On arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, you will be met and transferred to your hotel to rest and relax after your long haul flight.
We will meet for a welcome dinner in the evening.
San Jose is the main entryway to the country being the capital city of Costa Rica in the Central Valley. Founded in 1738, it’s a modern city with bustling commerce and updated services for foreign visitors offering a variety of tourist, cultural and natural attractions, like the Costa Rican Art, Gold, Jade, National and Children’s Contemporary Art and Design Museums. The architectural jewel of the country, its National Theatre, plus examples of historical architecture in buildings and churches close to parks and monuments, worth visiting. Restaurants for fine dining as well as casual cafeterias known as sodas offer international and local dishes. It is not a big city, traffic may be challenging though. There are many boulevards that make it easy to walk to different attractions or there are many options to travel by cab or public transportation. The nightlife is active and there are options for every taste.
Early breakfast at our hotel, a transfer to La Pavona Dock. Upon arrival, you will join more traveller's and meet your naturalist guide that will be with your group for the rest of the stay at Tortuguero. Here you will board a boat to reach ecolodge at Tortuguero, arriving around noon.
Afternoon visit to the village. Note: daily activities may vary guide will explain upon arrival.
Total distance from San Jose to Tortuguero: 130 km / 81 miles. Approximate driving time: 4:00 hours.
Located in the extreme northeast of Costa Rica, Tortuguero is accessible only by small plane or boat, along the famous Tortuguero Canals. This system of rivers and man-made channels parallels the coast and cuts through beautiful primary forest. The area was turned into a national park in 1975. It is one of the areas with the greatest biological diversity of the country. The name Tortuguero relates to the Spanish word for turtle as this is the most important nesting site in the entire western half of the Caribbean for the green turtle. Other species of sea turtles like the leatherback and hawksbill also nest on the wide beaches of the park and refuge where most exploring is done by small boat, although some hiking trails are available.
All meals are included today.
After breakfast at the lodge, head out for your boat tour with lunch and dinner included at the lodge.
Guided Tortuguero National Park boat tour
Tortuguero National Park is a wilderness area with extraordinary biological variety. Diverse mammals, birds and fish live in eleven different defined habitats. Strong Caribbean currents have provided a straight 22 mile expanse of beach which is a favored nesting ground for sea turtles like the Hawksbill and loggerheads that nest from July through October. The Leatherback, the largest sea turtle of the world, nests from February to July. Most exploring of the park is done by boat.
After breakfast, we will transfer by boat to La Pavona Dock and then by bus to Guapiles.
After lunch, we meet our private guide/driver to continue your journey to La Fortuna
Total distance from Guapiles to Fortuna 159 km. Approximate driving time: 2 hours 30 minutes.
La Fortuna has an elevation of 350 feet above sea level and is best known as the base from which to explore the magnificent Arenal Volcano and National Park. Located north of the Tilaran Mountains, this spectacularly beautiful, cone-shaped volcano rises out of the flat San Carlos Plains. Naturally heated thermal springs originate from its depth, so several places in the area offer the chance to be surrounded by nature while soaking and relaxing on the mineral waters. The fabulous mountains, lake, natural reserves, rivers, canopy tours, culture tours, hot springs and rainforest, make this a favourite holiday destination. From Arenal it´s easy to get to Monteverde and other Guanacaste areas, the rural roads take travellers through splendid landscape of vast pasturelands.
You are free this evening to enjoy dinner for your own account.
Breakfast at the hotel before heading out for the day with lunch and dinner at local restaurants included.
Private hike Arenal Volcano National Park (morning)
Sitting north of the Tilarán Mountains, the emblematic Arenal volcano is a magnificent spectacle of nature! Surrounded by Humid Forest, at an elevation of 5,437 feet, this giant was active for four decades. Currently, it is a in a resting phase and always worth seeing. It’s almost perfect conical shape reveals over the town of La Fortuna, it`s hot entrails feed the many therapeutic volcanic hot water springs of the area.
Private tour Sloth Territory afternoon
Sloth's Territory, located in La Fortuna de San Carlos, is a 13-hectare private reserve managed by the Rodriguez Perez family. This natural paradise offers visitors the chance to observe two- and three-toed sloths in their natural habitat. The reserve features a 1.5-kilometer trail that winds through vibrant flora and fauna, making it an ideal spot for wildlife enthusiasts.- 9 - Sloth's Territory is known for its commitment to conservation, with 10 hectares of the reserve undergoing reforestation to maintain and enhance the habitat for its diverse wildlife. The guided tour typically last around 2 hours and provide an educational experience about sloths and their ecosystem. In addition to sloths, visitors can see a variety of birds, amphibians, and other wildlife, including hummingbirds, tanagers, and monkeys.
After breakfast at the hotel we will head out to the Park and Waterfall .
Private hike Tenorio National Park & Rio Celeste Waterfall
This is one of the most amazing places of Costa Rica, without a doubt. The magnificent turquoise blue waters together with all the nature that surrounds them make of Río Celeste a place to admire. Located in the outskirts of Tenorio River, this one of a kind river awes visitors from around the world with its unique beauty. A circuit trail of 7 kilometers will take you through the forest, to various interesting places, starting with magical Río Celeste Waterfall, the blue lagoon, a stretch of the calm river that makes a beautiful natural lagoon, followed by the observation deck of Tenorio Volcano, which offers incredible views of the volcano and the surrounding mountains. Next come two more attractions: “Las Ollas” which are fumaroles filled with boiling mud and finally the “Teñideros” or Dyers, which is the place where the river acquires it unique colour due to a natural chemical reaction. On the way back you will continue to walk alongside the riverbank, admiring the bubbling waters, the natural hot springs and the incredible scenery that envelopes us. The final highlight of your visit will be a delicious hot lunch, before driving back to your hotel.
You are free this evening to enjoy dinner for your own account.
After breakfast, depart toward the Central Pacific Coast. Visit the Sky Walk at Villa Lapas, bordering the Carara National Park. Lunch will be included.
Total distance from Fortuna to Manuel Antonio: 233 km / 144.7 miles. Approximate driving time: 5:00 hours.
Manuel Antonio
Travelling south bound through the stunning Central Pacific, the small agricultural town of Quepos welcomes visitors and a tree lined, cliff top road leads to Manuel Antonio offering glimpses of spectacular forest and beach. This renowned touristic town sits up in the hills overlooking the vibrant Pacific Ocean framed by green, luscious vegetation. The highlight here is the marvelous Manuel Antonio National Park, an amazing combination of rainforest that grows right down to the three white sand beaches that are part of the park, which protects several habitats, including primary and secondary forest, mangroves, beach vegetation and marine resources.
Private hike Sky Way with Lunch at Villa Lapas
The Sky Way Tour at Villa Lapas offers an exhilarating experience, allowing visitors to explore the rainforest's rich biodiversity through a series of five suspension bridges. Each bridge spans approximately 100 meters and is suspended 60 meters above the ground, providing breathtaking views of the forest canopy and the Pacific Ocean. During this 2.5-kilometer hike, you can observe a variety of wildlife, including tropical birds, mammals, and reptiles. Located near Carara National Park, Villa Lapas is an ideal spot for bird watchers, with a high concentration of bird species such as the Scarlet Macaw and toucans. The tour typically lasts around 3.5 hours.
You are free this evening to enjoy dinner for your own account.
After breakfast at the hotel, head out for :
Private Manuel Antonio National Nature Walk Tour
A leisurely walk with a naturalist guide, visiting Manuel Antonio National Park. We will explore and enjoy the beautiful beaches and of course the large number of flora and fauna that they host in this magical place. The pace of our walk is set by our sightings. The area is home to sloths and numerous species of monkeys traveling through the treetops, anteaters, iguanas resting in the rainforest and birds. Hopefully we can find one of the only remaining 1,000 Titi or squirrel monkeys, endangered species living in one place in the world. The walk is approximately 2½ hours. At the end of the walk you can enjoy some local fresh fruits and refreshments. The trails allow you to enjoy the beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters and white sand.
Free time at the beach with lunch and dinner for your own account. Note: Outside the park there are several restaurants to choose from.
Private Damas Mangrove Boat Tour
This boat tour visits the One Manuel Antonio Area, a tropical rainforest and delicate mangrove ecosystem . This adventure of Costa Rican natural history – its exotic flora and fauna enables you to experience the pulse of the mangrove ecosystem. Experience curious families of monkeys as they migrate across the mangrove ecosystem, different exotic trees, caimans, sloths, crocodiles, boas, white face monkeys, egrets among other species. Finally, end your adventure with a relaxing yet rewarding meal in typical Costa Rican flavour at a local “hot spot” restaurant before you return to your hotel. Note: Departure time depends on tides
Farewell dinner included at a local restaurant.
Private transfer Manuel Antonio to Juan Santamaria Int. Airport
This morning after breakfast we transfer back to the Airport for homeward flights.
Total distance from Manuel Antonio to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) : 156 km / 97 miles.Approximate driving time: 2 hours 40 minutes.
