7-Day Costa Rica Itinerary: Monteverde, Arenal & Manuel Antonio — The Classic Combo

Day-by-day plan

1. 

   Day 1Monteverde →

   SJO arrival → Monteverde cloud forest

   • •Land at San José (SJO); pre-arranged shared shuttle to Monteverde (~4h, $55)
   • •Settle in Santa Elena — the cloud-forest base village
   • •Sunset coffee at Café Monteverde or Stella's Bakery
   • •Optional night walk: Refugio Ranario or the Monteverde Night Tour ($25, 2h, frogs/sloths/kinkajous)

   If your flight lands after 1 PM, the shuttle won't make it before dark — consider one night near SJO or fly into Liberia (LIR) and shuttle from there (still ~3h).

2. 

   Day 2Monteverde →

   Cloud Forest Reserve + canopy + hanging bridges

   • •Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve at 7 AM — best chance to see a resplendent quetzal
   • •Selvatura Park hanging bridges OR Sky Walk (2-3h, $55)
   • •Sky Trek or Selvatura zipline circuit — the original canopy-tour invention ($55-70)
   • •Lunch at Tree House Restaurant (built around a fig tree)
   • •Coffee tour at Don Juan or Café Monteverde — bean-to-cup walk-throughs
   • •Dinner at Tramonti for wood-fired pizza

   → Next: ferry · ~3h Jeep-Boat-Jeep · ~$30 — Shuttle van → Lake Arenal boat → shuttle van to La Fortuna. Books out 2-3 days ahead.

3. 

   Day 3La Fortuna →

   Arenal volcano + hot springs night

   • •Arrival in La Fortuna; Arenal volcano postcard view from town
   • •Mistico Hanging Bridges — 3.2 km loop through rainforest canopy
   • •La Fortuna Waterfall — 500 steps down to a swimmable pool ($18 entry)
   • •Sunset view of the volcano from the Mistico bridges or El Castillo lookout
   • •Hot springs evening: Tabacón ($85) for the splurge or Termales Los Laureles ($10) for the local-favourite alternative
   • •Dinner: casado at Soda La Hormiga
4. 

   Day 4La Fortuna →

   Río Celeste day trip OR Arenal volcano hike

   • •Río Celeste (Tenorio Volcano NP) — turquoise river day-trip, 1.5h drive each way
   • •OR: Arenal 1968 trail (3-4h hike, lava field crossing under the volcano)
   • •OR: Sloth-spotting at the Bogarín Trail (in town, $26, kid-friendly)
   • •Lunch back in La Fortuna: Don Rufino for elevated tipico
   • •Last hot-springs night: skip Tabacón, try Eco Termales for a quieter session

   If you'd rather not drive, the Río Celeste option is cleaner as a guided shuttle ($85 round-trip incl. lunch).

   → Next: car · ~4h 30m · ~$65 — Shared shuttle La Fortuna → Manuel Antonio (Quepos area). Books online via Interbus or Caribe Shuttle.

5. 

   Day 5Manuel Antonio →

   Arrival + Espadilla beach evening

   • •Settle into a hillside lodge above Quepos — Tulemar, Si Como No, or budget Selina
   • •Playa Espadilla afternoon — the public beach (free; Manuel Antonio Beach inside the park is closed Mondays)
   • •Sunset drinks at El Avión — a converted Fairchild C-123 plane
   • •Dinner at Ronny's Place for Pacific-cliff views
6. 

   Day 6Manuel Antonio →

   Manuel Antonio National Park — wildlife morning + beach day

   • •Park entrance at 7 AM — book online ahead, capacity is capped
   • •Hire a naturalist guide ($25/person, optional but they spot 5x more wildlife)
   • •Cathedral Point loop — three-toed sloths, white-faced capuchins, squirrel monkeys
   • •Manuel Antonio Beach inside the park — swim until you get bored
   • •Out by 2 PM (park closes 4 PM Tue-Sun)
   • •Optional afternoon: catamaran sunset cruise from Quepos ($75)

   → Next: flight · ~25 min XQP→SJO · ~$85 — SANSA short hop home; or shared shuttle (3.5h, $55). Closer airport: Quepos (XQP).

7. 

   Day 7Manuel Antonio →

   Departure

   • •Last casado breakfast and a final beach swim
   • •SANSA flight Quepos → SJO or shared shuttle back
   • •Allow 3 hours for international departures

Want to swap something?

Surf focus: swap Manuel Antonio for Tamarindo (LIR airport access, beginner-friendly waves). Wildlife focus: drop Monteverde and add 2 nights in Drake Bay/Corcovado for serious primary rainforest. Budget tighter: skip Tabacón hot springs for free Río Tabacón pools downstream of the resort (free-access spot below the bridge on Route 142).

Practical tips

• •Don't try to drive Costa Rica's interior on your first trip — shared shuttles (Interbus, Caribe Shuttle, Easy Ride) are reliable, ~$50-65 per leg, and pick up at hotels.
• •Cash isn't necessary — most restaurants and tour operators take cards. Carry $50-100 USD for tips and small sodas.
• •Pura vida is real: 8 AM tours mean 8:15 AM. Build slack into your day or you'll end up resenting it.
• •Mid-December through April = dry season + 30-50% price premium. May-November is green season with afternoon rain but better wildlife and emptier trails.
• •National parks now require online ticket pre-purchase: sinac.go.cr. Manuel Antonio sells out 7+ days ahead in peak season.