FAQs
Common questions about the hike and website
Camino de Costa Rica common questions
A guide service isn’t required to hike the trail, however, hiring a guide is the more popular option for completing the hike.
Most people hike west, starting in the Caribbean to the Pacific. The logistics of ending the hike at the Caribbean are a little more difficult compared to the Pacific. Many people at the end of the hike would like to just head to the San Jose Airport which is an easy 3 hour straight drive from the Pacific, where the Caribbean involves more logistics.
The best time to hike the Camino de Costa Rica is from mid-January to late July. These dates ensure the best trail conditions due to it being drier in the country.
The San Jose Airport (SJO) is located in the center of the country and will give you good access to the Caribbean or Pacific depending upon which side you decide to start on. This is the Juan Santa Maria Airport (SJO).
The Camino de Costa Rica is 280 kilometers / 174 miles long.
12 to 16 days is normal.
Camping is an option, however, you will likely have a mix of accommodations including lodges, cabins, homestays and more.
The trail will start flat at the Caribbean and then take you into the mountainous regions of Costa Rica where you will encounter numerous ascents and descents. An elevation profile map can be viewed here.
questions about this website
You can add an accommodation by completing this form here.
We try our very best to accommodate last-minute accommodation requests, which we consider to be 3-days from check-in. However, some accommodations don’t have cell phone service or wifi, meaning that communication can take longer than usual. Sometimes it works out fine, othertimes we hear back too late to adequately plan for your arrival. Because of this, we encourage you to plan your route a little further in advance, however, we will always try our best to accommodate late requests.
If it’s an issue on this website, then we appreciate any information you can share with us so we can update it. Please email us here and we will update it. If the information is regarding the trail, then we encourage you to make a trail report on the FarOut app.