I am not sure that there is such a thing as a "standard" Costa Rican vacation, but there are commonly-repeated themes that could serve as a template for vacations. We first visited Costa Rica in 1992, with 3 1/2 year old Sandy and a very pregnant Susan. That original trip was wonderful, and made us want to come back to Costa Rica again and again, and it led to our home building project in Dominical 14 years later. The "standard" vacation template that we followed still works in 2021.
Now that we have the villas in Dominical, we spend less time elsewhere in the country, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Due to the number of things you can do as a visitor to Costa Rica, and the “acclimation time” that all vacations demand, I’d recommend that you plan on at least 10 days, and better yet, two weeks for your Costa Rican vacation.
Arrival in Costa Rica
Americans and Canadians will find that most of the major airlines have flights to either Alajuela (San Jose area) or Liberia (the northern international airport) from perhaps eight cities around the country. We’ve flown on American, Alaska, Delta, Taca (local airline), and United at various times, generally based on (duh!) price and schedule. Southwest, Frontier, Spirit and other airlines also have flights, or should I say “flight” since many have a single round trip flight every day.
Gateway cities that we’ve used include Los Angeles, Phoenix, DFW, Denver, and Miami. As you select a gateway city that’s farther east, the flight gets shorter and shorter until you get to Miami where it only takes about 2 1/2 hours to get to Costa Rica, versus 6 hours from Los Angeles. Many flights are red-eyes, which may save you a day of vacation, allowing you to get through immigration and into your rental car before 10:00am.
Many other flights arrive in the evening, between 7:00pm and 9:00pm. The problem with these flights is that it gets very dark in Costa Rica shortly after sunset, and if you’re not familiar with the roads and driving norms, it can be intimidating to rent a car, then drive to your hotel (or Caballitos del Mar) on your first night. Avoid driving at night in general. The other option, obviously, is to grab a taxi at the airport which are plentiful and cost-effective, and get taken to your hotel. If you need a car, do so the following day.
San Jose Stayover and Environs
The vast majority of Ticos live in the Central Valley, which includes many large, relatively low-rise cities: San Jose, Alajuela, Cartago, Guadalupe, Escazu, Heredia, etc. Our favorite place to stay that’s near the “San Jose” airport (actually in Alajuela) is the Studio Hotel in Santa Ana. It’s VERY reasonable (around $100 incl. taxes), clean, has a bar and restaurant which are very good, and is sort of Euro-Modern. For more of a traditional Costa Rican “resort”, the Marriott near the airport is gorgeous, large, and still not too expensive ($160 incl taxes) with easy access to car rental companies and central to the many cities in the valley.
We should also point out that we did not rent a car on our first visit, and we now always rent a car. Sure: it depends. Allowing a tour operator to take you to and fro is actually a great luxury, and there's no insurance, parking, vandalism, or the other issues that come with having a car. But if you want to explore on your own, we find the driving to be relatively safe, polite, and medium-easy to navigate. You can even rent a Garmin nuvi at various rental car agencies, although we cannot vouch for the map accuracy!
You can also skip the rental car hassle by using a number of either scheduled or on demand car services. There’s also an extensive network of busses, but we realize this may be overwhelming especially if you’re jet-lagged from your trip. But there are options if you don’t want to drive yourself.
Eco-Tourism
We haven’t spent much time in San Jose, and while we KNOW we should have, our preference has been to go on an excursion the first full day after we arrive. This is a gross simplification, but there are probably 50 really well-known, gorgeous, eco-tourism excursions that you can enjoy that take 2-4 days, have meals and transportation included, which are an easy way to sample the different areas and biological diversity of the country.
Frequently, the tour company will supply the following:
Pick you up at your hotel and load your luggage.
Drive you safely around town while picking up like-minded tourists.
Deliver you to some point of interest (boat, resort, trail) so that you can start your adventure.
Insure that you're greeted at the resort/park, and that you're set up for a few days.
Your time at the resort/park is generally prepaid so your meals are taken care of, and many minor expeditions are included. Meals are communal (which is one of the great advantages) since you can meet interesting people from around the world.
The tour operator will arrange for your flight/boat ride/bus ride back to San Jose.
Spend the night, and strike out for Expedition #2 the next morning.
Tortuguero
We’ve been to Tortuguero three times, for example, and we love it. We’d go again, but it’s on the Caribbean Coast, and is about as far away from our villas in Dominical as you can get. If you book a stay with the Mawamba Lodge (this is where we have stayed, but there are several choices), they will arrange to pick you up at your hotel, drive you east to the canal system that runs along the Caribbean Coast, load your gear onto a panga (local utility boat used for fishing and taxi service), and run north on the canals for about two hours until you arrive at the lodge. A few days later, they will reverse the process. It’s easy and really a great way to see the country without driving yourself.
The Rain Forest
On our trip in 1992, we ended up in a rain Forest lodge outside of Siquirres which was marvelous, but we'll be darned if we can find the name of the lodge. It was the rainy season, and for a few days we shared a 20 room resort with one other couple. It was perched on the banks of a gorgeous river which flowed to the Caribbean Sea, and we ended up horseback riding, river exploring, and enjoying three beautifully prepared meals a day for about $100 per day for the three of us. Obviously times have changed, but we find that Costa Rica is full of quality eco-lodges that are family-friendly and very reasonably priced.
Volcanos
There are a number of volcanoes surrounding the valley in which San Jose is located, and a great day trip is to see Volcan Irazu. Once again, you can be picked up at your hotel by a tour operator for a day of sightseeing, and it’s a day well-spent. Irazu has several very distinct craters, plus a blue-green lake (rainy season) which appears to be dyed with gallons of Easter egg dye. At the summit (11,260’ altitude), you’ll be able to see one of the best views of the country. Some tours visit the Lankaster Gardens on the return. These are gorgeous botanical gardens in one of the most diverse biological areas in the world.
While some visitors will choose to spend a week at Volcan Arenal, I think a couple a days is adequate in one of the many eco-resorts in the area. It’s a several hour drive from the San Jose region, and is also accessible from the Coast, either travelling south from Guanacaste, or north from Jaco/Quepos. Although it’s been quiet for a couple of decades, Arenal is known for its “activity” and can put on quite a show. But even when it’s quiet, the resorts are lovely with natural hot springs, zip lines, hikes, and wonderful birding and nature observation. And the large lake at the base of the volcano is also popular for a variety of watersports.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
OK, we have to admit that we haven’t been to Monteverde, but it’s so widely advertised, and it’s got such a wonderful reputation, that we’ll throw it in the mix. Located about 2:40 from San Jose by car, Monteverde is known for its foggy, misty atmosphere, which shrouds the forest in a cooling cloud. Trails take you through the forest and pass via suspension bridges across deep gorges. Wonderful biological diversity, combined with some creature comforts after you’ve hiked, make it a popular destination for a few days.
Caballitos del Mar
Well, that’s a tiny example of what you might do on your first week in Costa Rica. There are dozens of other equally lovely places, but we really like the idea of a couple of days here, and a couple of days there, and then a week on the South Pacific Coast. And by that, we mean the town of Dominical, which is located about 3 hours from the main airport in Alajuela. It’s a village of fewer than 1,000 residents, but it’s outstanding for nature, surfing, and dining. See other articles on this site for additional information, especially about our villas at Caballitos del Mar.