Exploring the Best National Parks in Costa Rica

Jungle, Ocean and Sun - Oh My!

Costa Rica is a small country that has so much to offer! I’ve never seen so much wildlife in one week in my entire life. Start your trip by heading straight to one of the premiere National Parks in the world that has 5% of the WORLD’S wildlife concentrated in it which is mind blowing. Enjoy the beach and eco resort and then you’ll head to a Volcano where you’ll stay right at the base and explore another incredible National Park walking on swinging bridges suspended above the jungle! Get ready for a trip surrounded by astounding nature, cute towns, delicious food, and wonderful people.

Manuel Antonio National Park

Fly into San Jose: You’ll want to book flights into San Jose, the main city in Costa Rica and then rent a car. You’ll have time to explore San Jose on the other end of your trip! Driving in Costa Rica is definitely doable, my mom and I drove everywhere. I will warn - it can test your patience since everything moves slower than we were used to in the U.S. Traffic lights are sparse and traffic can also get backed up. It’s best to give yourself plenty of time so you don’t stress out if it takes you longer to get somewhere than you anticipate! The roads themselves were very well maintained! We enjoyed seeing the country as we drove

Where to Stay in Manuel Antonio

Hotel Costa Verde: We stayed at Hotel Costa Verde which was an amazing, massive eco resort! The hotel sits in the hills above the ocean, so you are spoiled with views everywhere. I was shocked how reasonably priced our huge ocean view suite was (we stayed in the adults only section) and we had a private balcony and hammock that was the perfect place to relax. There are also SUPER cool planes on the property transformed into suites that were so unique! Sunsets from the hotel are out of this world and there are 3 pools! Costa Verde has a tons of restaurants and bars associated with the hotel that make it easy for meals. The shuttle for our park tour (more on that later) picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel which was great! I highly highly recommend staying here the staff was incredible too

You’ll want to budget in some time in Manuel Antonio relaxing at the hotel soaking in nature which is why the massive property at Hotel Costa Verde is great. Monkeys and toucans were hanging out right by our balcony everyday! Swim in the pools, read a book, and take in the views - you are on vacation in paradise!

Visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park: This National Park is out of this world! For a smaller park footprint the amount of wildlife you can spot is unmatched. There are hundreds of different animal species to spot in the jungle portion, like sloths and monkeys! When visiting the park A Guided Tour is a must, they know where all the animals like to hang out and will set up viewing telescopes that help you see more! The tour groups are small and the guides work directly for the park so they are very ecologically minded. It’s a win win supporting the park and getting to see more! The tour also includes transportation to and from your hotel which makes is easy!

Beach Time: Your tour will end right by two incredible beaches inside the National Park so you will want to budget plenty of time to relax and enjoy the turquois waters! We started with Manuel Antonio Beach which was picture perfect and the waters were calm and warm. Then we headed to the other side to Espadilla South Beach to experience both and I highly recommend it since they are so close together. If you can swing the earlier tour, it will give you more time in the park - it does close early in the evening and you have a lot to see here!

Experience Espadilla Beach

Espadilla Beach: Outside Manuel Antonio park is the public beach, Espadilla, that is lively and fun filled with locals! The beach is great for swimming in the waves and the main road is lined with bars and restaurants. We had cocktails at a little beach bar place that was great just listening to the waves! And then walked along the beach during sunset. You can walk here to and from the hotel too which makes it a great spot!

Arenal Volcano National Park

This national park is huge right next to the cute town La Fortuna and the center focal point is the stunning Arenal Volcano - an active volcano that brings with it hot springs and jungle ready for you to explore!

Where to Stay in Arenal Volcano National Park

Airbnb with Private Pool & Volcano View: This is the best Airbnb I have ever stayed in, hands down! You can’t stay any closer than this place to the Arenal Volcano! The private plunge pool is huge and the host pumps clean hot spring water directly from the volcano and it felt amazing! Santiago the host has 4 completely standalone rentals with their own pools and incredible views so be sure to check which one works best for your dates and jump on it. The rental is fully equipped and the rainfall shower surrounded by plants is so relaxing. We spent every morning with a coffee in the spring pool and ended every day with a glass of wine! The Volcano is mesmerizing to watch the fog rolling over the hills. It also is located inside a hot spring resort that you have full access to!

La Fortuna Waterfall

La Fortuna Waterfall: This beautiful waterfall is known for its crystal-clear blue waters in the heart of the jungle. You’ll start with a hike through the jungle spotting wildlife and you’ll come across multiple viewpoints of the waterfall great for photos! You can swim in the base of the waterfall, but if you head further down to the river you’ll find a calm watering hole perfect for swimming! It felt great to cool off and lounge in the sun on the rocks

Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges

Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges: A very unique and must do hike is the hanging bridges loop! You will wind your way up in elevation and then venture across hanging suspension bridges that cross high above the jungle floor. On the hike you’ll get great views of the volcano, and it was a once in a lifetime experience! The bridges are exhilarating and my mom who is very scared of heights could handle it. Her advice to fellow people scared of heights - just keep walking and don’t stop and dwell on the ground. It was really enjoyable for us both and we saw tons of wildlife like monkeys, cute baby coatimundi’s and colorful birds!

Tabacon Hot Springs

Tabacon Hot Springs: This Hot Spring resort was the most magical place ever - and we did not want to leave! You can also spend the night at the ultra luxurious Tabacon Springs that gives you access to the springs and pools anytime. Since staying comes with a hefty price tag, we opted for the 1 Day Pass which I recommend booking in advanced so you do not miss out on this place!

Tabacon worked with the natural hot spring river flowing through the property and transformed it into different pools for relaxing in. The pools are different temperatures, depths and water pressure built right into nature and surrounded by beautiful landscaping. It’s hard to imagine just how beautiful it is until you see it for yourself! The springs are also lit up beautifully at night and the steam & rushing water sounds while you look up at the stars makes for the ultimate relaxing day. There is a swim up bar that serves great drinks (we got a pina colada in a full pineapple) and they serve food so you never have to leave the water!

Night in San Jose

Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen: Your last night in Costa Rica, staying in San Jose will give you a chance to explore the capital city and have easy access to your flight the next day! We stayed at the Marriott Hacienda Belen and it was incredible! The grounds are stunning with views of the mountains and San Jose in the distance. The huge pool was great and the restaurants on site made it super convenient. The beautiful Spanish style hotel was a perfect last night in Costa Rica