Top 5 Places to Visit within One Week in Guanacaste, Costa Rica (2022)

There are so many amazing places to visit in Costa Rica! It can be overwhelming trying to decide which places should be at the top of your list, especially if you have limited time. I am currently living in Costa Rica and traveling to all the best spots, and I want to share what I've learned with you.

If you have time for a long trip and want to see all of Costa Rica, then you may want to check out the Top 10 Places to go in Costa Rica.

If you only have a week or so, I recommend sticking to one main area. In my opinion, Guanacaste should be at the top of that list! You can easily visit volcanoes, mountains, and beaches while seeing all sorts of amazing wildlife within just a week in Guanacaste. Here are my top five favorite spots in Guanacaste, Costa Rica:

1. Monteverde/Santa Elena

2. Tamarindo

3. Volcán Tenorio/Bijagua

4. Hot Springs

5. Samara

Monteverde/Santa Elena

Monteverde/Santa Elena is a mountain town that contains three cloud forests: the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, and the Children's Eternal Rain Forest. This is at the top of my list because it is one of the most unique places you can visit in Costa Rica. The temperature is also a bit cooler here, which can be a great weekend escape from the popular hot beach towns. The attractions in Monteverde include hiking, zip-lining, coffee tours, and spotting wildlife such as the two-toed sloth and the elusive quetzal.

Tamarindo

Tamarindo is a rapidly growing coastal city with some of the best surfing in the world. Tamarindo is very popular among tourists, which has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include a wide range of accommodation and dining options as well as a large English-speaking population. However, these advantages mean that you won't get a "local" experience in Tamarindo and it can be quite expensive. If Tamarindo's disadvantages outweigh the advantages for you, then the smaller coastal town of Samara might be a better fit for you.

Tenorio/Bijagua

Volcán Tenorio is a volcano with a surrounding park that includes one of the most picturesque waterfalls in all of Costa Rica (and that is saying something - there are LOT of waterfalls). The national park, which includes the volcano is located in a small mountain town called Bijagua (pronounced bi-HA-gua). Bijagua has some lovely and remote accommodation options and an opportunity to see many three-toed sloths.

Hot Springs

There are so many great hot springs in Guanacaste that even we haven't been able to visit them all yet. We have been to Rio Perdido, which is a hotel and adventure park as well as a thermal river. You can get a day pass or stay at the hotel to experience the hot springs as well as zip-lining, white water tubing, and mountain biking. Other highly recommended hot springs in Guanacaste include Vandará and Rio Negro.

Samara

Samara is a small coastal town with a laidback vibe and surprisingly excellent Italian food. Simply lounging on the beach is the primary activity in Samara. Surfing is an option, though Samara's location in a peninsula means the waves are significantly smaller than in Tamarindo. Samara is also just a short drive to Playa Carrillo, a popular beach for locals on the weekends.