Jungles and Beaches of Costa Rica

Arrive San Jose

On arrival in San Jose you will be met by our local representatives and transferred to your stylish and elegant hotel for your overnight stay, where you can relax, recuperate from your flight and look forward to your imminent adventures.

Overnight: Grano de Oro

San Jose - Tortuguero NP

After your early departure from San Jose, driving through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park, you’ll stop in Rio Danta for a delicious typical breakfast. The bus ride continues through banana plantations to the pier. A two-hour boat ride through the canals will take you to Mawamba Lodge, just in time for lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll enjoy a guided visit of Tortuguero village to learn about the history of this little town and way of living of local residences. Return to the lodge via a walking trail by the famous beach. The rest of the day will be spent at your own leisure, perhaps relaxing in a hammock at the lodge.

Overnight: Mawamba Lodge (B, L, D)

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero’s surrounding network of rainforest and canals are also home to manatees, crocodiles, tapirs, jaguars, monkeys and sloths – a true tropical wildlife haven.  Before breakfast, you’ll enjoy a morning boat tour in Tortuguero canals. After a full breakfast, you’ll explore the Mawamba Park. This guided visit includes the butterfly farm, the frog farm and the iguana farm. After lunch you’ll explore another of Tortuguero’s rainforest canals by canoe, in search of wildlife. The rest of the afternoon and evening may be spent taking an optional night tour (from July to September) to observe the turtle nesting.

Overnight: Mawamba Lodge (B, L, D)

Tortuguero NP - Manuel Antonio NP

This morning you will catch your internal flight back to San Jose. Upon arrival you will be met and driven to your hotel in Manuel Antonio National Park, a journey of around 3 hours. Settle into your charming rainforest resort, dramatically blending beach and nature and set within walking distance of the park.

Overnight: Arenas del Mar (B)

Manuel Antonio National Park

This is also the only national park in Costa Rica where it is possible to see all four endemic species of primate, and is a great place to spot sloths in the wild, both inside and outside the perimeters of the park itself, as well as appreciating the pristine beaches and coastline. Some of the optional tours available include whale watching, horse riding and guided early bird watching.

Overnight: Arenas del Mar (B)

Manuel Antonio NP - Osa Peninsula

Today you will catch your short flight to Palmar Sur, on the Osa Peninsula – a brilliantly off-the-beaten track part of Costa Rica. Accessed only by boat from Sierpe, we love the location of Casa Corcovado, your new temporary home, which is the perfect base for immersing yourself in the jungle and the closest lodge to the national park.

Overnight: Casa Corcovado Lodge (B, L, D)

Osa Peninsula

You will spend the next two days within the Corcovado region - the last remaining piece of sustainable forest of its type left in Central America. On your first day, the cool morning offers a good opportunity to spot wildlife and to observe some of the incredible variety of birds that abound in the park. The animal life in this section of the National Park is abundant, with frequent sighting of monkeys, coatimundis, squirrels, spiders, macaws, bats, leaf cutting ants, and other animal species. Later, you will find a river and then discover an incredible waterfall, with a picnic lunch included in the park. Spend the rest of the afternoon/evening relaxing before your Isla del Caño adventure tomorrow. There is also an optional bird watching tour included in your activities in the lodge.

Overnight: Casa Corcovado Lodge (B, L, D)

Osa Peninsula

Today you’ll set off on another day of adventure, snorkeling near Caño Island - an ancient Indian burial ground lying offshore. This adventure starts after breakfast when your guide will help you select the snorkeling gear. This is a great opportunity to explore the coral reefs around the Island to see a fantastic number of fish, rays and sometimes turtles. This is also one of the best dive spots in Costa Rica. Picnic lunch is included on San Josecito Beach. After an exciting day of marine exploration you will return to your lodge to relax.

Overnight: Casa Corcovado Lodge (B, L, D)

Osa Peninsula - San Jose

To get to the different areas we will traverse the city of Alajuela, passing the Agriculture Monument, as well as the monument to Juan Santamaria named after a folk hero and the famous Mango Park - a local favourite! At the Doka coffee estate, you can learn about the production, the harvesting and the roasting of coffee beans and how the various altitudes and microclimates in Costa Rica alter the flavour. Next we experience a microcosm of Costa Rica’s flowers, butterflies, orchids, hummingbirds, rainforest, cloud forest and waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, where you will enjoy lunch and walk through a trail, leading to a spectacular waterfall in the middle of the rainforest, on the slopes of the Poas volcano in the scenic central highlands. You’ll also visit the hummingbird gallery, the serpentarium, the bird house, the butterfly garden and a frog’s exhibit, before returning to San Jose for the evening.

Overnight: Grano de Oro (B, L)

Depart San Jose

After breakfast you will return to the airport to catch your international flight home.