Self-Launched Costa Rica: Rivers, Jungles & Wildlife (San José Loop)

Land at Juan Santamaría (SJO) or Tobias Bolaños (SYQ). Instead of a pre-booked arrival transfer, take an official airport taxi (~£22-28 / $28-35) or the TUASA-style airport bus into the city centre (~£1.50). Check into a hostel in Barrio Amón or near Avenida Central, collect cash from an ATM (don't rely on cards alone), buy a Kolbi/Claro SIM or eSIM, and grab a casado dinner. Book your first intercity bus at the Terminal 7-10 or Caribeños terminal for the morning, or arrange a shared shuttle.

🚌Official airport taxi ~£22-28 or public airport bus ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm or simple private room, San José centre (~£12-18)

• →Airport bus or taxi into the city
• →SIM card and cash run
• →Evening stroll around Barrio Amón / Avenida Central

Take an early intercity bus or shared shuttle toward La Fortuna (~4-5 hrs). Stop off in Sarapiquí on the way at the Mi Cafecito coffee cooperative (the community project G Adventures supports) — book a cooperative tour directly (~£15-20, includes tasting) — or take the standard San José–La Fortuna shuttle and visit a smaller finca near La Fortuna instead. Arrive in La Fortuna in the afternoon and walk down to the free riverside spots; in the late afternoon do a canyoning/waterfall rappelling session booked via GetYourGuide (~£45-60). Evening: free soak at the Río Chollín hot springs under the bridge, or a paid hot-springs complex (~£18-30).

🚌Intercity bus San José–La Fortuna ~£5-7 or shared shuttle ~£18-25

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, La Fortuna (~£12-20)

• →Mi Cafecito coffee cooperative tour, Sarapiquí
• →Canyoning / waterfall rappelling near La Fortuna
• →Río Chollín hot springs (free) or paid hot springs

Full-day Class III-IV white-water rafting on the Sarapiquí River, booked directly with a local operator or via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£55-75 including transport and lunch). The river corridor is a birding hotspot with 600+ resident species — bring binoculars. Afternoon: chill at the hostel pool or walk to the La Fortuna Waterfall (~£16 entry) if you still have energy. Evening relax in hot springs — many lodges sell cheap day passes.

🚌Rafting operator pickup included; walking locally

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, La Fortuna (~£12-20)

• →Full-day Sarapiquí River white-water rafting (Class III-IV)
• →Birdwatching from the river
• →Hot springs soak

The classic jeep-boat-jeep crossing: a shared shuttle picks you up in La Fortuna, drives to the dam, crosses Lake Arenal by boat with volcano views, then climbs to Monteverde/Santa Elena (~3-4 hrs total, ~£18-25 booked through any La Fortuna hostel or GetYourGuide). Lodges in Santa Elena and explore the quirky town. In the evening join a guided cloud-forest night walk (~£20-28, book direct or via GetYourGuide) to spot sloths, glass frogs, kinkajous and sleeping birds.

🚌Shared jeep-boat-jeep shuttle ~£18-25

🛏Hostel or cabina, Santa Elena (~£12-20)

• →Jeep-boat-jeep across Lake Arenal
• →Guided night walk in the cloud forest
• →Explore Santa Elena town

Morning self-guided or guided walk in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve (~£14 entry, ~£2.50 public bus from town; guided walk ~£25 extra if wanted). Bring a rain jacket — it's called a cloud forest for a reason. Afternoon: fly through the canopy on a zipline circuit such as Selvatura or the original Monteverde canopy tour (~£30-45, book at any tour office in town). Optional extras: butterfly garden (~£15), El Trapiche coffee/sugar cane tour (~£25), hanging bridges (~£25).

🚌Public bus to reserve ~£2.50; local walking/taxi

🛏Hostel or cabina, Santa Elena (~£12-20)

• →Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve walk
• →Canopy zipline circuit
• →Optional butterfly garden, coffee farm or hanging bridges

Shared shuttle or bus combo down to the Pacific coast at Quepos (~4-5 hrs, ~£20-30 shared shuttle; cheaper with a local bus via Puntarenas but slower). Drop bags at a hostel in Quepos or in Manuel Antonio village near the park entrance. Afternoon in Manuel Antonio National Park (entry ~£14, closed Mondays): hike the Cathedral Point trail, spot capuchin and squirrel monkeys and sloths, and swim at Playa Manuel Antonio. Evening: cheap seafood casado and optional salsa night in Quepos.

🚌Shared shuttle Monteverde–Quepos ~£20-30

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Quepos/Manuel Antonio (~£15-22)

• →Manuel Antonio National Park hiking and wildlife spotting
• →Beach swim at Playa Manuel Antonio
• →Optional salsa night in Quepos

Morning catamaran cruise with snorkelling off the coast (~£55-75 including lunch and drinks, book via GetYourGuide or a local operator in Quepos) — you may see dolphins, turtles and migrating humpbacks in season. Afternoon beach time: rent a surfboard and take a lesson (~£35-50), kayak the mangroves (~£30-40), or just hang out on Playa Espadilla. Cheaper alternative: a sunset boat tour for ~£30.

🚌Local bus between Quepos and Manuel Antonio ~£0.80 each way

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Quepos/Manuel Antonio (~£15-22)

• →Catamaran cruise with snorkelling
• →Surf lesson or board rental
• →Optional kayaking / horseback riding

Slow morning at the beach, then the direct Tracopa/local bus back to San José (~3.5-4 hrs, ~£7-9) or a shared shuttle (~£20). Check into a hostel, and spend the evening in San José: the Nacional Museum or Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (afternoon), Mercado Central for a cheap dinner, or the jazz bars around Barrio Escalante.

🚌Intercity bus Quepos–San José ~£7-9 or shared shuttle ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm or simple private room, San José (~£12-18)

• →Morning beach time
• →Optional San José museums
• →Mercado Central food crawl

Fly out at any time. Take the airport bus (~£1.50) or a taxi (~£22-28) to SJO. Remember Costa Rica requires proof of onward departure ticket at immigration; budget ~£23 ($29) for the departure tax if not already included in your airfare, and keep a couple of hours buffer for the San José traffic.

🚌Airport bus ~£1.50 or taxi ~£22-28

🛏N/A

• →Airport transfer
• →Departure