Costa Rica had been on our travel list for a while, and it ended up being one of those trips where every destination felt completely different. We spent time exploring San José, the wildlife-rich beaches of Manuel Antonio, and the quieter Nicoya Peninsula. If you enjoy nature, wildlife and a relaxed pace of travel, a Costa Rica road trip is well worth considering.

San Jose

After arriving at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), we booked a private airport transfer through Expedia, which made getting to our accommodation very easy after a long flight.

We spent our first two nights in a spacious two-level penthouse apartment in the Sabana area of San José. Travelling as a group of five, it was excellent value and had everything we needed, including 24-hour security, secure parking and a supermarket nearby. The apartment was on the 15th floor and had plenty of space for everyone to spread out after travelling.

One of my favourite parts of San José was Barrio Escalante. It has a completely different feel to the city centre, with cafés, restaurants, boutique shops and colourful street art. The neighbourhood has a younger, creative atmosphere and quickly became my favourite area to explore.

If you’re a coffee lover, I highly recommend Cafeoteca. We stopped there during our stay, and it was easily my favourite café in the city. We met my husband’s friend and his family who showed us around the Barrio Escalante area and took us out for drinks and pizza.

We also spent some time walking around the main square in downtown San José. While it’s an important gathering place for locals, it wasn’t really our style. Compared with Barrio Escalante, it felt much busier and less relaxed. If I visited again, I’d spend more of my time exploring the cafés and restaurants in Barrio Escalante instead.

After two nights, we collected our rental car and started the drive to Manuel Antonio. One of the unexpected highlights along the way was stopping at the famous Tárcoles River bridge, where we counted around fifteen crocodiles resting on the riverbank below.

Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio was easily the highlight of our trip.

The combination of rainforest, beaches and wildlife makes it feel unlike anywhere else we’ve visited. We stayed close to Manuel Antonio National Park, making it easy to explore both the park and the surrounding beaches.

Although the national park itself is beautiful, we actually saw more wildlife outside the park perimeter than inside. We spent several days relaxing on a nearby beach where sloths regularly slept in the trees above us, monkeys passed through the canopy, and toucans and scarlet macaws were often flying overhead.

Each morning we set up near a local surf school, where the instructors were always happy to point out wildlife that we would otherwise have missed. The beach attendant even gave us his WhatsApp number so we could message him in advance to reserve chairs and a canopy before arriving.

Our days quickly settled into a routine of swimming, reading, enjoying cocktails on the beach and keeping an eye on the trees for wildlife. The sand here is darker than many Caribbean beaches, which takes a little getting used to, but it suits the natural surroundings.

If you’re travelling to Costa Rica because you enjoy nature, I think Manuel Antonio is one destination you shouldn’t miss.

Horse riding along the beach is available nearby, and it wasn’t unusual to see groups of monkeys moving through the trees while you were simply walking between the beach and the road.

Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park

One thing worth knowing before you visit is that there are people outside the entrance pretending to be park officials, offering parking or tickets. We were warned about this beforehand and had no problems, but it’s worth purchasing your tickets through the official website before you arrive.

Inside the park, there are several walking trails leading to beautiful beaches, and it’s easy to spend half a day exploring.

A Private Chef and a Hand Massage

One evening our property’s concierge arranged for a private chef to cook dinner at our apartment.

He prepared an incredible three-course lobster dinner using fresh local ingredients while we relaxed and enjoyed the sunset from the balcony. It ended up being one of our favourite evenings of the trip.

We also booked in-room massages, although they turned into one of the funniest memories of the holiday.

Our friend was helping translate in his very beginner Spanish and somehow managed to tell the therapists that we wanted them to focus on our hands. Halfway through the massage we kept wondering why they weren’t working on our backs and shoulders and found out later what had happened.

My Birthday Yoga

For my birthday, my husband treated me to a yoga lesson nearby.

I’d spent the previous three months doing yoga every day because I wanted to feel confident enough to keep up with the class. What I didn’t realise was that it was a private lesson just for me.

I invited my friend to join me, and together we were driven to a peaceful jungle property beside a river. The retreat was owned by an American woman who had relocated to Costa Rica, and after our class we walked to nearby waterfalls before enjoying a homemade lunch prepared by a local family.

It was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip and a birthday present I’ll always remember. I still do yoga now.

Our Accommodation

We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment with uninterrupted views across the Pacific Ocean.

The location was excellent, with restaurants, bars and supermarkets all within walking distance. Each morning we’d sit on the balcony watching toucans and scarlet macaws fly past while enjoying breakfast.

I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again.

Los Delfines Community, Tambor

Our next stop was a three-bedroom villa in the Los Delfines Beach and Golf Community near Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula.

Although it doesn’t appear too far on the map, the journey took most of the day and included a car ferry crossing, so it’s worth allowing extra travel time.

Unfortunately, the area had experienced around 15 inches of rain the night before we arrived. There were fallen trees, widespread flooding, muddy roads and power outages, so we probably didn’t see the area at its best.

Even so, we enjoyed slowing down for a few days. We spent plenty of time by the pool, explored the local beaches and took a drive to nearby Santa Teresa, which had a relaxed surf-town atmosphere with great cafés, restaurants and boutique shops.

One of the more unexpected highlights was meeting a fellow Australian woman who owned a local beach restaurant and bar in the Los Delfines community. Before long we found ourselves singing Australian karaoke together, which made for a fun evening.

One thing I would mention is that some of the roads around this part of Costa Rica are quite rough, with plenty of potholes. A suitable rental vehicle definitely makes the drive easier and unfortunately we returned ours with a few dings that held us up when we returned. We had taken out the highest level of insurance thankfully!

Returning to San Jose

Because road conditions and tropical weather can sometimes be unpredictable in Costa Rica, we decided to return to San José a day earlier than planned rather than risk missing our flight home.

We spent our final night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari using Hilton Honors points, which was a comfortable and convenient place to stay before flying out the following morning.

Final Thoughts

Costa Rica offers a great mix of rainforest, beaches, wildlife and adventure, and each part of the country felt completely different.

For me, Manuel Antonio was the standout destination. The combination of wildlife, beautiful beaches and a relaxed atmosphere made it somewhere I’d happily return to, and it was easily my favourite part of the trip.

If you’re planning a similar itinerary, I’d recommend allowing extra driving time between destinations. Distances often look shorter than they are, and road conditions, weather and ferry crossings can all add time to your journey.

Mrs Globetrotter Tips

Don’t miss: Manuel Antonio National Park, Barrio Escalante, stopping at the Tárcoles River crocodile bridge, and leaving a few unplanned hours to explore the beaches around Manuel Antonio – you never know what wildlife you’ll spot.

Favourite restaurant: Le Papillon in Manuel Antonio. The food was wonderful, but the spectacular views over the Pacific and surrounding rainforest made it especially memorable.

Best for: Nature lovers, wildlife, beaches and road trips.

Our favourite destination: Manuel Antonio.

How long to stay: We found 10-12 days was a good amount of time to experience several different regions without feeling too rushed.

Getting around: Renting a car gives you the most flexibility, but allow extra time for travel between destinations.