Santos Skoolie10 days in Costa Rica: an itinerary from San José
The short version
Land in San José and make one loop. Two nights in La Fortuna for the volcano, two nights in a school bus above Lake Arenal, one night in Monteverde, two nights in Quepos for Manuel Antonio, two nights in Uvita. Then drive back to San José and fly home.
When friends visit from abroad, we plan their trip. This is the version for people who land in San José: volcano and cloud forest first, then down the Pacific coast, ending on the beach.
The ten days at a glance
Day 1
Land in San José, drive about 3 hours to La Fortuna. Sleep in La Fortuna.
Day 2
Arenal Volcano: the waterfall early, the volcano trails, hot springs in the evening. Sleep in La Fortuna.
Day 3
Río Celeste, a river swim or tubing, then on to the hills above Lake Arenal. Sleep at Santos Skoolie.
Day 4
A day in Tierras Morenas: a hike, a bike ride, the lake, or the pool. Sleep at Santos Skoolie.
Day 5
1 hour 45 to Monteverde, night walk in the cloud forest. Sleep in Monteverde.
Day 6
Hanging bridges in the cloud forest, then 4 hours down to the Pacific. Sleep in Quepos.
Day 7
Manuel Antonio National Park. Sleep in Quepos.
Day 8
Down the coast to Uvita, afternoon on the beach. Sleep in Uvita.
Day 9
Nauyaca waterfall early, Playa Arco when the tide is low. Sleep in Uvita.
Day 10
Drive back to San José and fly home.
Day 1: San José to La Fortuna
Pick up your car at the airport and drive about 3 hours to La Fortuna. We always recommend a 4x4: it gives you more freedom and gets you there faster.
Landing late? The sun sets between about 5:15 and 6:00 PM all year. If you land in the afternoon, sleep near the airport and drive in the morning. Mountain roads here are narrow and unlit, and you'd miss the view anyway.
Where to sleep in La Fortuna. Look on the side of town that faces the volcano, along the road to the national park and the observatory. That's where you get Arenal from your room or the pool.
Day 2: Arenal Volcano
La Fortuna waterfall
A short hike down to a swimming hole under the falls. Go first thing in the morning.
Arenal Observatory
Trails with the best close view of the volcano.
Zip lining
Several operators run lines around town. Reserve a time slot.
Tabacón hot springs
River pools heated by the volcano, resort style, best in the evening. Book your pass ahead; it sells out fast in high season.
Dinner at Don Rufino
The one restaurant in town worth planning around. Dinner needs a reservation; for lunch you can walk in.
Don't try to do all of it. The waterfall, one other thing and the hot springs is a good day.
Day 3: Río Celeste, on the way to the lake
Check out and drive 1 hour 20 to Río Celeste, in Tenorio Volcano National Park: a turquoise river and a waterfall at the end of a forest trail. Hike it in the morning.
For the afternoon, pick one:
The calm one
Lunch at La Abeja, where you can swim in the river next to the restaurant. Bring a swimsuit.
The adventurous one
River tubing. We send guests to Chary, a local guide we trust; book ahead, and ask us for the contact when you reserve.
If you still have energy, stop at Finca La Amistad, a chocolate farm. You can walk in to buy chocolate; the tour needs a reservation. Then drive about 1.5 hours to the buses and arrive for sunset.
Skipping Río Celeste? Take the lake road instead: an hour and a quarter from La Fortuna, with a stop at Café y Macadamia for the best view of Lake Arenal.
Nights 3 and 4: sleep in a school bus
Santos Skoolie is three converted school buses on a hillside in Tierras Morenas, 20 minutes from Lake Arenal. It sits between Río Celeste and Monteverde, so it's on your way, not a detour. Self check-in starts at 2:00 PM.
Each one was rebuilt by hand in the woodshop beside the parking area:
The biggest deck, sleeps 3, dogs welcome, the lowest price.
A private pool facing the best sunset line, for two.
The roomiest interior, its own pool over the valley, for two.
The road is paved to the door, and there's parking on site. Most guests stay a night or two, and many tell us they wish they had stayed longer. Two nights gives you the day below.
See the busesDay 4: A day in Tierras Morenas
The one day with nothing to pack and nowhere you have to be. Travel guides skip this corner. Pick one:
El Jilguero trail
A community-run trail on the slopes of Tenorio Volcano, with steam vents, bubbling mud pools, orchids and morpho butterflies, and almost nobody on it. The meeting point is five minutes from the buses. Arrange it ahead by WhatsApp and go early.
Mountain biking
It's big around here. Dany, a local guide, leads rides on his own trails through forest and working farms. Ask us for his contact when you book.
Lake Arenal
Twenty minutes away. From December to March the west end is a paradise for kiteboarding, wing foiling and windsurfing. The rest of the year, go to Puerto San Luis for kayaks, paddle boards and wakeboarding.
A waterfall or a volcano
Viento Fresco and La Piedra del Indio waterfalls are 40 minutes away, Catarata El Ahora is 45. Cerro Pelado, an extinct volcano with a view all the way around, is an hour; go for sunrise.
The pool
Or do nothing. After four days of moving, that's a plan too.
Day 5: Monteverde
Take the morning slowly; check-out is at 10:00 AM. Then drive about 1 hour 45 to Monteverde, up in the cloud forest and cooler than anywhere else on this trip. Walk the town in the afternoon and take a night tour, around 6:00 PM, to see what comes out after sunset.
A dinner worth planning. San Lucas Treetop is a fine meal with a view over the cloud forest. Book the sunset seating; it's ideal for a birthday, a honeymoon or an anniversary. That seating overlaps with the usual night-walk time, so with one night you may have to choose. A second night gets you both.
Day 6: The cloud forest, then the Pacific
Start early on the hanging bridges, a walk through the canopy of the cloud forest, or go out for birds, including the quetzal. Monteverde is the one place where we always tell people to hire a guide, for both the night walk and the day tour. You'll understand the ecosystem instead of just walking through it. And you're not paying for one guide but for the network they belong to: the guides share where the animals are in a WhatsApp group, all across the reserve. Don't miss it. We send guests to Jorge, an amazing guide; ask us for his contact when you book.
Leave by late morning. It's about four hours down to the coast and south to Quepos, the town beside Manuel Antonio, and you want to arrive before dark. From here on, the trip is warm.
Day 7: Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio National Park is beaches, forest trails and a near-certain look at sloths and monkeys. Daily visitors are capped, so buy tickets online ahead of time on the national parks website (SINAC); you'll need to create an account.
Go in the morning, swim at the beach inside the park, and keep the afternoon free.
Days 8 and 9: Uvita
Uvita is a short drive down the coast from Quepos, and quieter. Two nights here is the rest at the end of the trip.
The beaches of Bahía Ballena
Long, wide and uncrowded. Start here on the afternoon you arrive.
Nauyaca waterfall
About 30 minutes from town, then about 1.5 hours of hiking each way. Start early to stay ahead of the midday heat.
Playa Arco
Our favorite beach, and it feels like Jurassic Park. You can only get there at low tide, so check the tide table first. Park at the national park office and walk about 1 km. Bring water; there's nothing to buy out there.
Day 10: Back to San José
Drive back to San José and leave at least three hours of margin before your flight, more if it's raining or you're returning the car. This day works best with an evening flight. With a morning flight, spend the last night near the airport instead.
If you have two weeks
A third night in Uvita
For sport fishing, or a day trip by boat to Corcovado National Park, about 1.5 hours each way.
A night on the Nicoya coast
Between Monteverde and Quepos, add Nosara for the surf or Sámara for the quiet. Pick one; they're both beach towns.
Corcovado, properly
One of the most biodiverse places on earth: tapirs, scarlet macaws and all four of Costa Rica's monkey species. A certified guide is required by law to enter. The overnight tour to Sirena station leaves from Drake Bay; book it one to two weeks ahead. It's a long, awkward trip to get there, so only add it with real time to spare.
What to book ahead
The rental car
Pick it up and return it at San José airport, since the route is a loop.
In La Fortuna
Tabacón hot springs, dinner at Don Rufino, and a zip-line slot if you want one.
Around Río Celeste
River tubing, and the chocolate tour at Finca La Amistad.
In Monteverde
A guide for the night walk and the day tour, and the sunset seating at San Lucas Treetop.
Manuel Antonio
Park tickets, online. They sell out.
Questions people ask
- Is 10 days enough for Costa Rica?
- Enough for the volcano, the cloud forest and the Pacific coast in one loop, with a full day off in the middle and the beach at the end. Not enough to add the Caribbean as well.
- Should I fly into San José or Liberia?
- San José for this route, because it ends on the central and south Pacific coast. Liberia makes more sense if your beach is in Guanacaste; we have a 7-day itinerary for that.
- Do I need a 4x4?
- We always recommend one: it gives you more freedom and gets you there faster. A regular car can do the paved road around Lake Arenal if you go through Tilarán.
- When is the best time to go?
- December to April is the dry season, with the most sun and the highest prices. May to November is greener, quieter and cheaper; mornings are usually clear.
- What should I pack?
- Some US dollars in cash, sunscreen (it's expensive here), insect repellent, two pairs of comfortable shoes with one that can get wet, flip-flops, and a light rain jacket for Arenal and Monteverde. Plugs are the same as in the United States.