Your Ultimate Guide to Solo Travel in Costa Rica: Tips, Destinations, and Itinerary

This article has been reviewed by Wego’s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate. 

Updated December 2024

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Key takeaways 

• Costa Rica offers diverse landscapes, from rainforests and volcanoes to serene beaches, ideal for nature lovers.

• Visa exemptions for citizens of 95 countries make it an accessible destination for many travelers.

• Efficient transportation options like buses, shuttles, and car rentals make exploration convenient and hassle-free.

Why choose Costa Rica for solo travel?

Coast Rica is the land of pura vida, the pure life—inspired by natural beauty, joyful connections and gratitude for daily pleasures. 

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The land of pura vida  

Costa Rica’s pura vida is intertwined in every corner of the country. According to the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), Costa Rica is one of the most peaceful countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

Whether you find yourself driving cross country in a rented car or in its big heart, sauntering through downtown San José, or getting your skin caressed by the Sun and the sand of the Caribbean/Pacific—you will be taking an ineffable part of the rich coast back with you in your heart. 

Nature & wildlife galore

Be it cascading waterfalls, hot springs, or the ripples of the ocean and the sea—whichever form of water speaks to your inner mermaid/merman, you are in for a treat that you can bake and eat too when in Costa Rica—surrounded by the marvels residing in their sanctuaries. 

25 percent of Costa Rica’s territory accounts for national parks, offering locals and tourists an opportunity to interact with wildlife in a safe manner.

Whether you are enchanted by the songs of the hummingbird at Irazú Volcano National Park or greeted by the howler/spider monkeys at Arenal Volcano National Park when in Costa Rica, you have the opportunity of a lifetime to be thrilled by the beauty of nature like nowhere else.

How to plan your solo travel to Costa Rica? 

Visa and travel requirements

Costa Rica offers visa exemptions to 95 countries, including the USA, Mexico, Philippines, Qatar, Brazil, UAE, UK, Chile, and the EU states. The first step of your solo travel prep will be to check if your passport falls within these categories. If not, you must apply via your local Embassy or Consulate General of Costa Rica. 

Please note that you must apply for a consular visa from your physical vac, that is, your local embassy or consulate. Online applications are not allowed. Hence, contact your local Ministerio De Relaciones Exteriores Y Culto if you have any queries.

When packing for your trip, ensure all your travel documents are complete. Check that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in Costa Rica. Print out your proof of accommodations, and keep your departure and return tickets handy to show upon arrival in Costa Rica.

Budget and transportation 

Costa Rica has buses, shuttles, private car services, taxis, Ubers, ferries and boats. Buses leave every hour or every couple of hours, depending on the destination. Car rentals and shuttles are the most convenient way to go around Costa Rica, as well as taking buses. You can rent a car from car rental companies certified by Costa Rica Tourism from their official website. 

Unless you are from the USA, you will require an International Driver’s Licence to avail of car rental services in Costa Rica. Rent 4×4 cars if you are renting a car to drive around in Costa Rica. 

Costa Rica has hotels in various price ranges, from luxurious resorts and 5-star hotels to budget hostels and glamping camps. For instance, comfortable hotel prices in San José start at approximately USD150 /night, Cartago at approximately USD 90/night, La Fortuna at approximately USD 200/night, and Guanacaste at approximately USD 870/night.

Top destinations for solo travel in Costa Rica

Here are some of the top highlights for solo travel in Costa Rica. In the next section, we’ll go over how to explore them and plan your itinerary.

Adapting the good life

San José 

Chances are that you will be adopted by the raw essence of pura vida right from when you check in at your first hotel in San José and your first ¡salud while sipping on locally grown coffee. 

Somewhere between walking through the past journals at Gold Museum and present stills at the National Park and Mercado Central, the essence of the good life will be imbued within you. 

Alajuela 

The Land of Mangoes will make you stop in your steps, stop for a while, and be present in the moment as you take deep breaths and appreciate your surroundings. 

Whether you are in the city for a few hours or a while, the richness of nature—waterfalls, volcanoes, natural parks, will leave you spellbound. 

Chasing waterfalls & a cup of Joe

Cartago

You would not be in a dearth of a good cuppa Joe when in Costa Rica, but when in Cartago, you will have the opportunity to interact with nature and fill your senses with the smell, touch and sight of the coffee’s journey in between taking dips in mineral hot spring and hiking up to kiss the sky with birdsong as your background track. 

Guanacaste

Would you believe us if we told you that you could actually enter a fairy portal while chasing waterfalls in Costa Rica? 

While there are scientific facts explaining the color-changing phenomenon occurring at the Guanacaste Volcanic Mountain Range, it is fun to imagine that you could potentially be entering a fairyland while hiking up the mountain ranges that change the color of the Celeste River and keep the pools boiling.

What is an itinerary for solo travel in Costa Rica like?

If you are wondering what an ideal itinerary for solo travel through the evergreen heart of pura vida looks like, here’s everything you can do. 

Day 1: Arrival at San José

We start our journey right in the heart of action. After landing at Juan Santamaría International Airport, you can take an Uber or private shuttle service from the exit to downtown San José. You can also take buses from Terminal TUASA if you reach Costa Rica between 4 am and 10 pm. Buses leave the terminal every 10 minutes. 

Check yourself in one of the hotels in San José, freshen up and smell the coffee—if it’s daylight outside. And if you arrive in San José at witching hours, get a good night’s rest in preparation for the day ahead. 

You might feel at home in San Jose if you are from a big city. 

Find your way to Museos del Banco Central or the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum at Plaza de la Cultura to immerse yourself in the core of Costa Rican essence and the impact of the Indigenous community on pura vida via the extensive collection of pre-Columbian gold artifacts. 

Set the tone of your trip by visiting Parque Nacional or the National Park, one of Costa Rica’s biggest parks, promenade through lush palms and deciduous trees, and be greeted by monuments and statues in between. 

End the day with a visit to the Mercado Central or San Jose Central Market. Established in 1880, the marketplace provides a gateway to experience authentic San José culture with local cuisine, crafts and souvenirs. Buy the dry snacks from the market that will last your trip before leaving. 

Day 2: Picking up the pace at Cartago 

If you are not renting a car, take a bus from Terminal Empresa Lumaca to Cartago. 

The journey picks up a pace in the old Costa Rican heart. You will feel the thrill of solo travel as you venture through these thrilling destinations in the Cartago province. 

Travel uphill to witness the bird’s eye view of the Orosi Valley. The crumbled remains of the once Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción paint a spectacular picture of nature and architecture working together to live out a folklore.

Pack some dry snacks or fruits and disposable bags so you can keep the waste in until you find a trashcan, as there are few eateries nearby, and buses have a lower frequency. 

Next, it’s time to enjoy Orosi Valley from your eye level. The Valley separates the Pacific and Caribbean Coasts. The Orosi Mirador will give you postcard-esque views of the entire valley. 

If you prefer to nosedive into adventure, Thermales Hacienda Oros will allow you to take a refreshing soak in their mineral hot spring or hike up to the coffee farms. Passes start at USD 11 for a visit to the coffee farm and USD 60 for day passes at the hot spring. 

We recommend booking a stay at the Coffee Pickers Village By Hacienda Orosi to save time the next day when you visit the Parque Nacional Tapantí – Macizo Cerro de la Muerte to experience the eco-tourism magic as the lull of myriad birdsongs and waterfalls swarm your auditory senses and petrichor rewrites your personal definition of green. 

Day 3: Exploring Cartago

If you have to return to Cartago from Thermales Hacienda Oros, visit the Irazú Volcano National Park, instead to witness the gorgeous Volcán Orosí and its siblings resting within the Guanacaste Range.

This is one of the rainest places in Costa Rica, but beyond the raindrops lies the craters of the volcano, protected reservations and adorable rabbits, owls, foxes, armadillos, woodpeckers and hummingbirds. And if Lady Luck agrees, you might even get glimpses of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and Lake Nicaragua with a telescope. 

Passes for Tapantí Macizo De La Muerte National Park and Irazú Volcano National Park can be purchased from the official website of the National System Of Conservation Areas. 

Day 4: Navigating the beauty of La Fortuna 

We leave for the Northern Plains in the latter half of our journey. 

As soon as you arrive in La Fortuna de San Carlos, you will be taken aback by the loftiness of the Arenal Volcano, whether it is the cloud or the vog or the greens and the greys surrounding it—they demand your attention. 

Visit the Arenal Volcano National Park to pay proper homage to the volcano and be greeted by the varied residents of the park. The Mirador volcanic cone is visible from the entrance booth. You can also climb up either of the three trails— Heliconia Trail is flat and narrow and offers a view of the volcanic craters.

Coladas Trail is flat and offers a view of the volcanic cone, Lake Arenal and the Tilarán mountain range, and El Ceibo Trail will give you a glimpse of the great tree of Ceiba pentandra.

Besides the mighty mountains, you may also catch glimpses of pumas, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coronated treefrogs, barenecked umbrellabird etc.

End the day with a soak in the La Fortuna hot springs at any hot spring resort in the area and feel the tiredness leaving your bones. Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa is one of the popular places, but you can relish the warmth of La Fortuna’s mineral springs in the other resorts in the area as well, starting from approximately USD 200. 

If you enjoy fishing or water sports like water skiing and kayaking and are renting a car, visit Arenal Lagoon—Costa Rica’s largest artificial lake. If you are visiting during early Spring or late Autumn months and enjoy kitesurfing or windsurfing, visiting the Lake Arenal is a must. 

Day 5: Navigating the blues of Guanacaste

The last few hours in Costa Rica are filled with visits to rainforests that feel like they are portals to enchanted lands filled with mystical creatures from land before time.  

Tenorio Volcano National Park in the Guanacaste Volcanic Mountain Range is your first portal to fairy lands. It houses the Celeste River, which oscillates and is dressed in a typical blue hue not seen elsewhere. It is formed by the union of two rivers with different mineral content from the slopes of the Tenorio Volcano. 

Besides the Rio Celeste Waterfall, you ought to look out for—La Laguna Azul, which is a small pool filled with fissures and hotbeds (borbollones) leaking volcanic gas and painting the space blue, and El Teñidero, which is a space in the Natural Park where you can see the Turquoise change color.

Day 6: One last stop at Toro Amarillo

Alajuela is a 3-hour and 15-minute drive from Guanacaste.  If you are one to chase waterfalls, you do not want to miss Alajuela, especially Bajos del Toro—the Toro Amarillo or Yellow Bull.

There are four must-see waterfalls in this area. One of the absolute musts of this region is the Pozas Celestes or the Celestial Pools that, true to its name, will present the most ethereal aquamarine pools for you to take a dip in and plant a seed in your memory garden to return to on dreary days. 

Day 7: Back in San José

When you are back in San José, a must-visit includes La Casa Del Cacao—an artisanal chocolate shop in the heart of the city—for a sip (or two) of the most delicious cup of hot cocoa and edible souvenirs for yourself and loved ones back home.

The store is open every day sans Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. 

Tips for navigating Costa Rica as a solo traveler

The following are some of the tips you can follow as a solo traveler in Costa Rica:

Comfort first 

You will be hiking a lot on this trip. Even if you are driving a rented car, there are locations where a hike is the only way to get there; essentially, anywhere out of the cityscape of  San José involves a lot of hiking.

We recommend carrying the most comfortable sneakers to be comfortable even after ten thousand steps. 

Overcome language barrier

You do not have to be an expert in Spanish, but knowing a couple of simple phrases and immediate words for the things you want at a shop will ensure a smoother time. 

Download one of the free language apps like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone at least 50 days before your trip to learn a few basic words. However, if you feel that time is not on your side, here are a few basic Spanish communicative phrases to help you navigate around the beautiful country:

• Hola: Hello 
• Buenos días: Good morning 
• Buenas tardes: Good afternoon 
• Buenas noches: Good evening
• Por favor: Please 
• Gracias: Thank you 
• Disculpe: Excuse me 
• ¿Cuánto cuesta?: How much does it cost?
• ¿Hablas inglés?: Do you speak English?
• No puedo entenderte, lo siento.: I cannot understand you, sorry. 
• ¿Ya se fue el autobús?: Has the bus left? 
• ¿Cuando sale el autobus?: When does the bus leave? 

GPS 

Download offline maps of all the places you will be visiting on your phone so you can access the maps even if you do not have a telephone tower or WiFi. Apps like Waze can help with the GPS service in Costa Rica.

When is the best time to travel solo to Costa Rica?

If you plan your trip around or during the dry season, that is, December to April, you will likely experience less rainfall and experience pura vida at your own pace. 

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During the dry season (December to April), the average temperature in San José ranges between 22°C and 24°C with a cloudy sky, very little rainfall and the Sun peeking through now and then to light up the sky. The pleasant weather is suitable for traveling through the land and hiking through the national parks.