Day notes
After collecting our luggage, we will be met by our driver and travel for approximately 45 minutes to spend our first night in Costa Rica at the Hotel Bougainvillea. The Bougainvillea is nestled within a 10-acre award-winning tropical botanical garden, one of the main attractions of the hotel.
The great variety of tropical plants, including heliconias, bromeliads, orchids and trees attract butterflies and birds which brighten the environment with their colours and sounds. Featuring seven different colours of the Bougainvillea flower, the garden pays tribute to this flower which inspired the hotel’s name.
Relax and wander in the garden to see small samples of the country's crops, such as coffee, cocoa, bananas, pineapple and papaya, along with several small ponds where work is ongoing to preserve endangered frog species, such as Forreri’s Leopard frog, the Blue-sided Tree frog, and the Brilliant Forest frog.
Dinner can be taken in the hotel restaurant, overlooking the garden, which offers a range of dishes including traditional Costa Rican as well as international options and snacks.
Transfer from Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO] to Hotel Bougainvillea
Transfer
Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]
Hotel Bougainvillea
Check-in to Hotel Bougainvillea
Included:
Breakfast
Excluded:
Lunch, snacks, dinner
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
Road transfer from Boca Tapada to Sarapiqui with private visit to La Selva Biological Station.
La Selva has been a pioneer site in Education, Research, Conservation and Eco-tourism in Costa Rica since 1953 and was one of the first privately protected areas in the country. La Selva is located in the Caribbean foothills of Costa Rica and comprises 1,614 hectares (3,988 acres) of tropical wet forest. Species diversity is spectacular, including more than 1,850 species of plants, 350 species of trees and 448 species of birds. It is the last stronghold of endangered species such as the Great Green Macaw.
Overnight at La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge.
Private night walk. During the two-hour walk, a naturalist guide will tell us about the various nocturnal species of the tropical rainforest, such as insects, frogs and nocturnal mammals, giving us a different perspective of the rainforest.
Check-out from Hotel Bougainvillea
Transfer from Hotel Bougainvillea to La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge
Transfer
Hotel Bougainvillea
La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge
Check-in to La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge
Day notes
Morning private guided walk at La Selva Biological Station (approx 4 hours)
A bilingual naturalist will lead the walk, giving us a glimpse of the cutting-edge research conducted at La Selva as well as pointing out the birdlife of the tropical rainforest.
Later we head to the Savegre area. We will drive through the dramatic scenery of the highlands of Cerro de la Muerte before descending into the valley. This is an amazing spot for bird watching, in particular, the opportunity to spot the great Quetzal. The stunning hilltops and cloud forests around Savegre Valley are also famous for being the path to a zone that produces some of the best coffee in the world.
Tucked in the pristine mountain valley of San Gerardo de Dota, beside the Savegre River, Trogon Lodge is a paradise for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts. The San Gerardo area offers fresh mountain air, outstanding cloud forests, beautiful peach, plum and apple orchards and some of the best bird-watching in Costa Rica - brilliantly-coloured tropical hummingbirds, trogons and the famous Resplendent Quetzel are among the 170 species of bird to be found here.
The hotel is surrounded by the majestic Talamanca Mountains and its grounds are filled with trees and flowers that draw jewelled birds. There are trout ponds with seating so you can relax and take in the scenery, or potter around the gardens with your camera to bird and butterfly spot.
Meals in the restaurant has based on a farm-to-table concept with fresh trout from the grounds, vegetables from the hydroponic garden and local fruits.
Check-out from La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge
Transfer from La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge to Trogon Lodge
Transfer
La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge
Trogon Lodge
Check-in to Trogon Lodge
Expert tips:
It can be chilly in the mountains in the evening and early mornings. We may head out early at around 5.30am for the chance to find the Resplendent Quetzal so please pack a warm fleece or down jacket.
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
This morning we will head out early on our quest to see the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal. Our guide has excellent local contacts so our chances are good. Back to the hotel for breakfast
After breakfast we take a short drive to Los Quetzales National Park and will spend the morning exploring the Savegre area with our guide to see what birds, insects, mammals and reptiles can be found.
We will walk a short but well-maintained hiking trail to explore within the primary rainforest.
Lunch will be in a local restaurant back in the valley. After lunch you can either head back in the car with the guide to the lodge and relax in the gardens or walk back in your own time, following the winding road down the valley.
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
Today we move on to the Dominical Area in the Central Pacific Costa Rican coast. Picture the Pacific Coast; think of deep green tones of forests, the cool blue ocean with fantastic waves and deserted beaches. This is where Dominical is located, in the famous whale tail-shaped piece of land.
En route, we will spend the afternoon at Hacienda Baru Wildlife Refuge. The reserve comprises some 330 hectares of protected areas with primary and secondary tropical rainforest, wetlands, mangroves and coast. In June 2017, UNESCO declared it a Biosphere Reserve as the region is home to 20% of Costa Rica’s flora, as well as 54% of its mammals and 59% of birds. We will walk a loop trail, as usual with many stops for birds, mammals, reptiles and flora. We have seen White-faced Capuchin, Agouti, Peccary and Coatimundi here over the last two years. In 2022 we had excellent Sloth sightings here so we will keep our fingers crossed for a repeat performance - Sloths are notoriously difficult to spot in these high tree canopies but we may be lucky again,
Overnight at Cuna de Angel.
Check-out from Trogon Lodge
Transfer from Trogon Lodge to Hotel Cuna del Angel
Transfer
Trogon Lodge
Hotel Cuna del Angel
Check-in to Hotel Cuna del Angel
Expert tips:
Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Reserve. Home to more than 310 species of birds and 57 species of mammals.
Whilst no jaguars have been spotted here, there are jungle cats: pumas, jaguarundi and ocelots.
Reptiles and amphibians: Caiman, Red-eyed tree frog and tiny, colourful, Poison-dart frog, Basilisk lizard
Mammals: Peccary, Coatimundi, Agouti, Capuchin Monkey
Humpback whales pass by offshore from December to April, and Olive Ridley and Hawksbill sea turtles lay eggs on the beach from May through November. The hacienda helps with a nursery where about 2,500 baby turtles are hatched and released every year. Dolphins inhabit these warm waters too.
The refuge has about 250 orchid species.
Hacienda Barú also supports ASANA, a non-profit association whose vision is to maintain and improve the biodiversity and connectivity of the Paso de la Danta Biological Corridor and the natural areas it connects. They are involved in various projects that have resulted in major advances in the protection of vulnerable species that live inside the Wildlife Reserve.
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
Today we drive to Marino Ballena National Park with a couple of stops on the way at some sites where we can do some bird spotting. We will start adding marine and shore birds to our list: Heron, Egret, Plover, Sandpiper, Tern, Brown Pelican.
We'll take a short hike through the rainforest and then walk out across the sand on the famous whale tail tombola. We can take a swim in the Pacific Ocean, looking back at the mountains and the rainforest - a spectacular view.
Lunch in a local cafe and then we head back to our lodge for the afternoon to relax.
Expert tips:
Common inhabitants:
Humpback whales, green marine iguanas, bottle nosed and common dolphins, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles, corals, sponges, anemones, lobsters, trunkfish, Frigate Bird, Brown Footed Booby, Brown Pelicans
There are two whale migrations to calve in the warm waters of Marino Ballena. Antarctic families arrive in July and depart in November while their northern cousins from California and Canada come in December and leave in April.
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
Today we continue our journey south on the Pacific Ocean. We will leave the car and travel by boat to Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge.
Tucked away in the rainforest on a 170-acre private reserve bordering Corcovado National Park and the Pacific Ocean, Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge is an extraordinary place to stay on the Osa Peninsula – a true wildernesses. It is the closest accommodation to the National Park and getting there is an adventure. We will take a boat cruise along the coast through the largest mangrove wetlands on Central America's Pacific Coast. Keep cameras and binos at the ready as we will be watching out for wildlife as you travel. When we get to Casa Corcovado Lodge, the boat will pull up to the beach and we get off in a “wet landing.” A tractor-pulled wagon transports both us and our luggage up the hill to the lodge, where lunch and a complimentary cocktail will be waiting. Set above the palm-fringed beach in manicured tropical gardens, Casa Corcovado was designed by the naturalist owner to be built in harmony with the landscape.
It is estimated that 2.5 percent of the planet’s biodiversity is contained here. The wealth and natural exuberance of this area is an invitation to hike into the pristine forest and find crystalline creeks and waterfalls on our way. Jungle, history, culture and beauty mix in this fabulous place.
Check-out from Hotel Cuna del Angel
Cruise from Hotel Cuna del Angel to SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Cruise
Hotel Cuna del Angel
SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Check-in to SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
Wake each morning to the sounds of Howler Monkey and Toucans. There is time to wander the grounds to see what we can spot before we have breakfast.
Today get ready to explore Isla del Caño with a snorkelling adventure. Caño Island was once an important ceremonial site and burial ground for the pre-Colombian Indians. It's possible they abandoned the area when pirates began arriving - the first, according to legend, being Sir Francis Drake back in 1579. The island is now a National Park.
The snorkelling site is located within a marine reserve and is a good place for spotting a wide variety of fish and marine mammals, including - if you are lucky - manta rays, turtles and small white-tipped sharks. Inflatable diving vests can be adjusted to allow you to bob on the surface, fully supported, or dive down below, whichever you prefer. Accompanied by a guide, this is a great tour for beginners and experienced snorkelers alike. You usually snorkel for around an hour.
For those who don't wish to snorkel, you can stay on the boat in the shade or swim in the water around the boat. Cool drinks are provided on the boat.
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
Hike in Corcovado National Park
Corcovado is the last remaining Pacific lowland rainforest of sustainable size in Central America and has been called "the most biologically intense place on earth" by no less an authority than the National Geographic Society. Here among Costa Rica's largest trees can be found Central America's densest populations of tapir, jaguar and Scarlet Macaws. Constrained within this tropical wilderness is an immense biodiversity and this will be your chance to explore it. The cool morning hours offer a good opportunity to spot wildlife and to observe some of the incredible variety of birds that abound in the park.
Along the trail our guide will tell you some of the fascinating stories about life in the rainforest. Walking back along the coastal trail, on out return to Casa Corcovado we will be served lunch at the picnic area on their secluded beach.
Each evening, sit at the bar looking out onto the ocean, drink a frosty margarita or gin and tonic and watch the sunset. Brown Pelicans and Scarlet Macaws fly over to roost as we watch the sun melt into the sea. It's a wonderful setting to reflect on our day in this intense place, the rainforest of the Osa Península.
Expert tips:
Corcovado National Park encompasses the only remaining old growth wet forests on the Pacific coast of Central America. 13 major ecosystems including lowland rain forest, highland cloud forest, jolillo palm forest, and mangrove swamps, as well as coastal marine and beach habitats.
Inhabitants:
All four of the monkey species: Central American Spider Monkey, Mantled Howler Monkey, White-faced Capuchin and the highly endangered Red-backed Squirrel Monkey
All six of the feline species: Jaguar, Puma, Ocelot, Margay, Oncilla, Jagarundi
Other mammals: Baird’s Tapirs, White-lipped Peccaries
More than 400 species of birds including Harpy Eagles, 16 different hummingbirds and the largest number of Scarlet Macaws anywhere in Central America.
Included:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks - alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Day notes
We head back by boat this morning to Drake Bay.
We will visit two local enterprises that are part of a foundation developed by our colleagues in Costa Rica.
We will visit a "trapiche", a traditional sugar mill where production is carried out in the same way as it has been for generations.
Whilst they prepare lunch, we will head over to meet a family at Finca Las Minas whose history is gold mining in the river. They will demonstrate how the gold used to be panned and we have the chance to chat with them over coffee and homemade breads.
Back to the Trapiche Don Carmen for an organic lunch.
This afternoon we will fly back to San Jose and return to Bougainvillea Hotel for our last night in Costa Rica.
Check-out from SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Cruise from SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge to Drake Bay Boat Ramp
Cruise
SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Drake Bay Boat Ramp
Transfer from Drake Bay Boat Ramp to Drake Bay Airport [DRK]
Transfer
Drake Bay Boat Ramp
Drake Bay Airport [DRK]
Scheduled Flight from Drake Bay Airport [DRK] to Hotel Bougainvillea
Scheduled Flight
Drake Bay Airport [DRK]
Hotel Bougainvillea
Check-in to Hotel Bougainvillea
Day notes
Transfer to the airport for international flights home.
Check-out from Hotel Bougainvillea
Transfer from Hotel Bougainvillea to Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]
Transfer
Hotel Bougainvillea
Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]
