Looking for recommendations for Costa Rica. Flying into liberia in Dec . Is there anywhere that isn't touristy anymore?

Cathy
It’s been a few years since I was there but my favourite quiet place and most gorgeous beach is Samara. It’s much further south though.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country and has so much to see and do. You will never experience all of it on one (or even 3 visits). Not sure what you mean by anywhere that’s not touristy? Does that exist anywhere in the world anymore?
There are a few smaller beach towns on the Nicoya Peninsula(which are closer when you fly into Liberia), but it really depends on what you are looking for. This area of Costa Rica is drier and more arid. Playa Samana (about 1.5 hrs from Liberia) may be of interest to you or Playa Hermosa (Guanacaste) is a bit quieter, as an example, but still close to Playas del Coco. They are 30-40 min from the Liberia airport.
Costa Rica is not cheap like Mexico used to be, so don’t expect cheap, however, we usually rent an airbnb and cook a lot of our meals and that makes it less expensive. If you eat at the sodas, where the locals eat, it’ll be cheaper than any North American style restaurants.
As a contrast, we enjoy Jaco, which is 4-5 hours from Liberia. It is more of a rainforest area, so different flora and fauna. You’ll see Scarlett Macaws, toucans, sloths and monkeys there if you head out into the forest areas. We rent a condo in the south area of town away from the busy downtown area. We rent bikes and ride them around town or the outer regions. We like that we have conveniences in town and lots of restaurants to choose from, but we don’t generally go out in the evening, as there can be a party atmosphere in places. There are also tons of things to see and do from Jaco. Really, it is
“To each his own“. Good luck with your exploration of Costa Rica. We love it there and we hope you find something that suits your tastes.

We just went in March. South is better and so lush. If you go north Nicaragua is very similar and way more affordable. CR is similar in price to travelling in US.

Nicaragua is similar but not as touristy

Emily I 100% agree and really close to Liberia.

Kim so would you rent a car or are there transportation services into Nica? And where would one stay? I would definitely go up to nice if I had a clue how to navigate it. This is only our 2nd time traveling that wasn't all inclusive and have only ever been to Mexico and Cuba

Rhonda we took a bus over the boarder. Super easy, stayed in air bnb’s

And it’s still affordable! Highly recommend Nica, have been there multiple times

Emily have you ever entered from Costa Rica? I've read it's a challenge. And what did you find expensive in costa rica? So far the flight and accommodation wasn't bad. The excursions I've looked at seem comparable to all the excursions in Mexico.

Rhonda Nica is about half the price of CR. I crossed once with a rental vehicle and once on a bus, never had issues.

I live in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. I've been here for 12 years and have travelled all over the country.
San Juan del Sur is a short 45-minute drive from the Nicaraguan border. From Liberia’s airport, travel time to the border is 1.5 hours, followed by a 30-minutes or so to get across the border, depending on how busy it is. Private drivers can be hired on both sides to provide stress free transport. One way fare in air conditioned car is $130 USD. This is total, no per person. You can also rent a car with Alamo at the airport, but you will need to change cars at the border.
Here in San Juan we have many beautiful uncrowded beaches, plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from and local markets to shop at. From San Juan del Sur, you can explore the colonial city of Granada, the serene waters of Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake, and the active Masaya Volcano and more!
I did an overnight trip to Playa del Coco a couple month's ago to take my sister to the airport and found prices of food, alcohol and accommodations to be a lot more expensive than anywhere in Nicaragua. I would say your dollars will go much further here.

Elisha Do you have any recommendations on how to book a private driver? What you've described is exactly the type of trip I'd like to take in April, but I've never been to central America before! Any help you'd be willing to share would be incredibly appreciated!

Not in guanacaste

Jill WHY?

Nope. It's the best on the NICOYA PENINSULA but Santa Teresa is a nightmare Jan to april

Jill can’t you get watermelons for a buck?

Nicaragua so much cheaper

Boca del Torró is amazing- rented a house off the grid, the highlight of my trip!

Christy Umm thats Panama. You're right its amazing though

David right on the border of Costa Rica.

Christy touche

There are some great suggestions on the official tourism site. It all depends on what you are looking for.
Two of the most popular destinations are La Fortuna and Manual Antonio. Both are a bit of a drive from LIR, but La Fortuna has wildlife, Arenal volcano + hiking + hot springs + adventures + national parks +++. Manual Antonio is on the Pacific side and has a national park + hikes ++++.
If you are looking for volcanos, Rincon de Vieja and Tenorio and much less touristy than La Fortuna.
Away from the more touristy areas you can get into the Central Valley and explore towns like San Ramon, Palmares, Sarchi, Naranjo and Grecia. Some waterfalls, bird-watching, coffee tours, but a much less touristy trip.
The Gulf of Nicoya is touristy, but less so than the Pacific Coast towns like Tamarindo and Jaco. Paquera and south to Montezuma has resorts, but less concentrated and crowded. Many secluded beaches along this stretch and there are bioluminescence tours, Isla Tortuga, CURU national park.
https://www.visitcostarica.com/.../cos.../planning-your-trip
I don't think these tours match with your dates, but they may have something available.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094386918033

Kevin even ten years ago I found Tamarindo the most touristy spot in C.R.

Cathy There is a reason it is nicknamed Tamagringo.

Very touristy and expensive.

We have a place that is quiet it’s south west of Santa Cruz , it’s a condo complex called Villas Las Ventanas (playa Junquiall) very quiet , beach is empty a few restaurants in the area a 30 minute drive to tourist town Tamarindo

Nicaragua

Check out Tambor area. It’s a bit of a drive from Libera but you can hop on a jumper plane to Cobano.

Cross into Nicaragua and go to Granada ometeppe and San Juan del Sur for half the money on hotels transport and food

Nica

I'd echo Nicaragua. Spent 6 weeks there a few years ago.
But CR is gorgeous and you can totally get off the tourist track. But you might want a car, especially if you have limited time. That sort of neutralizes budget though. But if budget isn't a big deal then that's an option. Driving in San Jose is a bit intense, but the rest of the country is fine.

We were there last Nov and stayed in 4 different parts of the country. It was way more expensive than we had been led to b elieve

Carol-An what did you find was expensive? And where are you from?

I quite liked coco beach! Was a lot more low key and less expensive.

Ryan that's good to hear! We have booked an airbnb in coco