GuardTrailsCosta Rica · February
Off the beaten track
The Off-Beat Highlands & Secret Coast
Less-visited places, with one or two classics all the same.
Discover a more intimate side of Costa Rica by swapping busy transit hubs for the whimsical topiary gardens of Zarcero, the quiet beaches of Esterillos and Drake Bay, and the iconic landscapes of Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, and Arenal.
- days11
- bases7
- stages8
- nights10
- transfer days6
- stage to stage1,123 km
- at the wheel, day by day21 h 46
The season for your dates
- Less favourable74% of days exceed the gust threshold during activity hours, over the whole requested window.
Historical statistics (Open-Meteo), not a forecast.
Who this itinerary is for
This itinerary suits a traveller looking for: a trip in February, getting around by car, sleeping in hotels, wildlife watching, a day hike, days of walking, kayak or canoe, a village stroll, a town walk (2 h), easy cycling, via ferrata, a museum or cultural visit and a park or garden.
The area
The loop covering Manuel Antonio, Drake Bay, Esterillos, Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Zarcero.
The map
Loading the map…
The days at a glance
One line per day: where you sleep, what the day is, the road, and how its time is split.
| Day | Evening base | The day | Road | Time of the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day1 | Evening base : San Jose | ArrivalSan Jose, arrival | Road 23 min | 11.7 h usable |
| Day2 | Evening base : Manuel Antonio | TransferWildlife | Road 3 h 01 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day3 | Evening base : Drake Bay | TransferDrake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness | Road 4 h 20 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day4 | Evening base : Drake Bay | Day on siteDrake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness | — | 8.0 h usable |
| Day5 | Evening base : Esterillos | TransferEsterillos Beach | Road 4 h 59 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day6 | Evening base : Monteverde | TransferMonteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena | Road 3 h 18 | 11.7 h usable |
| Day7 | Evening base : Monteverde | Day on siteMonteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena | — | 11.7 h usable |
| Day8 | Evening base : La Fortuna | TransferArenal Volcano | Road 2 h 44 | 11.7 h usable |
| Day9 | Evening base : La Fortuna | Day on siteArenal Volcano | — | 11.7 h usable |
| Day10 | Evening base : Zarcero | TransferZarcero Topiaries & Organic Farms | Road 1 h 20 | 11.7 h usable |
| Day11 | — | DepartureSan Jose, departure | Road 1 h 41 | 11.7 h usable |
- programme
- road
- free time
Good to know
What it leaves aside
By choosing a mix of lesser-known bases like Zarcero, Esterillos, and Drake Bay alongside popular destinations, you will experience a balance of remote tranquility and established tourist amenities.
Places it did not keep
Tortuguero National Park · Guanacaste Beaches · Caribbean Coast (Puerto Viejo)
Getting there
Fly to Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO), 23 min by road from the start.
Where you sleep
The region offers a diverse range of accommodations including eco-lodges, boutique hotels, and rustic cabins, with advance booking highly recommended during the peak tourist season.
Safety
Costa Rica: no warning from the UK authorities (FCDO). Advice of 2026-05-19 · Official advice
Check before booking and before taking out insurance: the advice may have changed since.
Why this version, the cost in detail and the sources are on the method page. Read the method →
When, and for how long
How long?
- You ask for
- 10days
- The area needs, at least
- 10days
- Days kept
- 11days
Travelling in February.
The climate — February
- Daily high, 1 day in 4 is hotter
- 24 °C
- Daily high, 1 day in 20 is hotter
- 25 °C
- Unfavourable day
- 0%
- Windy day
- 75%
Rain, wind and temperature are measured over the 8 h in the middle of the day, on a historical baseline of 55 observations (Open-Meteo). It is a measuring window, not the length of your day: each day of the programme counts 11 h 43 of usable time.
The itinerary, day by day
8 stages over 11 days, in the order of the days. A stage appears on the day you first reach it: you sleep several nights at some, and a day trip leaves from your base and brings you back to it. Each day has its own page.
Every day of this trip has 11 h 42 of usable time, except D2, D3, D4 and D5: 8 h. Room to breathe — we have not padded these days to fill them: the free time left is part of the trip.
- Day 1ARRIVALSan Jose, arrival · night in San Jose2 h 30 planned · 23 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 2TRANSFERWildlife · night in Manuel Antonio4 h planned · 3 h 01 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 3 · Drake Bay
Drake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness
We sleep at Sirena Biological Station, 7.6 km away
2 nights · sleeping at Sirena Biological Station, 23 km from Drake Bay · climate variable
- Day 3TRANSFERDrake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness · night at Sirena Biological Station, 23 km from Drake Bay3 h planned · 4 h 20 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
- Day 4AT BASEDrake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness · night at Sirena Biological Station, 23 km from Drake Bay8 h planned · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 4 · Esterillos
Esterillos Beach
We sleep at Hotel Alma del Pacífico, 100 m away
1 night · climate to watch
- Day 5TRANSFEREsterillos Beach · night in Esterillos3 h 01 planned · 4 h 59 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 5 · Monteverde
Monteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena
We sleep at Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, 800 m away
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 6TRANSFERMonteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena · night in Monteverde5 h planned · 3 h 18 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 7AT BASEMonteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena · night in Monteverde7 h plannedSee the day →
Stage 6 · La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano
We sleep in La Fortuna, 8 km from the place visited
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 8TRANSFERArenal Volcano · night in La Fortuna5 h 30 planned · 2 h 44 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 9AT BASEArenal Volcano · night in La Fortuna5 h plannedSee the day →
Stage 7 · Zarcero
Zarcero Topiaries & Organic Farms
We sleep at Hotel Zarcero, 200 m away
1 night · climate favourable
- Day 10Zarcero Topiaries & Organic Farms · night in Zarcero6 h 30 planned · 1 h 20 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 11DEPARTURESan Jose, departure · end of the trip2 h planned · 1 h 41 on the roadSee the day →
What it costs, roughly
€1,134 to €1,756 per person
€103 to €160 per day
Based on: 2 people.
The cost estimate and the availability of accommodation, transport and activities are as of 31 October 2026: prices and availability change over time.
Where the money goes, and how this figure is obtained →To check
3 points to look at before booking.
Where a leg says a long way round, the road is much longer than the straight line between the two places. Often that is just mountains or a coast; sometimes a shorter link exists that our road data lacks (a pass, a track, a ferry or a border crossing). Check the route before you book.
D2Quota-limited access: book in advance — Wildlife (Manuel Antonio)
quota to apply for ~30 days ahead — to arrange before you leave
D8A long way round on this leg — Monteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena → Arenal Volcano (La Fortuna)
116 km by road for 25 km in a straight line — about 2.1 h longer than a normal road
D3A long way round on this leg — Wildlife (Manuel Antonio) → Drake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness
The road time to and from this stage is not measured: the router places Drake Bay & Corcovado Wilderness (14.0 km) away from any road it knows, so the 8.4 h of road it seems to add are not a real drive. Check how to get there (boat, path, local transport) before booking
The method
Why this version, what sets it apart from the others, the cost in detail, the interest of the places, the automatic review and the sources.
Read the method →