A week is the perfect amount of time to see the best of Guanacaste from a base in Playa Grande, with beach days, wildlife, a volcano and great food. Here is a relaxed plan you can adjust to suit your group.
Day 1: Arrive and settle in
Fly into Liberia (LIR), about an hour's drive from Playa Grande. Stop for groceries on the way, check in, cool off in the pool and walk down to the beach for your first Pacific sunset.
Day 2: Playa Grande beach day
Spend the morning on the sand. Take a surf lesson if you are a beginner, or walk north at low tide to the rock pools at Playa Ventanas. Lunch at a local café, then an afternoon by the pool. Read our Playa Grande guide for where to eat.
Day 3: Tamarindo and a sunset sail
Cross the estuary to Tamarindo for shopping and lunch, then join an afternoon catamaran cruise with snorkelling and the sunset from the water. See our Tamarindo guide.
Day 4: Mangroves and wildlife
Take a guided boat or kayak tour through the Tamarindo estuary to look for crocodiles, herons, kingfishers and howler monkeys. In nesting season, book a night tour to see leatherback turtles.
Day 5: Rincón de la Vieja volcano
Drive about two hours to Rincón de la Vieja National Park to hike past bubbling mud pots and fumaroles, swim under a waterfall and soak in hot springs. It is a long but unforgettable day.
Day 6: Beaches up the coast
Explore the beaches to the north: Playa Conchal with its crushed-shell sand and calm, clear water for snorkelling, and Playa Flamingo for lunch with a view. Golfers can swap this day for a round at a nearby course; see golf near Playa Grande.
Day 7: Slow morning and farewell
Have a last swim, try gallo pinto for breakfast (see our Costa Rican food guide) and head back to Liberia for your flight.
Want a different plan?
Use our free Costa Rica trip planner to build a route around your own dates, airports and interests, including add-ons like Arenal or Monteverde.
