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Costa Rica's Classic Loop: Route Guide

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Arenal volcano's cone rising over rainforest
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Costa Rica’s six-day classic loop links San José’s museums with Arenal’s marked lava-field trail, Monteverde’s timed cloud-forest walks and Manuel Antonio’s main easy forest trail. Quepos’s waterfront adds a Pacific town stop.

Costa Rica's Classic Loop is a 520 km loop (self-drive). It works best as a 6-day trip; the plan below is the 6-day version for February, built from 162 verified places, with real road-routed transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

6
days
520km
distance
4
Stops
162
curated stops

View ready-made plans 6-day plan · best time to go

The route

San José→ 130 kmLa Fortuna (Arenal)→ 120 kmMonteverde→ 180 kmManuel Antonio
La Fortuna waterfall streaming down a green cliff in Costa Rica

La Fortuna · Day 1

Fortuna Waterfall

Feel the mist and hear the rush of water as you stand by the pool.

6-day plan →

Photo: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) · CC BY-SA 4.0

What you'll see

Museo Nacional
Wander through historic halls and vibrant butterfly gardens adorned with stone spheres.
San José
Arenal Volcano National Park — Sector Volcán trails
Walk the marked Las Coladas trail from the legal Sector Volcán entrance for forest, lava-field and volcano viewpoints.
La Fortuna (Arenal)
Catarata Los Murcielagos - Monteverde Waterfall
Cool off in the waterfall pool after a short, scenic hike.
Monteverde
Manuel Antonio National Park
Walk the park’s main easy forest trail after purchasing admission online.
Manuel Antonio
Museo del Jade
Explore luminous jade treasures from ancient civilizations in a sleek setting.
San José
Arenal Butterfly Conservatory
Watch vibrant butterflies flutter among lush tropical plants.
La Fortuna (Arenal)

Choose your length

6-day plan19 stops · 16.6 h transit3.2 stops/day · 2.8 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: January, February, March, April, December

Dry season: volcano views, dusty cloud-forest roads and busy beaches — reserve Monteverde walks ahead.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

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View ready-made plans