Rural Village Hike, Waterfall and Cultural Lunch

This one's for people who actually want to hike, not just stroll. Twenty-five minutes into the mountains sits a remote village, and from there you set off on a 5km trek. It opens with a steady 1.5km climb up an old country road, and the payoff at the top is a knockout view of the Manuel Antonio coastline.

From there you drop onto a single-track trail through private land and pure primary rainforest. It's quiet, genuinely off the beaten path, the kind of place where you'll want to keep your eyes and ears open for toucans, agoutis, and coatimundis. The trail runs all the way to the Naranjo River, where a waterfall is waiting for a well-earned dip.

Then, like our other mountain days, we finish at Doña Luz's for hand-made tortillas and good company. Fair warning: that first climb is a real one in the heat, so come ready. Best for kids 10 and up.