All about our adventurous trip around the northwestern part of Costa Rica, including the highlights of our first-ever gay travels to Central America. Costa Rica is a true paradise for us nature lovers, beach fans, and gay couple travelers. The natural beauty is everywhere, with white sand beaches, palm trees, rainforest, and a spectacular coastline. There is such high biodiversity with famous Costa Rican animals like toucans, red-eyed leaf (tree) frogs, sloths, screeching macaws, and, when you’re lucky, even whales. And, of course, not to forget to mention the friendly and courteous Costa Ricans and the significant number of high-class, luxurious, gay-friendly accommodations. But now, enjoy the Gay Travel Journal Costa Rica of our 18-day trip full of photos and stories and see gay-friendly Costa Rica through a couple of men’s eyes.
A key fact to note: Costa Rica is one of the safest and most LGBTQ+ welcoming countries in Central America. We enjoyed as a gay couple and gay travel bloggers, an exciting and diversified gaycation, and we always felt safe wherever we went in Costa Rica. It only gets better for the LGBTQ+ community. After the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the government of Costa Rica has to implement equal rights and therefore legalize same-sex marriage, adoption, and the recognition of transgender people’s gender identity by the beginning of 2020. Knowing that, combined with our consistently positive “Pura Vida” experience, you can consider a trip to Costa Rica as a member of the LGBTQ+ community without any reservations.
Advertisement
KLM Flight Offers
Fly with our partner airline, the gay-friendly KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and its partners Air France and Delta Air Lines in Economy, Premium Comfort and Business Class to LGBTQ+ welcoming destinations worldwide.
Journal of our 1st Trip to gay-friendly Costa Rica
Our trip through gay-friendly Costa Rica started in San José, Costa Rica’s capital city with its gay bars, gay-friendly restaurants, and cafés, and annual and regularly LGBT events like the Gay Pride, usually held in July. Our second destination was the region of La Fortuna at the Arenal Volcano National Park with its iconic shaped volcano. This area is well-known for its hot springs and hanging bridges through the dense rainforest. After a couple of hours on the road over stunning mountain ranges and through lush green valleys towards the Pacific coast, we reached the northwestern province of Guanacaste. Here, we enjoyed the warm salt water of the Pacific Ocean, infinity pools, and incredible sunsets. The next stop on our list was the cloud forest in Monteverde, featuring canopy zip line tours and spectacular hanging bridges that traverse the treetops. Finally, we spent some relaxing days near Playa Jacó, enjoying animal watching, including sightings of whales, several toucans, and macaws.
Day 1 to 3: San José – Costa Rica’s capital city
Every journey starts with a trip to the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. From here, we took a flight with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines via the US to San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. After passing the customs and immigration control, we took a taxi from the modern Airport to our first centrally located hotel with a spectacular view of the popular football stadium Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica.
Yes, Costa Ricans love football, and we do not mean the American way. The access to the city was comfortable from here as most parts of San José are actually walkable, at least for us explorers. An alternative option to explore longer distances in San José is Uber. We spent most of our time northeast of the Park Parque Central San José, taking photos of graffiti art close to the Estación de Ferrocarril al Atlántico.
All while having delicious burgers, pizza, beer, and cocktails at El Jardín de Lolita at the Escalante neighborhood and meeting local LGBTQ+ at the popular gay bar Neon Ice. Pink and light blue neon signs illuminate the local queer safe space, as its name implies. Since it was the green season in Costa Rica, it mostly started raining in the afternoon while the day started sunny and hot.
Gay-friendly Hotels:
Central 5*-Hotel San José – Hilton Garden Inn
Central 4*-Hotel San José – Hotel Presidente
Close to the Airport 4*-Hotel – ALoft Hotel
Your Gay Costa Rica Trip
We booked our trip with the LGBTQ+ tour operator Gay Costa Rica. Everyone working for them aims to provide all LGBTQ+ travelers with unique experiences. The goal of all provided services is to make LGBTQ+ travelers feel safe and respected during their travels, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity.
Day 3 to 5: Arenal Volcano National Park
After three days in San José, our nature adventure around Costa Rica’s northwest would begin. Our first stop was La Fortuna, located at the Arenal Volcano National Park, which is renowned for its iconic, cone-shaped volcano, Volcán Arenal. It was an adventurous ride with our small bus through dense rainforest, narrow serpentine mountain roads, and heavy rain showers.
Please keep in mind that we traveled to Costa Rica during the rainy, or so-called Green Season. Showers of rain and thunderstorms are a standard part of every Costa Rica trip during late European summer, but with the proper clothing, it’s not a problem, seriously. The region around the volcano offers several resorts with a spectacular view of the volcano.
Our highlights of the Arenal Volcano National Park: The Tabacon Hot Springs with its volcanic-heated thermal spring water. A day trip to the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park where we could see some famous animals of Costa Rica, like the Red-Eyed Leaf (Tree) Frog and tropical raccoons called Coatis! We could have stayed much longer and explored, for instance, the lake Laguna de Arenal, but this has to become part of our next trip to Costa Rica!
Gay-friendly Hotels:
Volanco View 5*- Hotel – Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa
Volcano View 4*- Eco Hotel San José – Hotel Montana de Fuego Resort & Spa
Day 5 to 7: Guanacaste – Papagayo Peninsula & Diamante Eco Park
Leaving the central region of Costa Rica behind, we began our long journey to the Pacific coast in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. But the long bus ride itself was an experience as well. For quite a while, we followed the massive Laguna de Arenal in a northerly direction over narrow gravel roads, climbing uphill through spectacular mountain ranges.
We were enjoying the view downhill over the green and wide meadows of Costa Rica’s cattle country of Guanacaste. Our final destination was the peninsula of Papagayo, which is the home of several extraordinary, luxurious, and gay-friendly hotels. And, you already know from previous trips, we love some good adrenaline shots as well.
Just about one hour from Papagayo, we visited the Diamante Eco Park & Animal Sanctuary offering an incredible Superman Zip Lining with a stunning view over the deep blue Pacific Ocean. During our visit to the animal sanctuary afterward, we could see some of the most beautiful birds in the world, Toucans.
Gay-friendly Hotels:
Bay View 5*- Hotel – Andaz Costa Rica Resort
Ocean View 5*- Hotel – El Mangroove, Autograph Collection
Day 7 to 10: Perfect Gay Honeymoon at Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
Our first week was filled with thrilling adventures, extraordinary experiences, and breathtaking views of the unique Costa Rican landscape. Time for a break, time for some “just us-moments”. And you know what?
We found the perfect place for a romantic and relaxing vacation. We stayed in an ocean-view villa with a private infinity pool and experienced the most stunning sunsets imaginable. It was wonderful waking up to such a spectacular view from our canopy bed, having breakfast served at the gorgeous restaurant, and relaxing in our private pool or taking a long walk along the Playa Danta.
We had the perfect gaycation at Casa Chameleon and can imagine choosing this accommodation as our gay honeymoon resort in Costa Rica… hehehe…
Gay-friendly Hotels:
Ocean View 5*- Resort – Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
Gay Costa Rica Travel Guide
On our Gay Travel Guide Costa Rica, we collect all information: Gay-friendly hotels, flights, and tips for the best adrenaline experiences. The guide for Costa Rica will be continuously updated, so you will always find the most updated information, links, and photos. Enjoy reading, planning, and booking your gaycation in Central America.
Day 10 to 12: Monteverde – Cloud Forest at Selvatura Park
But our trip was not over yet; it was just halftime, and we were on our way back to central Costa Rica, to the world-famous cloud forest of Monteverde. The ride was a real adventure, with most of the time spent driving over a serpentine gravel mountain road. In Google Maps, the distance from the Pacific coast to Monteverde appeared to be significantly shorter than the actual trip duration. Now we know why.
But with every meter uphill, the clouds came closer and closer, and the forest became greener and greener. We arrived, jarred but happy, in Santa Elena, in our modern and spacious apartment nestled in the treetops of the surrounding rainforest. The weather changed rapidly from sunny to cloudy and misty with showers just one hour after we arrived.
But that was why we were in Monteverde, to experience the cloud forest, right? The next day, we booked a combo trip to Selvatura Park, including Rainforest Canopy Zip Lining and an individual Hanging Bridges tour walking through the treetops of the Costa Rican rainforest. What an incredible adventure.
Gay-friendly Hotels:
Family Owned 4*- Hotel – Hotel Belmar Monteverde
Gay Travel Index 2025
The Berlin-based Spartacus informs LGBTQ+ and queer travelers about how gay-friendly a holiday destination is according to several ranking factors and criteria.
Which country ranks first? Where is it safe to travel to as a gay and LGBTQ+ traveler?
You can use the GTI to prepare for your gaycation and as a guide when choosing a holiday destination.
Day 13 to 16: Beach & Nature time around Playa Jaco & Herradura
Time flies, even in paradise. And so, it was time for us to leave the mountains again and to travel to the last destination of our three weeks in Costa Rica, to Jacó’s crescent beaches. Before we traveled to Costa Rica, we had always imagined the landscape of the Central American country to be like that in the Jurassic Park movies: dense tropical rainforests, high humidity, warm temperatures, and a high number of insects and animals.
And to be fair, nature and landscape are like that. But instead of running away from a T-Rex, just add a gay-friendly luxurious accommodation to it and voilà, the Costa Rican dream came true. We found the perfect match for our paradise picture: A luxurious hotel on a mountaintop surrounded by rainforest with a view over the Pacific. Oh, not to forget the private beach (all beaches in Costa Rica are public spaces, but some are just harder to find). Simply the perfect way of saying goodbye Costa Rica!
Gay-friendly Hotels:
Gay Owned 5*- Hotel – Hotel Villa Caletas
Day 16 to 18: San José – Gay Life & Shopping
Costa Rica’s capital city San José has a lively nightlife, including several gay bars, clubs, and (fetish) party events. During our stay, we visited the Neon Ice bar in the Barrio Escalante neighborhood, which offers snacks, local beer, and delicious cocktails. The audience is a mixed crowd of hip queer people and handsome, bearded gay guys around our age, definitely a tip.
We already mentioned our friends Jason and Bryan from San José, we met during our second La Demence European Gay Cruise, who own their brand Beardedman. Now, they also have their fetish clothing line and fetish party series in San José called Eagle 69. Lucky us, we could attend their Hard Candy Party with special guest porn star Teddy Torres. This October, the beach of Manuel Antonio was the host of the first Gay Beach Bear Weekend.
Do you know of any other great gay bars or LGBT-friendly places in Costa Rica? Let us know! We would be happy to add them to our list! Oh, and as we mentioned earlier, the annual Gay Pride event takes place in San José in early summer. We hope to attend the Pride “Marcha de la Deversidad” in Costa Rica!
Travel & Safety Tips for Gay-friendly Costa Rica
For our article about Gay-friendly Costa Rica, we assembled some well-intentioned tips for your perfect gaycation:
#1 Currency: The Costa Rican currency is the Costa Rican colón: 1 Euro = ca. 680 Colón | 1 US Dollar = ca. 595 Colón.
#2 Day & Night Time: Costa Rica is located near the equator. This means that the sun rises around 6 am and sets around 6 pm. After 6 pm, it becomes dark quickly, so plan your vacation days wisely. The locals tend to get up very early and go to bed early as well.
#3 Costa Rica Timezone: The timezone in Costa Rica is CST – Central Standard Time used all year around. Which means it is UTC/GMT -6:00 hours.
#4 The best time to travel to Costa Rica: The answer to this question is simple – All year round because there is no wrong weather, but just bad clothing. Nevertheless, Costa Rica has two distinguished seasons, the High and the Green Season, and multiple climate zones, so you should be prepared for them.
#5 Wildlife: Never feed wild animals. Do not touch wild animals at any time. Exceptions: If you are accompanied by a guide or in an animal sanctuary where it is explicitly permitted, but still, do you really need to pet a wild bird or lizard? Just don’t do it. Moreover, do not hang any clothing on the balcony or terrace overnight to dry, as monkeys find everything interesting and are free to take it away.
#6 Safety in Costa Rica: In general, Costa Ricans are considered to be pacifistic and peaceful people, and even their protests and demonstrations are usually non-violent, especially towards tourists. This means, Costa Rica as a destination is supposed to be safe not only for LGBTQ+ tourists. We actually met a lovely lesbian couple from Amsterdam who traveled alone and who could confirm all the above points as well.
Highlights of Costa Rica’s Nature: Toucan, Sloth, Macaw, Green Frogs & more
Did you know that Costa Rica’s nature contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity? For us, this was just one of the reasons why this small Central American country was so high on our list of places to visit for gay travelers. And lucky us, we encountered a large variety of animals we would like to share with you! Among others, we discovered two of the world’s famous red-eyed leaf frogs at Mistico Park, as well as hummingbirds and a family of coatis. On the peninsula of Papagayo, we were accompanied by the so-called White-headed capuchin monkeys trying to get some sweets from our breakfast plates. Not to be missed were the howls of the howler monkey that sound like screeching or almost screaming.
On our walk down to the beach, we encountered one close to the hotel. And then, there were birds, so many birds. Undoubtedly, our favorites were the toucans. In the wilderness, we saw four of them flying, singing, and chatting with each other, always at a safe distance from humans. And then, there was a beautiful couple of red macaws. The two fire-red birds were pretty to watch, but honestly, they are horrible singers! Oh, and not to forget, we could even do some whale watching at the Nicoya Gulf.
Gay Travel Journal Costa Rica: Just the beginning…
We know, we know… There is so much more to see, explore, and discover, such as the southwestern part of Costa Rica, including the Pacific coast and the great national parks. Or the Caribbean side of Costa Rica with its beautiful beaches in the south and the rainforest in the north. We have to come back again to see more of the beautiful nature, learn more about Costa Rican culture, including the delicious coffee, and catch up with our new friends. We can’t wait to start planning our next Costa Rica adventure and adding even more extraordinary experiences to our Costa Rica Gay Travel Guide. Pura Vida LGBT!
Do you like it? PIN IT!
Do you want to know and see more of us, gay couple travel bloggers? Stay tuned on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook! See you around in Costa Rica, Central America, and on one of our next gay pride trips around the world! Karl & Daan.
This trip was made possible in close collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce Diversity Costa Rica, GayCostaRica.com, as well as the tips and help from our wonderful readers, followers, new and old friends from all over the world and Costa Rica. Nevertheless, our opinion, our photos, our videos, and our writings are our own, as always.
Noel Johnson
Tuesday 27th of December 2022
Costa Rica ahhhh! I love Javier!
Lydia
Thursday 28th of February 2019
Wow,amazing photos. Everything is so lovely and fresh. Is it okey to travel solo? Is it advisable?
Karl Krause
Friday 22nd of March 2019
Hi Lydia... Since we traveled with a guide and sometimes even with a group, we cannot say. But we met a lesbian couple who traveled alone and they loved it! We hope you will make it to Costa Rica and see all the wonders we discovered and beyond!