Backpacking Costa Rica: 10 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in Costa Rica, ranked and mapped — and real routes through them, written by travellers who went.
Read Costa Rica stories- 1
La Fortuna
Alajuela
Arenal volcano and hot springs.
2
Monteverde
Puntarenas
Misty cloud-forest zip lines.
3
Manuel Antonio
Puntarenas
Rainforest meets beach.
4
Tamarindo
Guanacaste
Laid-back surf town.
5
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Limón
Caribbean reggae beaches.
- 6
Tortuguero
Limón
Canals and nesting turtles.
- 7
Corcovado National Park
Puntarenas
Wildest rainforest in the country.
8
San José
San José
Central capital and markets.
- 9
Rio Celeste
Alajuela
Sky-blue jungle waterfall.
10
Santa Teresa
Puntarenas
Bohemian surf and yoga.
Backpacking routes through Costa Rica
Real trips through Costa Rica, drawn on maps by the people who took them.
Backpacking Costa Rica — Routes, Real Costs and How to Do It Cheap
A complete Costa Rica backpacking guide — the classic volcano-to-beach route, what it really costs in 2026, how the buses work, and when the green season is actually a good idea.
Volcano to Cloud Forest to Coast: The Classic Costa Rica Loop Without a Rental Car
Costa Rica by public bus and boat: La Fortuna's volcano and hot springs, the jeep-boat-jeep to Monteverde, then Manuel Antonio and Uvita — costs and seasons.
Been backpacking in Costa Rica?
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