12 x best places to stay in Costa Rica

Looking for hotels in Monteverde or don’t know where to stay in Costa Rica? This article includes our 12 favorite and best places to stay in Costa Rica that suits all types of backpackers and travelers.

If we travel around a country, we always search for smaller boutique hotels or family-owned accommodations for their personal touch, intimate, and relaxed atmosphere. These are the places that make our travels memorable and which makes us feel at home.

So if you don’t know where to stay in Costa Rica? Read on for our favorite and best hotels in Costa Rica.

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Best hotels and hostels in San José

San José is probably the first stop if you arrive in Costa Rica by flight. We stayed only 1 night in the city as we decided to explore more of the jungles, forests, beaches, and wildlife of Costa Rica. Though San José has plenty of great things to do if you like to stay longer. Selina’s hostel in San Jose was a good place to spend our first night.

Best places to stay in Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo was the perfect place to start our 2 weeks in Costa Rica. This amazing laidback town is located on the Caribbean Ocean and a 5-hour bus drive from San José.

We can recommend staying a few days in Puerto Viejo to explore all the beautiful beaches and the amazing things to do in the area. Sueno Grande B&B was a perfect place to stay as it was located in a quieter area few streets from the center of Puerto Viejo. They offered also bikes and breakfast.

Best places to stay in Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is definitely a highlight on our Costa Rica itinerary and you can spend easily days over here. We spend 3 nights in Manuel Antonio and explored the Manuel Antonio National Park, learned to surf and watch the sunset while having a bonfire on the beach.

Selina Manuel Antonio was a great place to stay, even it was located on a steep hill. We trained our legs these days. Every day they organized something like a karaoke or cocktail night at the swimming pool

Best places to stay in La Fortuna

La Fortuna is one of the best places to stay in Costa Rica and it should be on everyone’s Costa Rica itinerary. La Fortuna is the little village where you have a view of the beautiful Arenal Volcano from almost every angle and where you can do many amazing things such as exploring waterfalls, hiking, and spotting wildlife.

We stayed in La Fortuna for 2 nights but we hoped we could stay longer and enjoy everything at a slower pace. The Selina hostel in La Fortuna is a perfect place to stay as it has a pool, awesome bungalows, and a great atmosphere.

Best hotels in Monteverde, Santa Elena

Monteverde is the Cloud Forest Reserve in the mountains of Costa Rica and Santa Elena is the little cosy village next to it. In Santa Elena are shops, bars, tourist offices, and some restaurants, which makes it the perfect place to explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

We listed below the best hotels in Monteverde and recommend a minimum of 2 days to enjoy some activities and discover the area. We stayed at the Camino Verde B&B which has a great lookout deck over the cloud forest.

Best hotels in Tamarindo

Tamarindo is a surf town on the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica. As it is famous among surfers and backpackers there are many hostels and hotels in Tamarindo. We stayed 3 days in la Oveja Negra which is located on a 10-min walk from the beach. The rooms are located in the back with a nice pool to refresh during the day.

We preferred to stay in the Selina hostel or hotel in Tamarindo as the Selina group has great accommodations for its price and comfort.

More of the best places to stay in Costa Rica

All the best places to stay in Costa Rica in this article are based on our 2 weeks in Costa Rica itinerary. Everytime we visit Costa Rica again we update this article with new destinations and more of the best places to stay in Costa Rica.