I dreamt of Costa Rica for years! It was my big trip planned in April 2020 and one month before leaving, COVID closed all borders for months. I could eventually go back in April 2023.

Arrival through Panama

In order to start my trip from the South East of the country, I figured out it was simplest to arrive from Panama. And nice surprise, it was also much cheaper to land in Panama city. 

My journey:

• A day in Panama city: walk along the sea, climb the Cerro Ancon and take a free tour of the old town. Add an extra day if you want to see the Miraflores locks of the Panama canal.
• Fly to Bocas del Toro (from the small Albrook Gelabert airport) 
• Walk towards the beach, take a water taxi to go stay in the amaaaaaaaaaaazing Bambuda lodge: they have bunk beds, or double rooms. The place is amazingly quiet and beautiful. Staff learns your name by heart. You all eat together. I spotted dolphins from the pool. I would die to go back.

Cahuita

• I took a bus from Caribe Shuttle (they are great, they allowed me to use my voucher from 2020 in 2023!) to cross to Costa Rica. They take you to the border with a first minibus. You go through two border checks, cross a bridge by foot and take another minibus.
• Most travellers stay in Puerto Viejo but I preferred to stay in the quieter Cahuita to be able to walk on foot to the Cahuita park. This was my first park in Costa Rica and it was mind blowing! The colours of the sea, the monkeys, the racoons, the squirrels and of course the sloughs!

Tortuguero

• To reach Tortuguero without going through San Jose, I took a transfer to Moin dock (near Limon) to take a boat at 10am. I paid around $3 for about 4 hours on a super chill boat ride.
• It wasn’t the time for turtles nesting but I could still walk and go on a sunrise boat trip in the Tortuguero national park. Completely worth it. Simply make your booking from the park building when you get your boat.
• I left from Tortuguero ‘airport’. Well quite an adventure: there’s no building, the steward arrives with a weighing machine 15 minutes before. But the view once you take off… just wow!

La Fortuna

• I landed in the small airport of La Fortuna where an American couple luckily took me with them on their hotel shuttle cause mine thought I was arriving in the main San Jose airport! I then went for a nice spa at the Baldi hot springs and hotel
• The only walk I managed to do alone was El Salto in the nearby river, so I had to book a full day tour that included a visit to the Arenal volcano, a private farm, the Rio Fortuna waterfall and the end of the day drinking cocktails in hot springs. A bit hard for me to be in this big group, but still a nice day.
• Busy nightlife around the main road, you won’t feel alone!
• The journey to Monteverde was great: minibus + boat on the Arenal lake + minibus. Definitely more exciting than long shuttle hours!

Monteverde

• If you only had to choose one, I would definitely recommend Monteverde, much quieter and greener than La Fortuna.
• Did an awesome walk on my own in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve and spotted so many birds and animals, and… a tarantula
• I also booked a night tour with my hotel, but we were a bit too many. Try to find one in a small group!
• Finally got to do some hanging bridges and swings at 100% Aventura. Really awesome!

Uvita

• Unpopular choice: after reading a lot about all the national parks in Costa Rica, I decided to skip Manuel Antonio to head more south. I decided to stop in Uvita on the way and had a nice resting day by the pool in the nice Yuli hotel
• I did a nice walk in the Parque Nacional Marino Ballena along the beach until the tail of the beach

Bahia Drake

• THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP! Quite expensive but unforgettable.
• I reached Bahia Drake from Uvita first by taking a shuttle to the ferry dock in Sierpe and then by going on a boat ride that was really the beginning of the adventure! Once out of the wetlands, I arrived in a big storm on the beach and there was a power cut in the beautiful Pacheco cabins. Nevermind I just stared at the view!
• The first day was dedicated to the awesome Corcovado national park (Sirena station) that I booked with this tour. I saw so many animals, including rare tapirs. You can also sleep there, to go further into the park. It’s apparently very nice.
• I did the best night walk ever with Nativos Corcovado. I saw so many spiders, frogs and snakes – same rather dangerous – , even one swimming!
• I went snorkelling with turtles around Cano island with another excursion. But whoever you decide to with, we all ended up together! We had lunch on a Playa San Josecito, and the guides agreed to leave me there so I could walk back along the beach, passing by Playa Las Caletas and Playa Cocalita to the village! A great walk!
• I left by plane to San Jose from the lovely air strip

San Jose

• I will not lie, the city was a bit of a downer after such a high in Bahia Drake. 
• My guide from the free guided tour was nice, but there’s not so much to discover in town
• So the for my last day I booked an excursion to the impressive Poás volcano and its pretty blue lake through my hostel (at the time Selina, now Socialtel)

All recommendations are mine, no ads.
Trip done in April 2023.