5 Days in Costa Rica: San Jose to Puerto Viejo
TRAVEL GUIDE: 5 DAYS IN COSTA RICA
You can accomplish a lot over 5 days in Costa Rica, from San Jose to Puerto Viejo!
This road trip will take you more “off the beaten path” in Costa Rica. We’ll stop in towns and hit beaches which aren’t as crowded as some of the country’s tourist “hot spots.” We’re steering clear of the western beaches, La Fortuna, and Arenal, and instead heading east to the Caribbean.
While other tropical destinations are meant for relaxation, Costa Rica’s landscape is meant for adventure! A road trip from San Jose to Puerto Viejo is definitely the way to go, to fully experience the mountains, beaches, and natural wonders in this part of Central America.
➡️ BOOK a Car: Rental Cars in Costa Rica
➡️ BOOK a Transport: Private Driver (from San Jose and other spots)
Road Trip Day 1: San Jose Toward Puerto Viejo
Since we’re only spending 5 days in Costa Rica, this road trip departs from San Jose shortly after you land!
We’re heading east into the rural mountains, to spend a night in the Turrialba area first, before continuing on to the beaches and the Caribbean Coast. There’s plenty to explore around Turrialba, which is about 90 minutes east of San Jose’s airport.
Where to Stay on the Drive
The Guayabo Lodge has good food, interesting rooms, and a very friendly staff. We really enjoyed our stay there, and would gladly book again on a road trip from San Jose to Puerto Viejo.
If I was traveling with a family or a larger group, I’d rent one of these homes with great reviews in this area:
➡️ 3 bedroom with wrap-around patio
➡️ 3 bedroom with modern design & views
➡️ 4 bedroom in traditional Costa Rican style
Things to Do in Turrialba
You can explore this mountainous, rural part of Costa Rica on your own, or check out one of the tours below. Since this road trip is quick, just 5 days in Costa Rica, we’re only spending a day here. You’ll see: you could spend much longer with the different adventures available!
I’d highly recommend going to Aquiares. Costa Rica’s largest continuous coffee farm sells its beans to Starbucks, Nespresso, and much smaller companies around the world.
What’s more fascinating is: they’ve been on a journey toward greater biodiversity and regenerative farming. Their tour explains their 20-year certification by the Rainforest Alliance, and the steps they’ve taken to become a carbon-neutral coffee operation. You’ll learn a lot about farming, climate change, and coffee in general.
You can choose from a few different tour options at Aquiares. They include learning how the mill works, a horseback ride through the coffee farm, and a coffee tasting.
➡️ Horseback Tour through Aquiares Coffee Farm + Waterfall
This is the four-hour tour, which I recommend. It includes a horseback ride through the Aquiares Coffee Farm to the Aquiares Waterfall.
This is the two-hour tour of Aquiares, which includes a coffee tasting. You’ll begin near the church in town.
If coffee isn’t your thing, consider visiting a nearby volcano! Our 5 days in Costa Rica won’t allow for a visit to Arenal, but you can still head to the Turrialba Volcano. It’s still very active, and last erupted in 2016.
➡️ Tour Option: Volcanoes Around Turrialba
A guide will take you on a 10-12 hour day trip to two volcanoes and Guayabo National Park.
➡️ Tour Option: White Water Rafting
A guide will take you on a whitewater adventure down the Pacuare River.
➡️ Tour Option: Canyoneering & Waterfalls
This is an adventure tour, where you’ll get to walk across hanging bridges, go zip-lining, and rappel down a waterfall.
Road Trip Day 2: Puerto Viejo: Caribbean Beaches
From the Turrialba area, it’s another three-hour drive east to Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast.
The big city in this part of Costa Rica is Limón, but you’ll head south of the city toward the much smaller town of Puerto Viejo. The entire drive, if you go straight from San Jose to Puerto Viejo is 230 kilometers. Without traffic or road construction, it would take three and a half hours.
You can use this interactive map to plug in the dates you’re considering and check out what’s available:
The Puerto Viejo area is down close to Costa Rica’s border with Panama. It’s home to a series of different beaches and the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. It’s home to some of Costa Rica’s most endangered animals, and a reef off the coast.
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Punta Uva is widely considered to be the prettiest beach around Puerto Viejo. Its crystal clear, greenish waters are what I imagine when I think “Caribbean Sea.”
Manzanillo Beach, a bit farther south from Puerto Viejo, is home to a wide stretch of beach AND an old shipwreck.
Check out my full blog on Manzanillo, many more photos of the ship, plus the history of how it got here:
🌎 Jared’s Detours BLOG : Manzanillo Beach & Shipwreck
Playa Negra is a black sand beach close to Puerto Viejo. Its very fine black sand appears especially striking from above, set against the greens in the Caribbean Sea and the palm trees toward the road.
Playa Cocles is another nice beach, with a wide swath of sand between the water and the road. It’s home to surf schools, street food, and other beach activities. It’s home to some of the best surfing waves in Costa Rica, so swimming here comes with a caution.
Where to Stay in Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is full of different hotel and rental options. These are some of my favorites.
If you’re looking for five-star, relaxing luxury, head to Aguas Claras. It’s part of the Cayuga Collection of hotels, and is right on the main road south of the town of Puerto Viejo.
➡️ BOOK: Aguas Claras (5-star hotel with private beach)
While the suites and cabins offer a secluded stay, they’re also part of Puerto Viejo’s history.
The bungalows you can stay in at Aguas Claras were the original homes on Playa Chiquita, the adjacent beach. A mother and daughter bought the property several years ago, and renovated them into the contemporary cabins. Several of them have beautiful outdoor bathrooms and showers!
We’re only spending 5 days in Costa Rica, but two of the nights will be in Puerto Viejo. For a different experience on “night two,” consider the Shawandha Ecolodge.
It’s just down the street from Aguas Claras, and offers each guest a secluded hut or bungalow, surrounded by rainforest.
➡️ BOOK: Shawandha Ecolodge (secluded, good deal)
I loved the design of Shawandha’s property, which is meant to blend into the surrounding ecosystem. You’ll see native Costa Rican wildlife scurrying around the paths as you head to your. bungalow. Several of them line a lap pool at the back of the property.
There’s an extra emphasis on sustainability and the environment at Shawandha. The staff is especially proud of their “ceibo tree,” which reminds me of the “Tree of Life” in the Avatar movies. They say this ceibo is a couple hundred years old. It towers above the surrounding rainforest!
Other Things to Do in Puerto Viejo
The town of Puerto Viejo is lively, and full of friendly people. I’d recommend walking around or renting a bike to explore it, and sample some of the local cuisine.
You’ll find several chocolate stores and tours, since the region is known for its sustainably-produced cacao products.
📍BOOK a Tour: The Chocolate Forest
📍 BOOK a Class: Chocolate Making
📍 BOOK a Tour: White Water Rafting Trip on the Pacuare River
Road Trip Day 3: Puerto Viejo: Wildlife Rescue & National Park
It’s worth spending 2 of your 5 days in Costa Rica in Puerto Viejo, because it has so much to offer! On the third day of our road trip, I suggest heading to an amazing animal wildlife rescue operation right in town. Then we’ll head to a national park in the afternoon, before departing Puerto Viejo for Central Costa Rica.
We’ll be spending the night in the San Miguel area, north of San Jose. But first… our day focused on Costa Rica’s wildlife!
The Jaguar Rescue Center
You’ll be in awe of the work being done at the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo! The focus is truly on the injured and orphaned animals that are brought in by law enforcement and locals up and down Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast.
If you’re an animal lover, the wildlife rescue alone will be worth the entire drive from San Jose to Puerto Viejo!
You can learn all about the animals, and see their photos at my blog:
🌎 Jared’s Detours BLOG: Visit the Jaguar Rescue Center
The Jaguar Rescue Center doesn’t actually have any jaguars. They *do* have a wide variety of other animals, offer frequent tours, and a big group of enthusiastic volunteers.
If you’re strapped for time, or would like a driver or guide, you can choose from a couple tour options to take you to the rescue center and beaches:
📍 BOOK a Tour: Jaguar Rescue Center + Punta Uva Beach & Jungle
📍 BOOK a Tour: Jaguar Rescue Center + Cahuita National Park
📍BOOK a Tour: Jaguar Rescue Center from Limon’s Port
For tourists looking to get photos with sloths, the Jaguar Rescue Center isn’t the place for you. In fact, you’ll learn: sloths can have heart attacks from the stress of interacting with humans!
Plus, the goal is to release the rescued animals back into the wild. Those deemed healthy enough for re-release live away from the tour groups. The animals you’ll get to see on the tour are at the sanctuary for life.
You’ll see spider monkeys, sloths, and a wide variety of birds at the Jaguar Rescue Center.
The tours usually run in the mornings, so it’s a great way to start your day in Puerto Viejo.
Cahuita National Park
Cahuita is another of Costa Rica’s gems.
It’s a drive north of Puerto Viejo, so on the road trip, we’re stopping here as we start our journey back toward San Jose.
Cahuita is home to a lengthy coastline, plus trails in the rainforest adjacent to the beach. The nature walk is famous for the wildlife you’ll see along the path.
You’ll encounter sloths, monkeys, raccoons, and more in their natural habitat. Biologists also raise and release sea turtles right from the beach, which we were fortunate to witness.
A heads up: if you’re stopping at Cahuita in the afternoon, as we did, make sure you’re aware of the park’s closing time. It’s as early as 4:00pm, and they’re strict about clearing everyone off the beach and off the trail by then.
📍 BOOK a Tour: Cahuita National Park + Waterfall
At the end of the third day, we’re making the long drive toward San Miguel or Rio Cuarto in the Alajuela Province. It’ll take three and a half hours to make it there from Cahuita.
Road Trip Day 4: Central Costa Rica: Waterfalls
Of our 5 days in Costa Rica, the fourth will bring the most spectacular scenery (and the most challenging hike).
Costa Rica is full of waterfalls, but these have to be two of the most stunning, and they’re together on the same hike. They’re known by several names, but are commonly called Quebrada Gata and Rio Barroso.
While most of our adventures are done without a guide, this is one which *requires* assistance, for several reasons.
First, I think it would take 10 trips in to find the trail and commit it to memory. Second, you’ll be met by workers at a hydroelectric plant who will try to convince you against making the trek.
You’ll see spiders, get stung by things, and fall repeatedly along the way, but the bruises and bites are worth it for the natural beauty you’ll eventually find up the river.
Where to Stay in Central Costa Rica
Options are somewhat limited in this rural part of Costa Rica. More “glamping” sites are popping up, along with a few ecolodges to choose from:
📍BOOK: Villa Sofia Glamping in San Miguel
📍BOOK: Dome Glamping in San Miguel
After your day at the waterfalls, you’ll head south toward San Jose. An hour and a half in the car along windy roads through mountains will bring you to Santa Bárbara de Heredia, where I suggest spending your final night.
Road Trip Day 5: Mountains Outside San Jose
On this 5-day road trip, I’m bringing us back to the San Jose area for another authentic Costa Rican experience. The final stop is just a 20-minute drive from SJO (San Jose’s airport) to the area where I suggest you stay.
While the trip is sadly coming to an end, you’ll love the convenience to the rental car return and the airport! It makes for a hassle-free final day in Costa Rica.
Visit the Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Farm
Finca Rosa Blanca is both a coffee farm and a hotel. You’re welcome to tour the fields on your own, or take a tour. The two-hour nature walk will take you across the coffee plantation, and through the process of farming and production.
The tour includes a coffee tasting, and also a behind-the-scenes look at Finca Rosa Blanca’s efforts toward greater biodiversity and environmentally-friendly farming practices.
Finca Rosa Blanca is more than a coffee farm. It’s also a stunning hotel property, staffed by friendly people, and it includes a first-rate restaurant.
➡️ CLICK HERE to book Finca Rosa Blanca
The staff at Finca Rosa Blanca have earned a series of awards and recognitions, including a listing in National Geographic’s “Unique Lodges of the World.” Plus, Fodor’s named Finca to their list of “100 Best Hotels in the World!”
The restaurant is top-rate, and open-air. The food is all locally-sourced. Much of it is grown in greenhouses on-site.
The suites are beautifully done and unique. Most have terraces or patios. There are paths to follow around the property, and an infinity pool with views of San Jose off in the distance.
Driving in Costa Rica
I have a whole separate blog, detailing everything you need to know about renting a car and driving in Costa Rica.
🌎 Jared’s Detours BLOG: Driving in Costa Rica
In short, I found the rental car process pretty efficient at SJO (San Jose’s airport). We rented the most popular rental here: a white Toyota RAV4. Tourists are easy to spot, because so many of them are in white RAV4’s! It cost $200 for the 5 days.
➡️ BOOK a Car: Rental Cars in Costa Rica
You don’t need an international driver’s license to drive in Costa Rica.
Americans will encounter a few oddities along the way, including dozens of single-lane bridges, which you’ll quickly learn to handle. Plus, many of the towns (and even parts of San Jose) don’t have signs on the roads. You’ll have to follow along with the GPS on your phone to help guide you.
You’ll also find yourself sharing the roads with tractors, horses, ATVs, and a number of other animals and vehicles. Be especially careful of dogs along farm roads.
Gas station attendants will fuel your rental car up for you, and will appreciate a tip.
We had no problems with police at all. No one I asked in any part of Costa Rica had ever heard of anyone getting a speeding ticket.
If you don’t want to drive, you can also book a driver for your trip.
➡️ BOOK a Transport: Private Driver (from San Jose and other spots)
Wrap: 5 Days in Costa Rica, from San Jose to Puerto Viejo
Costa Rica is a relatively small country, packed with possibilities when it comes to adventures. While you can just drive around and make up your own itinerary, you won’t be disappointed by these stops on a quick road trip, exploring some of the best of what you can find “off the beaten path.”
Check out some of our videos from stops along the road trip:
