Costa Rica Tour

Exploring Costa Rica’s Tropical Wonders

Welcome to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Upon Arrival, meet our representative at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in San Jose.

Early in the morning, we will take a shared tourist bus to Tortuguero National Park, known for its rich tropical vegetation and wildlife, serving as a nesting ground for sea turtles.

On the way, we will stop for breakfast at a local restaurant. After arriving at the Matina/Caño Blanco port, we will continue by boat through the canals to the reserve.

The area was declared protected in the 1960s and has been a national park since 1975. It is a nesting site for green sea turtles, which make their way to the beaches each year between June and October. The 18,946 hectares of the reserve protect turtle nests, canals, lagoons, and the forests that surround the beaches.

Upon arrival, we will settle into the lodge and enjoy lunch.

In the afternoon, we will take a tour of the local village. The meeting of the sea and land, combined with the beautiful nature, creates a relaxed and unique atmosphere characteristic of the colorful village’s residents.

Dinner will be served at the lodge.
Overnight in Tortuguero.

**Tours and transfers in Tortuguero are shared
**Total travel time including breakfast stop is approximately 6 hours.

After breakfast, we will enjoy a jungle walking tour. We will return to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, we will embark on a safari boat tour through the waterways. The main attraction of Tortuguero is its canals. The area offers a blend of rainforests, coastal vegetation, mangroves, swamps, and lagoons, serving as a refuge for many wildlife species, including 300 bird species, 50 fish species, and approximately 160 mammals, some of which are endangered. The boat ride allows us to observe monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, sloths, and more.

Dinner will be served at the lodge.
Overnight in Tortuguero.

**Tours and transfers in Tortuguero are shared

After breakfast, we will depart together on a tourist bus from the Caribbean coast towards Guapiles, where we will stop for lunch.

Following this, we will continue our journey (transportation according to your choice) for approximately 5 hours south along the Caribbean coast to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
Upon arrival, we will transfer to the hotel.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a vibrant coastal town known for its stunning beaches and lush jungles, offering a laid-back atmosphere influenced by Afro-Caribbean culture. Visitors can enjoy surfing, relaxing on beautiful beaches, and exploring nearby national parks, making it an ideal destination for both relaxation and adventure.
Overnight in Puerto Viejo.

After breakfast, we will embark on a day trip to Cahuita National Park. This is the largest coral reef park in Costa Rica. Upon arrival at the park, we will enjoy a 20-minute boat ride before snorkeling in the waters, where we will explore a diverse range of corals and the colorful fish that inhabit them.

After our snorkeling adventure, we will return to the beach for a brief hike through the park, where we can observe various wildlife, including iguanas, monkeys, raccoons, and more.
Overnight in Puerto Viejo.

Enjoy a free day in Puerto Viejo on a bed and breakfast basis.

After breakfast, we will drive approximately 5.5 hours to the Arenal area and the town of La Fortuna in the northern province of Alajuela, near the Nicaraguan border. The region features lush greenery, tropical rains that keep the area fresh year-round, rainforests, rushing and calm rivers, hot springs, lagoons, parks, and a wealth of flora and fauna.

This area is famous for the cone-shaped Arenal Volcano, which stands at 1,670 meters with a crater measuring 140 meters in diameter. The geothermal activity is also evident in the abundance of hot springs that offer a pampering experience for visitors.
Arenal Volcano was dormant for hundreds of years, and only a single crater remains at its summit, previously covered in dense vegetation. Unexpectedly, it erupted in 1968, destroying the small town of Tabacón. The eruption created three craters on the western slope, but only one of them has survived to this day. The last eruption occurred in October 2010, and since then, the volcanic activity of the mountain has been decreasing.

Upon arrival, we will transfer to the hotel.

There’s nothing like ending the day with a soak in the Tabacón hot springs. These natural hot springs flow from the Arenal Volcano and are located in a luxurious setting featuring 12 pools with varying temperatures. The site includes an active bar, buffet, and restaurant.
Overnight in Arenal.

After breakfast, we will enjoy a day of exploration in the Arenal area. We will start with a 3 km hiking trail, where you will walk through hanging bridges surrounded by lush tropical forest, observing the local wildlife, plants, and insects.

Following the hike, you will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in town, followed by another walk that includes a strenuous descent and ascent via stairs, leading to a refreshing swim at La Fortuna Waterfall.

(We recommend bringing a swimsuit and a light towel if you wish to swim in the waterfall.)

In the afternoon, we will embark on a hike that will take you closer to the volcano.
Overnight in Arenal.

After breakfast, we will embark on a 4-hour drive to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Upon arrival, we will transfer to the hotel.
This stunning area is known for its cloud forest, also referred to as a “fog forest.” It is a unique phenomenon of evergreen rainforests that receive moisture in the form of clouds. The forest is a warm habitat for sloths, snakes, monkeys, various butterfly species, and a colorful array of birds.

In the afternoon, we will set out for a night tour in the reserve. We will walk along the trails of the cloud forest, observing a variety of nocturnal animals such as tarantulas, other spiders, frogs, snakes, and other unique reptiles in their nighttime activity.
Overnight in Monteverde.

After breakfast, enjoy a tour of the hanging bridges. This tour takes you across a system of treetop bridges, allowing you to experience the rainforest from above.

Next, enjoy a ride on the cable car and an exhilarating canopy tour (ziplining) among the treetops. The canopy experience includes about 8 cables, connected to platforms mostly situated in the tree canopy.

Following this, we will visit the Frog Pond and Butterfly Garden, where you can see dozens of different species of frogs and butterflies.
Overnight in Monteverde.

The weather in Monteverde is usually cool, so please dress warmly in layers for this day.

After breakfast, we will depart for a approximately 4-hour drive to the town of Quepos, and to the nearby Manuel Antonio National Park located along the Pacific Ocean. This beautiful national park features white sandy beaches, coves, rich tropical vegetation, and an abundance of wildlife and birds.

Upon arrival, we will transfer to the hotel.

In the afternoon, we will go on a guided tour of the Manuel Antonio Nature Reserve. During the hike, we will encounter rich wildlife, including over a hundred species of animals and more than two hundred species of birds.
Overnight in Manuel Antonio.

After an early breakfast, enjoy a catamaran cruise from Quepos Harbor to sail in the blue waters off the coast of Manuel Antonio. Depending on luck, you may spot dolphins, whales, sea turtles, manta rays, and seabirds such as pelicans and ibises. We will anchor in one of the sheltered coves in Biesanz Bay for swimming and snorkeling. Lunch will be served on board the catamaran.

In the afternoon, depending on the tides, we will embark on a unique tour of the Damas Islands. We will paddle in a canoe and explore the unique ecosystem of the mangroves. Among the wildlife, depending on luck, you may see sloths, crocodiles, monkeys, herons, and other species searching for food in the area.
Overnight in Manuel Antonio.

After breakfast, we will drive approximately 3.5 hours to San José.

On the way, we will stop for a tour of Poás Volcano National Park (about a 1-hour drive). We will pass through mountainous, green pastures, tropical vegetation, and mainly coffee plantations.
Upon arrival at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we will take a well-maintained trail down to the base of the waterfalls. We will be greeted by a series of six rushing waterfalls, surrounded by dense tropical vegetation and an abundance of butterflies and birds. (It tends to be cool in La Paz, so please bring warm clothing for this segment.)

Next, we will continue our tour of Poás Volcano, which has a crater that occasionally emits gas and ash since its last eruption. We will observe the turquoise lake located at the bottom of the crater and the clear waterfalls creating a stunning spectacle.

Afterward, we will continue our journey for about an hour to San José. Upon arrival, we will transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in San José.

After breakfast and depending on the flight time, we will transfer to the airport for the flight back home.