Costa Rica

Travelogues Costa Rica

566 Travel reports · 90 travel bloggers · 8.6K photos · Best time to travel: February & March · Create a travel blog · About Vakantio

Vacation in Costa Rica : Highlights & Travel Tips

Costa Rica is a standout destination for travelers thanks to its remarkable mix of biodiversity, adventure, and easygoing "pura vida" culture. In a relatively small country, you can move from cloud forests and volcanoes to Pacific surf towns and Caribbean beaches in just a few hours, making it ideal for travelers who want variety without complicated logistics. Nature is the main draw: national parks, wildlife refuges, and private reserves offer frequent sightings of sloths, monkeys, toucans, sea turtles, and colorful frogs, while the country’s strong commitment to conservation makes it especially appealing for eco-conscious visitors.

Key highlights include zip-lining through Monteverde’s misty canopy, hiking around Arenal Volcano, soaking in natural hot springs, rafting jungle rivers, and relaxing on beaches in Manuel Antonio, Santa Teresa, Tamarindo, or Puerto Viejo. Travelers can also enjoy snorkeling, surfing, waterfall hikes, and coffee or cacao tours, with excellent opportunities for both luxury stays and budget-friendly eco-lodges. For practical planning, expect a mix of microclimates and pack for both heat and rain, especially if visiting the rainforest or cloud forest regions. Renting a car offers flexibility, but road conditions can be rough in rural areas, so shuttle services are often easier; booking popular parks, lodges, and activities in advance is wise during peak season.

Best time to travel Costa Rica

The best time to visit Costa Rica is from February through March, when travel popularity peaks and conditions are typically ideal for exploring beaches, rainforests, and national parks. January is also a strong option, while April can still be pleasant with slightly fewer crowds before the wetter, quieter months begin.

All travel reports from Costa Rica

... an evening with the family ...

Meanwhile, Christmas has arrived everywhere, even at Elke's. Our little passenger of the last 3 days fits in wonderfully 🙃. To end the day, we picked up Alfred Jr. at his...

What now...?

This morning, to celebrate the day, we had breakfast at Lo Que Hay on the beach. But what should we do with the day and the burnt copy? During a "shade walk" to assess the...

Trip to Tamarindo

A wonderful 5-hour trip to Tamarindo with Rolando. Pure sightseeing - 😍

Nosara

Arrived today in Nosara, the surfing hotspot. The drive there is quite an experience, almost impossible without an off-road vehicle

We continued to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo

Lots of rain, beautiful beaches and a small incident 🤣

Enjoy Playa Sámara (7th & 8th May 2022)

Playa Samara - just let your soul dangle

Faultiertag! (Puerto Viejo, 20.4.22)

Beim Faulsein Faultiere beobachten

86. San José the Second (Costa Rica)

11.04.22-12.04.22 As in every country so far, we had to show a return or onward flight upon arrival in Costa Rica and at that time we had not yet planned our route, we are now...

75. Nuevo Arenal (Costa Rica)

02.03.22-04.03.22 We are now taking the bus from La Fortuna to Nuevo Arenal on Lake Arenal! The view from our accommodation of the lake is fantastic. ...

Black Beach

Unlike Playa Honda, Playa Negra is not black volcanic sand. The beach here is regular white sand. There are many advanced surfers at this beach who can be watched.

La Fortuna

La Fortuna had been, as Monteverde, a very cool experience with lots of activities such as hot water springs, a vulcanoe and... two cool Germans. Cool Germans? Yes, it's...

COSTA RICA - San José

Welcome to Costa Rica 😎 Yes, I decided to go to the other side of the globe. You ask why? Because I can. After Russia being quite busy and becoming colder and colder I decided...

Magic Forest

However, we still found relaxation away from our property during delightful forest walks to the wonderful beaches nearby. Depending on the time of day, the tropical forests...

Puntarenas

So I did it - after 6.5 hours on the bus, I arrived in Puntarenas. I also found the booked 'hostel' Puntarenas Natural y Tranquilo after a short search. You can't really call it...

Costa Rica - Puerto Viejo

No pictures were taken in Puerto Viejo - but we still had a very nice time here and met lots of fun people. Among them, Pesch and Connor from Great Britain and Ireland, with...

Our last day in Costa Rica

Now we have reached the end of our journey. Today we are driving back to San Jose and tomorrow morning our flight departs. We are very excited to go back to Germany, we have...

Monteverde

The next day we continued with the shuttle to Santa Elena. On the way, we made a stop at the Crocodile Bridge, where you can see crocodiles, as the name suggests. Only in...

Samara

Before I traveled to Sámara, I spent 2 nights in San José, but there is not much to say about the city, it is not very beautiful and there is not much to see. The 5-hour bus...

Day 10 to 14, Caribbean coast, Azania Bungalows

3.5 hours, with the last one along the coast. Passing through Puerto Limón, a port city with many trucks, containers, and a large container port. Containers and banana...

Gandoca 🐢 Project

The Baula 🐢

... in the jungle ...

Put on life jackets and get in the boat, the Tortuguero National Park awaits. We immerse ourselves in an incredible world of thickets and plants on the shore, winding rivers...

The Pacific coast of Costa Rica 🌊🦥

Our next destination is the other side of Costa Rica: the Pacific coast. The bus takes us via San Jose to Dominical, a laid-back surfer town. We felt very comfortable as soon as...

for my (handicap) solo travelers-to-be

It was actually quite unlikely that I would be able to do something like this in the foreseeable future. I am very aware that without my little personal miracle I would not be...

82. Puerto Limon (Costa Rica)

27.03.22-30.03.22 Now it's time to continue to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica - first stop: Puerto Limon! We live about 4 kilometers outside of...

78. Matapalo (Costa Rica)

11.03.22-15.03.22 This time our journey is easy, we don't have to drive far and the bus actually comes at the specified time! In the small town of Matapalo we stay in a...

Tamarindo

We spent three nights in Tamarindo. Tourist and party hotspot full of Americans. Our time there was very relaxed, we were at the beach, rented a surfboard, and enjoyed beautiful...

Peninsula de Nicoya

I have traveled further up north the coast of the Peninsula and will here and there add pictures... sunrises, sunsets, beaches and anything else I find interesting. Fun and...

Welcome Costa Rica - San Jose

Hello dear ones, I have been sitting down in the past few days and working on a little blog (which in the end was not so little.. :-D) to give you an insight into our...

La Fortuna

We spent the day in La Fortuna with a day hike. Our hike started with a short walk to a waterfall. Along the way, our guide pointed out the many birds and spiders, and we even...

Uvita

My next stop was Uvita. A small town on the Patzigik coast, which is not yet overwhelmed by tourism. The days are spent swimming and sunbathing there. One day, I went...