Costa Rica in Depth

Nature lovers paradise, experience smoking volcanoes, to astounding national parks, diverse wildlife, cloud forests to coral reefs

Explore the very best of Costa Rica. Stunning wildlife, breath-taking scenery and picturesque beaches are all here to give you a real nature lovers’ dream holiday.Starting in the capital San Jose, we make our way to Tortuguero national park which is famed for its diverse and vibrant wildlife including jaguars, manatees, caimans, monkeys and of course the beaches covered in nesting sea-turtles!Next we visit to the soaring Arenal volcano, where you can see smoke and ash rise from its towering peak.

From here we ascent into the famed Monteverde cloud forest sitting at over 1,400 metres above sea level, where we discover misty views, rolling hills and hundreds of diverse plant and animal species. Lastly, the trip ends in a relaxing beach stay in Manuel Antonio where you can take in some sun or take on some of the many activities available.

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Trip Duration: 14 days
Grade Adventure touring, Activities Adventure Touring
Summary: 13 nights in tourist class lodges and hotels

Day 1: San Jose

Private transfer from Juan Santamaria International Airport to your hotel in San José.

Day 2: San Jose-Tortuguero

Early pick up from your hotel. Admire the biodiversity of this astonishing protected area of Costa Rica as the bus drives through Braulio Carrillo National Park. Stop en route to have a delicious typical breakfast. Along the road, you can observe many different kinds of products grown in this area such as pineapples and bananas. Board a comfortable boat upon arrival to the pier and let this extraordinary exotic paradise enchant you, as you travel through the Tortuguero canals. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail and a delicious lunch as you arrive to the lodge. After lunch, visit the picturesque town, the green turtle information center and the beach area. Dinner will be served at 7pm. From July to September: Optional night tour (not included in the package) to observe the turtles nesting.

Day 3: Tortuguero

After breakfast, guided walking tour through the trails. Free time before lunch. In the afternoon, visit to Tortuguero National Park, exploring the canals in small, open boats to allow a better visibility. Tortuguero is a network of navigable lakes, rivers and canals (both natural and man-made) that are used for transportation and are a great place for observing local wildlife such as birds, monkeys, two and three-toed sloths, American crocodiles and caimans. The canals also provide shelter to endangered animals such as the Oriental Indian Manatee, a large variety of crustaceans and about 30 species of sweet water fish, including the Gaspar, considered as to be living fossil. Free time before dinner is served.

Day 4: Tortuguero to Puerto Viejo

After leaving the hotel you will depart to Caño Blanco town where you will stop for lunch at a local restaurant. Meet your transfer to take you to your next destination, Puerto Viejo. Take a boat and land transfer from Tortuguero to Guapiles.

Day 5: Puerto Viejo - Free Day

Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure.

Day 6: Puerto Viejo - Arenal

Breakfast at the hotel. The Northern Region offers a landscape of exceptional beauty with its forests, lagoons, fields of crops, rivers with hot springs, and the most active volcano in Costa Rica. Shuttle transfer from Puerto Viejo-Arenal.

Day 7: Arenal

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning tour to the Hanging Bridges, one of the greatest eco touristic projects of Costa Rica with the exuberant primary rainforest where you will find a great biological diversity with an incomparable scenic splendour. During the afternoon you’ll hike through the secondary rainforest around the Arenal Volcano National Park, the site of the 1968 eruption that awoke this previously dormant volcano. After exploring the national park you will go to the Tabacon Hot Springs for an evening of relaxation.

Day 8: Arenal-Monteverde

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Monteverde by boat across the lake. Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas located in the Cordillera de Tilarán. Roughly a four hour drive from the Central Valley, Monteverde is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica. The area is host to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and numerous other reserves, which draw considerable numbers of tourists and naturalists.Shuttle transfer from Arenal to Monteverde.

Day 9: Monteverde

Breakfast at the hotel. Shared morning guided visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve where a local naturalist guide will explain about the different macro/micro flora and fauna. Visit the Golden Toad’s unique habitat, see birds like the resplendent quetzal, the three-wattled bell bird, and the black faced solitaire. See trees like strangler figs, avocados and cecropias, epiphytes such as bromeliads, orchids and mosses and a wide variety of insects, mammals and reptiles. Includes: Entrance fee, tour with a bilingual naturalist guide, transportation and a 15 minute stop at CASEM. (Local women’s handcraft cooperative).

Day 10: Monteverde-Manuel Antonio

Transfer to Manuel Antonio..Despite its small size and great popularity, Manuel Antonio has managed to remain one of the premiere nature spots in the country. The rain forest and mountains literally meet the sea here and the ecosystem is teeming with land, sea and air species. If there is one place to visit in this country and be assured of seeing animals in the wild, this is it. Just a couple of hours walking the park’s trails are likely to present various colorful and majestic birds, white-faced monkeys, two and three-toed sloth, coatis, pacas, brilliantly colored land crabs, a variety of multihued butterflies, and interesting insects. The endangered squirrel monkey and a subspecies of the squirrel monkey endemic to Costa Rica are also frequently seen. In all, over 100 species of animals and nearly 200 species of birds have been identified in this park.Shuttle transfer from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio. Organised by Interbus.

Day 11: Manuel Antonio

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning shared tour, visit Manuel Antonio National Park, was once an island but is now connected to the coast by a thin strip of land. This land bridge now forms the spine separating the park’s two most popular beaches, Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio. The southern facing beach, Playa Manuel Antonio, is a picturesque half mile long, white sand crescent bisecting deep green foliage to one side and a private, secluded cove to the other. Standing with your feet dug into the sand and watching the wave crash against the rocks on either side of the lagoon, it is easy to believe that you are a thousand miles from anywhere.

Day 12: Manuel Antonio Free Day

Day at leisure.

Day 13: Manuel Antonio Free Day

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to San José. Driving time is approximately 3 hours. According to flight schedule, transfer to Juan Santamaría International Airport. Check in at airline counter must be done three hours prior to flight departure.Shuttle transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose. Organised by Interbus.

Day 14: San Jose

Private transfer from your hotel in San José to the International Airport for your outward flight.

Featured Accommodation or highlight

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MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST RESERVE

Located along the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range, the reserve is home to 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles.

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TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

From July to September, the parks beaches are filled with an abundance green sea turtles laying eggs and hatching

The Next Step…

If you would like to discuss this itinerary or something similar in more detail, please contact the Thor Travel Team.

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