Plan your days
Our house in Tarbaca sits just south of San José, so most of Costa Rica's Central Valley highlights are an easy day out, and the Pacific beaches are about two hours away. Here are the trips our guests and our own family enjoy most.
Distances are by road from the house. Times are typical; Costa Rica's mountain roads are slow, and traffic around San José and afternoon rain can add time. Leave early for volcanoes, which are clearest in the morning.
| Day trip | Distance | Drive each way |
|---|---|---|
| Poás Volcano National Park | 62 km | About 2 hours |
| La Paz Waterfall Gardens | 64 km | About 2 hours |
| Irazú Volcano National Park | 54 km | 1 hr 45 min–2 hours |
| Cartago & the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels | 30 km | 45–60 minutes |
| Orosi Valley | 44 km | About 1 hr 15 min |
| Braulio Carrillo National Park | 56 km | About 1 hr 30 min |
| Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center | 39 km | About 1 hour |
| Coffee farm tours in the Central Valley | 40 km and up | About 1 hr 15 min |
| San Gerardo de Dota | 76 km | About 2 hr 30 min |
| Jacó Beach | 109 km | 2–2 hr 30 min |
| Manuel Antonio National Park | About 180 km | About 3 hours or more |
| The Caribbean coast (Cahuita & Puerto Viejo) | About 230 km | About 4 hours |
Don't want to drive? We provide a driver with a van for day trips, airport transfers and overnight excursions. Call to ask.
One of Costa Rica's most visited volcanoes, with a viewpoint over a huge active crater. Tickets must be bought online in advance for a set time slot. Go early: clouds usually roll in by late morning. In the rainy season mornings matter even more.
Tip: Easy to pair with La Paz Waterfall Gardens on the same day.
A private nature park with a chain of waterfalls reached by trails and stairs, plus hummingbird, butterfly and wildlife exhibits. Good for families and all ages.
Tip: Combine with Poás, or with a stop at a Central Valley coffee farm.
Costa Rica's highest active volcano. On a clear morning you can look down into the craters, and on rare days see toward both coasts. It is cold at the summit, so bring a jacket.
Tip: Stop in Cartago on the way back. Read our Irazú Volcano visitor tips.
Costa Rica's former capital and home of the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, the country's most important pilgrimage site, plus the ruins of the old Santiago Apóstol parish church.
Tip: Short half-day outing, or add Irazú or the Orosi Valley.
A green valley of coffee fields and rivers below Cartago, with lookouts, hot springs pools and one of the oldest colonial churches still in use in Costa Rica.
Tip: A relaxed scenic drive; lunch in the valley.
Dense rainforest on the road toward the Caribbean. The Quebrada González sector has short marked trails with rivers, birds and big trees.
Tip: Start early and bring rain gear any time of year.
A rescue and rehabilitation center near Alajuela where you can see sloths, big cats, birds and other native animals up close.
Tip: Handy on an arrival or departure day, since it is near the airport.
Several working coffee estates on the slopes of Poás and Barva offer tours from the field to the cup. You can also taste our own Pura Vida World coffee, grown right at the house.
Tip: Combine with Poás or La Paz.
A cloud-forest valley in the Talamanca mountains known for quetzal sightings, trout fishing, waterfall hikes and cool air. Our owner's favorite overnight trip.
Tip: Read our trip to Sevegre in San Gerardo de Dota.
The closest big surf beach to the Central Valley, with surf lessons, restaurants and sunsets over the Pacific. Spend the day at the beach and sleep in the cool mountains.
Tip: Stop at the Tárcoles River bridge to look for crocodiles.
Beaches, rainforest trails and monkeys, sloths and birds in one small national park on the central Pacific coast. Tickets are sold online and daily visitor numbers are limited.
Tip: Best as an overnight trip rather than a same-day return.
Reggae-flavored beach towns, Cahuita National Park and a completely different culture from the Pacific side.
Tip: Plan at least one or two nights on the coast.
Stays at our house in Tarbaca are by inquiry only. Call the owner to talk about your trip.