Volcano, cloud forest, turtle beach and whale coast in one small country, with a lodge in each that puts you in the forest.
Costa Rica fits a volcano, cloud forest, two coasts and lowland rainforest into a country smaller than Scotland. The pleasure is in moving between them, a few nights at a time.
It suits active couples, honeymooners who want more than a beach, and families with children old enough for a night walk. We plan three or four stops of three nights, linked by short domestic flights.
The honest trade-off is weather. The Pacific side has a clear dry season from December to March, the Caribbean runs to its own calendar, and rain is part of any rainforest stay. Roads are slow, too.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Arenal Volcano National Park lies about 15 kilometres from La Fortuna, and its Coladas and Los Miradores trails cross old lava flows below the cone. Walk early, before cloud settles on the summit, then spend the afternoon in the thermal pools the local lodges are built around.
Tortuguero has the largest nesting population of green turtles in the Atlantic, and the season runs from June to November. You walk the black-sand beach at night with a local guide and watch a female dig her nest. By day, small boats explore the canals for caimans and howler monkeys. There are no roads in.
Corcovado National Park protects 41,788 hectares of lagoon, swamp and wet forest, with 46 kilometres of beach. Lodges near Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez run guided walks for tapir, monkeys and scarlet macaws. Flights from San José take about an hour. Go in the dry months, when the trails are firm.
Humpbacks arrive at Marino Ballena National Park, near Uvita on the south Pacific coast, from July to October to breed and calve. Morning boat trips are calmest. At low tide you can walk the sand spit shaped like a whale's tail that gives the park its name.
Monteverde sits high in the Cordillera de Tilarán, in forest often wrapped in mist by mid-morning. Walk with a naturalist at first light for the best chance of a resplendent quetzal, then cross the canopy on hanging bridges. It is cooler than the lowlands, so pack a fleece.
The Pacuare runs through a forested gorge on the Caribbean slope, and a day on it strings together rapids between waterfalls. Stronger groups can stay a night at a lodge deep in the gorge. Families with younger children are better on the gentler Sarapiquí.
Choose by landscape and let the lodge follow. Arenal and Monteverde are about volcano views and forest; the Osa Peninsula and Tortuguero are remote. For beach time, the Papagayo Peninsula and Nosara in Guanacaste have the driest weather, while the coast around Uvita is quieter and greener.
We match each trip in Costa Rica to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsSample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Ten nights for active families: hot springs and hanging bridges below Arenal Volcano, night walks and ziplines in the Monteverde cloud forest, then four nights on a Pacific beach in Guanacaste with a private driver between each stop.
The mountain spine splits Costa Rica into two climates. On the Pacific side the dry season runs from December to March, April is a transition, and rain sets in from May to October, heaviest in September and October, mostly in the afternoon.
The Caribbean has no well-defined dry season. Its drier spells come in February and March, and again in September and October, just as the Pacific is wettest. July and August bring whales to Ballena and turtles to Tortuguero.
Turtles on the Caribbean, the volcano at Arenal, rainforest on the Osa Peninsula and whales off the south Pacific, linked by short flights. 12 nights.
Land in the Central Valley and stay in the cooler hills above the city, in gardens full of hummingbirds.
A light aircraft or road and boat transfer to Tortuguero. Early canal trips, and a guided night walk on the nesting beach in season.
Drive west to La Fortuna. Walk the lava-field trails, soak in the hot springs and add a morning on Lake Arenal.
Fly south to Drake Bay for guided walks in Corcovado and snorkelling off Caño Island, with evenings on your deck.
Transfer up the coast to the hills above Uvita for whale trips into Marino Ballena, then drive back to San José for the overnight flight.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Costa Rica (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
British Airways flies direct to San José in about 11 and a half hours. From October 2026 the seasonal service moves from Gatwick to Heathrow, with five flights a week. Domestic flights to Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez take about an hour.
UK passport holders can currently visit without a visa for tourism. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book, and note that connecting through the US needs US travel approval.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Costa Rica (opens in a new tab)
Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page (opens in a new tab) before you travel. Medical care is generally good, but ambulance services in remote areas vary, so make sure your insurance covers evacuation. Pack sun cream, insect repellent and a warm layer for Monteverde.
The currency is the colón, and US dollars and major credit cards are widely accepted.
Check roaming charges with your UK provider, or buy a prepaid SIM at the Kolbi booth at the airport. Wi-Fi at remote lodges in Tortuguero and on the Osa Peninsula can be limited.
Restaurant and hotel bills already include a 10% service charge, so leave more only for exceptional service. Private guides and drivers are usually tipped separately.
For reliable sunshine, December to March, when the Pacific side is dry; it is also the busiest time. July and August are a good compromise, with a drier spell on the Pacific, whales off Ballena and turtles at Tortuguero. September and October are wettest on the Pacific but relatively dry on the Caribbean.
Between 10 and 14 nights covers three or four areas without rushing. Allow three nights in each, because moving between regions takes half a day even by domestic flight. With a week, pick two areas, such as Arenal and Guanacaste, rather than trying to see everything.
Very. Night walks, canopy bridges, gentle rafting and turtle watching all work for children from about six. Choose lodges with family rooms and a pool, keep the Osa Peninsula for older children who can manage humid walks, and use the Guanacaste beaches for younger families.
For most people, private drivers and short domestic flights work better. Roads are slow and winding, signs are sparse, and some lodges are reached on rough tracks or by boat. A car can make sense for exploring the Guanacaste beaches, but we still suggest drivers for the long transfers.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: January to March.
A canal city with a colonial old quarter, cloud forest coffee farms and two coasts of islands, each a short flight away.
Maya cities in the rainforest and the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, a short hop apart and in English.
Andean volcanoes, cloud forest and Amazon rainforest within a day of each other, with Quito's colonial centre at the heart.
Mexico City’s food, Oaxaca’s markets and Maya ruins in the Yucatán, finished with a week on the Caribbean coast.
