Costa Rica is synonymous with rainforests and tropical beauty, and on this safari we take you to the renowned ‘land of the turtles’ Tortuguero National Park, whose canals, rivers, beaches and lakes are a working laboratory of rain forest, freshwater, and marine biology. Experience Corcovado National Park with your expert guide for frequent sightings of monkeys, coatimundis, squirrels, spiders, macaws, bats, leaf-cutting ants, and many other animal species. Lucky visitors may even spot anteaters, tapirs, or elusive wildcats.
Why book this trip
Travel to Costa Rica, a hotspot for biodiversity, to see a remarkable variety of animals, including sloths and jaguars, as well as tropical birds. Immerse yourself in Costa Rica's hidden gems and explore the undiscovered beauty of the Osa Peninsula and other off-the-beaten-path locations.
Reduce your impact on the environment by staying in eco-lodges, which provide a special fusion of comfort and environmental sustainability.
Visit Tortuguero village to fully immerse yourself in the local communities and acquire a deeper understanding of their way of life and cultural heritage.
Day 1: Arrive San Jose
On arrival in San Jose you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your accommodation where you can relax, recuperate from your flight and look forward to your imminent adventure.
Wildlife in Costa Rica
Lush and green all year round, flora and fauna abound in Costa Rica and over 200 mammal species rustle stealthily through the undergrowth.
After your departure from San Jose, you will be driven through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park, stopping in Rio Danta for a delicious breakfast. A two-hour boat ride through the canals will take you to your lodge. Enjoy a guided visit of Tortuguero village.
Tortuga Lodge
A haven of tranquility, situated one mile from the mouth of the Tortuguero River.
Tortuguero's surrounding network of rainforest and canals is home to manatees, crocodiles, tapirs, jaguars, monkeys and sloths. The protected stretch of beach is one of the largest and most important green turtle nesting grounds, serving as a refuge for leatherbacks and hawkbills turtles.
Tortuguero National Park
Lying in the northeast of Costa Rica along the Caribbean coastline, the Tortuguero National Park is a stunningly located park that protects a 22-mile stretch of beach, providing one of the largest and most important nesting grounds for the endangered green turtle. During the nesting season, between July and October, entrants to the park will have the privilege of coinciding their visit with these gentle creatures who make their way up the beach at night to lay their eggs, and with our guided nocturnal trips it is possible to see them at incredibly close range, making it in many wildlife enthusiasts eyes a must as part of their Costa Rica itinerary. This is one of the best places to see turtle hatchlings, and you can also see wildlife such as sloths, monkeys and toucans.
This morning you will be transferred to the airport in Tortuguero in time for your flight to the Osa Peninsula. Accessed only by boat from Sierpe, your new lodge is the perfect base for immersing yourself in the jungle and the closest lodge to the national park.
Aguila De Osa
Aguila de Osa is a a charming ecolodge set on the western edge of the small town of Drake Bay, in the north west of the Osa Peninsula, at the mouth of the Rio Agujitas. The comfortable rooms blend perfectly into their surroundings, with hardwood and tropical design. The open-sided dining room offers wonderful views over the bay, while you enjoy freshly-prepared food, much of it sourced from the lodge's own farm.
The last remaining piece of sustainable forest of its type left in Central America, with National Geographic describing it as 'the most biologically intense place on earth'. Frequent sighting of monkeys, coatimundis, squirrels, macaws, bats, leaf cutting ants, and many other animal species.
The Osa Peninsula
Described by National Geographic Magazine as ‘one of the most biologically intense places on earth’ due to its unique and remote areas in the more inaccessible southwest of the country. The Osa Peninsula contains the Corcovado National Park and has massive appeal for those looking for an off-the-beaten-track experience away from some of the more popular tourist areas of Costa Rica. The region enjoys vast biodiversity and is a natural wonderland, with much of its parkland protected since 1975 as national park, and it is even possible, however elusive they may be, to sight puma and jaguar. Puerto Jiminez and Drake Bay are the two main towns from which you can access the peninsula, both of which offer good connections to San Jose. The landscapes of the Osa Peninsula are a varied and untamed blend of beaches, mangroves, winding rivers and thick rainforest, all ideal for exploration.
Today you will be transferred back to Puerto Jimenez in order to catch your flight back up to San Jose. From here you connect onto your international departure flight.
What to expect from a trip to Costa Rica
Conservation Minded
We know our wildlife and do what we can to preserve its natural habitat. We support Selva Bananito, one of Costa Rica’s leading examples of ecotourism, as evidenced by their work to protect wildcats.
Wealth of Experience
As a specialist operator we have excellent partnerships with naturalists and conservationists in Costa Rica. Help them to monitor and protect populations of jaguars and ocelot by placing camera traps within the primary rainforest.
Tailored Safaris
Share your interests with our Destination Specialists and we will match you to the in-country experts, providing you with nothing but the best access and highly experienced wildlife trackers and guides.
Client Reviews
Rated 5/5 based on 1 customer reviews
costa-rica-christine-read
Tristan is the best! This is our second trip and we really enjoy the wildlife emphasis. Traveling with NWS is truly a pleasure!
—Christine Read who travelled on Costa Rica: Ultimate Wildlife Adventure in April 2023
