Costa Rica 10 Day Itinerary: Waterfalls, Wildlife and Wilderness
After our trip to Costa Rica in January, I decided that I just needed more… more of Costa Rica’s people, more natural wonders and yes- more wildlife! I returned on a solo trip in late April/Early May and created an epic Costa Rica 10 day itinerary (if I do say so myself), perfect for anyone seeking an introduction to Costa Rica’s vast diversity and aimed at taking in as much natural beauty and wildlife as possible! This Costa Rica 10 day Itinerary covers some of the major tourist destinations in a condensed road trip and is meant as a beginning planner for a Costa Rica 10 Day Itinerary.
Here is a brief breakdown of how I laid out my itinerary:
Travel Day: Arrived at Liberia Airpport- Transfer from airport to Hacienda Gauchipelin via CR Travel and Tours. Stay at Hacienda Gauchipelin.
Book Your Stay at Hacienda Gauchipelin
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Day 1: Hacienda Gauchipelin’s Ultimate Day Pass : Horse back riding, Tubing, Zipling and Hot Springs- stay at Hacienda Gauchipelin
Book Your Adventure Day Pass at Hacienda Gauchipelin Here
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Day 2: Transport to La Fortuna with CR Travel and Tours with stop at La Leona waterfall – arrive in La Fortuna and stay at Tifakara Waterfall
Book Your Stay at Tifakara Waterfall Hotel Here
Day 3: La Fortuna Waterfall and Sloth Tour with Papa’s Place- stay at Tifakara Waterfall Hotel
Book Your Papa’s Place Sloth Tour Here
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Day 4: Mistico Hanging Bridges and Tabacon Hot Springs- stay at Tifakara Waterfall Hotel
Day 5: Transport from La Fortuna to Manual Antonio with CR Travel & Tours– stay at Si Como No in Manual Antonio
Book Your Stay at Si Como No Here
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Day 6: Manaual Antonio National Park – stay at Si Como No
Day 7: Nuayaca Waterfall Day tour with Paddle 9– stay at Si Como No
Book Your Nauyaca Waterfall Tour Here
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Day 8: Travel from Manaual Antonio to Sierpe for departure to Corcovado Wilderness Lodge- CR Travel & Tours– Stay in Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Day 9: Explore Corcovado and kayak tour to San Josesito Beach – stay at Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Day 10: Depart Corcovado with domestic flight on Sansa airlines to San Jose and departure from San Jose airport to United States.
Travel Day: Transport to Hacienda Gauchipelin from Liberia Airport
Choosing to fly into Liberia was based on flight costs and a direct flight from Boston. Liberia is a small airport and I had no line or waiting for customs! You will need to have your passport and evidence of your accommodation and a return flight when presenting your documentation. I chose to use private transport for all legs of my trip and used CR Travel and Tours. Juan and his team offer such exceptional customer service and the ease of not having to drive, made a solo trip much more manageable. Communication is completed via Whatsapp– which I highly recommend downloading before your trip as most tour and hotels use this as a means of communicating with guests and clients.
Day 1: Hacienda Gauchipelin and their Epic Adventure Day Pass
We just loved the Hacienda Gauchipelin Hotel for its incredible amenities and access to Rincon De La Vieja National Park ( see our full guide to Rincon de la Vieja National Park – click here) . There is so much to see and do on this property and their epic day pass gives you access to so much in their full day tour. We started with Horseback riding in the morning and then moved onto Tubing down the river. Make sure to pack water shoes, sunscreen and bug repellent! After tubing we returned to the adventure center to change and zip line before heading to a delicious buffet lunch. After lunch, relax in the Rio Negro Hot springs before returning to your hotel room or off site property. For more information about making the most of your stay at Hacienda Gauchipelin Click Here for our full guide to this incredible property! You could easily spend 3-4 nights here discovering the property and Rincon De La Vieja and this would be a wonderful property for multi-generational families!
Book Your Adventure Day Pass Here
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Day 2: La Leona Waterfall Hike and Transfer to La Fortuna
Juan and CR Travel and Tours arranged for a La Leona Guided hike the morning of my departure from Hacienda Gauchipelin. This hike was one of my most favorite activities in Costa Rica. The hike in is rugged but not exceptionally difficult. You will need to swim through the canyon to reach the falls, which is all part of the fun! There are many tour options for visiting La Leona but booking directly through CR Travel & Tours offered tremendous value! The guided hike in was only $40 per person and they were very kind to accommodate a single traveler! One of the benefits of using CR Travel and Tours is they offer some incredible local recommendations! After my tour, Juan drove me to La Fortuna with a stop at the Macadamia Cafe for Lunch. I arrived for a 3pm check-in at Tifakara Hotel and enjoyed a night walk complimentary with my stay.
Day 3: La Fortuna Waterfall and Papa’s Place Sloth Tour
I rose early and walked the 10 minutes up the hill for a 7am arrival at La Fortuna Waterfall. Entry was $20 and I was able to purchase tickets at the counter. One of the benefits of staying at Tikafara was this easy early access to the popular La Fortuna Waterfall. When I arrived there was only a handful of people and it afforded me some stunning views of the falls from the variety of vantage points. The walk down is steep and you will need to climb back up the same steps to return to the parking area. This was an easy self-cater destination and you would not require a tour to visit the falls.
After my time at La Fortuna Waterfall, I headed into town via a taxi. The ride was $10 and the town of La Fortuna has a variety of shops and restaurants to choose from. Juan had recommended Trevasia Restaurant and I headed there for a late lunch. If you enjoy steak- this restaurant far exceeded my expectations and was one of the best meals I had while visiting Costa Rica!
After my lunch, I used the same taxi driver to transfer to Papa’s Place for my late afternoon Sloth tour. I chose Papa’s Place for their ethical treatment of animals and focus on small group tours. Tifakara was able to book me this tour and the knowledge and service of the guides was exceptional. They will drive you around La Fortuna to see the sloths in their natural habitat and we were lucky to see 9 sloths on our 3 hour tour! Papa’s Place even dropped me off at my hotel after the tour, saving me the additional taxi ride. Bring sunscreen, water and bug spray as it was hot and buggy in some of the locations.
Day 4: Mistico Hanging Bridges and Tabacon Hot Springs
Tifakara Hotel was able to also book me a tour of Mistico Hanging Bridges with transportation and drop off at Tabacon Hot Springs. This was a great combination as they are fairly close to one another. We had a fantastic guide at Mistico who found lots of wildlife you would never spot without their scope and knowledge. The suspension bridges are incredible and the views over Arenal are beautiful from this location!
After a very hot 2 mile hike through Mistico, I was dropped off at Tabacon Hot Springs for lunch and some relaxation. I booked a day pass directly through Tabacon’s website and this was one of my favorite Hot Spring experiences world wide. The grounds are stunning and the lunch was so incredibly good, I considered going back for dinner! The meal includes a starter ( I had the salad), an entree ( I had the sea bass) and dessert (some kind of chocolate lava cake). The meal alone would easily be over $100 and it was well worth the extra splurge. Your day pass includes two days of entry and returning at night would be a great experience!
Book Your Tabacon Day Pass Here
Interested in staying at Tabacon Thermal Resort? This five star property would be an absolutely incredible place to stay! When you consider the cost of the day pass, there is a lot of value in booking accommodations on the property but the nightly stays are some of the most expensive in La Fortuna. If you are in a position to splurge… this would be a stay I would invest in!
Book Your Stay at Tabacon Thermal Resort Here
Day 5: Transfer to Manual Antonio and Stay at Si Como No Resort
I transferred to Manual Antonio from La Fortuna via CR Travel & Tours and this 5.5 hour-6 hour drive traverses the mountain range and the roads are steep, narrow and dirt in some areas. This was one of the reasons I was grateful for private transport! We stopped off at the famous crocodile bridge for a bathroom and snack break before arriving in Manuel Antonio for a 3pm check in. There are not many places to stop off on this drive and I would recommend just taking the day as a travel day and pushing through the entire drive.
I arrived at Si Como No with its stunning views in time for some relaxing pool time and nice late lunch before the storms rolled in. Si Como No has a great location, close to the park and walking distance to many great restaurants. The views and birds are this resorts best quality and waking up to the sounds of howler monkeys and a hundred species of birds from my window made this the perfect stay in Manuel Antonio.
Day 6: Manual Antonio National Park
In all honesty I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend too much time in Manual Antonio. Known as the most visited National Park in Costa Rica, and considering its small size, I was concerned the crowds would deter me from enjoying this park. But visiting with a Guide gives you access to the incredible diversity of Costa Rica and some of the best wildlife encounters in all of Costa Rica! Si Como No was able to book me an early morning guided tour and I chose to hike some additional trails on my own and sit on the beach for the afternoon.
While I was hiking here, I came upon a troupe of 20 Capuchin monkeys! This was one of the highlights of my experience in Costa Rica!
Day 7: Nuayaca Waterfall with Paddle 9
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Day 8: Transfer to Sierpe Dock for Stay at SRP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
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John Doe
Day 9: Explore the Corcovado Property and Kayak at San Josesito Beach
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