I spent my New Year’s holiday in beautiful Costa Rica this year. When I booked my trip, I had no expectations for the place. I planned my itinerary based upon what I discovered – and here’s how to do it yourself.

Before leaving for Costa Rica, I hadn’t done as much research as I usually do for my trips.

I did meet a Costa Rican expat in Prague during a party and cornered him for most of the evening to see what I should be doing. His advice can be summarised in 2 points:

• Hire a car if you want to get around the country.
• Stick to the west (Pacific) coast, not the Caribbean.

I reasoned that it would be worth seeing as much of the country as I could, so a car was definitely on the cards. I had no preference for the Caribbean vs Pacific coasts, but given this recommendation, I chose to happily take it instead of spending valuable holiday time testing it.

City options

I flew into San Jose, the nation’s capital. Since I landed close to New Year’s Eve, and since I figured there would be more of a party atmosphere in a city than out in the countryside, I chose to spend my first few days there.

I tried to visit some museums. Most of them claimed they’d be open till New Year’s Eve but all were closed when I tried. The only place which was open was the National Theatre. The tour is enjoyable and the building is worth seeing, especially if you like trompe l’oeil effects in your art.

The food options were not what I expected. There are way too many fast food joints in the city, and they give the place a shabby appearance. I recommend you use TripAdvisor or similar to find some more salubrious options.

Verdict: It’s a pity to say this but the capital really didn’t impress me at all. Spend a day, if you must, and verify any information you find online.

Jungle

I hired a car and drove up to the rain-forest in the north-west part of the country. The drive up was lengthy because the roads are not in the best of conditions. Estimate you will drive at around 40 km/h (25 mph) to calculate driving times.

I chose a lodge in the Puntarenas province, in Monteverde. The entire region is impressively well-maintained. I never saw litter on the roads, and the place is immaculately maintained. Speaking to people working there, I realised most of them chose the job because they’re passionate about the jungle or about their country.

I stayed in the Jaguarundi lodge. My room was in the jungle, about a 5 minute trek from the administrative building. I had never fallen asleep with the sound of so many animals around me before. I was surprised to see how quickly I got used to it. Apart from countless birds I’ve seen before, there were many monkeys screeching (and one tried to break into the restaurant). I also caught armadillos dashing across my path under cover of darkness.

I went zip lining and for a treetop canopy walk. Both of them are breathtakingly beautiful. Zip lining is fabulous for the adrenaline and, once you manage to relax, the sensation of flying through mist and rain from one tree to another. The canopy walk lets you take a more leisurely view of the jungle. It was by far one of the most spectacular treks in nature I’ve ever done.

Verdict: Not to be missed. Make sure you take a jacket – there’s a reason it’s called a rain-forest.

Beach Life

After the stay in the jungle, I wanted some sea and opted for the Agua Dulce resort on the south-west right on the Pacific coast. Puerto Jimenez is on a large natural peninsula jutting out into the Pacific. Playa Platanares is a long, quiet beach which goes on for as far as the eye can see. I walked its entire extent on day – 8 km (about 5 miles) and only saw 3 other people. I really did feel like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe.

This part of the holiday was much more laid back. The absence of any organised activities at the resort didn’t bother me because all I wanted was to unwind. I spent my days walking along the beach, swimming in the surprisingly warm Pacific and drinking daiquiris at the resort bar.

Verdict: If you want peace and quiet, the Costa Rican beach is for you.

Conclusion

I wanted to split my holiday into several parts just so I could enjoy as much of Costa Rica as possible. I know people who would have only stayed in the jungle, and others who would have wanted nothing more than the beach. By splitting things up like this, I think I managed to get the best of all worlds.

How would you have split your holiday up?