Hi rorocr2024!

It’s wonderful to hear that you’ll be visiting for that long! 🙂

I think your idea is great: to spend the first few weeks exploring 4-5 places, then settle into a coastal destination for the second month. There are so many places you could visit, which means you have a lot of options, but I know that can be overwhelming.

To start, I’ll ask: Have you yet tried out our Costa Rica Destination Tool (https://www.diycostarica.com/about-the-costa-rica-destination-tool/)? It’s free for DIY Costa Rica members like yourself. We built the tool specifically for this purpose, to help travelers determine which destinations they should visit during their trip. The tool can help you decide which beach town(s) you should consider staying at, as well as which other parts of the country you should visit, according to a list of criteria aimed at narrowing down your preferences and needs. The specific criteria you mentioned (having a place that isn’t too busy, having a Spanish school, and being a walkable area) are criteria on our tool, so you can select those if you’d like to receive recommendations that align with those interests. 🙂

Let me know if you have any trouble using the tool. If so, I can help you navigate it. 🙂

Pura vida!