Highlights Costa Rica | Explore all highlights in 2 weeks | Self-drive holiday
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country Costa Rica
duration 13 nights
money 1.670,96 Rate per person based on 2 adults staying in a double room in low season. In USD $1778 money

Highlights Costa Rica in 2 weeks

If you have a two-week holiday and want to see the highlights of Costa Rica, then book this trip and be amazed about what Costa Rica has to offer you! Dense rainforests and tropical beach in combination with abundant wildlife make the country an unforgettable travel destination. 

Your journey starts in San Jose and from there on, you’ll travel to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast to visit the famous national park Tortuguero. From the coast you’ll continue your journey inland and travel to La Fortuna and the largest volcano in the country Arenal. After that, there’s the cloud forest in Monteverde. Both in La Fortuna and in Monteverde, there’s plenty to see and do: hiking, rafting, mountain biking, horse riding or a canopy tour above the rainforest!

Towards the end of your holiday, you’ll relax and enjoy the tropical beach in Samara, a small beach town on the Pacific coast. Here you can take surf lessons or book a boat tour to go and spot dolphins!

 

  • Transfer from/to the airport
  • A local (Dutch) contact before and during the trip
  • All inclusive in Tortuguero
  • 10 days car rental with full cover insurance
  • 24/7 availability (in English) during your trip
  • (International) flights
  • Entrance National Parks
  • Excursions

San José

duration 1 night
attribute Hotel
attribute Breakfast
attribute Transfer in/out

San José

duration 1 night
attribute Hotel
attribute Breakfast
attribute Transfer in/out

Your two-week journey starts in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. San Jose has a vibrant street life and there’s lots of restaurants, bars and markets selling tropical fruit and vegetables. 

Explore the center with a guide or a good map and get acquainted with the narrow, busy shopping streets, museums and parks. Be sure to step inside the Mercado Central (see video) and some of the many local restaurants and coffee shops where you can enjoy Costa Rican coffee and other local delicacies.

Would you rather escape the urban bustle? Then book a day tour to a nearby volcano or join a chocolate or coffee tour and learn more about one of Costa Rica’s best-known export products.

Tortuguero

duration 2 nights
attribute Standaard tweepersoonskamer
attribute All meals
attribute 2 tours
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Tortuguero

duration 2 nights
attribute Standaard tweepersoonskamer
attribute All meals
attribute 2 tours

Tortuguero is a famous nature reserve on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and one of the few places where you can see different species of sea turtles laying their eggs. 

The Tortuguero National Park itself is worth a visit during all seasons (not only the turtle nesting season), beause here you’ll explore the jungle from the water. A guide helps you spot as many wildlife as possible (toucans, monkeys, caimans and many butterfly and bird species are found here).

During your stay you will also visit the village of Tortuguero, where you can try a local beer while listening to some nice reggae music.

La Fortuna (Arenal)

duration 2 nights
attribute Bungalow

La Fortuna (Arenal)

duration 2 nights
attribute Bungalow

After your adventure in Tortuguero you travel by boat and bus to Guapiles, where your rental car will be ready for you. You then drive up north and westwards to la Fortuna. This village owes its name and fame to the Arenal, the largest and most famous active volcano of Costa Rica. 

There is plenty to do and experience in and around La Fortuna. Whatever you choose to do,  the immense Arenal volcano will be in the background. Hiking, quad biking, mountain biking, horseback riding …. but also while relaxing in the hot springs of the Baldi Hotsprings or Eco Termales you’ll enjoy great views of the volcano.

In the evening La Fortuna is a lively town with many restaurants and bars that offer a wide variety of dinner options. Breakfast is not included in the stay, but can be booked at the reception.

Rincon de la Vieja

duration 2 nights
attribute Bed and breakfast
attribute Breakfast
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Rincon de la Vieja

duration 2 nights
attribute Bed and breakfast
attribute Breakfast

Rincon de la Vieja or “the corner of the old woman” is the unusual description of Curubande, the daughter of an Indian chief who spent the last years of her life as a medicine woman living on the flank of the volcano now called Rincon de la Vieja.

The volcano has no less than 9 craters, is still active and is known for its volcanic activities, bubbling mud pools and bright blue waterfall. It is truly one of the highlights of Costa Rica!

Go tubing on the river, horseback riding, or hiking in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Be sure to also visit the natural spa and take a mud bath!

Samara

duration 3 nights
attribute Hotel
attribute Breakfast
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Samara

duration 3 nights
attribute Hotel
attribute Breakfast

From the volcano down to beach. You’ll drive to the charming coastal town of Samara. The beautiful beaches near the village itself and in the surrounding area (playa Carillo, playa Barrigona, Nosara) invite you to spend a day relaxing on the beach. If you need a bit more action, you can take yoga classes, go on a boat tour to spot dolphins, or learn to surf!

Samara is a small town, but there is plenty to do and there are countless nice restaurants to choose from for lunch and dinner.

Monteverde

duration 2 nights
attribute Cabin
attribute Own kitchen

Monteverde

duration 2 nights
attribute Cabin
attribute Own kitchen

Monteverde is a must-visit in Costa Rica. The town is wellknown for its cloud forests, but also has a special history. In the 1950s, the village became the new home of a group of US Quakers. They brought their beliefs, entrepreneurship and a strong drive to protect nature along from the United States. This led to the creation of a unique community that you will now experience for yourself.

Explore the cloud forest from above during a zipline tour. This is truly an amazing experience! A little less exciting, but just as beautiful is a visit to the hanging bridges in the treetops.

Explore the area further from the back of a horse or go hiking while searching for the rare quetzal. Monteverde is also known for its delicious coffee and chocolate and in the village you will find plenty of nice restaurants and coffee shops where you can eat and drink, such as the Tree House restaurant.

Alajuela

duration 1 night
attribute Hotel
attribute Breakfast
attribute Transfer in/out

Alajuela

duration 1 night
attribute Hotel
attribute Breakfast
attribute Transfer in/out

Your trip through Costa Rica ends in a cozy hotel near the airport in Alajuela. Here you can have a nice meal in a tropical setting and take a last dive in the swimming pool before flying back home.

If there’s enough time, you may visit the Poas volcano. Or do a nice chocolate tour. Maybe you spot a hummingbird or beautiful butterfly before you board the plane again. We wish you a good journey home!

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Ton and Jolanda

We very much liked our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide in Tortuguero. The lodge is a beautiful tourist resort and the staff is very friendly. We also enjoyed the great food and delicious cocktails. Excellent start of our holidays!

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Serena, Sienna and Rick

A few of our Costa Rica highlights were our visit to the hanging bridges in Arenal, the whitewater rafting on the Saripiqui river and our volcano hike in Arenal. In Samara we took surf lessons and that was great fun!

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Van Wambeke family

We really liked Arenal and for us our stay there was one of the highlights of Costa Rica. In our hotel there were hardly any guests, so we got the room with the best view of the volcano 🙂

The  hike to the volcano that you booked for us was great! Everybody in our family really enjoyed it. Although there was a lot of mud, to to a lot of tropical rain, we very much like the whole experience, especially when we could relax in the end in the local hotsprings!

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Gerrit and Nienke

We thought our route to Monteverde was really beautiful, especially the last part. During our stay we booked a canopy tour and we’re impressed by the views of the jungle. Our true highlight was the Tarzan swing, really do it if you can (and dare to!), we thought it was fantastic! Driving down from Monteverde to the Panamerican highway was again very beautiful with fantastic views.

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Karin Nienhuis

Samara was really great! I took surf lessons and  there and went on a dolphin tour. We also spotted a few whales during that tour, that was fantastic!

Experience the highlights of Costa Rica!

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