Costa Rica Self-Drive Vacations
You don't have to drive to explore Costa Rica, but it helps you get to special places most don't know about. While it's simple enough to get transfers between busy places like Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, we prefer to avoid these to show you a Costa Rica with more personality, and fewer visitors. Vehicles are good, roads are mostly decent and distances not huge. Seatbelts on for these, our exceptional self-drive vacations to Costa Rica.
All of our Costa Rica Self-Drive Vacations can be tailored to your needs. We're only an email away if you have any queries or any specific things you'd love to include.
5 Trips
5 Trips
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![hotel with pool in costa rica]()
![crossing hanging bridge near drake bay]()
![capuchin monkeys corcovado national park]()
![scarlet macaws in flight]()
![aerial view of rainforest and wild beaches of corcovado national park on the osa peninsula]()
![wildlife guide showing a hermit crab to two female travllers on a wild beach on the osea peninsula]()
![smiling lady holding an orange cacao fruit up to the camera]()
![bright red coffee cherries held in harvester's hand]()
![vehicle driving on dusty dirt road surrounded by trees with pacific ocean in the background]()
![two ladies harvesting coffee beans smiling amid lush vegetation]()
![cano island biological reserve]()
Bestseller!Costa Rica's Hidden Highlights
- Pura Vida hosting
- Wildlife wonders
- Our flagship Costa Rica journey
From$3,200pp -
![Close-up of a hermit crab being gently held by a guide in Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, with blurred forest foliage in the background. 1/2]()
![Wooden cabins with red roofs nestled among lush green trees in the cloud forest at Trogon Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, with mist drifting through the valley.]()
![Squirrel monkey clambering through the branches of dense tropical forest in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, with dappled sunlight highlighting its golden limbs and expressive face.]()
![Caiman resting at the edge of a waterway in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, partially submerged with its eyes just above the surface, surrounded by reflections of dense green vegetation.]()
![Resplendent quetzal perched on a mossy branch in the cloud forest near Trogon Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, its vivid green and red plumage standing out against the soft, misty woodland backdrop.]()
![Three-toed sloth nestled in the branches of a tree in Cahuita, Costa Rica, its shaggy fur blending with the surrounding leaves as it rests peacefully among the canopy.]()
![Olive ridley sea turtles hatching on the dark sands of Ostional beach, Costa Rica]()
![guests taking photo with a large zoom leans in a boat exploring the narrow creeks of tortuguero]()
![baby white-faced capuchin in the verdant rainforests of cahuita national park]()
![Woman walking barefoot along a deserted tropical beach with gentle waves lapping at the shore, backed by lush rainforest and palm trees under a hazy, golden sky.]()
![smiling lady with a telephoto lens in a garden surrounded by lush plants]()
Wildlife Wonders of Costa Rica
- Naturalist guides
- Specialist ecolodges
- Tortuguero to Osa Peninsula
From$3,900pp -
![spider monkey landing on branch on osa peninsula]()
![smiling lady holding a cacao fruit in costa rica]()
![family posing on caribbean beach]()
![girl in hammock in house above clouds]()
![bairds tapir walking towards the camera on a wild beach in the osa peninsula]()
![teenagers canyoning costa rica]()
![lady in hammock on beach]()
![boys playing football on beach in costa rica]()
![cattle in the road on the osa peninsula]()
![sloth cahuita national park]()
Costa Rica's Ultimate Family Adventure
- Untamed wildlife
- Cool hangouts
- Get active teens off their screens
From$3,300pp -
![road sign with outline of a toucan telling drivers to slow down next to a paved road in the jungles of costa rica]()
![smiling male guide with arms spread wide amid the rivers of bajos del toro]()
![a wooden cabin secluded in lush greenery near tenorio]()
![fresh slada and fried fish lunch on a table with a sandy beach in the background]()
![empty white-sand beach with palm trees on the nicoya peninsula]()
![aerial view of a tall waterfall nestled in green forests in bajos del toro]()
![an olive ridley turtle hatchling emerges from its nest on the beach at ostional]()
![scarlet macaw eating a leaf near carara national park]()
![a pile of yellow and orange cacao fruits being cut open by a pair of local men during the cacao harvest]()
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![smiling lady in a hammock on a hotel terrace]()
Costa Rica's Pacific North
- Slow & scenic travel
- Charming hosts
- Extra independent time
From$3,800pp -
![toucans feeding in tree near dominical]()
![smiling lady and guide on beach in costa rica]()
![hotel with swimming pool surrounded by forest]()
![hiking on turrialba volcano]()
![lady in hammock on costa rica beach]()
![hiking to rio celeste]()
![squirrel monkey in tree in corcovado national park]()
![coffee cherries near turrialba]()
![children playing football caribbean costa rica]()
![guided hike wild beaches osa peninsula]()
![lady with cacao fruit costa rica]()
Costa Rica's Month of Wonders
- Wildlife & local life
- Every ecosystem
- Extraordinary journey made easy
From$10,000pp
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Costa Rica Road Trips
Freedom to Explore
The freedom to explore lends a spirit of discovery to your trip. It lets you detour to a waterfall hidden down a side road, stop at a roadside shack to talk to locals or visit a wild beach your host has just told you all about.
Driving in Costa Rica
There's no great difficulty driving in Costa Rica - take it steady and it's very safe. You have local support, an eSim to keep you connected and GPS technology that makes navigation nice and easy.
Pura Vida!
Our driving vacations are not really about the driving though. They are about macaws and monkeys, coffee and cacao, about meeting the people of Costa Rica and experiencing nature at its most pristine.