Costa Rica is synonymous with wild rainforests, beaches and tropical beauty. You’ll stay in two of the best national parks for the sheer variety of species found within them. On this safari you’ll explore the ‘land of the turtles’ Tortuguero National Park, whose canals, rivers and beaches are a Petrie dish for marine biology. The dense forest surrounding the waterways are home to howler and capuchin monkeys, ocelot, sloths and basilisk lizards.
Wander through wild Corcovado National Park with your expert guide, for frequent sightings of all four species of monkeynative to Costa Rica, as well as coatimundis, squirrels, spiders, macaws, bats, leaf-cutting ants, and many other animal species. Lucky visitors may even spot anteaters, tapirs, or elusive wildcats.
Why You'll Love This Trip
Total Immersion in Tropical Rainforests: Sailing amongst the verdant canals of Tortugera you’ll find a wonderful array of wildlife both in and out of the water. The wild Caribbean coast beach is an important turtle nesting grounds. In just the Osa Peninsula you can find an estimated 2.5% of the entire world’s biodiversity in this breathtaking primary rainforest.
Impactful Eco Lodge Stays: With passionate naturalist guides you’ll learn all about the flora and fauna around you. Each Lodge has a strong focus on conservation and sustainability so you can be assured your stay is beneficial and respectful of the fragile ecosystem.
Day 1, Arrive San Jose
You’ll be met from your flight and transferred to your resort, a short drive to a private forest outside of the city. Why not stretch your legs on one of their walking trails and look for the five natural waterfalls within the reserve.
Accommodation: Xandari Resort
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.
AToday your driver will take you from your forest reserve, through Braulio Carrillo National Park to the jetty, where you’ll travel the rest of the way by boat to your jungle lodge. In the afternoon if time permits, why not visit a nearby village to learn about local culture.
Accomodation: Tortuga Lodge
Tortuga Lodge
A haven of tranquility, situated one mile from the mouth of the Tortuguero River.
This national park is best explored by boat, with waterways surrounded by dense tropical rainforests. Iguana, river turtles and poison dart frogs can be found along the riverbanks with monkeys and sloths in the trees. Birders will enjoy looking out for neotropical species such as the purple-throated fruitcrow and the white-collared manakin.
Accommodation: Tortuga Lodge
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.
After your final breakfast on the Caribbean side of the country, you’ll be picked up and driven to the local airport for your flight to the Osa Peninsula. Accessible only by boat from Sierpe, your next lodge is the perfect place to start your jungle explorations.
Accommodation: Aguila de Osa
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.
Home to an astounding quarter of a million species including 323 plants and animals unique to this region alone. Home to tapirs, sloths, toucans, parrots and some of the rarer species such as the scarlet macaw and jaguar.
Accommodation: Aguila de Osa
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’ll enjoy one last breakfast in the lush green rainforest before being transferred back to Puerto Jimenez to catch your flight back to San Jose, in time for your international flight home.
Your Accommodation
Xandari Resort & Spa
It’s a short drive from the international airport to this resort within a private forest reserve, with five natural waterfalls, hiking trails and magnificent views over the coffee plantations. Start your day with some yoga or end your day with a sunset dip in the pool, and delight in some farm-to-table Costa Rican cuisine.
Tortuga Lodge
Each Caribbean-Victorian inspired room has a private terrace and views of the leafy riverbanks. The lodge has a riverfront restaurant offering innovative dishes, as well as a pool, onsite spa and nature trails. Guided activities are run by a team of fantastic onsite naturalist guides. The team is fully committed to sustainability, striving to co-exist with the natural environs and community and to protect the eco-system of the national park.
Aguila de Osa
A jungle lodge on the hillside overlooking the peaceful waters of Drake Bay, this is a perfect place to explore the surrounding rainforests and waters. Hike Corcovado National Park in search of colourful birds, wildcats and lipped peccaries. Try a night trail to learn more about amphibians, reptiles, arachnids and insects.
Costa Rica Safari Highlights
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
