Location: San José
Day 1 - 2 Jan 2022
Selina San José
Content: I arrived to San Jose in the morning and headed straight to my hotel Selina. This is an awesome hostel chain and I always go to one of their location when travelling in this region. It’s in one of the best neighbourhoods but always better to move by taxi, especially if you arrive at night or you are coming from the bus terminal, cause it’s a sketchy area. I had a great buddha bowl for lunch and rested a bit in the terrace
Metropolitan Cathedral of San José
Content: In the afternoon I went exploring the capital for a bit. First stop was one of the main buildings: the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Jose
San José Central Market
Content: For lunch I visited the Central Market. It is a really authentic experience as it’s not designed for tourists. I was just surrounded by local people buying all sorts of food and I had a very good ceviche, one of the local dishes here consisting of marinated fish.
Selina San José
Content: We came back just in time for Karaoke night! It happens every week at Selina and it was so much fun. The vibe was great, everyone super friendly and it was just so easy to meet other travelers like myself
Location: San José
Day 2 - 3 Jan 2022
Selina San José
Content: I had a quick breakfast at Selina before catching my shuttle to La Fortuna. This is the signature breakfast dish “Gallo Pinto” which is extremely popular in Costa Rica!
Location: La Fortuna
Day 2 - 3 Jan 2022
Selina
Content: I took a shuttle to La Fortuna. It was really convenient because it picks you up at Selina San Jose and drops you off at Selina La Fortuna. The people at Selina San Jose arranged it for me. Normally there are 2 options per day, but it depends on the number of people who are willing to take it. If it’s not enough, there won’t be any shuttle. It took about 4 hours and arrived at the destination on time.
Selina
Content: To help stretching after the long shuttle journey, I joined a yoga class at Selina. The yoga deck is immersed in nature and hearing the river in the background just made it even more magical. It was such a relaxing class!
Location: La Fortuna
Day 3 - 4 Jan 2022
Catarata Río Fortuna
Content: One of the main places to visit in La Fortuna is definitely this waterfall. You can reach it by taxi and it will cost you around 4 usd from the city centre. The entrance is 18 usd and you’ll have to walk 500 steps down to get to the waterfall. You can’t swim in it but you can take a dip in the river next to it. The earlier you can go, the better, as it tends to get quite crowded during the day
Location: Río Fortuna
Day 3 - 4 Jan 2022
El Salto (Rope Swing)
Content: In the afternoon I headed to el Salto, a place where you can jump in the river hanging on a liana. Recommended even if you just wanna chill and read a book as if you were on a beach
Location: La Fortuna
Day 3 - 4 Jan 2022
Soda Víquez
Content: If you are looking for local food at a reasonable price I highly suggest trying Soda Viquez. I eat such good food and the staff was just so lovely.
Location: La Fortuna de San Carlos
Day 4 - 5 Jan 2022
Rio Fortuna Waterfall
Content: This location is not the exact one because it’s not marked on the maps, but if you wanna explore a waterfall which off the beaten path and where you don’t have to pay the entrance, you should try to go there. They call it Catarata Escondida and if you ask some locals they’ll be able to take you there. You’ll have to drive all the way to Catarata La Fortuna and then from there keep going up and take a trail on the left. After about 20 minutes you’ll be there and you’ll be able to enjoy its natural pool probably all by yourself
Location: La Fortuna
Day 4 - 5 Jan 2022
Soda la Hormiga
Content: Another great place to eat cheap local food is Soda la Hormiga. They have a pretty vast selection of dishes and everything is really tasty! This dish was about 6 dollars.
Free Natural Hot Springs River
Content: One of the things you definitely shouldn’t miss in la Fortuna is a night at the hotsprings! You can go by day too but it just feels nicer at night cause it gets chilly outside so the warm water is just amazing. We went just after sunset and brought a flashlight, candles, beers and snacks. Unfortunately I have no other photos because it was completely dark :(
Location: Quepos
Day 5 - 6 Jan 2022
Selina Manuel Antonio
Content: I took another shuttle and this time it picked me up at Selina La Fortuna and dropped me off at Selina Manuel Antonio. It took about 5 hours and cost 60 usd. The hotel is huge: there are 3 swimming pools and it is completely immersed in nature.
Manuel Antonio Beach
Content: After lunch I went down to the beach, which is a 10 min walk from Selina and I enjoyed a great sunset surf session. Renting the board cost me 10 dollars for half a day and you can find them right there on the beach when you arrive from the Main Street. There were so many monkeys around me and we even managed to see a sloth!
Location: Quepos
Day 6 - 7 Jan 2022
Selina Manuel Antonio
Content: Started the day with a very energising yoga class at Selina. The yoga deck has such a great view over the jungle. Regular guests pay 12$ for a 1 hour class, but if you have the monthly Colive Membership you’ll be able to do it for free. Di to
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
Content: If you want to really get a full immersion into the Costa Rican jungle you shouldn’t miss the Manuel Antonio National Park. You can walk straight from the beach or go by bus. Always better to book online in advance, as you might not find availability or you might end up paying more if you do it directly at the entrance. The entrance fee is about 18$ without guide and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to see sloths, monkeys, iguanas, a lot of birds and so much more!
Manuel Antonio
Content: One of the local restaurants with the best value for money was one on the beach called Casi Cielo. Really great cheap food. I can’t find the exact location cause it’s probably not on the maps, but if you ask locals they’ll be able to guide you there. It’s right behind the beach
Manuel Antonio Beach
Content: Ended the day chilling on the beach until sunset. The colors of the sky were just incredible!