbean Coast: Cahuita, Puerto Viejo & Manzanillo

We had such a great time exploring Costa Rica. We spent close to 3 months there and had the chance to discover so much of what the country has to offer. We had a chance to wander through pretty much all the different locations we have listed out here.

Let us know in the comments what you think of these options. Which itinerary are you most interested in doing? Are there other routes you have done that would be worth including?

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