Hike the New Costa Rica Camino from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast : the Camino de Costa Rica!

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 near 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!

What Months to Hike the Camino de Costa Rica

While the Costa Rica Camino can be done every month, you can decide which month would work best for you.

Traditionally, the ‘dry season’ is considered December through April, however the rain pattern can be opposite from one side of the Continental Divide to the other!

You are virtually guaranteed to get some rain at some point on your Costa Rica Camino trek, but even in the rainy or ‘green’ season’, the rain bursts tend to arrive in the late afternoon, likely after you’ve finished hiking for the day.

And in July, Conchita, one of the founders of the Camino de Costa Rica, tells me that there are usually two perfect weather weeks (you just don’t which two weeks)!

You can listen to my Two Part podcast interview of Conchita below:

And since Costa Rica is somewhat near the equator, the temperature doesn’t vary that much each month.  The temperature difference depends more on your elevation!  You can get cold when you are high up in the mountains, and you will be hot down near sea level.

 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. 

So the bottom line is, xcept for November, you can do your Camino de Costa Rica when YOU WANT TO.  Regardless, always be prepared for rain  AND cold (see Packing List Recommendations).

So, YOU CHOOSE when it’s the best time to do your Costa Rica Camino!

Map of the Camino de Costa Rica

Preparing for Your Costa Rica Camino

Packing for your Costa Rica Camino

Training for your Costa Rica Camino

Costa Rica Camino Guide Book

Check out ALL the Costa Rica Camino Interviews 

Love Caminos?

Check out Europe’s many routes of the El Camino de Santiago 

The Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan (sister trails to the El Camino)

Lodging along the Costa Rica Camino

The Camino de Costa Rica is still relatively new:  As of this writing, less than 1000 hikers have completed the entire trail!

The Costa Rica Camino was designed to not only showcase this beautiful country, but also to bring income to remote villages.  

Thus, currently there are not many options when it comes to lodging.

Lodging on the traditional 16 Day Costa Rica Camino Trek runs the gamut, and combines small local family run inns and sometimes rustic camping on a platform, depending on the stage, and what is  available.

Laurie and her husband, who because of his height and their mutual desire to make sure they had a great night’s sleep, took a custom tour with UrriTrek, which arranged transport to better accommodations for what would ordinarily be a camping night.  You can listen to her interview down below (and save $100 by using my link).

Active Travel Adventures has raised money to help build out the infrastructure of the Camino (you can help, too at Mar a Mar).

Camping on the Costa Rica Camino

The locals that manage the campsites that Mar a Mar Association built for the CRC provide the quite nice sleeping platforms, the tents and sleeping bags.

And when I say ‘locals’, I mean the local housewifes.  Traditionally, ticos (as people from Costa Rica call themselves) have a machissimo society and wifes don’t work outside of the home.  And if the men, as is common, pick coffee which is seasonal, are not working, there is no money coming into the household.

One of the beauties of the Costa Rica Camino is that it provides housewives INCOME because they work from home!  They prepare thru hiker’s meals and manage the camping areas.  Mar a Mar has built add ons to a house, which may be your lunch spot, for a delicious home cooked meal, while the children play alongside your picnic table.  You can help out here, if you’d like.

As the Costa Rica Camino slowly develops, the housewives are getting entrprenerial!  You might see a hand painted sign offering an ice cream or some freshly roasted coffee beans grown in the backyard.  See the Excursions section for some ideas for ‘Things to Do’ when you aren’t hiking the Camino de Costa Rica.

Lodging Bottom Line:  Most nights will be in cozy inns, some nicer than others (and some REALLY nice!), but scattered in there will be a few more, shall we say, ‘basic‘ accommodations that may include a sleeping bag.

For my 16 day Camino, I glamped one night, camped two nights and stayed at an inn the other 12 nights.  My favorite inns were the Verdesano Forest Lodge (with a FANTASTIC yoga class!!!) and the Orosi Lodge (with the BEST breakfast!!!).  If you want to take a rest day, Day 11 at the Verdesano lodge would be a great and restful option!

Costa Rica Camino Rest Day Recommendations

Most people will only have the time to hike straight through.  But if you have the time and money, here are some good Camino de Costa Rica rest day options, if you’d like to take a day off during your Camino:

Stage 2 : Take a day off to whitewater raft the Pacuare River (one of Nat Geo’s Top 10 most beautiful day rafting runs!) – Listen to our experience in the podcast below (my episode plus also on the Hike and Raft Costa Rica episode – I love this rafting trip so much, I’ve done it three times!). Las Brisas.  Try to stay in a  rainforest lodge!

Stage 8 : Relax in thermal hot springs and enjoy an agricultural museum near Rio Macho.

Stage 9 :   Stay an relax in the town of Orosi at the end of the Navarro stage.

Stage 10 :  Stay an extra day soaking in the peace and tranquility of the Verdesana Forest Lodge.  Take a yoga class or a stroll through the beautiful gardens.  Devour the delicious vegetarian offerings.

   CHECK OUT OTHER EXCURSION IDEAS

Selecting a Guide for Your Costa Rica Camino

The Camino de Costa Rica is NOT WELL MARKED!!!

The 16 Stages (scroll below) are well marked with a concrete sculpture, but the path in between IS NOT well blazed!

I cannot more strongely recommend that you hire a guide!  

I recommend going with my affiliate UrriTrek.  They have done this the most of any other company and in fact, helped design the trail!  Their lead guide has himself hiked it more than thirty times.

It is mandatory that you hire a local indigenous guide for the sections you trek through the indigenous rain forest.  And even if it weren’t mandatory, trust me, you’d want a guide anyway as there are no trail blazes to follow and you could get lost in the jungle!

If you ignore my recommendation and insist on hiking the sections where you are allowed to hike without a guide, then you should tell Mar a Mar your plans so if you go missing, they will have an idea of where to look for you.  You’ll need to be able to text in Spanish via WhatsApp.

This early in the development of this new long distance trail, the only thing you can count on seeing are the 16 concrete Stage Markers.

UrriTrek

Best Costa Rica Camino Guide

I recommend using UrriTrek for planning and guiding you on your Costa Rica Camino.  They know the trail the best and their experienced eyes will help you find all the cool wildlife!

Use my UrriTrek Promo Code link to Save $100 on your Costa Rica Camino

Guides for the Costa Rica Camino

Selecting a hiking guide for your Costa Rica Camino adventure is a crucial step in ensuring a safe and enriching experience.  While some of the trail is marked with the red and white blazes, much of it IS NOT!

Look for guides who have extensive knowledge of the trail and its ecosystems.

A good guide will not only lead the way but also share insights into the region’s history, flora, and fauna (see info down below).

Personal recommendations and reviews can be invaluable, so consider seeking advice from fellow travelers or reputable travel forums.  I recommend UrriTrek (use my link to save $100).

Additionally, ensure your guide is fluent in your language to facilitate clear communication. With the right guide, your journey will be both informative and unforgettable.

How Long Does it Take to Walk the Costa Rica Camino

While some hikers have hiked the Camino de Costa Rica in as little as 9 days, I recommend doing the preferred 16 day hike!  The Costa Rica Camino is around 175 miles/280 km, so with 15 days of hiking, your average would be around 12 miles/19 km per day.

If you have the time and can afford it, consider taking a Rest Day to take advantage of the many optional excursions!

Looking at the Stage Chart below, you can see that there are two really hard days, and three pretty hard days.  But even the ‘easier’ days have long miles.  

I rate this trail as 4 out fo 5 for difficulty because of the day to day long miles.  

It’s tough – and it’s HOT!

PRO TIP:  Pack a backpack umbrella to keep the SUN off your body!

Eventually, you will make it to Quepos!

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.

The Sixteen Stages of the Camino de Costa Rica

Excursions Along the Costa Rica Camino

Many days, you will be finished hiking mid-day, so if you have the time and the money, you can take advantage of some of the many fun and interesting excursions along the Camino de Costa Rica!

Some, like rafting the famous Pacuare River or soaking in the hot springs, require staying an extra day.

Others, are just a short detour off the Camino.  Some of our favorite excursions include visiting a Butterfly Farm, visiting and having lunch at a Hydrangea Farm (stunningly beautiful!!!), and taking a yoga and also a samba class.

Below are some popular activities.  Ask your guide about arranging the ones that are of interest to you.

• Mountain biking through diverse terrains
• Visitin a Butterly Farm
• Participating in local cooking classes
• Rafting on thrilling river rapids
• Photography tours of stunning landscapes
• Yoga retreats in tranquil settings

Flora and Fauna on the Costa Rica Camino

Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places on earth!  On your coast to coast Camino de Costa Rica, you will trek through five ecosystems, which means that you will get to see some of the most biodiverse environments in the world!

Each day will fill you with wonder!  You will see exotic orchids and other exquisite blooms in their native habitat – in abundance!

However, until you train your eyes, you most likely will miss the camoflauged wildlife.  That’s where an experienced guide comes in handy!  A good guide knows the habitat of the critters and his or her eyes can spot them, whereas you would just walk by!  But by the end of your journey, you, too will be able to find a blue jeans frog, monkey or a sloth watching you from in a tree!

At the end of the trail, in Quepos, allow time to visit the Manuel Antonio National Park – know for all of its wildlife (but be careful of the mischievous monkeys (don’t bring ANY food!).  Note that the park is closed on Tuesdays.

You are going to be AMAZED at the incredibly beautiful and colorful flowers AND exotic animals!!!

Make sure that your guide is skilled not only in guiding, but also has a vast knowledge of the local flora and fauna.

The critters will hear you before you can see them, so you will need your trained guide’s eyes to see many of them.  Towards the end of your journey, you will have develop the ‘eyes’ to find the animals and reptiles yourself!

Landscape of the Costa Rica Camino

You will hike through five ecosystems, from flat coastal plains with banana and palm tree plantations, to cloud forests, rainforests, and will go up and over the Continental Divide!  The views are spectacular!!!

IMPORTANT!!!  Remember that the Camino de Costa Rica is still in its infancy, and weaves through small villages not visited by tourists, so there simply may be NO PLACE TO EAT unless your guide makes arrangements for you!

In some villages, there will be a small shop where you can stock up on snacks and drinks.  I noticed that our group devoured virtually one man’s entire inventory!  We were like locusts ravaging the fields.

If you have any dietary restrictions, be sure to discuss with your guide BEFORE YOU BOOK!

Need More Costa Rica?

My sister and I explored Costa Rica and you can see pics and hear all about it in the podcast here.  We mostly hiked, including climbing Chirripo, which remains the ‘winner’ of the most difficult hike of my life!  

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