We started from Stage 1B at Muelle Goshen and traveled west to the Quepos Western Terminus. We carried all our own gear, navigated independently, and resupplied at mini supers, “sodas,” and restaurants along the route. We did not receive any outside assistance, pacing, or support. Dinners were generally eaten at homestays. We used the FarOut app and local Camino signage for navigation.
GPS was recorded via Garmin inReach at 20-minute intervals, showing consistent forward progress from start to finish. Time-stamped photos document the start, finish, daily progress, and key landmarks.
Route deviation due to landslide: On the night of December 22–23, 2025, we encountered a major landslide in the El Pito sector near Nápoles (just beyond mile marker 144 on FarOut) that made the official route impassable. This was a new overnight slide following a smaller one earlier in the week. When we reached the site around 2:00 a.m., the route was fully blocked and unsafe. We took a necessary detour, adding 978 feet of elevation gain and 988 feet of elevation loss (same mileage), and rejoined the trail via Naranjillo by Super Don Luis. The deviation is visible in the GPS track. Aside from this forced natural-disaster deviation, we followed the official Camino de Costa Rica route continuously.
Daily summary:
Dec 17: Muelle Goshen to Barbilla Rainforest Lodge (Stages 1B and 2). 24.3 miles, 3,507 feet gain, 1,518 feet descent.
Dec 18: Barbilla Rainforest Lodge to Finca Tres Equis (Stages 3 and 4). ~11.5 miles, 3,572 feet gain, 3,363 feet descent. Guide used through Indigenous territory as required.
Dec 19: Tres Equis to Atirro (Casa Bambú), Stages 5, 6, and part of 7. 18.9 trail miles plus ~2 off-route miles due to a navigation error. 3,251 feet gain, 3,505 feet descent.
Dec 20: Atirro to Río Macho (Stages 7, 8, and part of 9). ~23.1 miles, 5,897 feet gain, 3,880 feet descent.
Dec 21: Río Macho to Millar de Aves (part of Stage 9, Stage 10, and part of Stage 11). 20.1 miles, 6,642 feet gain.
Dec 22: Millar de Aves to Nápoles (Stages 11 part 2, 12, and 13). ~25.6 miles, 5,195 feet gain, 7,058 feet descent.
Dec 23: Nápoles to Quepos Western Terminus. Official stats: 29.1 miles, 3,318 feet gain, 8,402 feet descent. Actual with detour: 4,296 feet gain, 9,390 feet loss.
Gear, food, and water: We wore backpacks the entire time. Trekking poles (and Lindsey’s stick!) were essential, especially on Stages 3 and 4. We did not carry a tent or cooking gear. We carried one lightweight sleeping bag and one liner. Water was plentiful and sourced from towns or filtered from springs and streams. Sunscreen and sun protection were essential.
Additional notes: We coordinated homestays in advance, as camping is limited. For safety, we minimized hiking in the dark and carried mace.
For more details and a longer day-by-day account, Jacqueline writes at www.sproutwrites.com.
Pura Vida!