A comprehensive list of the best hikes in Costa Rica with all the information you need to know for each route. With trails ranging from easy to hard, there’s an adventure for everyone here.
There are a tonne of brilliant hikes in Costa Rica but, as the average traveller only visits for a few weeks, it can be difficult to decide which trails to tackle and which ones to skip.
Luckily for you, I spent 3 months in Costa Rica and hiked all over this beautiful paradise. I notched up an impressive list of routes ranging from really easy day hikes to multi-day treks.
In this guide, I break down my top recommendations for hiking trails in Costa Rica. You’ll find the key information you need to know to plan each route along with links to in-depth guides for each.
12 of the best hikes in Costa Rica
The great thing about hiking in Costa Rica is the variety of trails both in terms of difficulty but also scenery.
for example, you can tackle tough mountainous routes across multiple days to reach sky-scraping summits, or you can follow gentle coastline paths with access to stunning beaches.
I’ve personally hiked all of these next trails and can say that they offer the best of Costa Rica’s incredible nature. My pick of the bunch would be Cerro Chirripó, the Drake Bay Trail and Parque Eolico Santa Ana, but each of these routes is fun in its own way.
Hikes in Costa Rica near San José
While San José, Costa Rica’s capital city, isn’t the most exciting place, there are several fun hikes on its outskirts that are worth doing.
Parque Eolico Santa Ana
- Start/End: Provisional bus stop (near Escuela Juan Álvarez Azofeifa)
- Distance: 3.5 km
- Duration: 1 h 30 min
- Difficulty: hard
One of the outer districts of San José is Santa Ana and sitting atop the hills above this part of the city is a wind farm called Parque Eolico.
There are multiple huge wind turbines here and from the site you have great views over San José but also to distant mountains such as the Caraigres range.
This hike starts at the top of Santa Ana at a bus stop called Provisional just after Escuela Juan Álvarez Azofeifa (Juan Álvarez Azofeifa School). It’s only 3.5 km to the top but will take you at least 1 h 30 because it’s incredibly steep.
The steep dirt road really tests you and you’ll need to be fit to take it on. However, the views from the wind park are well worth it and it’s pretty cool to be up close to the tall turbines.
Here’s the full hike guide to Parque Eolico Santa Ana.
Hacienda La Chimba
- Start/End: Hacienda La Chimba
- Distance: 9 km (5 km if you take the shortcut)
- Duration: 2-3 h
- Difficulty: moderate
This is a private hiking reserve in Barrio Espańa, a district of San José close to Santa Ana. The main attraction here is the Mantra Trail, a 9-km hike which climbs the hillside through the farm’s coffee plantation to an interesting viewpoint.
The viewpoint is a massive wooden hand which you can stand in and get those Instagrammable photos. The views of the valley and San José from here are great too.
Hiking at La Chimba is a little pricey; for foreign adults the entry fee is 7,500 CRC ($15 US). However, being an easier trail makes it a good 1 to get used to hiking in Costa Rica’s hot and humid climate.
Along the trail there are cool and sometimes funny ornaments, like wooden bird carvings and the colossal buddha.
Read the full Hacienda La Chimba guide here.
Hikes in Costa Rica near Orosi
At just 1 h 30 min from San José, the Orosi Valley is the perfect place for quickly escaping to mother nature from the hustle and bustle of the capital city. The valley is known for its fertile lands – it’s actually a hotspot for coffee cultivation – and hiking trails.
Monte Sky Mirador Ecológico (Monte Sky Ecological Viewpoint)
- Start/End: Monte Sky Mirador Ecológico
- Distance: 4.5 km
- Duration: 3-4 h
- Difficulty: easy
Monte Sky is a private hiking reserve just south of the town of Orosi. The easy and short trails here offer so much; great views of the Orosi Valley and distant volcanoes, wildlife and waterfalls.
There are 4 beginner trails in the reserve each leading to cool waterfalls, the largest crashing from a height of 110 m! In total you can walk 4.5 km through dense jungle listening to the sounds of birds and with the chance of spotting animals.
Foreign adults need to pay 6,000 CRC ($12 US) to enter Monte Sky and you’ll also need to factor in a taxi to the reserve if you don’t have your own vehicle. This should cost around 10,000 CRC ($20 US). Unfortunately, there are no buses between Orosi and Monte Sky.
Find out everything you need to know to visit Monte Sky in this guide.
Mirador de Orosi (Orosi Viewpoint)
- Start/End: Orosi town
- Distance: 5.5 km
- Duration: 2 h
- Difficulty: moderate
You can either hike or bus it to Mirador de Orosi, the best vantage point for views of Orosi town and the valley.
If hiking then ignore the shortest route that appears in Google Maps. It’s wrong and will lead you to a private lane blocked by large gates. Instead, stick to the main road (Ruta 224) the entire way from Orosi, which brings you all the way up to the viewpoint.
The hike is roughly 5.5 km, lasts around 1 h 30 min and is moderately difficult thanks to the steepish climb from the valley floor. Take care on this route as the entire walk is along the main road.
I recommend bringing a picnic to eat at the viewpoint as there are plenty of tables and chairs to sit at and enjoy the views.
Here’s my complete guide to visiting Mirador de Orosi.
High Mountain Cross
- Start/End: Orosi town
- Distance: 15.5 km
- Duration: 5-7 h
- Difficulty: hard
This is a tough Costa Rica hike that takes you high up along the side of the Orosi Valley. You climb into the hills via a long gravel road and descend back to the town of Orosi via a coffee finca.
There are a few spots along the way where you get nice views of the valley and can also see how important coffee farming is to the region; there are sections of hillside completely covered in coffee plants.
The hike is a 15.5-km loop starting at and finishing in Orosi town. The distance and lots of ups and downs make this hike challenging and it’ll take you around 6 h to complete.
If you want to do it in less time, you could follow El Camino de Pepe (Pepe’s Route), which is essentially the same as High Mountain Cross except it cuts off a few kilometres at the start.
I’ve got a full guide to the High Mountain Cross/Pepe’s Route here.
Cerro Chirripó
- Start/End: San Gerardo de Rivas
- Distance: 38 km
- Duration: 2 days (can be done in 1)
- Difficulty: hard
This has to be the best hike in Costa Rica! Cerro Chirripó is not only the highest peak in the country (3,821 m), but also 1 of the most beautiful places.
When conditions are right, you can see the Milky Way as you trek through the night. And the summit is one of the few spots in the world where you can see both coasts of a country.
You can hike Cerro Chirripó over 1 or 2 days – you’ll need to be in very good shape to do it in 1 day – and can start from either San Gerardo de Rivas or San Jerónimo. I recommend the route from San Gerardo as you don’t need a guide.
The distance from San Gerardo to the summit is just over 18 km and, overall, the hike is hard. But doing it over 2 days, with a night in Creston’s Basecamp at kilometre 14, will make the trek easier. In my opinion, this is also the more enjoyable way as you can make a sunrise attempt for the summit.
Cerro Chirripó is probably the most complicated hike in Costa Rica as it requires a lot of organisation. You need to book entrance tickets to Chirripó National Park and also your stay in Crestone’s Basecamp well in advance.
Here’s my complete guide to hiking Cerro Chirripó where I walk you through everything needed to organise your adventure to this amazing mountain.
Drake Bay Trail
- Start/End: Drake Bay Town (Agujitas)
- Distance: 20 km
- Duration: 5 h
- Difficulty: moderate
Leaving the mountains behind and heading to the beach, we have the Drake Bay Trail. This beautiful route mirrors the coastline of the Osa Peninsula in the south of the country.
This is one of my favourite hikes in Costa Rica as you explore some of the country’s most beautiful beaches.
The hike starts in the main town of Drake Bay (Agujitas) and, in theory, you could walk for days. However, I recommend going as far as Playa San Josecito, a pristine white-sand beach roughly 10 km away.
If you walk back to Agujitas, then the total distance for the day is around 20 km and it should take you roughly 5 h. However, you’ll want to give yourself an extra few hours to stop at the various beaches along the way.
The hike is moderately difficult. The terrain isn’t challenging at all but it is long and the hot , humid Osa Peninsula weather doesn’t help.
Here’s my complete guide to hiking the Drake Bay Trail.
Cahuita National Park Trail
- Start/End: Playa Blanca Sector/Puerto Vargas Sector
- Distance: 8 km
- Duration: 2 h
- Difficulty: easy
Cahuita National Park lies just outside of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, the famous beach town on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.
It’s home to an array of wildlife including iguanas, capuchin monkeys, sloths, black hawks and the venomous yellow eyelash palm viper, and there are 2 great white-sand beaches to relax on.
An 8-km hiking trail runs through the national park allowing you to explore the lush jungle, pristine beaches and spot animals. The trail is flat, sandy underfoot shaded from the sun by vibrant green foliage almost the entire way and takes around 2 h to complete.
Entry to Cahuita National Park is donation based. You can give as much or as little as you want, as long as you give something. A couple of dollars per person is a good minimum donation. Here’s my full guide to visiting Cahuita National Park.
Hikes in Costa Rica near La Fortuna
La Fortuna is Costa Rica’s ecotourism capital and probably the most-visited destination in the entire country. People from all over come here to explore magnificent waterfalls and volcano hiking trails.
Cerro Chato
- Start/End: Green Lagoon Wellbeing Resort
- Distance: 5.5 km
- Duration: 2 h
- Difficulty: hard
Cerro Chato is the smaller (1,140 m) and dormant volcano in Arenal Volcano National Park and there’s a challenging 5.5-km roundtrip hike to its crater lake. The lake is an emerald green colour and hikers who reach it are rewarded with a refreshing dip.
However, getting to the lake isn’t easy. Not only is the trail a deep, muddy trench, but the descent from the summit into the crater is dangerous. This section of the trail is heavily worn from rain and other hikers and a fall here could end in serious injury.
Ropes are in place to help you down to the crater lake, but it’s still a tough section to conquer. Expect to get muddy, even during the dry season!
Before you plan this hike, you should know that it is actually illegal. The route was closed a few years ago and, if caught, you can get fined or a more serious punishment.
Here’s my full guide to hiking Cerro Chato including more detailed information about the route and why it’s illegal.
La Fortuna Waterfall
- Start/End: La Fortuna Waterfall entrance
- Distance: 1.2 km
- Duration: 25 min
- Difficulty: easy
This amazing cascade plummets from 75 m into a turquoise pool below. Not only are the falls beautiful to look at, but you can also swim in the pool.
There is a 1.2-km trail from the entrance to the pool that usually takes people around 25 min to walk. Going down is easy as it’s mostly steps – I believe there are around 400. But coming back up is tiring as the steps are steep.
It costs foreign adults 10,000 CRC ($20 US) to visit La Fortuna Waterfall, which is pretty steep. But if you haven’t seen a large waterfall before, then it’s worth it.
The opening times are 7:00 – 17:00 and I recommend getting here as early as possible because this place gets packed with tourists.
Here’s my full guide to La Fortuna Waterfall.
Arenal Volcano National Park
- Start/End: Volcano Sector/Peninsula Sector
- Distance: 8.7 km
- Duration: 4- 6 h
- Difficulty: moderate
Arenal Volcano National Park is home to the amazing Arenal Volcano and there are several trails leading to viewpoints of it. The trails here are all pretty short and very easy to complete as they are well-maintained and mostly flat.
The national park is split into 2 sectors: the Volcano Sector and Peninsula Sector and the total hiking distance across both is roughly 8.7 km. The entrances to the sectors are 2 km away from each other.
Foreign adults need to pay 8,500 CRC ($17 US) to enter the national park and this gets you access to both sectors if you visit both on the same day.
Here’s a complete guide to hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park.
Parque Ecológico Volcán Arenal
- Start/End: Parque Ecológico Volcan Arenal
- Distance: 5 km
- Duration: 2 h
- Difficulty: moderate
While most people flock to the national park for hiking, there’s another place with trails that also lead to a great viewpoint of Arenal Volcano.
It’s called Parque Ecológico Volcan Arenal (Arenal Volcano Ecological Park) and, in my opinion, the views of Arenal volcano here are better than from the national park.
A small series of short trails link together to form a 5-km loop and it’s only the first section that’s challenging. The underfoot is interesting and was formed from lava that flowed from the volcano during its last major eruptions.
The cost of hiking in Parque Ecológico Volcan Arenal starts at 8,500 CRC ($17 US), but you can pay more to do more activities here. This is a private reserve separate from the national park, so your entrance fee doesn’t apply to both places.
Here’s a complete guide to Parque Ecológico Volcan Arenal.
Other hikes in Costa Rica to consider
I haven’t personally done these next hiking trails in Costa Rica. However, they look exciting and worth taking on if you have the time.
- Tres Cruces – a moderately difficult 2-h hike near San José with great views of the city. You pass by 3 large crosses along the way.
- La Cangreja Waterfall – a 10.5-km moderately difficult loop in Rincon de La Vieja National Park. The highlight of the trail is the 40-m tall waterfall.
- Bajos del Toro – a small waterfall-rich region wedged between Poás and Juan Castro Blanco national parks. The waterfalls here vary in size and ferocity and each one has an individual entrance fee.
- Irazú Volcano National Park – located around 1 h 30 min from San José and there are several trails here including 1 that goes around the perimeter of the volcano crater.
- Rincón de la Vieja – another national park with a namesake volcano. The summit sits at 1,946 m and the roundtrip takes roughly 8 h. On clear days there are views of both coasts of Costa Rica from the summit.
Is hiking in Costa Rica hard?
Costa Rica is an easier hiking destination when compared to other Latin American countries. There are few trails exceeding 2,400 m.a.s.l meaning altitude sickness is rarely an issue. While there are difficult, multi-day hikes such as Cerro Chirripó, there is also a plethora of easy day hikes along flat trails.
What is the hardest hike in Costa Rica?
The hardest hike in Costa Rica is Cerro Chirripó, the country’s highest peak. The route is long and involves steep ascents and varying weather conditions. Most hikers do the trek over 2 days. However, strong hikers can complete the 36 km in a single day.
When to hike in Costa Rica?
The dry season runs December to April and is the best time of year for hiking in Costa Rica. During this period trails are in better condition and there’s the best chance of seeing views of the surrounding nature.
More adventure travel guides to Costa Rica
That’s a wrap on my list of the best hikes in Costa Rica. Make the most of these adventures by planning your trip for the dry season. I’ve got plenty more guides to Costa Rica on A World Over, which you can find in the Costa Rica blog section.
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