Arenal and the north: Self-Drive holidays in Costa Rica

Self-Drive holidays in Costa Rica

With its first-rate infrastructure and quiet, scenic roads, Costa Rica is ideally suited to self-drive exploration. There are few motorways, but the chance to take your time, drink in the views and stop wherever the mood takes you makes driving here particularly rewarding.

We suggest making the most of the opportunity to take the road less travelled – with the freedom of your own transportation you can easily diverge from the tourist route now and then to stop at undiscovered beauty spots, while also making sure to visit Costa Rica's unmissable highlights.

Begin by exploring Tortuguero National Park, with its maze-like network of canals, lagoons and swamps smothered by a tangle of tropical vegetation, before picking up your car and driving west to the less-visited town of Sarapiqui. Continue on to the magical, mist-shrouded cloud-forests of Monteverde and the spectacular Arenal volcano, then head into the marshland wildlife habitats of Caño Negro Reserve. Finally, after a stay at a hot springs resort with plenty of outdoor activities to choose from, drop off the car and wind down on the wild beaches of Guanacaste.