7 Day Costa Rica Itinerary

Enjoying scenic views at Lola’s, Playa Avellana.

Exploring the Guanacaste region of Northern Costa Rica.

Little Hawaii inside the beach club at Hacienda Pinilla

DAY 1

Travel To Liberia Guanacaste Airport from JFK. Drove 1.5 hours to Hacienda Pinilla which boasts over 4,500 acres of gated resort communities, beaches & activities. The first day we explored Hacienda Pinilla’s beach club & sunset at Little Hawaii, the beach just a few steps from the beach club.

DAY 2

We went into Tamarindo which is the most tourist driven surfer town near Hacienda Pinilla & stocked up on groceries. We had more family arriving so we enjoyed the pool for a few hours while we waited. We decided to enjoy sunset & ate at Lola’s which has Playa Avellana in front.

Mango smoothies at Lola’s reminded me of my favorite mango smoothies in the Philippines. SO GOOD.

DAY 3

Playa Conchal, the most picturesque ocean with turquoise waters & sea shells instead of sand. This was my absolute favorite beach. You park next to Playa Brasilito, pay $4 for all day parking & walk about 10 minutes on the beach towards Playa Conchal. Over a little hill, you will find the most pristine ocean water with vendors right there selling souvenirs. They sell you $30-$40 tents which is worth it because the heat is no joke in the dry season. We rented chairs & 1 long lounge chair. It is the best thing to purchase because it is a scorcher, & you’ll want to spend time there! They also provide food & drink menus. There are local vendors walking around all day to help you. The locals are wonderful!

Playa Conchal’s beautiful waters & seashells under your feet.

DAY 4

Explored Diamante Eco Adventure Park & saw sloths, jaguars, monkeys, butterflies, snakes, birds of paradise like toucans, pumas & more. This was the hottest day of all so we enjoyed the pool after & decided to grill at the house.

Beautiful birds in Diamanta Eco Adventure Park.

DAY 5

We decided to check out Playa Mansita next to the Marriott hotel inside Hacienda Pinilla. This beach has beware of crocodiles signs which made it really interesting! (LOL) People were walking the beach all morning, but we opted to swim in the pool after. We went back to eat & enjoy the sunset at Lola’s, & we capped off the night at the night market at Surya near Lola’s. Avellanas is a wonderful spot with more low key shops & restaurants.

Playa Mansita signs that makes you think twice about getting in the water.

DAY 6

We went back to Playa Conchal because we had 1 more family member join us Friday afternoon, & it is worth the views. We stayed there all day then ate at Dragonfly in Tamarindo’s main strip. Afterwards we checked out all of the Tamarindo main street shops & enjoyed ice cream.

Tamarindo is a surfer mecca for competitions.

DAY 7

We did daytime shopping at all of Tamarindo’s shops & bought souvenirs, enjoyed the pool & grilled, checked out a local beach called Playa Langosta where there were plenty of howler monkeys, & capped off the trip at the Pangas Beach Club.

Slothtoes store where everything is sloth themed.

DAY 8

Travel day back to New York with plenty of tans & island memories.

Pangas Beach Club to cap off the trip. Wonderful seafood with howler monkeys in the trees.

TIPS

506 Transfers for airport roundtrip pickup & drop off

Rent a 4 x 4 diesel car - A MUST because a lot of roads are still rough & you don’t know what you’re going to run into on your day trips

Rent a golf cart! We saw a lot of people exploring on golf carts & it’s convenient

Book your airline ticket early to save money. All of our flights came in around the same time early mid day so plan accordingly if you have events you are in town for! Customs was fast for us because they let us go in a short line with children, but it takes typically 30 minutes or so to get through immigration. You also want to take into consideration how long it’ll take from the airport into your stay.

Ask locals where they love to eat! We were told by locals to eat at Pangas Beach Club for fresh seafood catch & Dragonfly. Both restaurants were so good.

Support local in the night markets. Tamarindo has night markets Thursday nights, Avellanas has markets Friday nights. They have farmer’s markets Saturday mornings.

There is an accommodation for every group or event type. Tamarindo is more rowdy & a tourist hot spot with bars, restaurants, stores, cafes, etc all lined up & plenty of hotels, hostels, resorts. Hacienda Pinilla has over 400 homes available for rent & is a highly secured resort community with security guards at the main entrance & the entrance of each little community inside.

Playa Conchal- was voted the most beautiful beach in the world in 2022. There are so many beach options, but I really do think this one is a MUST for every visitor. Playa Brasilito which takes you to Conchal has black sand, but as soon as you go over a little hill & see the white sand made of sea shells & the turquoise waters, I think you will feel very lucky & in awe! Buy tents & chairs. It is soooo hot & you will burn in the dry season with 95 degree weather. Support the locals & check out the souvenirs they’re selling on the beach. Try all the water activities offered like horse back riding, snorkeling, jet skiing, etc. We had beach shoes for the kids, but I was fine without my beach shoes. Really up to you!

Currency-I think it’s better to get colones so you can pay exactly what vendors are asking for even though most places take cards

Stock up on groceries, enjoy local vendors stalls, explore all the beaches! They all have a different vibe.