Costa Rica 10 Day Itinerary
Going to Costa Rica and don’t know what to do? Follow my itinerary below for some suggestions on your journey to one of the most unique and diverse countries in the world! Costa Rica has something for everyone, from hot springs, rainforests, volcanoes, beaches, and mangroves. There are plentiful activities that you’ll find something fun for everyone in your travel party. Costa Rica is the perfect place for families, couples, and solo travelers.
We flew into Liberia International Airport (LIR) also known as Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport. For Costa Rica’s travel guidelines, check out my other blog post “TRAVEL GUIDELINES FOR COSTA RICA DURING COVID 2021″. Another option is to fly into San Jose airport in Costa Rica. The airport you choose will dictate which part of the country is more accessible to visit. So when you have an idea of where you want to visit, make sure you pick the airport that best suits you.
Getting around Costa Rica is not easy! Renting a car is the most efficient and easiest but be careful where you rent it from. Online car rental agencies will lure you in with low daily rental costs to then surprise you with their expensive insurances. Make sure you look into your current car insurance policy or credit card benefits. If you’re covered you can decline their overpriced insurance policy. Make sure you price this in on their website to avoid any surprise expenses. We rented from Europcar Costa Rica for approximately $400 for the 10 days. They sent a shuttle to pick us up and bring us to their main location. They do not have a location onsite at the Liberia Airport.
La Fortuna & Arenal Area
Next stop – La Fortuna & Arenal Area (Famous for their volcanoes and the rainforest).
It took us 2 hours and 24 minutes to make it to our first hotel from Liberia- Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa.
Relax in a Rainforest Setting with Volcano Views @arenalkioro 🌋
Discover Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa, a green friendly luxury hotel located just ten minutes from the town of La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Relax in one of 53 spacious, air conditioned suites designed for couples or families. Guest comforts in all suites include two “Juliet” balconies with panoramic volcano and mountain views, hydromassage hot tubs, minibars, coffee makers, cable television and free wireless Internet.
Additional complimentary guest perks include a breakfast each morning and onsite parking.
On site Covid-19 testing for guests:
PCR tests are available on-site and must be requested 24 hours ahead of time. Tests are conducted privately inside guestrooms. PCR tests are available through a partnership with a local medical center. PCR results are received within 48 to 72 hours. Price varies depending on timing and type of test required.
Please contact @arenalkioro if you need more information.
Email: Reservas@hotelarenalkioro.com WhatsApp +506 2479 1700
Guests of Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa are welcome to enjoy their onsite hot spring pools or ride their complimentary shuttle to Titokú Hot Springs, which offers guests of the hotel free access.
After a long day of exploring, the Hot springs were very relaxing
If you aren’t staying at the hotel, there is Day Pass Rates:
Admission fee: $ 23.10
Admission fee and Meal: $ 48.80
* Lunch or dinner in the Heliconias Restaurant of the Hotel Arenal Kioro with a special a la carte menu.
After a much needed night of rest, we woke up ready to explore. After breakfast at Arenal Kioro, we headed to the most famous waterfall in the area – The La Fortuna Waterfall.
La Fortuna waterfall is probably the most well known waterfall in Costa Rica. This is most likely because it is located close to the tourist Town of La Fortuna also known as the gateway city for Arenal Volcano.
The Fortuna Waterfall entrance fee is $18 USD for adult foreigners, $5 USD for children. The Fortuna waterfall hours of operation are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, open every day. They have a big parking lot and there are bathrooms, a small cafe and souvenir store at the entrance. It was so amazing having the waterfall to myself.
After a refreshing swim, head over to La Ventanita. It is such a hidden gem! The food and views are incredible. Food takes a little longer then normal but it is worth it. Run by a lovely couple from the US. They have the best burrito I’ve tasted in my life and fresh squeezed juice. My favorite was the Papaya juice.
Driving around Costa Rica is not easy, so make sure to always be vigilant and follow all the road rules.
Check out my other blog SALLYTRUBELLA’S TOP 4 THINGS TO DO IN LA FORTUNA – ARENAL VOLCANO AREA for other ideas of what to do in the area.
Another one of our favorite places to eat around the La Fortuna area is Red Frog Coffee Roasters. They have the best coffee EVER!
The second hotel that we checked into was The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal. If you are a fan of the show – The Bachelor, one episode from season 24 with Peter Weber was filmed at the resort. Linked Here for your own entertainment.
My Favorite Room Highlights From Our Room Vista Guest Room:
✨ Private Terrace & Balcony with a Picturesque Volcano View
✨ Hammocks, Rocking Chairs
✨ Luxurious Marbled Bathrooms with Jacuzzi Tub and Multiple Shower Heads
Waking up to absolutely stunning views of Arenal Volcano was such a treat each morning. The rooms are all clean, very upscale and comfortable. The resort is huge! You’ll never run out of things to do, and won’t need to leave the resort at all.
Home to 28 hot springs pools, some surrounded by rainforest. The Springs Resort & Spa has tons of hot springs with great views. My favorite hot spring there was Perdido Springs.
Perdido Springs (Lost Springs) is an interconnected system of forest trails and seven spring-fed pools located within a forest canyon just a short 100-meter walk from the lowest level of the Las Lagunas pools. At the heart of these flowing pools you will find Los Perdidos Bar (The Lost Ones) and Rancho Perdidos Bar along with their thrilling water flume called the Monkey Slide. It was so much fun!
These pools range in temperature from 91˚F to 104˚F.
Located below the main resort on a private stretch of the Arenal River is Club Rio Outdoor Center. Offering River Tubing, River Kayaking, Horseback Riding, a Animal Sanctuary and so much more! The Hot Springs were my favorite. I highly recommend that you take their shuttle bus and go see the beauty of this place. You don’t have to book a tour to enjoy Club Rio because there is a lot to see and experience by just walking around and lounging in the Hot Springs, and then you can see the various tours in action. We took the Sanctuary tour and got to learn how they saved each and every one of those animals.
No visit to @thespringscostarica is complete without the Club Rio Experience! The resort was not crowded due to Covid, we felt like we had the whole resort to ourselves at times. This was a nice way to end our trip in the La Fortuna/Arenal before heading to the beachside of Costa Rica in Guanacaste.
It’s about 3 hours and 30 minutes to our next hotel, W Costa Rica. To split up the long drive we wanted to stop by Rio Celeste known for the spectacular blue color. We drove 1.5 hours from La Fortuna to see Rio Celeste. However, due to the rain, the workers at the park told us it wasn’t worth the hike. Due to the high rain season, the water wasn’t that blue but we did find an adorable mom and pop restaurant to eat at while waiting out the heavy rainfall.
I was so glad to be heading to the beach area of Costa Rica after spending some time in the La Fortuna/Arenal Area.
Guanacaste
Hidden among the mangroves of Guanacaste, W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal is a modern oasis
Their lively resort is surrounded by exotic landscapes and the sugar-white sands of Playa Conchal. Admire panoramic views of their reserve from the blissful serenity of plush bedding before splashing into your suite’s private plunge pool. The moment we arrived, we felt so welcomed. We were greeted with passion fruit cocktails and taken to our SUNSET TREE HOUSE SUITE.
The resort has two pools. The first one is The main pool adults-only pool where we got to see some monkeys swinging around
Their second pool is called The Wet Deck. The pool deck combines Costa Rica’s signature Pura Vida vibe with vibrant, colorful decor. The stunning mosaic tilework within the infinity pool actually pays homage to Carreta Tipica, the oxcarts lining the Costa Rican country. I liked that this pool is closed to the beach area where you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
They even had a live DJ during the day playing upscale beats.
Not far from the W Costa Rica is Tamarindo Beach. Tamarindo is one of the most beautiful and modern beach destinations in Costa Rica. The area offers plenty of outdoor activities that all can enjoy. The weather is almost always ideal, so one can enjoy the blue waters and white sand beaches nearby year-round.
We spent our last day at El Mangroove Hotel, which has a black sand beach. It’s an hour from W Costa Rica. We got to spend our last night in a Junior Suite with a beautiful balcony overlooking the garden.
El Mangroove is located only 20 minutes away from Liberia International Airport, making it the closest beach resort to an international airport in Costa Rica✈️
It’s ideally located near various National Parks in Guanacaste and is just 15 minutes from the artsy and bustling town of El Coco, which has over 25 different restaurants.
Enjoy rafting, hiking, sailing, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing, amongst other activities, within a short distance from the resort.
Natural wonders such as Rincón de la Vieja Volcano and the iconic Río Celeste “a blue volcanic river” and thermal mineral pools are just a short drive away.
Enjoy this 10 day Costa Rica Itinerary!
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