We fell in love with Costa Rica (as trite as it might sound) during our first visit 5 years ago. That time, we were based in Uvita, a small settlement in the Puntarenas Province on the Pacific Coast of Southern Costa Rica. Back then, we spent all 10 days exploring the local jungle and secluded beaches, which were within a short walking distance. We also took advantage of multiple high-end gourmet dining opportunities in the neighboring Ojochal. A guided one-day boat trip to the Corcovado National Park and Cano Island (via Sierpe river and Drake Bay) sparked our interest into that corner of Costa Rica. This winter, we were ready for more variety and adventure in the country’s remote South.
Going Back to Costa Rica
Based on our previous experiences and additional research, we made significant modifications to our Southern Costa Rica trip itinerary. This time, we extended our visit to 15 days (instead of 9) and stayed overnight in San Jose upon arrival and before departure. We also broke up the driving into several legs and stayed in 4 different places along the way. Finally, we did not take the Costal Road (Route 34), which is faster and uncomplicated (and therefore, more popular). We drove Route 2 (Carretera Interamericana) through the Talamanca Mountain Range instead and never regretted that decision.
A driving route through Southern Costa Rica
South Costa Rica and Osa Peninsula
2-week travel itinerary
San Jose – 1 night
San Jose – San Isidro del General (via Rt.2). Distance 95 miles, travel time 3-4 hours
Cloud Forest – 3 nights
Quizarra (near San Isidro de El General)
- Day trip to the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve
- Half-day guided bird-watching tour in Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary
San Isidro – San Vito (via Rt.2 and Rt.237). Distance 85 miles, travel time ~3 hours
Wet Premontane Forest – 2 nights
San Vito
- Visiting Wilson Botanical Garden and hiking forest trails at Las Cruces Biological Station
- Day Tour to Las Tablas Protected Area
- Morning walk at Finca Cantaros
San Vito – Puerto Jimenez (via Rt.16 and Rt.2). Distance 93 miles, travel time ~3 hours
Lowland Rain forest – 7 nights
Osa Peninsula (Matapalo Beach)
Nature Walks with Lapa Rios Lodge
Puerto Jimenez – Platanillo (via Rt.2). Distance 110 miles, travel time ~3 hours
Cloud Forest – 1 night
Elegant garden, forest trails and sunset with pina colada at Quinta Heliconia
Platanillo – San Jose (via Rt.34). Distance 140 miles, travel time ~4 hours
San Jose – 1 night
Why visit Southern Costa Rica?
According to the data published by El Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, Costa Rica’s remote South is the least visited part of the country. If you are looking to spend time in a less-traveled secluded areas, this corner of the country would be a natural choice.
Tourist visits (%) to different regions of Costa Rica in 2017. (Source: ict.go.cr).
There is another reason for visiting “Pacifico Sur” is the access to a greater number of National Parks and Nature Reserves, including the largest (and least visited) in the nation and the entire Central America (e.g. La Amistad, Corcovado and Tapanti National Parks). If you are looking for seclusion and authentic experience of Costa Rica’s wildlife, avoid the “tourist traps”. Check out the website The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) to compare the number of visitors recorded for different National Parks and Nature Reserves (see the map below). You will discover that more that a quarter of all visitors end up in the tiny Manuel Antonio National Park! Equipped with those numbers, you can plan your trip according to your preferences for peace and solitude.
National Parks and Nature Reserves of Costa Rica (Source: ict.go.cr)
Flying Copa Airlines to Costa Rica via Panama City
During this trip to Costa Rica, we chose Copa Airline as our carrier and did not regret this decision. You can read our honest assessment of the trip in more detail in Flying Copa to Costa Rica. In short, flying via Panama, saved us money and potential headaches of flying the regular routes, which most American tourists take.