Discover Costa Rica – Coastal Edition

4.8Based on

Carbon neutral

15 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants, maximum 18 travelers

16 peopleMaximum group size

16 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Easy

Light physical activity suitable for most people with average fitness levels.

Starts

San Jose, Costa Rica

Ends

San Jose, Costa Rica

Highlights

Enjoy unrivalled wildlife viewing – howler monkeys, caimans and sloths

Visit the beaches and waterways of Tortuguero, an important nesting site for green turtles

Discover verdant rainforest, lush mangroves, lava fields and serene cloud forests

Learn from naturalist guides who share their love of Costa Rica with you

Relax on idyllic Pacific coast beaches

Stay in comfortable eco-minded lodges and hotels

Itinerary

Costa Rica is renowned for having proportionately more protected land than any other country, making it ripe for wildlife tourism. What is less known is the marvellous, often bizarre, variety of animals from catatonic sloths, screaming howler monkeys, screeching toucans and nesting green turtles. Throw in the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines and it is easy to see why so many return.

This itinerary differs from Discover Costa Rica, spending two nights at Dominical instead of Piedras Blancas. This option is a great alternative as this area has much to offer: beautiful beaches with great sunset views, waterfalls and natural swimming holes, and the chance to explore nearby Marino Ballena National Park.

day 1 - Adventure starts in San José

Begin your adventure in San José, the culture-rich capital of Costa Rica. A complimentary transfer from the airport to the hotel is available. Check in and take it easy, there’s plenty of excitement on this trip, so today’s all about relaxing and easing ourselves into the adventure.

Around 7.30pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers when we gather as a group for a short briefing and dinner together. Our main briefing takes place tomorrow afternoon in Tortuguero due to the late arrival of some flights today.

Want to explore San Jose further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Meals:Dinner

Accommodation:Presidente, KC Hotel or Delta by Marriott San José Aurola (or similar)

day 2 - To Tortuguero National Park

Our adventure begins early this morning, leaving San José as we travel to the northeast of Costa Rica to Tortuguero National Park. Accessible only by boat or light aircraft, Tortuguero has a vast network of waterways, canals and swamps that is remarkably tranquil, unspoilt and devoid of noise pollution. On reaching the pier, we board a small motorboat for the journey to our lodge (up to 1hr 30min), which is a short distance from the main lagoon. Please note the transfer from San José to Tortuguero is not private for our groups.

This afternoon your tour leader will host the main welcome briefing when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. We also visit Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to enter the Sea Turtle Museum (a donation is requested at the entrance).

Tortuguero is probably most famous as a nesting site for the endangered green turtle, which can be seen coming ashore to lay eggs from late July to October (as part of an optional excursion). Hawksbill, loggerhead, and giant leatherback turtles also nest in this region, and from late August through to November, baby turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean. Today’s travel time will be in the region of six hours including a stop for breakfast.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Laguna Lodge or Evergreen Lodge (or similar)

day 3 - Boat tour around Tortuguero waterways

A morning boat trip enables us to discover the extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero, passing serenely along the waterways. At this time of day, wildlife is usually at its most active, and with the help of our expert guide we are likely to encounter monkeys, caimans, iguanas, butterflies and many of the 300-plus bird species recorded here. The lodge is a tranquil spot to relax this afternoon if you want to take time out to enjoy the facilities, or you can join a second boat trip or follow a short walking trail through the forest.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Laguna Lodge or Evergreen Lodge (or similar)

day 4 - To La Fortuna, near Arenal Volcano

We leave Tortuguero the same way we arrived by taking a small boat to the pier. Our bus will be at the pier waiting to drive us to the Arenal region, passing huge banana, pineapple and sugarcane plantations on the way. Arenal was the most active volcano in Costa Rica until fairly recently when it entered a resting phase, and can no longer be seen spitting ash, smoke or lava. However, there is still a lot of geothermal activity in the area and you have the opportunity to visit one of the excellent hot springs this evening. In clear weather, there are great views of the volcano from our overnight base in the nearby town of La Fortuna. Today’s travelling time is around 5hr 30min including a lunch stop.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Others:Eco Arenal or Arenal Montechiari (or similar)

day 5 - La Fortuna Waterfall hike; visit Arenal Volcano

Waterfalls are abundant in the Arenal region and this morning we visit La Fortuna, a 213ft (65m) cascade plunging into an emerald pool. A short trail through the rainforest brings us to a relatively steep set of steps that we must descend to reach the waterfall and then ascend to the exit – the hike/climb takes around 20-30 minutes and is within the capabilities of anyone with reasonable fitness. Reward your efforts with a cooling dip in one of the natural pools punctuating the foliage.

Alternatively, you could visit the lookout point and wait for the group. After lunch, we take a short scenic hike within Arenal National Park, walking through secondary rainforest and passing some of the lava fields from past eruptions. The high vantage points on this walk allow great views overlooking Lake Arenal, and the birdlife is plentiful.

Meals:Breakfast

Others:Eco Arenal or Arenal Montechiari (or similar)

day 6 - To Monteverde in the Tilaran Mountains

From Arenal, we travel to the Tilaran Mountain Range in the central highlands for our first taste of a Costa Rican cloud forest. The journey provides breathtaking views of the Gulf of Nicoya and the islands below as we ascend the hills towards Monteverde, a forest-cloaked region whose name literally means Green Mountain. The high altitude supports a complex ecosystem where plants thrive, particularly orchids of which there are more than 400 varieties here. Today’s drive is around four hours — the last 25mi (40km) of road is gravel and can be bumpy, particularly following heavy rain.

Meals:Breakfast

Accommodation:Montaña Monteverde or Monteverde Country Lodge (or similar)

day 7 - Visit Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

This morning, we have a guided walk in Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the first community-managed reserves in Costa Rica and an area celebrated for its biodiversity. To this day, the reserve is managed by the Santa Elena High School with funds channelled into protecting the reserve and providing environmental education classes within the community.

Thanks to its high elevation, Santa Elena is bathed in thick misty clouds, which support a huge range of flowers, ferns, mosses, vines and orchids. Birdlife thrives in the cloud forest with more 425 species recorded here. Santa Elena is also one of the best places to spot noisy howler monkeys swinging through the trees.

In the afternoon, it’s possible to join an optional coffee tour to learn about the importance of this crop to the socio-economic development of the country or join a canopy tour to get a different view of the forest.

Meals:Breakfast

Accommodation:Montaña Monteverde or Monteverde Country Lodge (or similar)

day 8 - To Manuel Antonio

Our journey takes a southeasterly turn today as we follow the Pan-Am Highway along the coastline to Manuel Antonio, passing African oil palm and teak plantations on the way. Manuel Antonio National Park consists of a vast marine reserve, plus 1,700 acres (690ha) of mangrove swamp, primary and secondary rainforest. The forest vegetation stretches as far as the high-tide line and provides a stunning backdrop to the expansive sandy beaches, forested islands and dramatic rocky headlands. Our drive to Manuel Antonio takes around four hours (not including rest stops and lunch). We settle into our accommodation and, depending on our arrival time, can make use of the hotel facilities.

Meals:Breakfast

Accommodation:Villabosque Hotel or Villas Lirio (or similar)

day 9 - Discover Manuel Antonio National Park

A guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park this morning should enable us to have close wildlife encounters. White-faced capuchin monkeys play in the trees and are frequently sighted on the beaches, while noisy howler monkeys are usually heard moving through the trees and calling to each other before they are seen. The endangered titi monkey (squirrel monkey) is fewer in number but can sometimes be spotted in this area. Iguanas, agouti and two- and three-toed sloths are also commonly sighted in the national park. Manuel Antonio’s beaches rank among the most beautiful in the country and we have all afternoon to enjoy them or try one of the optional activities in this region.

Please note, Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays. If your visit falls on a Tuesday, the timing of this activity will be adjusted so you visit the park on the previous day and today will be at leisure to enjoy the many optional excursions of the region.

Meals:Breakfast

Accommodation:Villabosque Hotel or Villas Lirio (or similar)

day 10 - To Dominical beach

Transfer south to the enchanting Dominical beach, a treasured destination for surfing, sunsets, wildlife and green landscapes. After settling into our hotel, we visit one of the most beautiful lookout points in the area, which is on a forested mountainside overlooking the coastal plains of Uvita and surrounded by rainforest. Relax and enjoy a tropical drink as you admire the forest around you, Marino Ballena National Park from above and, at low tide, the Whale's Tail beach.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Others:Villas Rio Mar or Cuna del Angel (or similar)

day 11 - Marino Ballena National Park

We spend the morning at Marino Ballena National Park, where we enjoy a walk through this natural conservation area.

Along our route, we have the chance of seeing howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, sloths, bats, raccoons, birds (including scarlet macaws) and other wildlife. Plants and trees, including the wonderful mangrove tree, are also part of the trail. Also here is Tombolo (known locally as the Whale’s Tail), a well-known natural barrier reef that looks just like a whale’s tail when viewed from above.

In the afternoon, we return to the hotel where there is time to enjoy the facilities, visit the beach or join an optional activity such as a whale and dolphin tour.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Others:Villas Rio Mar or Cuna del Angel (or similar)

day 12 - To Savegre Cloud Forest

Our journey takes a northwesterly turn through San Isidro and up and over the Cerro de la Muerte mountains to our next destination, the Savegre Valley, around a 4hr 30min drive from Golfito (not including stops). The cloud forest of Savegre is said to be one of the best places in Costa Rica to see the beautiful, colourful and notoriously shy resplendent quetzal and we have two nights here to discover the region. These endangered birds rely on the cloud forest for their habitat; the males are particularly striking with a green crest, red breast and tailfeathers that can reach a metre long. A good pair of binoculars will be helpful for quetzal-spotting as these birds camouflage themselves well among the wet leaves of the forest. In the afternoon, we take a short walk from our lodge into the cloud forest.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Savegre Hotel & Spa or Suria Hotel (or similar)

day 13 - Free day to discover walking trails in Savegre

Today is free to relax and explore Savegre Valley. Bring your binoculars to spot some of the 170 bird species, trek through the tropical cloud forest or simply enjoy the incredible view from the lodge. Your leader will suggest walks for today, which will involve steep trails, so you can discover the tropical cloud forest and sub-Andean vegetation of the area.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Savegre Hotel & Spa or Suria Hotel (or similar)

day 14 - Visit the village of Copey; to San José

Visit the Copey valley this morning to step momentarily into the agricultural lives of those living in the highlands of the Central Mountain Range. We take a short walk through this picturesque area stopping for snacks prepared for us with a local family, which is sure to be a memorable touch of Costa Rican hospitality. A 2hr 30min journey takes us back to San José, where there is time to explore the modern capital.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Presidente, KC Hotel or Delta by Marriott San José Aurola (or similar)

day 15 - End San José

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel before we start saying our goodbyes.

If you aren’t quite ready to leave, speak to your sales representative about extending your adventure – relax on the beach, treat yourself to some spa time, or discover more nature. To ensure total relaxation, you can stay for as many nights as you wish in a range of hotels, and we’ll organise airport transfers in either direction for you.

Meals:Breakfast

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What's Included

Accommodation

All accommodation

Meals

All breakfasts, eight lunches, seven dinners

Transport

All transport and listed activitiesArrival and departure transfers

Guide

Tour leader throughout

What's Excluded

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