About Where to Stay in Costa Rica

Who we are

Where to Stay in Costa Rica is an independent planning guide to where to stay in Costa Rica, including La Fortuna and Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, the Guanacaste beaches, Nosara, Santa Teresa, the Caribbean coast, Tortuguero and the Osa Peninsula. It is not an official tourism website, and it is not run by a hotel, a tour operator or a booking platform.

What we publish

We write area guides that explain which part of Costa Rica, and which part of each town, suits which kind of trip, with drive times, seasons and the trade-offs of each base. Each guide names specific hotels at different budgets and says who each one suits, so you can judge whether it fits your own trip.

How we choose areas and hotels

We start with location: what you can walk to, how far the drive is to the beaches, parks and sights people come for, and what the roads are like. We then pick named properties at each budget from their Booking.com listings, official websites and guest reviews, and note drawbacks such as steep access roads, noise or a long walk to the beach. Practical details such as park hours, ferries and drive times are checked against official sources, which we link from the guides.

Every guide shows the date its hotel details were last checked. Prices, room types and availability change, so the live booking page is always the final word before you pay. No hotel pays to be listed.

Unless a guide says otherwise, our recommendations are based on research into published listings, guest reviews and official sources, not on staying at every hotel ourselves.

How the site is funded

Some links earn us a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Our affiliate disclosure explains how this works.

Corrections

We update guides when listings or official information change.

Photo credits

Photos on this site come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under the Creative Commons licenses linked below. We have resized and cropped them. Most show the areas we cover. A hotel card photo labelled "Area photo" shows the place where the hotel is, not the hotel itself; a card photo without that label shows the hotel.

• Arenal Volcano's cone rising above rainforest and farmland near La Fortuna: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Arenal Volcano framed by palm fronds and forest near La Fortuna: BonniesPics, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Arenal Volcano seen across Lake Arenal under a cloudy sky: Tapia379, CC BY 4.0
• La Fortuna Waterfall dropping into its pool in the rainforest: Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 4.0
• The Río Celeste waterfall and its turquoise pool in Tenorio Volcano National Park: François Bianco, CC BY-SA 2.0
• A hanging bridge crossing the cloud forest canopy in Monteverde: Matthias Bethke, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Playa Manuel Antonio's curved white-sand beach inside the national park: RAMDOM X, Public domain
• The shell-sand beach of Playa Conchal on the Guanacaste coast: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
• The wide sandy beach at Tamarindo with hills across the bay: Bob Henricks from Charlottesville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Sunset over Playa Sámara and the island in its bay: Julián Monge-Nájera, CC BY-SA 4.0
• A wave breaking off the Nosara coast below forested hills: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Fishermen on the rocks at sunset on Playa Santa Teresa: Christopher Crouzet, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Palms and a fishing boat on the beach at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca: Letartean, CC BY 3.0
• Tortuguero's lagoon and rainforest between the river and the Caribbean Sea: Suna no onna, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Drake Bay's dark-sand shore and forested hills on the Osa Peninsula: José R., CC BY 3.0
• Palm trees along Playa Uvita in Marino Ballena National Park: Alfarjores, CC BY 4.0
• The Teatro Nacional in central San José: David Broad, CC BY 3.0
• Hot-spring water cascading over rocks and roots in the gardens of Tabacón Thermal Resort: kajikawa, CC BY 3.0
• Arenal Volcano rising above forest, seen from The Springs Resort & Spa: BonniesPics, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Arenal Observatory Lodge buildings on a ridge facing Arenal Volcano: Erick Hidalgo, CC BY 3.0
• The cone of Arenal Volcano above green pastures and forest: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Arenal Volcano above rainforest on the outskirts of La Fortuna: Hiram Montiel Calder…, CC BY-SA 3.0
• La Fortuna's church with Arenal Volcano behind the town: Matthias Prinke, CC BY-SA 2.5
• A street in La Fortuna with Arenal Volcano rising behind the town: Beate Schröder-Wettwer, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Lake Arenal surrounded by green hills: Beate Schröder-Wettwer, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Arenal Volcano and the flatter Chato Volcano under a partly cloudy sky: Asdfjrjjj, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Buildings of El Establo Mountain Hotel on a green hillside in Monteverde: Javier Losa, CC BY 2.0
• The Trapp Family Lodge building among trees in Monteverde: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, CC BY 2.0
• A deep valley among the hills around Santa Elena, Monteverde: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Forested hills near Santa Elena seen from a trail in the Monteverde Ecological Sanctuary: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Rooftops of Santa Elena village among the green Monteverde hills: Fran Devinney, CC BY 2.0
• Shops and parked cars on a street in the centre of Santa Elena: Erebus555, CC BY-SA 3.0
• A paved trail through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0
• A wooden guest cabin in the tropical gardens of Mawamba Lodge, Tortuguero: C T Johansson, CC BY 3.0
• Guest cabins among palms and lawns at Laguna Lodge, Tortuguero: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, CC BY 2.0
• A boat on a forest-lined canal in Tortuguero: Lars0001, Public domain
• A broad Tortuguero waterway lined with rainforest: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, CC BY 2.0
• Houses at the water's edge on the river approach to Tortuguero village: Greg Frediani, Public domain
• Waterway and rainforest in Tortuguero National Park: caspar s, CC BY 2.0
• A narrow lane between colourful houses in Tortuguero village: John Menard from Phoenix, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
• The long black-sand Caribbean beach at Tortuguero: Rômulo Gama Ferreira from Vitória-ES, CC BY 2.0
• A Caribbean wave breaking near Punta Cocles, south of Puerto Viejo: Bernal Saborio from Costa Rica, CC BY-SA 2.0
• A quiet forest-backed beach at Playa Chiquita: Manuel Velazquez, CC BY 3.0
• A calm, forest-fringed beach at Manzanillo: Manuel Velazquez, CC BY 3.0
• Leaning palms over the beach at Manzanillo: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Dark sand at Playa Negra, Puerto Viejo, framed by a tree: Jsfouche, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Shops and palms along the main street of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca: hh oldman, CC BY 3.0
• A leaning palm over the sand on a beach at Cahuita: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
• The beach at the entrance to Cahuita National Park: Pavel Kirillov from St.Petersburg, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0
• A wooden footbridge on a trail in Cahuita National Park: Armando Maynez from Lausanne, Switzerland, CC BY 2.0
• The beach at Punta Uva on the south Caribbean coast: Jaimedelamata, CC BY-SA 3.0
• The facade of the Gran Hotel Costa Rica on Plaza de la Cultura, San José: Carol C., CC BY 2.0
• Iglesia Santa Teresita in Barrio Aranjuez, San José: Antonio Solera, CC BY 3.0
• A residential street in Barrio Escalante, San José: Emabcr, CC BY-SA 4.0
• The Escazú hills rising above rooftops west of San José: O'Dea, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Sun rays over the hills of Escazú, west of San José: Oscar W. Rasson, CC BY 2.0
• The terminal at Juan Santamaría International Airport near Alajuela: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz (Mariordo), CC BY-SA 3.0
• Alajuela Cathedral with its red dome: Lex.mercurio, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Coffee plants on a farm in the hills of San Isidro de Alajuela: Wayne77, CC BY-SA 4.0
• The Teñideros, where two streams mix to turn the Río Celeste sky blue: François Bianco, CC BY-SA 2.0
• The bright blue Río Celeste waterfall in Tenorio Volcano National Park: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0
• The turquoise Río Celeste flowing through forest in Tenorio Volcano National Park: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Tenorio Volcano on the horizon beyond forested hills: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Laguna Danta, a lagoon in an inactive crater of Tenorio Volcano near Bijagua: Yasif89, CC BY-SA 4.0
• The converted Boeing 727 fuselage suite at Hotel Costa Verde, Manuel Antonio: Gotanero, CC BY-SA 4.0
• A forest-backed beach in Manuel Antonio: jmcmichael from No Fixed Abode, The World, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Playa Espadilla Norte beside Manuel Antonio National Park: Axxis10, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Swimmers at Playa Manuel Antonio below the forested headland: Keagiles, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Rocky cliffs and offshore islets on the Manuel Antonio coast: Tarrazu, Public domain
• Sunset over the Pacific from Manuel Antonio: Kenza Gharbi, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Forested hills on the edge of Quepos with the Pacific beyond: Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Boats moored at the marina in Quepos: Hanay, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Bahía Prieta and the dry-forest hills of the Papagayo Peninsula: LorraineAtkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Sunset over Bahía Culebra with a sailboat at anchor: Federico Mata, CC BY 3.0
• Sunset over Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste: Guacamolio, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Playa Hermosa's bay seen from the hills above: François Bianco, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Turquoise water and pale shell sand at Playa Conchal: Saraedum, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Brasilito Bay seen from the hills, with a curving beach and a small rocky island: WClarke, CC BY-SA 4.0
• The pale sand beach at Playa Flamingo: NoTalkMan, CC0
• The pool at Hotel Capitán Suizo with the ocean beyond: Bob Henricks from Charlottesville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Playa Langosta, the quieter beach just south of Tamarindo: ImagePerson, CC0
• The sweep of Tamarindo beach: Jarle Naustvik, CC BY 2.0
• Aerial view of Tamarindo Bay with Playa Langosta, Isla Capitán and Playa Grande: Tamarindowiki, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Playa Grande at dawn in Las Baulas National Marine Park: 01Jape, CC BY-SA 4.0
• The river mouth at the Nosara Biological Reserve: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0
• The wide sand of Playa Nosara: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
• The Nosara coastline and forested hills seen from a light aircraft: Alegutierrezc, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Waves breaking off the forested Nosara coast, with a seabird overhead: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0
• The Río Nosara running high in the rainy season: Di (they-them), CC BY-SA 4.0
• Sunset over Santa Teresa bay seen from the hillside above Mal País: LOG83, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Sunset through a silhouetted tree at Playa Santa Teresa: Vixitaly, CC BY 3.0
• People on the sand at sunset on Playa Santa Teresa: Vixitaly, CC BY 3.0
• The beach path and sign at the entrance to Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, Montezuma: micah420, CC BY 2.0
• The beach in front of Montezuma village: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
• The Montezuma waterfall dropping into a rocky pool: Vlad Podvorny, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Montezuma beach looking south along the coast: micah420, CC BY 2.0
• Montezuma beach looking north along the Nicoya Peninsula coast: micah420, CC BY 2.0
• The sand tombolo at Punta Uvita in Marino Ballena National Park, with mountains behind: Yricordel, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Forest on the hills above a long beach near Uvita: belemita, CC BY 3.0
• Rainforest canopy and a glimpse of the Pacific from the hills of Ojochal: Los Paseos from Earth, CC BY-SA 2.0
• A beach in Marino Ballena National Park with forested mountains behind: Federico Mata, CC BY 3.0
• The wide sand and palms of Playa Ventanas near Ojochal: Los Paseos from Earth, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Rock shelves exposed at low tide at Dominicalito: Catinmotion, CC BY-SA 4.0
• The surf beach at Dominical backed by forest: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Red sunset sky over the sea at Lapa Rios on the Osa Peninsula: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Aerial view of Puerto Jiménez and its waterfront on the Golfo Dulce: Durmanb, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Evening light over the calm water of the Golfo Dulce: David Broad, CC BY 3.0
• Palms and rocks on the coast of Corcovado National Park, seen from the water: José R., CC BY 3.0
• Sand, rocks and palms on the beach at Drake Bay: Imatges, algunes lle…, CC BY 3.0
• Palms leaning over a wild beach in Corcovado National Park: rob Stoeltje from loenen, netherlands, CC BY 2.0
• Driftwood on a beach in Corcovado National Park: Bernard Gagnon, CC0
• A palm-backed beach with boulders in Corcovado National Park: José R., CC BY 3.0