Costa Rica, Central America

Costa Rica Itinerary:

Before I begin, I'd like to say that in terms of accommodation, almost everywhere, there is Selina, which is a beautiful and well-designed hostel. Usually, it's located in the best spot, filled with tourists and parties. The fun thing about it is that Selina is always an attraction itself, offering yoga, surfing, a cool bar, a pool, and you can really spend time there even during the day. Therefore, it's almost always the most successful hostel wherever you go. Besides, almost everywhere has a Selina shuttle, which is usually more expensive than a local one, but much more convenient. There's a Selina app, which is really convenient, and you can use it to book rooms and shuttles, so it's worth downloading. When it comes to rooms, you should always compare the prices in the app to Booking.com because sometimes they have slightly lower prices on specific dates. In general, the prices are $45 for a double room with shared facilities or $65 for a larger double room with private facilities.

General Tips:

Renting a car is highly recommended, whether through a regular car rental company, Alio, or Dollar.
In many Costa Rican towns, there are local "sodas" offering simple, relatively cheap, and delicious local cuisine. It's a great option when available.

Puerto Viejo:
This beach town is a cool place to explore. You can rent bicycles and dine at numerous seafood restaurants offering delicious dishes.

How to get there from Bocas:

Shuttle from The Salina.
Shuttle from Chabad (typically more budget-friendly).

Hostels:

Pagalu: Private rooms starting at around $36.
Selina: Micro double rooms for about $40.

San Jose:
There isn't much to do there, but if you're passing through: How to get there from Bocas (approximately 8-9 hours):

From Bocas through The Salina at $37 per person, which includes a boat ride, a shuttle to the border of Panama and Costa Rica, and a public bus to San Jose.
Private shuttle from The Salina in Bocas, costing around $80 per person.

Hostels:

Selina: Highly recommended, with private rooms at around $40, including excellent food options for both dinner and breakfast.
Itzik Werd: Comfortable beds and a nice atmosphere, offering double rooms at $40.

On your way from San Jose to La Fortuna, consider visiting La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a beautiful nature reserve with stunning waterfalls. You can also stop by La Selva Biological Station and Reserve, a charming nature reserve along the route.

Both of these spots are conveniently located along the way.

La Fortuna:
The hot springs region! This is a small, picturesque town nestled at the base of a majestic volcano, offering stunning views.

How to get there if you don't have a car:

Shuttle from The Salina in San Jose directly to La Fortuna (pricey).
Take a bus from Terminal 7/10 in San Jose that drops you off very close to Selina. This option is budget-friendly but takes about 4-5 hours.

Hostels:

Selina - They offer double rooms for around $50, depending on the season. The food there is delicious.
Hotel La Fortuna - $50 per night for a private room with stunning views of the Arenal volcano (it's a hotel with parties).
La Choza Inn - A private room costs $30 and is not amazing.

Near Selina, there's a soda (local eatery) called something with "Hornoloco" that serves fantastic Acai bowls or yogurt; it's definitely worth a try. In front of Selina, there's also a relatively well-preserved food court with many nice options.

Attractions:

La Fortuna Waterfall - $15 entrance fee, it's a powerful and beautiful waterfall.
Lake Arenal - You can relax in the area or rent stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, or even go rafting.
Hot Springs:
1. Baldi - Hot springs within a hotel, $40 per person. It has warm pools with slides, and lunch or dinner is included.
2. Tabacon Hot Springs - Natural hot springs in a luxurious hotel. It's pricier at $60 for admission only or $85 with lunch or dinner.
Arenal Volcano Trails and Lookouts:
1. A visit to the Arenal Visitor Center for $15 offers various hiking trails and a one-hour lookout trail.
2. Arenal Observatory Lodge - $12 entrance fee per person provides numerous trails and several lookout points, some just minutes or half an hour away on foot.

On your way from La Fortuna to Monteverde, make a stop at Rio Celeste: If you're without a car, consider a day trip from La Fortuna; it's about an hour and a half each way, and you can arrange it through The Salina.

North of La Fortuna, you'll find a waterfall and a stunning lake. The hike to get there is quite challenging, so the journey depends on the weather. The entrance fee for a couple is $25. It's easiest to get there by car, but if you don't have one, you can take a shuttle for $60 per person. However, you can also rent a car in La Fortuna for just one day, costing around $40-50, and it's a 40-minute to one-hour drive to places that aren't too challenging to reach.

Monteverde:
A higher altitude area, so it gets a bit colder in the evenings, making it a good idea to have a sweater and long pants.

How to get there:

By Car - The journey can be winding and a bit dangerous, so make sure to complete it before it gets dark.
Shuttle from La Fortuna - There's a shuttle service from La Fortuna to Monteverde.
From San Jose - Return from La Fortuna to San Jose by bus, then take a bus from Terminal 7/10 in San Jose that drops you off in Monteverde. From there, you can take a taxi for about five dollars to Selina.

Hostels:

Selina - A room costs around $45. They have a Jacuzzi, good food, TV, and it's quite cool. It's more suitable if you have a car as it's a bit remote.
Cabinas Adi - $45 per night for a private room for two, including breakfast, which is worth it.

Attractions:

Canopy Tour - A canopy tour of 1.6 kilometers (the longest in the world) costs about $50-60 per person, including round-trip shuttles. There are 16 crazy zip lines, and you can also do bungee jumping for $70-80. Both companies are 100% extreme and thrilling. You can book it through Selina.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve - It's a beautiful cloud forest with hanging bridges that you can walk on. It's really nice and costs about $30 per person.

On your way from Monteverde to Jaco, it's worth stopping at the Crocodile Bridge: There's a river there with lots of crocodiles, and it's really nice to see.

Jaco:

Jaco is also a beach town, and it has a beautiful black sand beach, making it suitable for surfers. You can take day trips from there. There isn't much to do in Jaco itself, so many travelers use it as a base for day trips to Manuel Antonio or simply pass through on their way to Manuel Antonio. The advantage of staying in Jaco is that it has the black sand beach.

How to get there if you don't have a car:

You can return to San Jose from wherever you are and then take a very cheap bus (just a few dollars) from the central station, which is about a 2-3 hour ride.
You can take a shuttle from Monteverde directly to Jaco.
Many people suggest that if you rented a car at the beginning of your trip in San Jose, it's worth returning it in Jaco and continuing from there.
If you want to return to San Jose instead of continuing to Santa Teresa:
1. You can take a bus for about $5 from the main street in Jaco to a place called Puntarenas (or something like that), and from there, take another bus for about 3 hours to Terminal 7.10 in San Jose, also for about $5. This is more or less like taking a shuttle but a bit more expensive.
2. Shuttle from Selina.

Hostels:

Selina - A double room costs around $45, and the hostel, in general, has a pool and a beachfront bar. It's really worth it.
Hotel Ibiza - A double room for $70 is really worth it.

Food:

A cute restaurant called "The Green Room" in Jaco is good for brunch or lunch.
El Hicaco Seafood restaurant for seafood.

Manuel Antonio:

Manuel Antonio is a town with a national park that houses many cool animals, such as capuchin monkeys, sloths, iguanas, frogs, and birds.

Entrance to the park costs $16 per person. You can take a guide, but all they do is show you things through a scope – not mandatory, but suitable for those who want to see birds and insects, as you can easily spot capuchin monkeys on your own.

At the end of the park, there's a lovely beach, which is only accessible to those who have been to the park (closed on Mondays). It's a good idea to prepare in advance with water, a towel, and some snacks because there's nothing available on the beach. It's quite enjoyable to spend a few hours there.

Options for getting there if you don't have a car:

From Jaco, take two one-hour buses (costing just a few dollars). The first bus is yellow and departs from Jaco to Manuel Antonio, and the second is within Manuel Antonio and goes to the reserve. It's about a 2-hour ride in total.
From Jaco, you can rent a car for the day and drive to Manuel Antonio.
From San Jose, you can take a shuttle that costs $57 to Manuel Antonio and stops along the way at one of the beaches in Jaco.

Hostels:

Selina - They have a double room for around $45, and Selina is a great place with three different pools in various locations and is nestled deep in the jungle, which is pretty cool. The rooms are quite spacious.
Pura Vida Hostel - There's no air conditioning, but they have fans, and it's a cute place that includes breakfast.

Food:

Right across from Selina, there's a restaurant called El Avion, which is very good and offers stunning views.
Barba Roja is a pirate-themed restaurant that's a bit quirky but has excellent food and a stunning view.

For those with a car, you can return the car in Jaco after visiting Manuel Antonio and take the ferry from Selina to Santa Teresa or use the car to get to Santa Teresa and return it at the end in San Jose.

Santa Teresa:

The entire area is essentially one long street parallel to the beach (about 7 kilometers from end to end). You can rent an ATV for $50 a day, which is the primary way to get around the area. If you don't have a car or an ATV, there's quite a bit of walking involved.

There are relatively many Israelis in the area.

Options for getting there:

You can take a shuttle from Jaco, organized by Selina, which costs around $55 per person and takes about 2 hours.
Similarly, Zuma is another company that organizes shuttles at the same price.
You can travel from Jaco by bus, which takes around 6 hours. Take a bus, then a ferry, and then another bus, costing a total of $15 per person.
You can get there from San Jose by taking a bus to the ferry, then the ferry itself, and finally, a taxi or bus to the Santa Teresa area.

Hostels:

Selina - They have two branches, one for younger travelers and hostels, and the other for families.
1. North - More lively and suitable for young travelers. As of October 2019, it was under renovation, and the reopening date was unknown.
2. South - More relaxed and suitable for couples. Both cost around $45 for a double room.
Banana Beach Villas - It's a bit pricey, but it's supposed to be stunning with beautiful villas right on the water.
Maurizio - An Israeli-owned place with 8 apartments. $60 for a double room per night.

Attractions:

You can take an ATV to Montezuma.
Vista de Olas Hotel - Offers a stunning pool and a view of the sunset, and you can buy a day pass.
Snorkeling at Tortuga Island - Costs around $60 per person.

Food:

A bakery run by Israelis called "Bait Cafe" offers perfect Western food, and it's a great place to sit and enjoy excellent desserts.
"Earth Cafe" is a nice place for healthy and tasty food.
"Art" is another cute cafe.
"Satori" is a sushi and Asian tapas restaurant that's highly recommended.
"Katana" is an Asian restaurant that's definitely worth a visit.