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My husband and I had the opportunity to celebrate 20 years of marriage in Costa Rica this past January, and it was so dreamy. I had had it on my bucket list for awhile and somehow it kept getting shoved down the list, but I’m so glad we finally made it happen! After researching a bit I came to the conclusion that 4-5 days was not enough time to hit multiple destinations (without running ourselves ragged), so we opted to just focus on the La Fortuna area and explore all it had to offer! We ended up with a few bonus days thanks to a canceled flight and freak snowstorm in Dallas, but more on that later! For now, let me tell you everything we learned about Costa Rica, the La Fortuna area, and everything I’d do again in a heartbeat (and a few things I wouldn’t).

Arrival into San Jose (SJO)

If you’re planning on visiting La Fortuna, either of Costa Rica’s airports (SJO or Liberia) will work for your arrival airport. If your sole destination is La Fortuna, I would buy your tickets based on price and itinerary as no airport has a real strong advantage over the other when it comes to accessing La Fortuna. However, if you’re planning on hitting up other areas of Costa Rica (like the Guanacaste coast), then flying into Liberia will make more sense.

We flew into SJO arriving late at night (close to midnight). If you have a similar situation it is important to stay in San Jose your first night. Don’t attempt the drive to La Fortuna after dark. We stayed at the Fairfield Marriot SJO and it was alright, but please note that they are double beds, not queens! The wonderful thing was, however, that there was a shuttle (yes even at midnight!) to take us from the airport to the hotel. In the morning we caught the same shuttle back to the airport to get a shuttle from enterprise to their offsite location to pick up our rental car.

Getting Around Costa Rica

I highly recommend renting a car to explore La Fortuna region. Things are spaced out and 20 miles does not equal 20 minutes. In fact we learned that “travel time” estimated by GPS was so variable by time of day and often underestimated how long it took us to get places. While I’m on the subject I should tell you that you will want to download the waze app. It’s much more accurate (while still being inaccurate sometimes) than google maps, and will tell you where every single pot hole is (trust me, helpful). Driving in San Jose was a bit stressful, but once we got outside the city the main problem was avoiding pot holes and stray dogs. If you’re an American, you’ll find it an easy transition to drive here for the most part. And there’s nothing like the freedom of exploring on your own time schedule.

Takeaway Tips: You can fly into either airport to access La Fortuna, do not make the 2-3 hour drive to La Fortuna in the dark, rent a car, use the waze app to get around.

Day 1: Drive from San Jose to La Fortuna

As I mentioned we spent the first night in San Jose and then headed back to the airport in the morning to get our rental car. Once we had the car and were on our way it was mid morning. We opted for the scenic route to pass by La Paz waterfall. It adds some time to your travel, and I have to say the waterfall itself was underwhelming. But, the soda we stopped at (our first of the trip) was noteworthy. Sodas are their term for local, authentic, costa rican restaurants, not the fizzy drink. It had an amazing view of the falls and incredible food at a super incredible price point. It’s called Soda Y Mirador (Soda and a View) and they’re not kidding. Apparently its a must-stop for bird enthusiasts so it can get quite crowded with tourist busses and things. Luckily we missed the crowds and had it almost to ourselves. Also the views on this drive were pretty spectacular.

We ended our day by arriving at our hotel not too long before dark. Keep in mind that it gets dark around 6pm year-round in Costa Rica, we were really wishing for another hour of daylight every day! We ended up staying at that Chachagua Rainforest Resort and overall, we loved it. There were pros and cons for sure, and while this post is not intended to be a review of this specific hotel I will share a little more about it in a separate section if you’re curious.

Takeaway Tip: It gets dark around 6pm year round in Costa Rica, plan accordingly.

Day 2: Zipline & La Fortuna Falls

Our big activity for our first full day in La Fortuna was to go ziplining. This was on our list of one of our “must-do” activities while we were in Costa Rica. I had talked to several people who said that the ziplining they did in CR was the best they’ve ever done, so I was eager to see for myself! There are several companies offering ziplining tours and bundles around La Fortuna. After getting the inside scoop from a local zipline guide, I can tell you the two most reputable: Arenal Mundo Adventura and Sky Adventures. Both have the highest safety ratings and also the best runs. I trusted this guide’s opinion because he was a guide at Arenal Mundo Adventura (where we ziplined) and I asked him if we should book a canyoneering tour with them. “Oh no” he said, “not with us. Book with Pure Trek, they have the best canyoneering tours.” Well color me surprised that he wasn’t peddling his own company. “What about for ziplining then?” He answered quickly “Oh yes, we’re the best for ziplining. Or Sky adventures. Either one”. Hah, after that he won my trust and I asked him all kind of recommendations.

Zip Lining in La Fortuna

Arenal Mundo Adventura and Sky adventures are located a little ways apart, so you might just book the one closest to your hotel. Arenal Mundo Adventura does have ziplines that run right next to La Fortuna waterfall, so that was hard to beat! There is a fair amount of hiking involved to get between the lines, so be prepared for that. We booked the full 12 lines, but I think you get to see the best of it if you book the shorter version and essentially just skip the “warm up” lines. Make sure you have a reservation though as time slots can fill up a few weeks in advance during the high season (Nov-April ish). I can’t speak to Sky Adventures since we did the other one, but it is located over close to the Arenal volcano and I believe you get some great views of it during your experience.

Visiting La Fortuna Waterfall

After ziplining we drove the short distance to see the waterfall up close. There is an entry fee, and a bit of a trek down, to see the falls. There is swimming allowed so bring your suit if you want to get in the chilly water. Then there’s the trek back up. The lady at the ticket booth warned us its a 20 minute trek up. That sounded like a challenge so we started our stopwatch and did it in 8 minutes. A little ways down that same road there is a chocolate tour and we stopped in there on a whim. They showed us the different phases of the cocoa bean and we got to taste some yummy chocolate. They don’t actually grow or make chocolate at this location though, it is purely for tourism. Or “education” as they called it. I personally would skip the chocolate tour, but it was fine and my hubby wanted to do it.

We stopped in town for some yummy tacos on the way home for dinner. We made it a habit to try the smoothies at every restaurant and soda our whole trip. They did not disappoint (well…most of them did not.)

Takeaway Tips: Ziplining is a must-do while in La Fortuna! La Fortuna Waterfall is not a must-do in my opinion.

Day 3: Arenal National Park & Hot Springs

Arenal Volcano National Park

Our second full day in La Fortuna was spent exploring Arenal Volcano National Park in the morning and Baldi Hot Springs in the afternoon. The National Park was a bit of a let down, if it weren’t for the troop of spider monkeys we saw and observed for nearly an hour, I would say skip it. The trail was unexciting, the views of the volcano were (surprisingly) not great and it was hot, muggy and buggy. But we did very much enjoy observing the monkeys, so for that reason it was a highlight in the end.

Baldi Hot Springs

After we were done at the National Park, we headed to the Hot Springs to relax! La Fortuna area is famous for it’s volcanic heated hot springs. There’s a row of hotels that all boast their own hot springs amenities and pools including Baldi, The Springs, Tabacon, and Los Lagos to name the most popular. All of these hotels offer day passes to enjoy their hot springs. Or, of course, you can actually stay at the hotel and have access as well. Our resort had some hot springs that we thought were super cool (and super hot), so we weren’t sure if it was worth it to pay almost $100/person to go to more hot springs. Let me tell you- it’s worth it. It was basically like a luxurious water park/spa heated by a volcano. There are pools of varying temperatures, including cool off pools. There are waterfalls, swim up bars, sauna caves, waterslides and more! Just do it. Baldi was amazing, and I would love to explore the other Hot Springs one day to compare. You can purchase a meal with your day pass which gives you access to a dinner buffet. The buffet was decent (nothing amazing, but better than I expected) so that’s worth considering. There are also lockers, towels and changing rooms available on site.

Takeaway Tip: Get a day pass to one of the “fancy” hot springs hotels. It’s worth it.

I should note there is a spot in the river where people gather where you can experience a bit of the hot springs for free. It’s just past the Tabacon Hot Springs and you will see people trying to direct you to park. The parking situation is very precarious and it’s kinda hard to access the river through the thick brush along the river. It’s also muddy, crowded and lots of trash laying around everywhere. It was so strange to step into a hot river though, so something to experience. But about 5 minutes experiencing it was plenty for us and we were on our way!

Day 4: Hanging Bridges

On our third full day in La Fortuna we made the drive over to Mistico Hanging Bridges. We made the mistake of assuming we could get tickets upon arrival. Not so. Tickets must be purchased in advance and only online. Luckily someone had mercy on us and allowed us to get tickets even though the day was sold out. But be warned- they will not even let up to the parking lot without a reservation- so don’t make our same mistake!

The bridges themselves were not as thrilling as I had hoped. They are very stable and several of them are not even hanging. There were some cool views, but the real highlight was the troop of howler monkeys we saw and observed for awhile in the park. One even pooped on my husbands head. All in all I would say the bridges are a cool thing to do and we actually got our best view of the trip of the volcano up there (the clouds finally cleared out that day), but it wasn’t a must-do.

Takeaway Tip: If you’re going to Mistico Park get your reservation online ahead of time!

Day 5: Tenorio National Park

For what what supposed to be our last full day in Costa Rica we made the longer drive to Tenorio National Park to see the famous Rio Celeste. You have to have reservations ahead of time for this as well as they limit the number of people allowed in the park each day. This is the website that manages the National Park reservations. It was a longer drive to get here from La Fortuna, about 2 hours if I remember right. And we were frustrated when we got there to discover the trail leading down to the bottom of the falls had been damaged earlier that winter and so you couldn’t even get a close up view. But it was still a spectacular sight and a fun hike. Parts of the hike were somewhat rigorous, especially if you go all the way to the end to see where the two rivers meet. So keep that in mind and bring proper footwear! I highly recommend going to the end, you made it all the way to costa rica, hike that extra mile. It’s worth it.

We saw some fun wildlife on this hike as well including: a huge stick bug (like ginormous), a viper, a turtle and I can’t remember what else. So keep your eyes out! And if you see a group of people looking off into a tree, or bush be sure to stop and ask them what they found!

Takeaway Tip: Make sure you make reservations online ahead of time of you plan to go to Tenorio National Park. And once you’re there- hike all the way to the end of the trail (don’t just stop at the falls) It’s worth it!

Bonus Days 6 & 7: Jaco & Manuel Antonio

The next day we were scheduled to drive back to San Jose and fly home. Once we arrived at the airport we were informed our flight was delayed a few hours. That eventually turned into our flight being cancelled (due to blizzard conditions in our layover of Dallas- crazy!). They said they might be able to get us on a flight the next day but they would have to reroute us through a few different cities. We eventually decided- to heck with that. We’ll just stay here. We had been having such a lovely time. So we ended up with 2 bonus days in Costa Rica!

Jaco Beach

We got our rental car back and stayed the night in San Jose and then the next day headed for the closest beach/ocean- Jaco. It’s very unlike us to fly by the seat of our pants so it was pretty stressful for a bit there trying to figure out where to stay. We looked at a few hotels in person once we got there but it was a classic surfer beach town- overpriced and run down. We eventually just picked one because we were fed up with looking (Hotel Jaco). It was…alright and more than I wanted to pay for bonus vacation days. But it was right on Jaco beach which was nice. We enjoyed the evening on the beach and got some gnarly buggy boarding in. Those waves are no joke!

In the morning we were lucky enough to see newly hatched baby sea turtles released right there on Jaco beach as part of a conservation program. Bucket list- check! Then we took a little road trip down to Manuel Antonio for the day.

Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is another National park and requires reservations through the same system as Tenorio National park as they regulate the number of visitors each day. It was an hour or two drive from Jaco, but totally worth it! We loved it. Be prepared, it is hot. I mean especially compared to La Fortuna where we had been, the ocean was so much hotter (we went in January). But the great part about Manuel Antonio is you can mix some ocean swimming in amidst your hiking! So wear your swimming suit, bring your sandals (or wear some good hiking sandals like chacos) and maybe a towel if you want it, and go for it! Just beware of the monkeys. They are everywhere and quite mischievous. (I watched them go through a lady’s bag while she was sun bathing- don’t worry I did warn her, after watching for a few moments, haha!).

My favorite thing was how secluded it felt as the beaches are only accessible via the hiking trails. Also the ocean water temperature was just perfection. Cool enough to be refreshing, but warm enough that you could just walk right in. You could also hit up the famous El Avion restaurant for a refreshing lunch/dinner after your hike and tour the little plane they have there in the restaurant. It’s some pretty cool history!

Takeaway Tips: If you travel to the Jaco/ Manuel Antonio area be prepared for it to be hotter and more expensive than La Fortuna! Oh and bring binoculars. That’s just a general tip for your whole Costa Rica trip. Bring them with you everywhere!

Why You Should Go to Costa Rica!

In many ways traveling in Costa Rica was very easy, here are some reason’s why:

• Pretty much everyone spoke english
• You don’t need local money. In our experience almost everyone took credit card and if not they took US dollars.
• Driving rules are pretty much the same as the US (drive on the right side etc)
• Food and water are safe mostly country-wide. We were told this time and time again by other Americans that traveled there often. We were still somewhat careful with the water.
• The “pura vida” attitude is so much more relaxed and less pushy compared to other Central American countries we have traveled to. It was so refreshing to have people leave you alone if you said “no”.
• Again that ocean water temp was pure perfection
• The wildlife sightings and encounters were off the charts. At one point my husband said, “ok that’s it, I’m not stopping to photograph any more animals unless I see a monkey riding a sloth”. We didn’t see that but not long after he said that we did see a mama monkey with a baby on its back swinging around and he said, “ok ok one more picture”.
• Tipping is not really part of their culture so no need to leave tips!
• It’s fairly affordable. I would say pretty similar to US prices but you can definitely find deals and pay less than that.

Review of Chachagua Rainforest Resort

This post has ended up longer than I intended so let me briefly tell you about our hotel. I initially found this hotel because originally I really wanted to say in a treehouse in the rainforest. My google searching led me to this hotel because they do indeed have treehouse units. We did not stay in a treehouse unit however ($$), but we did stay in one for their “River Villa” units. Overall we loved the hotel and our room. The hotel itself is off the beaten path and in a fairly inconvenient location. I was worried about this but with our own car it ended up being not that big of a deal for us. The grounds were lovely, the hot springs were great (nothing like the monstrosity at Baldi, just small and charming), and the included breakfast far exceeded my expectations.

Our room could have used some more furniture and the bathroom needed hooks or something to hang our towels. But our bathroom was so dreamy, opening up to a treehouse style deck with our own private jacuzzi. Even if the water temperature was super temperamental, we thoroughly enjoyed our evening out there under the stars. AND, we had a sloth chilling in the tree right outside our room for a few days. I personally would not take a family there. It was a more sophisticated vibe. But for a romantic getaway it was pretty epic!

I hope that gets you started and on your way to planning your own Costa Rican adventure. You can check out a little reel of our trip and give me a follow over on instagram here. And if you’re ready to plan your trip I recently launched my travel planning business and can help as much or as little as you’d like (it’s free to work with me!) If you’re interested let’s have a chat- just fill out this form to get started!