leila_06

I'm planning a 10 day trip to Costa Rica. I know there are so many beautiful places to visit, but not sure how to narrow down to my 10 day visit. I'm planning to see some wildlife, beaches, hikes. I'll be flying in and out of SJO, and plan on renting a 4x4. Thanks

Here are some areas I'd like to visit, please let me know which ones to visit/skip:
La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano
Guanacaste area
Samara
Manual Antonio
Dominical
Osa/Uvita

volcanogirl

Both the Arenal area and the Osa have very nice hiking. Go for Arenal if you want adventure activities and more organized hikes like you can find at the waterfall, volcano, and the Hanging Bridges. Go for the Osa is you want things a little wilder and more off the grid. The Manuel Antonio area is nice if you want easy wildlife spotting and access to great beaches. Lots of good restaurants in this area as well.

leila_06

Thanks. I might skip Osa since I only have 10 days. Is it still too much to do in 10 days?

volcanogirl

What time of year are you planning to go? That might influence your choices based on weather patterns. Arenal and Manuel Antonio is probably the most popular itinerary for first timers. Do you need to spend first or last nights near the airport due to flight times?

leila_06

I'll be going 3/6-15. My flight gets into SJO at 6am, so I'm planning on renting a car and drive straight to Arenal. I will be spending a night around San Jose, since my flight leaves at 6am the following morning.

Cattail

I count the first and last days of most trips as destination days, especially in Costa Rica, where it takes so long to get from point A to point B. I'd choose two areas to base yourself out of, with the exception of the Osa, where I'd stay the entire time; it's that wonderful. As vg said, Arenal and Manual Antonio are popular choices.

volcanogirl

I second what Cat said, I'd pick two destinations and then have your last night close to the airport. We did a nine day trip that combined Arenal and Manuel Antonio, and that was just the right amount of time for us.

Deob123

Volcanogirl where did you stay in the Arenal area. We are looking for somewhere outside of La Fortuna.

volcanogirl

Deob, we've stayed at a few different places. If you want somewhere outside of La Fortuna, we liked the Lost Iguana; it's out by the lake and very jungly with great volcano views. It's right next to the Hanging Bridges. They offer special deals sometimes on their website of if you ask. We've also stayed at Nayara and at The Springs Resort and Spa - we got a 1/2 price deal on that one through Groupon, otherwise it's pricey. Usually we go in green season so we can get good rates. Silencio del Campo is another spot that's popular.