EC EscapeCostaRica.com
Find Your Escape →
Menu ☰
Find Your Escape Ocean Escapes Rainforest Escapes Nature & Wildlife Adventure Escapes Volcano & Waterfall Relaxing Escapes Escape Collections Destinations (12 Hubs) Travel Guides (14) Where to Stay Guanacaste Real Estate

Costa Rica Destination & Departure-Area Guides

Select where you are staying below. Every guide separates the destination visited (island, volcano, reef, or national park) from the actual departure point where you board the boat or van.

Affiliate Disclosure: Tour buttons link to verified Viator or GetYourGuide listings, and hotel buttons link to Agoda. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you book on the partner platform. Read full disclosure →
Golden-hour beach cove and volcanic headlands in the Gulf of Papagayo, Guanacaste HUB 01 · 25–35 min from Liberia International Airport (LIR)

Playas del Coco & Papagayo

Calm horseshoe bays, catamaran sunset sails, and day trips to rainforest sloths & volcanic hot springs

Destination Visited: Gulf of Papagayo snorkel coves, Culebra Bay sea caves, Llanos de Cortés waterfall, and Upala/Tenorio rainforest sanctuaries
Actual Departure Point: Marine tours board directly from Playas del Coco beach in front of Bar El Ancla (Route 151) or Marina Papagayo; inland rainforest and volcano vans pick up at hotel lobbies across Coco, Ocotal, Playa Hermosa, and Peninsula Papagayo.
Open Playas del Coco & Papagayo Guide →
Turquoise water and white sand beach along the Playa Flamingo and Conchal coastline HUB 02 · 50–75 min from Liberia International Airport (LIR)

Tamarindo, Flamingo & Potrero

Gold Coast surf bays, Flamingo Marina charters, coastal ATV ridges, and Rincón de la Vieja volcano combos

Destination Visited: Playa Conchal & Flamingo coastal ridges, Catalina Islands offshore waters, and Hacienda Guachipelín (Rincón de la Vieja Volcano)
Actual Departure Point: ATV tours depart from Playa Brasilito basecamp with hotel pickup in Flamingo, Potrero, Conchal, and Tamarindo; volcano adventure combos depart from beach hotels at ~7:00–7:30 AM toward Curubandé.
Open Tamarindo, Flamingo & Potrero Guide →
Wide sandy shoreline and palm-fringed surf break at Playa Guiones in Nosara HUB 03 · 2–2.5 hrs from Liberia International Airport (LIR)

Nosara & Sámara

Southern Nicoya Peninsula surf reserves, dolphin reef safaris, and mangrove kayak estuaries

Destination Visited: Bahía Sámara dolphin corridor, Isla Chora coral reef, Playa Guiones surf zone, and Río Nosara / Río Ora mangroves
Actual Departure Point: Ocean dolphin and Isla Chora snorkel boats board directly off the sand at Playa Sámara; Nosara kayak, surf, and horseback outings meet in Playa Guiones or Playa Garza.
Open Nosara & Sámara Guide →
Arenal Volcano rising above lush rainforest in La Fortuna, Costa Rica HUB 04 · 2.5–3 hrs from San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR)

La Fortuna & Arenal

Hanging bridges, the 70-meter La Fortuna Waterfall, 1968 lava trails, and gravity-fed thermal rivers

Destination Visited: Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, La Fortuna Waterfall canyon, Arenal Volcano National Park, and Tabacón Thermal River
Actual Departure Point: Guided combo tours include door-to-door pickup at all hotels along the Route 142 Arenal corridor and La Fortuna town; standalone Tabacón day passes check in directly at Tabacón Thermal Resort reception.
Open La Fortuna & Arenal Guide →
Rainforest mountains meeting the Central Pacific coastline at Jacó and Herradura HUB 06 · 1 hr 30 min west of San José International Airport (SJO) via Route 27

Jacó & Herradura

Private Tortuga Island boat crossings, Carara scarlet macaw walks, and rainforest waterfall ATVs

Destination Visited: Isla Tortuga (Gulf of Nicoya), Carara National Park scarlet macaw reserve, and Jacó mountain waterfalls
Actual Departure Point: Tortuga Island private boats board at Playa Herradura at 7:30 AM (just 10 min north of Jacó); Carara National Park walks meet at the main Route 34 park gate 20 minutes north of Jacó.
Open Jacó & Herradura Guide →
Forested headlands and calm Pacific waters near Quepos and Manuel Antonio HUB 07 · 2.5–3 hrs south of San José (SJO) via Route 27 & Route 34

Manuel Antonio & Quepos

Coastal rainforest wildlife, Marina Pez Vela catamarans, Damas mangroves, and Nauyaca waterfall excursions

Destination Visited: Manuel Antonio National Park peninsula, Damas Island mangrove estuary, and Nauyaca Waterfalls canyon
Actual Departure Point: Catamarans board at dry docks in Marina Pez Vela (Quepos); Nauyaca Waterfall tours provide door-to-door pickup at Manuel Antonio hillside and beach hotels.
Open Manuel Antonio & Quepos Guide →
Dramatic rainforest mountains dropping to the Pacific surf along the Dominical and Uvita coast HUB 08 · 3.5 hrs south of San José (SJO) on paved Costanera Sur Highway

Uvita & Dominical

Two-tier Nauyaca canyon waterfalls, Marino Ballena whale-tail boat safaris, and Costa Ballena rainforest

Destination Visited: Nauyaca Waterfalls (Barú mountains), Marino Ballena National Park whale tail, and Caño Island outer reefs
Actual Departure Point: Nauyaca 4x4 tours depart from the Route 243 ranch office (15 min above Dominical) or pick up at Uvita/Dominical hotels; Marino Ballena boat safaris check in at Uvita operator offices before boarding at Punta Uvita beach.
Open Uvita & Dominical Guide →
Golden sunset over the remote rainforest bay of Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula HUB 09 · 50-min domestic flight from SJO to Drake Bay (DRK) or Puerto Jiménez (PJM), or boat via Sierpe River

Drake Bay & the Osa Peninsula

Permitted Corcovado Sirena Sector wildlife expeditions, Caño Island reefs, and untouched lowland rainforest

Destination Visited: Sirena Ranger Station inside Corcovado National Park and Caño Island Biological Reserve
Actual Departure Point: Corcovado Sirena day expeditions depart at 5:20 AM from the Puerto Jiménez public pier or at 6:00 AM via wet-beach boat boarding on Playa Colorada in Drake Bay.
Open Drake Bay & the Osa Peninsula Guide →
Turquoise Caribbean shoreline and palm canopy along Cahuita and Puerto Viejo HUB 10 · 4.5–5 hrs east of San José (SJO) via Route 32 & Route 36

Puerto Viejo & Cahuita

Southern Caribbean coral reefs, coastal sloth trails, Afro-Caribbean cacao culture, and Gandoca-Manzanillo

Destination Visited: Cahuita National Park coral reef & coastal rainforest trail, Jaguar Rescue Center, and Bribrí cacao farms
Actual Departure Point: Cahuita snorkel-and-hike combos pick up directly at hotels in Puerto Viejo, Cocles, Punta Uva, and Cahuita town, boarding reef boats at Kelly Creek / Puerto Vargas.
Open Puerto Viejo & Cahuita Guide →
Aerial view of rainforest waterways meeting the Caribbean Sea in Tortuguero HUB 11 · Boat launch from La Pavona dock (3.5–4 hrs northeast of San José) or domestic flight

Tortuguero

Boat-access-only freshwater rainforest canals, caiman & monkey safaris, and seasonal sea turtle nesting

Destination Visited: Tortuguero National Park freshwater lagoons, electric-motor wildlife canals, and Caribbean turtle nesting beach
Actual Departure Point: Day-trip packages Pick up at San José hotels at ~5:30 AM (transferring to river boats at La Pavona or Caño Blanco), while multi-day canal and night-walk tours meet at Tortuguero village dock.
Open Tortuguero Guide →
Volcanic highland landscape and cloud-draped mountains in Costa Rica's Central Valley HUB 12 · 15–35 min from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)

San José & the Central Valley

Poás and Irazú volcanic craters, specialty coffee estates, Braulio Carrillo ziplines, and cloud-forest waterfalls

Destination Visited: Poás Volcano crater, Irazú Volcano & Orosi Valley, Alsacia/Doka coffee estates, and Braulio Carrillo rainforest
Actual Departure Point: Central Valley day escapes include morning lobby pickup across San José (Escazú, Santa Ana, Sabana, Downtown) and Alajuela airport hotels.
Open San José & the Central Valley Guide →