Costa Rica Highlights — Self-Launched (San José, Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio)

Land at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and make your own way in: the official orange airport taxis run about £22-28 to the centre, or pre-book a shared shuttle (around £12-15) via your hostel — cheaper than the private arrival transfer the tour includes. Settle into a guesthouse in the Barrio Amón / Barrio Escalante area, which is walkable, leafy and full of cafés. Have an early dinner at a local sodá (small family restaurant) — a casado plate costs £5-7 — and get cash from an ATM (Colones; bring some US dollars as backup). Keep valuables in the hostel safe and take taxis after dark.

🚌Airport taxi or pre-booked shared shuttle from SJO (~£12-25)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel private room, Barrio Amón or Escalante (£20-25)

• →Arrival and orientation walk in Barrio Amón/Escalante
• →Casado dinner at a local sodá

Book a shared tourist minibus (Interbus or Easy Ride) the day before — door-to-door San José to La Fortuna takes 3.5-4 hours and costs roughly £25-30, and most hostels will arrange it for you. A local public bus (Terminal 7-10) is cheaper at ~£4 but slower and less comfortable. Arrive early afternoon, check into a budget hotel or hostel with volcano views, then walk to the free riverside viewpoint or the La Fortuna waterfall trailhead area. In the evening, self-book a hot springs soak — the free/near-free Río Chollín river hot springs are a local secret, or book Ecotermales or Baldí via GetYourGuide (~£30-55) for the full spa experience.

🚌Shared tourist minibus San José–La Fortuna (~£25-30, 3.5-4 hrs)

🛏Hostel/budget hotel in La Fortuna town (£15-22)

• →Free Río Chollín hot springs (local favourite)
• →Optional Ecotermales or Baldí hot springs via GetYourGuide (~£30-55)

Pick your adventure. The La Fortuna Waterfall (entrance ~£16) is a 500-step descent to a swimmable plunge pool — go early to beat the crowds. Alternatively, book the Arenal Hanging Bridges or Mistico Park canopy walk (~£45-60) through GetYourGuide or directly at the park gate, or join a Class II-III whitewater rafting trip on the Balsa River (~£50-70 including transport and lunch). Afternoon: chill at a café in town, or take the free local bus to the lake for sunset. Eat at one of La Fortuna's many sodás — dinner £7-9.

🚌Local taxi or shared van to trailheads (~£5-10)

🛏Hostel/budget hotel in La Fortuna town (£15-22)

• →La Fortuna Waterfall entrance (~£16)
• →Hanging bridges / Mistico canopy walk (~£45-60)
• →Optional Balsa River rafting (~£50-70)

Second full day in Arenal. Best pick: a half-day boat trip into the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge near the Nicaraguan border — book via GetYourGuide or with a local operator in town (~£55-75 including transport, boat and guide) and look for caimans, sloths, howler monkeys and huge birdlife. Adrenaline seekers can instead do Lost Canyon Adventures canyoning (waterfall rappelling, ~£60-70) or Venado Caves (~£60). Spend late afternoon at a free hot river or in the hostel hammock, then eat cheaply at the evening food stalls near the church square.

🚌Included in activity or local taxi (~£5-8)

🛏Hostel/budget hotel in La Fortuna town (£15-22)

• →Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge boat tour (~£55-75)
• →Optional Lost Canyon canyoning (~£60-70)
• →Optional Venado Caves (~£60)

The classic jeep-boat-jeep route across Lake Arenal to Monteverde takes about 3-4 hours and costs roughly £25-30 with a shared shuttle operator (book the day before in town or through your hostel). It's scenic and far better than the long road loop. Arrive in Santa Elena, the small town serving Monteverde, and check into a guesthouse — many have cloud forest views for £18-25. Afternoon options: the Monteverde Cheese Factory visit (~£10) and the Butterfly Garden (~£16). Book your zip-line and night walk for tomorrow.

🚌Jeep-boat-jeep shared shuttle across Lake Arenal (~£25-30, 3-4 hrs)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Santa Elena, Monteverde (£18-25)

• →Monteverde Cheese Factory visit (~£10)
• →Butterfly Garden (~£16)

Start early at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve or the quieter Santa Elena Reserve (entrance ~£18-25, reserve a timed slot online in high season) — go at 7am for quetzals and clear trails. Midday: take on one of the world's longest zip-line courses, either Selvatura or Extremo (~£45-55 booked direct or via GetYourGuide), including the Tarzan swing if you dare. Rest in the afternoon, then join a guided cloud forest night walk (~£20-25) — a completely different forest after dark, with glass frogs, sloths and kinkajous.

🚌Local taxi or reserve shuttle (~£6-10)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Santa Elena, Monteverde (£18-25)

• →Cloud forest reserve entrance (~£18-25)
• →Selvatura or Extremo zip line (~£45-55)
• →Guided night walk (~£20-25)

Take a shared tourist minibus down to the Pacific coast — Monteverde to Quepos is about 4-5 hours and costs roughly £30-35 (book via your guesthouse the day before). You can also combine a local bus to Puntarenas plus a coastal bus for around £8, but it takes all day. Arrive in Quepos or the beach strip at Manuel Antonio, check into a hostel with a pool, and walk the beach for sunset. Quepos has the cheapest food — a plate of rice and beans with fish costs £6-8.

🚌Shared tourist minibus Monteverde–Quepos (~£30-35, 4-5 hrs)

🛏Hostel in Quepos/Manuel Antonio (£15-22)

• →Sunset at Manuel Antonio beach
• →Evening stroll through Quepos town

Get to Manuel Antonio National Park gates at opening (7am) — entry is ~£14-16 and you must reserve online in advance, especially in dry season. Skip the pricey guided tour if you're confident, or hire a licensed guide at the gate for ~£15-20 per person to spot sloths, monkeys and toucans. Walk the trails to Cathedral Point and swim at Playa Espadilla Sur. Afternoon: cheap beach day at the public Playa Espadilla, or hire a surfboard (~£20-25 for a lesson) or kayak (~£45).

🚌Local bus Quepos–Manuel Antonio (£1) or taxi (~£5)

🛏Hostel in Quepos/Manuel Antonio (£15-22)

• →Manuel Antonio National Park entry (~£14-16)
• →Optional local guide at the gate (~£15-20)
• →Beach, swimming and wildlife spotting

Choose your finale. Join a catamaran sunset cruise along the Pacific coast (~£55-70, book via GetYourGuide or a beach kiosk) with snorkelling and lunch included, or go whitewater rafting on the Savegre or Naranjo rivers (~£65-85 with transport and lunch). Cheaper alternatives: a morning surf lesson (~£20-30), boogie boarding, or hiking the free coastal trails. Eat your last seafood dinner at a beachfront spot in Manuel Antonio — around £10-12.

🚌Included in activity or local bus/taxi (~£5)

🛏Hostel in Quepos/Manuel Antonio (£15-22)

• →Catamaran sunset cruise (~£55-70)
• →Optional Savegre rafting (~£65-85)
• →Optional surf lesson (~£20-30)

Shared minibus Quepos to San José takes about 3 hours and costs roughly £22-28 (some operators drop at SJO airport too). Check back into a cheap city guesthouse, then use the afternoon to explore San José: the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and Jade Museum (~£12 combined), the Mercado Central for souvenirs and a cheap lunch (£4-6), and Morazán Park. Have a final dinner in Barrio Escalante's food scene (mains £8-12).

🚌Shared tourist minibus Quepos–San José (~£22-28, 3 hrs)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel private room, San José (£20-25)

• →Pre-Columbian Gold and Jade Museums (~£12)
• →Mercado Central and Barrio Escalante food walk

Make your way to SJO — shared shuttle (~£12-15) or a metered orange taxi (~£22-28), leaving 3 hours before an international flight. Remember Costa Rica charges a $29 USD exit tax at the airport, so keep some cash or card headroom. If you have a late flight, squeeze in a final coffee at a specialty café in Escalante before you go.

🚌Shared shuttle or taxi to SJO (~£12-28)

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Departure transfer
• →Optional last coffee stop in Barrio Escalante