Hike Costa Rica’s New Camino from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast!

Inspired by Spain’s El Camino de Santiago, locals worked together to form a new long distance coast to coast hike in Costa Rica.  The trail runs through rural villages not normally touristed.  This offers avid hikers a chance to not only see parts of Costa Rica rarely seen by tourists, but while doing so, help bring a new, fun source of income to local villagers. It’s a “Win-Win” way to explore one of the planet’s most beautiful and friendly countries!  Plus, you get an extraordinary chance to meet with “Ticos”, as Costa Ricans are affectionately called, because the villagers provide homemade meals, housing and sometimes side excursions at the end of your daily walks.

The trail runs 175 miles/280 km beginning in the Caribbean coastal town of Parismina, at the base of Tortuguera.  The path runs through five ecosystems, through rainforests, coffee and other plantations,  along with mountains as you cross the Continental Divide, as it works its way to the magnificent Pacific coastal town of Quepos by Manuel Antonio National Park. Be sure to allow time to visit this magnificent park, filled with loads of wildlife, such as sloths, monkeys, an abundance of birds and so much more!

Dale, one of the hikers on my own 2022 Camino, wrote a blog about his experience.  You can check it out HERE.

Active Travel Adventures has covered the Costa Rica Camino a few times on the podcast, which you can listen to below or from any podcast app (they are free).  The larger players below feature my most recent interview with Laurie, who along with her husband, took a private tour with my affiliate UrriTrek (use Promo Code ATA100 to save $100).  They stayed in several homestays, as opposed to the small lodges and camping platforms my group used, as did Conchita, one of the founders of this incredible long distance hiking trail.  You can check out our perspectives and advice on the four smaller players below.

The following two part episode showcases my own experience hiking the Costa Rica Camino along with fellow Active Travel Adventure listeners.

Check out my video below about our adventure!!!

Your Costa Rica Camino Guide:  UrriTrek

I used UrriTrek for my own Costa Rica Camino and highly recommend them!  Our guide was superb (and a walking/talking flora and fauna encyclopedia!), and he, along with his associates, are very active in actually building out the infrastructure for the Camino.  At this stage of development, you need to hire a guide as the trail is not well marked except for stage markers (and it is mandatory in the indigenous region), and I recommend you go with UrriTrek.  As a new ATA affiliate, they offer us a $100 Discount if you use the Promo Code ATA100 (Plus, you’ll be helping to support ATA at no additional cost to you – thanks!)

The Costa Rica Camino starts on the Caribbean side and then crosses the entire country to the Pacific coast.  Costa Rica is considered one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, most likely because it is near where North and South America collide and this section allows for easy transfer of plants and animals  between the two, plus due to the flat coastal plains and the continental divide and mountains, you go through five ecosystems as you walk across.  It is incredible the amount of beautiful scenery, climate and animals you will get to see!

These next two episodes are of my interview with Conchita, who is one of the founders of this magnificent and ambitious project.  To commemorate her 70th birthday, Conchita walked the Costa Rica Camino, and in fact, inspired me to do the same.  I figured if she could do it, I could do it (just be sure you train – see below).

“If You Build It”… Local Hikers and Volunteers Make it Happen!

Local Costa Rican hikers, inspired by the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in Spain, thought it would be a great idea to build something similiar to showcase their own beautiful country.  In 2018, after much planning and scouting to figure out the best way to show off their beautiful country while creating a trail to traverse coast to coast, the trail was completed.  Since the infrastructure is still in the building stages, and many areas are primal forests without enough signage, a local guide is recommended in order to walk the Costa Rica Camino at this time and required for the indigenous section.

Friendly local villagers are thrilled to host through hikers.  The Costa Rica Camino goes through twenty towns, so enterprising familes are putting up shelters and sometimes lodges, as well as providing home cooked meals to accommodate the hikers.  Some locals offer cooking classes, bird watching tours, some crafts for sale, as well as offer other excursions to fill hiker’s afternoons after their morning walk.  Because of the Camino, some families can now afford to stay in their beloved village instead of moving to the city to seek employment.

My group stayed in small lodges or on camping platforms set up by the Mar a Mar Association, which runs the trail.  However, Laurie and her husband chose to use Home Stays, which offered them a unique and exciting way for even more cultural exchange with the locals.  Not only did they get to see how the locals live, but they brought a fun game called Right/Left/Center that requires no languages skills for the hosts and hikers to play together.  What a great idea!  They picked up multiple games to give as a hostess gift (not necessary, of course, but was very much appreciated) for their Home Stays.  Here’s a link.

Laurie’s husband is artistic, and also spent many an hour prior to their hike, making and hand painting these beautiful necklaces featuring the Costa Rica Camino’s logo, the hummingbird.  Their hostesses loved them and word spread through the grapevine about the beautiful gift.  Whenever I do a homestay, I also like to bring something for the host family as a toekn of my appreciation.  I’ll often bring school supplies for the children or something unique from my area.  But I love the fun idea of bringing a game that creates more cultural interaction and creates friendships, as well as sharing with the hosts a talent which also symbolizes this unique trail.  Very clever!

How Long Does it Take to Walk the Costa Rica Camino?

Most people walk the Costa Rica Camino in 16 days, although since you will walk with a private guide, depending on your hiking fitness level, you can shorten or lengthen the time to suits your needs.  Most of the trail is on rural roads, but there are some more challenging alternatives that take you through primal forests.  There are also some significant ascents and descents (see chart).  It is also possible to skip some stages if you need or want to.  You can also work with your guide to plan on doing just a section or sections.

How Hard is the Costa Rica Camino?

Conchita, who does not consider herself an athlete by any means, hiked the Camino over 19 days for her 70th birthday.  Like all adventure travel holidays, it is a good idea to train before hand (And tell Becki ATA sent you to get 10% off your online training program).  There are some sections where you will be crossing rivers, and hiking over rocks and roots.  Hiking poles are a great idea, and highly recommended for the indigenous section.!

Traditionally, you walk from the Caribbean(Atlantic) to the Pacific, but if you want to ease in to the harder hiking days, you could start on the Pacific coast, like Conchita did, so that the harder climbs are towards the end, after your body is more conditioned to daily hiking and the humidity. Because you are working with a private guide, you have this flexibility.

The Camino de Costa Rica Landscape & Terrain

When you walk the Costa Rica Camino, you hike just over two weeks and go through five ecosystems and landscapes.  You’ll hike through primary forests and mountains with massive trees loaded with wildlife.  You’ll also walk through coffee, palm and sugar cane plantations.  You’ll cross multiple rivers, one in a basket!  Others are more gentle and may involve rock hopping.  There are a few where off come the boots, and you may have water up to your thighs.  Learn how to evaluate and safely cross rivers HERE.  On the Caribbean coast, you take a boat over the canals.  The trail begins just south of Tortuguera National Park by the Pacuare Preserve.

Because the rural paths and roads of the Camino are rarely touristed, and the villages are not very populated, you will see far more wildlife than you will in the more heavily trafficked areas.  Birders come to the area from all over the world.  There are over 400 species to be seen, in an array of colors, including a rare albino hummingbird that some on my trip were lucky enough to see.

Altitude is not an issue as the highest point is 7154’/2180 m.  The total elevation gain and loss is about 19,000’/5800 m each.  The average slope is between 4.1-4.7%, but there are some sections that are quite challenging with 17.6% -  25% slope(just take your time)!  Training is a must!  If you don’t have a lot of long distance hiking experience, you may want to start on the Pacific side and walk east, so the harder section is after you are more conditioned.  Starting from the east, the hardest day is three days in; from the west, it is 12 days in.

When to Hike the Camino de Costa Rica

The best time to trek the Costa Rica Camino is… well it depends.  Because you walk coast to coast, the climate is different on both sides, with it being wetter and more humid on the Caribbean/Pacific east coast.  But it also depends on what you want to experience.

But in general, the Dry Season, runs December to April.  This is also the High or Peak Season.  The Green Season, aka wet season, run May through November. However, the mornings are generally sunny, even though it often rains in the afternoon.  

Most days of your Camino hike, you will be finished hiking before the rains begin (but you should always have your rain gear with you regardless of the season!).  Airfares and city hotel rates will be less during the Green Season, plus you’ll face less crowds in the capital San Jose and other highly touristed areas you might visit while in Costa Rica (there aren’t any crowds on the Camino to worry about).

Even during the green season, the west coast has a period where it is a bit dryer in July, and there is a ‘moving’ couple of weeks on the east cost during July that also is quite dry.  Of course, you can’t predict in advance which two weeks each July it will be.  September and October are the wettest months, and should probably be avoided, if you have the choice. I would NOT recommend going in Novemebr as it is the end of the green season and can be too wet and muddy.  

The temperatures don’t fluctuate a whole lot throughout the year, staying between 77°F to 97°F and is rarely below 74°F or above 99°F on the west coast, and  on the east coast,76°F to 86°F on average, and is rarely below 73°F or above 89°F.  So it’s pretty hot and often quite humid.

 In summary:

WEST: Driest mid-November to earlier May; Wetter May 8 – November 18; Pretty consistent temps year ’round, usually 77°F to 97°F.

EAST:  Driest earlier December through April; Wetter May 1 through Dec 9. Pretty consistent temps year ’round, usually 76°F to 86°F 

You can hike any month of the year, except November, which is WAY too muddy!  You will see more wildlife in the green season, but will have increasing afternoon rain as the season progresses.  There will also be more bugs in the green season, so bring plenty of spray.

IMPORTANT!  The wildlife is more active during the Green Season.  Super exciting: from March to May, the endangered Leatherback Turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the Caribbean side (followed by the Green Turtles).  Of course, later in the summer these eggs hatch, and the baby turtles race to the sea.  The Pacuare Reserve welcomes visitors and volunteers. 

Planning your Camino

You must hire a local guide to accompany you on the Camino de Costa Rica, regardless of your backcountry skills. While in the land of the indigenous people, you will also need an indigenous guide.  A 4×4 will be transporting most of your gear, so you don’t need to backpack.

To start your planning, first email the non-profit organization, Mar a Mar and tell them when you want to go, what things you’d like to see and do, and a bit about your hiking party. They will then match you up with appropriate trained guides that best fit your needs. So if you are into birdwatching, or photography, or want the hardest mountain detours, be sure to let them know! Also let them know if you are interested in any extra excursions, like cooking classes, rafting the Pacuare River [Note:  do LOTS of research on your rafting company if you plan to raft during the summer wet season, as the river can be more ‘spicey’ with higher water levels.  During the dry season, the rapids are mostly Class II and IV, but can get dicier with the rains!), visiting an indigenous village, etc.

While there aren’t yet many higher end lodging options along the trail (most are quite rustic and two star), near some villages you can be transported to a nearby village for more luxurious accommodations.  For smaller groups o couples, Home Stays are an option.  

If you want to add in some rest and play days, consider a day in : Manuel Antonia National Park, Reserve Pacuare (turtles!!!), raft the Pacuare, near Barbillo National Park, and by the thermal waters in the Orosi area.  

Let friends and family know that you will often be without cell coverage so they won’t be worried. (but still it’s a good idea to buy a local SIM card when you land).

How Many People Have Walked the Camino de Costa Rica?

There aren’t complete records, but so far, (as of 2024) less than 1000 people have walked the entire Camino since its inception in 2018. Before Covid, about 100 people were scheduled to walk each month during 2020, and about 50 local Ticos are doing sections over weekends.  So, you won’t be facing crowded trail conditions, but you do need to plan in advance, as there isn’t a huge selection of accommodations from which to choose (although it is definitely increasing as the trail becomes more popular).  Often the little villages you pass may not have restaurants, so the Mar a Mar association has arranged for the local women to provide meals for you.  Thus, you can’t just pop in on them.  Your guide calls ahead to make arrangements.

Get the Costa Rica Camino Guide book!

Produced by the organization that founded this wonderful trail.  NOTE:  I think the difficulty ratings in this Costa Rica Camino Guidebook make the sections look easier than they are.  I found the trail to be strenous due not just to elevation changes (see map), but also because you’ll be hiking in heat and humidity.

Also be sure to get the FREE Active Travel Adventures Costa Rica Camino Travel Planner!  It has all the details on a printer friendly sheet with active links to help you plan your Camino.  You’ll also get access to ALL ATA Travel Planners, Packing Lists and Checklists, along with the once a month newsletter (no spam promise – unsubscribe anytime). Get it HERE!

Lodging

You will work in advance with your chosen guide on planning out your meals and accommodations. Local villagers are increasingly building lodging options. Some are cozy ecolodges, while other times it might be a lean to that you set up your tent under.  Homestays are an option for small groups or couples (see further above).  If you are not comfortable roughing it, be sure you are frank with your guide as you are planning to see what arrangements can be made that work with your sensibilities. Also see suggestions for some nice ‘rest’ day ideas.

Meals

Meals are often cooked and provided by local villagers as well. Not only will you get the freshest, more authentic Costa Rican food, but you will be helping the families of these communities afford to stay in their village, instead of leaving home and moving to the city to seek employment.

Trail Personality Blossoms

As the Camino de Costa Rica continues to develop, the locals are adding their imprint. Along the trail, you will see the occasional shrine to the Virgin Mary.

Fine chefs from San Jose are working with locals and encouraging them to embrace their cultural gastronomic heritage and to build upon it. It’s not just rice and beans! Foods that might seem ordinary to locals, like pijibaye, a highly nutritious orangey-red fruit of the peach fruit palm tree, is exotic to tourists.

The cool thing, is that all of this growth is organic, and is due to the growth of the trail. Sometimes a NGO (non-government organization) will donate funds to help build some of the infrastructure, but most things are being built by the locals and volunteers committed to the trail.

Signage Along the Camino:  Red and White Blazes

Remember that this trail was completed in 2018, so volunteers are still working on signage and communities are working on infrastructure – one reason hiring a private guide is imperative.  You do not want to get lost in a primary forest!  Plus, the guides are a wealth of knowledge about the flora and fauna of which Costa Rica is justly famous.  Toucans, rare quetzels, endangered bell birds, humongous humingbirds, monkees, poison dart frogs abound (along other critters you’ll want to see but not touch!).  Sometimes some of the animals are difficult to find without the trained eyes (and scope!) of your guide.

How Difficult is the Costa Rica Camino?

If you train, and are of decent fitness, you should have no problem. It can be hot and humid for those unaccustomed to mugginess – just take your time and drink plenty of water!  Learn how to TRAIN for your Camino HERE.

You should be able to carry 3 liters of water (about 7 pounds), plus your snacks. Your guide will arrange transport of the bulk of your stuff.

There are two particularly hard days with difficult trail conditions and steep ascents/descents (bring hiking poles!!!). In addition, there are three other medium hard days. The rest of the days are fairly easy. You will be hiking about 12 miles a day. There are some alternative scenic (but more technical) detours you can take in sections 14-16 you can inquire about if you are a skilled hiker.

Other Links Mentioned on the Shows

Packing Lists

Adventure Travel Show Podcast and Website (Your “How To’ for Adventure Travel)

Battery Operated Fan

Waterproof Hiking Gaiters for your Boots

Backpack Umbrella (for SUN!!!)

Left/Right/Center Dice Game

The Way movie with Martin Sheen

Need More Costa Rica?

My sister and I explored Costa Rica and you can hear all about it in the podcast below.  We mostly hiked, including climbing Chirripo, which keeps the lead of the most difficult hike of my life!  hear all about it and our other adventures below:

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