Essential Costa Rica

Eight nights through Costa Rica, self-guided, from the volcanoes to the cloud forest to the Pacific, in a 4WD.

Costa Rica suits self-driving better than its reputation suggests, provided the vehicle has four-wheel drive: the distances are short, the roads are mostly surfaced and the ones that are not are the interesting ones.

San Jose opens it for a night at the Grano de Oro, with the car delivered to the hotel the next day. Arenal follows for two nights at Amor Arenal, with walks to the old lava flows, the hanging bridges through the canopy and a private kayak trip on Lake Arenal, the largest in the country at over thirty square miles, with a gondola and zip lines available. Monteverde comes next for two nights at Senda, with access to the neighbouring Aguti reserve and a private naturalist-guided walk in the cloud forest reserve, where sloths, howler and capuchin monkeys, toucans and poison dart frogs all live, though nothing can be promised. Tamarindo closes it with three nights at Capitan Suizo on the Pacific, with surf schools and Guanacaste excursions.

The 4WD compact SUV with insurance, unlimited mileage, an additional driver and GPS, the accommodation, daily breakfast, the private arrival transfer and the listed activities and guiding are all included; flights, most meals and unlisted excursions are not. The price shown is per person sharing. The dry season from December to April is the main window, though the cloud forest is wet whenever. Nine days arranged as volcano, forest and then beach is the standard Costa Rican shape for good reason, and the three nights at the end on the Pacific are what stop it becoming a tour rather than a holiday.