Costa Rica: Suggested Itinerary

Days 1-2: Fly into San Jose, Costa Rica, and take a bus or shuttle to Santa Elena. Use this charming village as a base to explore the Monteverde Cloudforest.

Days 3-5: Take a jeep-boat-jeep journey to La Fortuna, where you can soak in hot springs and explore the nearby volcano, Arenal.

Days 6-7: Via Liberia travel to the Nicoya Peninsula, and visit some of the area’s fabulous beaches like Tamarindo and Playa Hermosa.

Days 8-12: Take a bus or drive from a southern Nicoya beach like Montezuma to Paquera, and ferry into Puntarenas. From there, head south to the postcard-perfect area of Manuel Antonio National Park. After a couple of relaxing days at the beach, catch a bus back to San Jose and fly home.