OUR COSTA RICA THREE WEEK ITINERARY WITHOUT A CAR.
Updated October 2024.
Costa Rica is absolutely one of our favourite countries to visit. Spending three weeks there only served to whet our appetite for more.
There is quite simply so much to see and do. If you’re a nature lover and a fan of beautiful white sanded beaches (of course you are!) then you will love Costa Rica. With so much to do, it can be hard to choose, but after much research we crafted a fantastic Costa Rica three week itinerary.
Pura Vida is translated as “pure life”, in Costa Rica the phrase is used to say hello, goodbye, wish people good luck or even to indicate agreement. You can’t really go a day without hearing these two words. Costa Rica has, we think, tried to brand the country as safe, eco, simple – pure. And “Pura Vida” is an outward reinforcement of this ethos.
When we were researching our trip to Costa Rica, we wanted to make sure we could squeeze in everything I could in the three weeks we had. You may also want to find out how to visit Costa Rica on a budget – check here for more information.
Costa Rica Our Three Week Itinerary
Here’s our three week Costa Rica itinerary, you can find details and a map below.
Day 1 – 2: Arrive in San Jose, travel to Arenal
We decided to skip San Jose, having not heard great things about the city and headed straight for Arenal.
What to do in Arenal
1/ Hot Springs – there are loads you an go to and pay, we found a free one (google maps link here). It’s full of locals. Don’t be alarmed that it looks like a hole in the fence, it’s a lovely spot once you’re in.
2/ Walk up Arenal volcano – there’s a walking trail that costs around $15 to enter. Find the hiking trail here.
3/ Fortuna Town – it’s a small town, but has plenty of bars and restaurants and it’s a nice evening out. Plenty of happy hour cocktails!
How to get there
To maximise our time, we took a taxi (pre booked through the hotel) straight to Arenal. It wasn’t the cheapest option, but we had arrived too late to take public transport. There is a bus direct to Arenal though from San Jose.
Where to stay
We stayed at Casa Torre Eco Lodge and couldn’t recommend it enough. We had a bungalow overlooking the volcano. Waking up here was incredible, we went out to the balcony and saw hummingbirds. It was around $70 a night for two of us. The breakfast was excellent and the host could not have been more accommodating.
For more accommodation options in La Fortuna – check out our guide here.
Day 3: Monteverde
Monteverde will be a stop on most Costa Rica itineraries. The main event being, the fabulous Cloud Forest.
How to get there
We arranged a transfer with the hotel in Arenal, this seems to be the most popular way to travel between the two towns. It cost around $50 and includes a boat ride and bus transfer.
What to do in Monteverde
Monteverde is a small town, the main event is the forest but the town still has much to offer. We stayed near Christmas, and there was a lovely festive parade through town.
We took the chance to try the Cerro Amigos Trail, which starts from behind the Belmar Hotel in Santa Elena. We had read about this in Lonely Planet, a free chance to see the Cloud Forest. To be honest, whilst it was a great workout and pleasant to be in the forest, the walk didn’t have the best views.
Of course, the main event is the Cloud Forest. It’s best to book at tour in advance so that everything is taken care of for you.
Check out tours to the Cloud Forest – like this zipline adventure & this guided tour of the cloud forest.
Where to stay
We wanted a full forest experience, so opted for the Green Tea Lodge. This was one of the most magical places we stayed during our trip – we had a lovely little room surrounded by trees. Breakfast was so magical!
Day 4: Jaco
Jaco is a necessary jumping off point before heading to Montezuma as ferries go in and out of Jaco to the Nicoya Peninsula.
To get to Jaco from Monteverde, take the shuttle bus which takes around 2 hours. It can be booked here via Book Away.
Jaco is a large town with a massive strip of beach and lots of bars. It wasn’t our favourite place and the hotel we stayed in felt a little seedy and very cramped. But the beach is nice and has some lovely (if a little pricey) cocktail bars scattered alongside it.
For one night, and as I say, as a transit to the Peninsula, it is ideal.
Day 5 – 7: Montezuma
Montezuma is a beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula. It stole my heart!
How to get to there
We took the boat from Jaco, organised by Zuma Tours. This company was great, super organised and I felt totally looked after. You are collected from your hotel in Jaco and you can also be dropped off in your accommodation at the other side of the journey too.
Where to stay
We stayed in a Tree House that we found on Airbnb near to the town. It was pretty epic and I felt totally away from it all. A note of caution, taxis in Montezuma are difficult to get, so if you don’t stay near the beach, be prepared to wait for a cab.
For more accommodation on Montezuma, check out our guide here. You can also find the link to the fabulous tree house!
What to do in Montezuma
1/ Hang out on Playa Montezuma: The small beach in town where the boat docks – beautiful and you could spend hours here. It’s close to restaurants and bars so you can make a day of it.
2/ Montezuma waterfalls: you MUST do this. It’s stunning and you can walk along and see all the falls. The trail is quite easy to walk and has railings when you need them.
3/ Hike to Playa Grande – it’s a walk from Montezuma but it is so worth it. White sands, long beach and you will barely see anyone else. The walk is through a forest trail, which is an adventure it itself. Take drinks and snacks, there are no shops.
Day 8 – 9: Santa Teresa
How to get there
There is a shuttle bus from Montezuma to Santa Teresa that takes about 40 minutes. You can also get a cab. For some unknown reason, we chose to hike – but that’s a story for another time.
What to do in Santa Teresa
The main event in Santa Teresa is the beach and the fantastic sun set. Santa Teresa is on the west coast of the peninsula so really special.
There are lots of fun activities to do on the water in Santa Teresa – from snorkelling, whale watching to a seeing incredible bioluminescence.
There are also lots of bars and the nightlife is pretty fun. We had a great time at banana beach bar.
Where to stay in Santa Teresa
We stayed in Caminha Chill House. For more accommodation in Santa Teresa, check out our guide here.
Day 10 – 11: Manuel Antonio
How to get there
Next we took another boat organised by Zuma Tours to Manuel Antonio. The boat took us across to Jaco and then we were collected by a shuttle bus for the rest of the journey.
Where to stay
We stayed at a basic hostel called Costa Linda Art Hostel. It has a really pleasant bar area with good food and drinks. It’s also super close to the beach and park entrance!
For more accommodation in Manuel Antonio, you can find our guide here.
Things to do in Manuel Antonio
1/ Manuel Antonio National Park: Manuel Antonio is all about the national park. Book tickets in advance! And check the opening hours, it closes one day a week and you would not want to miss out. I opted for a tour that cost $25, it lasts a few hours and you learn a lot. It ends in the national park beach which is stunning. I’d recommend taking a tour early so you can relax on the beach all day!
You can book tours and tickets here with viator.
2/ Visit the beach: The beach in town is also lovely. An iguana came to say hi whilst I was sunbathing. If you want a sunbed, don’t be afraid to haggle with the vendors. They all offer different prices.
3/ Hike to Biesanz Beach: I would also recommend Biesanz Beach, it’s a bit of a hike from town. But at the end of your walk you’ll be rewarded with a stunning cove with the calmest water I saw in Costa Rica. There’s a few stalls down on the beach selling beers and snacks, including ceviche, but you could take your own snacks down too.
Day 12 – 13: Dominical
How to get there
From Manuel Antonio, we took a public bus to Dominical. The bus takes a couple of hours and costs only a few dollars. I’d recommend asking your hotel host to help you with up to date timetables as we couldn’t find them online.
Where to stay in Dominical
We stayed at the One Love Hostel. It was incredibly basic but has a fun café attached and is right on the beach. Having checked recently, we don’t think this hostel exists now. Cool Vibes Hostel looks like a super alternative which is also close to the beach.
Things to do in Dominical
Dominical is a surf down, so that’s the number one activity. You can hire boards all along the beach. Just shop around until you find a good price and a decent board. We spent our days here in the water.
If you prefer to spend your days on land, enjoy sunbathing on the beach. There’s also a great market in Domincal selling lots of lovely crafty bits and clothing.
Nightlife is chilled – there’s a decent brewery in Domincal (Fuego – link in map), but it gets super busy so if you want to go, book ahead.
Day 14 – 16: Ballena/Uvita
Next for us was Ballena national park, I stayed near the beach. The area is laid back with a few nice cafes open during the day and not much going on at night so we stayed in our lovely accommodation to cook.
How to get there
Uvita is a short 15 minute bus ride from Domincal. You can take local buses. Check bus times with your hotel reception.
What to do in Uvita
The national park is beautiful and called “Ballena” (Whale) due to the whale tail that the beach makes. You have to pay to walk on the whale tale, but the beach further up is free.
If you are visiting during whale season, be sure to book a boat tour to see whales. These can easily be booked on Get Your Guide for about $60.
We also walked to Uvita, taking in the waterfall (worth the hike up) and two really fun breweries on the way back. Definitely recommend if you’re a beer fan!
Where to stay in Uvita
For accommodation in Uvita, you can find our guide here. We stayed in Aboura Cabins which were so beautiful.
Day 17 – 20: Puerto Viejo – a must see on your Costa Rica three week itinerary
Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean Coast and it has totally different vibes to the Pacific Coast. The food has a more Caribbean influence and the beaches too. In town, you’ll hear reggae blasting from the bars.
How to get there
We took the bus from Uvita to Puerto Viejo (two buses via San Jose). My one recommendation – book in advance! They get busy and you’ll want to make sure you can make your connection in San Jose.
You can find our detailed guide as to how to get to Puerto Viejo here.
What to do in Puerto Viejo
In Puerto Viejo, we spent most of my time lazing on the fantastic beaches. But we also hired bikes to explore along the coast – well worth doing if you’re here for some time.
This also meant I could cycle to a yoga studio every morning – I went to Ama Ser Yoga and it was the most peaceful Shala experience.
In town, there area some great bars and restaurants with drinks deals around happy hour. We were fans of Tasty Waves Cantina which has live music and Sol de Caribe bar has great cocktails.
A note of caution for female travellers. Whilst I was in Puerto Viejo, I heard about an alleged sexual assault that had taken place near to the beach at night. Locals told me that this had happened before. I’ve also seen online that women in Puerto Viejo have been out protesting in support of female safety. I had some experience of cat calls and unwanted male attention whilst I was there and if I went back, I wouldn’t walk alone near the beach.
Where to stay in Puerto Viejo
For accommodation in Puerto Viejo, you can find our guide here.
Day 21: San Jose
We didn’t spend much time in the city, opting for a hotel near the airport before our early flight.
Tours of Costa Rica
If you’d prefer to take a fun and exciting group tour, instead of travelling independently, why not try G Adventures?
They offer an amazing 19 day tour of Costa Rica, where you can visit all the highlights and make some new friends for life.
Where would I go next time?
I had really wanted to climb Chirripo mountain, which sits tall in the middle of the country. At the time of travel (December 2021), the office managing ticket sales to Chirripo were operating a phone line only booking system.
I tried calling hundreds of times and was never able to get through to book. In retrospect, I wouldn’t have had time in the three weeks to do this properly, but on my second visit I am determined to get up there!
As of 2024, you can now make reservations to hike Mount Chirripo online. Find out more here.
Whilst I was in Costa Rica, I saw many other travellers driving 4 x 4 vehicles and some had tent boxes. I would absolutely LOVE to try this next time I go to Costa Rica. Having access to a car, which I did not, would mean that you could get to all the beaches and national parks that are off the beaten track. Plus, being able to pitch a tent gives ultimate flexibility. Next time!
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