Costa Rica Quest — Self-Launched Pura Vida Adventure

Land at Juan Santamaría (SJO) or Tobías Bolaños airport and take an official orange taxi or Uber to your guesthouse in Barrio Amón or Barrio Escalante (~£12–18, 25–35 min). Settle in, withdraw colones from an ATM (Visa works best; cards often carry a 5–10% surcharge), and eat at a sodá (local canteen) for a casado — rice, beans, plantain, salad and meat — for around £4–6. San José is best treated as a transit hub: stick to well-lit streets after dark, keep your passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy.

🚌Airport taxi/official transfer ~£15

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private twin in Barrio Amón/Escalante (e.g. Hostel Casa Colón or similar), ~£22–30/night

• →Airport transfer to city centre
• →Evening orientation walk in Barrio Amón
• →Casado dinner at a local sodá

Take an early morning public bus or shared shuttle to San Miguel de Sarapiquí to visit the Mi Cafecito coffee cooperative — the same community tourism project G Adventures uses. You can book a coop tour directly on arrival or by email a few days ahead (~£10–14, includes tasting). From Sarapiquí, continue by local bus via Ciudad Quesada to La Fortuna (~3–4 hrs total). In the afternoon, walk to the free riverside hot springs (El Chollín) at the base of Arenal Volcano for a natural volcanic soak, or pay ~£10–15 for a proper hot springs complex such as Ecotermales or Baldí.

🚌Public bus San José → Sarapiquí (~£4), Sarapiquí → Ciudad Quesada → La Fortuna (~£5); alternatively a shared shuttle booking through your hostel (~£25)

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in La Fortuna town, ~£18–25/night

• →Mi Cafecito coffee cooperative tour and tasting (~£12, book direct)
• →Free riverside hot springs at El Chollín (or paid hot springs complex ~£12)
• →Arenal Volcano viewpoint walk

Pick your adrenaline hit: half-day whitewater rafting on the Río Balsa (book via GetYourGuide or a local operator in town, ~£50–65), Lost Canyon Adventures canyoning with waterfall rappels (~£55–70, book direct with the operator in La Fortuna), or a gentler stand-up paddleboard lesson on Lake Arenal (~£50). Budget travellers can instead hike the free Cerro Chato trailhead area or take the local bus to the La Fortuna waterfall (~£15 entry) and swim in the pool below. Book activities the evening before at any tour kiosk around the central park — prices are negotiable in low season.

🚌Walking or local taxi within town (~£3)

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in La Fortuna, ~£18–25/night

• →Rafting Río Balsa or Lost Canyon canyoning (~£50–70)
• →La Fortuna waterfall hike and swim (~£15 entry)
• →Optional frog pond or sloth tour (~£12)

Take the classic jeep-boat-jeep crossing across Lake Arenal to Monteverde — a minivan-boat-minivan combo through stunning lake and mountain scenery, bookable at any La Fortuna hostel or kiosk for ~£22–28, taking around 3–4 hours. Arrive in Santa Elena village and spend the afternoon acclimatising on the free trails around town or visiting the small orchid or bat gardens. Note Monteverde sits at 1,400 m — pack a fleece and rain jacket, it's cool, misty and wet most of the year.

🚌Jeep-boat-jeep shuttle Arenal → Monteverde ~£25

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Santa Elena, ~£16–22/night

• →Lake Arenal boat crossing and mountain drive
• →Afternoon walk on Santa Elena village trails
• →Optional Monteverde Butterfly Garden (~£16)

Visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve — quieter and cheaper than the famous Monteverde reserve. Take the local bus from Santa Elena (~£1.50, 15 min) and pay the ~£15 entry; a self-guided trail map is included and the trails are well marked. A local guide costs ~£25–35 and dramatically improves your odds of spotting a resplendent quetzal. In the afternoon, tackle the canopy zipline (~£40–55 with Selvatura or Original Canopy Tour) or go horseback riding (~£35).

🚌Public bus to reserve ~£1.50 each way

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Santa Elena, ~£16–22/night

• →Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve trails (~£15 entry, guide optional ~£30)
• →Optional zipline canopy tour (~£45–55)
• →Optional night walk for insects and sloths (~£20)

Long travel day: take the morning local bus or a booked shuttle from Monteverde down to Quepos on the Pacific coast. The public route goes via Puntarenas and takes 4–5 hours for ~£8; the direct tourist shuttle is ~£25 and takes 3.5 hours. Arrive in Quepos and settle into the budget strip along the road to Manuel Antonio. In the evening eat fresh ceviche and fish at a beachfront sodá and, if you're feeling brave, join a free salsa lesson at a local bar on the main strip.

🚌Public bus via Puntarenas ~£8 or direct shuttle ~£25

🛏Hostel/budget hotel in Quepos or Manuel Antonio, ~£18–25/night

• →Scenic Pacific coast journey
• →Sunset at Playa Espadilla
• →Ceviche dinner and optional salsa night

Get to the park gates early (they open at 7am and cap daily visitors — book your entry ticket online in advance at ~£14). Take the local bus from Quepos (~£0.80). You'll see sloths, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, iguanas and toucans along the flat, well-signed trails, and can swim at Playa Manuel Antonio. A local naturalist guide at the gate costs ~£30 and is genuinely worth it for wildlife spotting — or go it alone with the free maps. Afternoon options: surf lesson (~£45), mangrove kayak (~£55) or simply laze on the beach.

🚌Local bus Quepos ↔ Manuel Antonio ~£0.80 each way

🛏Hostel/budget hotel in Quepos or Manuel Antonio, ~£18–25/night

• →Manuel Antonio National Park entry (~£14, book online ahead)
• →Optional wildlife guide (~£30)
• →Optional surf lesson (~£45) or mangrove kayak (~£55)

Morning swim at Playa Espadilla or a last coffee in Quepos, then take the direct public bus (Tracopa or Transportes Morales) back to San José — around 3.5 hours for ~£7, departing mid-morning and early afternoon. Alternatively a shared shuttle costs ~£25 with pickup from your hotel. Back in the capital, spend the evening in Barrio Escalante's foodie strip trying chorreadas (corn pancakes with sour cream) and a craft beer before an early night ahead of your flight.

🚌Public bus Quepos → San José ~£7 or shuttle ~£25

🛏Budget guesthouse in San José, ~£22–30/night

• →Morning beach time
• →Barrio Escalante food and drink stroll
• →Optional Museo del Oro or Jade Museum (~£10)

Depart at any time. Public buses run to the airport every 20–30 minutes from central San José (~£1), otherwise a taxi is ~£15–18 and takes 25–35 minutes. Remember Costa Rica charges a departure tax of around £22 (usually included in your airline ticket now — check before paying at the airport). Keep your route flexible: buses rarely run to exact timetables and rainy season can delay mountain roads.

🚌Airport taxi ~£16 or local bus ~£1

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Departure transfer
• →Final souvenir shopping for coffee and chocolate