One-Week Travel Itinerary for Exploring the Nicoya Peninsula
The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica includes the provinces of northern Guanacaste and southern Puntarenas. It is also considered to be one of the world’s Blue Zones – places where people seem to be healthier and live longer. This region is one of the most popular areas to visit, and for plenty of valid reasons. While it would be impossible to see it all in just one week, here is an action-packed itinerary to help you make the most of your trip to this extraordinary peninsula.
Day 1
Fly into Liberia International Airport. After clearing customs and immigration and collecting your baggage, head to Playa Tamarindo. A private shuttle is typically around $80–$90 and shared shuttles are priced at between $18–$35 a person. Stay at Capitan Suizo, which is right on the beach at the very south end of Playa Tamarindo. This town is a great starting point because everything is within walking distance and there are over 100 restaurants, plenty of beachfront bars, multiple banks, food stores, surf shops, and medical centers. Check in to your hotel and then head down to the beach for one of Tamarindo’s famous sunsets. Welcome to Costa Rica.
Day 2
Day 3
It’s time to head south. Your final stop today will be in Playa Guiones/Nosara at the Harmony Hotel. But before you get that far south, you will make a stop at the Ostional Wildlife Park just to the north. This is the famous nesting beach for the Olive Ridley sea turtle. The turtles nest all year long on this beach, but the rainy season months are the prime season. There is nothing cuter than a baby Olive Ridley sea turtle making its way to the ocean, or more amazing than a giant mother giving birth to hundreds of turtles. The beach itself is stunning and home to a number of other animals, including a great variety of birds. At the Harmony Hotel you will be treated to luxurious accommodation, sustainably sourced organic meals, a chance to practice yoga or get a spa treatment, and easy access to the expansive Playa Guiones.
Day 4
Enjoy the morning in Nosara. Take a long walk on the beach, go for a surf, take a yoga class, or have a lazy morning drinking coffee on your private patio. The Harmony Hotel has an exquisite breakfast. After checkout, it is time to move further south. The earlier you leave, the better. Your final destination today will be the bohemian beach town of Montezuma. There is a fantastic and pleasantly short hike to a beautiful waterfall in Montezuma. You can swim in the cool pool underneath the giant falls there, which will be so refreshing after the hot hike. Montezuma has several great restaurants and bars and is known for its happening nightlife.
Day 5
Head to the islands. You will leave around 9 a.m. from Montezuma to head to Isla Tortuga, a picturesque and uninhabited island about an hour away. This will be an-all day tour. You will take a boat out to the island, where it is likely that you will spot whales, dolphins, jumping stingrays, turtles, and sea birds. You can also snorkel, enjoy a beach BBQ, go kayaking, and lounge and swim on this remote island. This is something that the entire family will love.
Day 6
Head to the wetlands. It is best to leave early in the morning to head back north to the Palo Verde National Park. This is about a three-hour drive, but it will put you relatively close to the Liberia International Airport. A guided boat tour down the Tempisque River through the Palo Verde National Park is an absolute must. You are guaranteed to see tons of crocodiles, giant iguanas, monkeys, and an impressive selection of wetland and dry-forest birds. This is actually one of the top birding destinations in Guanacaste. This is a truly spectacular tour where you will see a lot of animals and learn a lot about this ecosystem. The tours also include a typical Costa Rican lunch, which is a real treat.
Day 7
Spend your last day and night at El Mangroove on the Papagayo Peninsula. When you are there, you will feel like you are a world away, but you are actually only 20 minutes from Liberia International Airport. El Mangroove is a luxurious beachfront resort that has two farm-to-table and ocean-to-table restaurants, an amazing spa, and an abundance of on-site activities. This is a great way to unwind from all your adventuring and traveling around, and just totally relax and enjoy the beach on your last day in Costa Rica.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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