Day notes
DECEMBER 21ST - WELCOME TO SAN JOSE!
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
Day notes
DECEMBER 22ND - EL IRAL - FULL-DAY EXCURSION
El Iral Bosque Nuboso is a private park near San Jose in the central volcanic mountain range. This park, with its three thousand acres, opened in December of 2021 with a new vision devoted to conservation:
- Protect at least 70% of its land in pristine conditions for the conservation of flora and fauna
- Maintain dairy production to provide food and jobs for the local community
With amazing mountain scenery, beautiful cloud forest trails and open areas for grazing, the property offers an incredible opportunity for birdwatching. With an elevation above six thousand feet, it is possible to find the highland specialities of the birdlife of Costa Rica, such as: the Wrenthrush, Costa Rica Pigmy Owl, Volcano Hummingbird, Talamanca Hummingbird, Black-billed Nightingale Thrush, Golden Browed Chlorophonia.
There is a restaurant with a terrace and full-length glass windows to the valley, serving excellent homemade dishes, where we will have lunch.
There are a variety of hiking routes that we can take and we can discuss and agree over a coffee when we arrive.
Day notes
DECEMBER 23RD - FLY TO LIMON
Today, we fly from the domestic terminal in San Jose to Limon. Transfer to Puerto Vieja and our hotel, Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort.
The south Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is a constantly pleasing sight of golden sand, palm tree-lined beaches, turquoise water and gorgeous coral reefs. Enjoy its culture, rich colours, music, gastronomy, and local people.
Afternoon at leisure
Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort is a friendly and inviting Caribbean beach hotel facing the popular beach of Playa Cocles near Puerto Viejo. Set on five acres of forested land in front of the beautiful white sand beach, its gardens provide excellent opportunities for bird watching. The hotel offers pleasant accommodations in hardwood bungalows in exotic tropical gardens. Expansive verandas, inviting porches with hammocks, and colourful bathrooms decorated with mosaics add an artistic flair. The spacious bungalows feature amenities like air-conditioning, ceiling fans, mosquito nets, a safe, and contemporary works of Caribbean art. Hotel facilities include swimming pools, a restaurant and bar, a spa and an arts and crafts shop featuring works by local artists.
Check-out from Hotel Bougainvillea
Transfer from Hotel Bougainvillea to Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO]
Transfer
Hotel Bougainvillea
Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO]
Scheduled Flight from Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO] to Limon International Airport[LIO]
Scheduled Flight
Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO]
Limon International Airport[LIO]
Transfer from Limon International Airport[LIO] to Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
Transfer
Limon International Airport[LIO]
Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
Check-in to Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
Day notes
24TH DECEMBER - PRIVATE TOUR IN CAHUITA NATIONAL PARK
Cahuita National Park has white sand beaches, vibrant wildlife and the largest coral reef in Costa Rica.
Snorkelling is a popular activity to see colourful coral formations and a large variety of fish and sea turtles (including the endangered Hawksbill and Green turtles).
Well-maintained hiking trails wind through lush tropical rainforest and along the coastline. The main trail is the 8 km (5 miles) long "Sendero de Perezosos" (Sloth Trail), where we will look out for wildlife and enjoy stunning ocean views.
We will look out for Howler Monkeys, White-faced Capuchin Monkeys, Sloths and Raccoons on the trails, and a wide range of birds, including toucans, parrots, herons and kingfishers.
Day notes
DECEMBER 25TH - LAND AND BOAT TRANSFER TO TORTUGUERO
Tortuguero is located in the extreme northeast of Costa Rica and 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 forests. The area was turned into a national park in 1975 and is one of the areas with the greatest biological diversity in 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. Note nesting season is over by the time we visit in December
Mawamba Lodge is a casual resort in Tortuguero, nestled on the narrow strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the Tortuguero Lagoon. Its 15-acre site borders the beaches and offers great opportunities to observe wildlife. Our rooms will have a garden view, queen-size beds, a ceiling fan, private bathrooms with a hot water shower and a porch with a hammock and rocking chair.
Hotel facilities include a swimming pool, private nature trails, an open-sky butterfly garden, an open-air Red Eyed Tree frog project, direct access to the beach, hammocks, a bar, a café with a free lending library, and a gift shop.
Check-out from Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
Cruise from Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort to Mawamba Lodge
Cruise
Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
Mawamba Lodge
Check-in to Mawamba Lodge
Day notes
DECEMBER 26TH - NIGHT TOUR AT MAWAMBA TRAILS
Day at leisure.
An opportunity to enjoy the sounds of the rainforest at night, a completely different experience from your daytime outings. With our expert naturalist guide, we will leave Mawamba by boat around 17:30 to our private facility near the National Park just 5 minutes away. Our 2-hour guided walking tour will take us on a loop inside the rainforest to discover the magic of the Rainforest as it turns dark. The trail has been carefully built, raised from the ground and in cement, to allow the most comfortable walking experience. Return by boat to the Lodge just in time for dinner.
Day notes
DECEMBER 27TH - MORNING TOUR
Depart from the lodge by boat to the Ranger Station at the park entrance. The Park Ranger will tell us which canal we are to explore today, and we will then head out on a 2-hour boat tour inside the canals. The flora and fauna in Tortuguero are amazing, with more than 350 bird species identified so far, including three out of the four species of monkeys found in Costa Rica, caimans, crocodiles, toucans, sloths, and much more.
Katonga Floating Restaurant - Dinner
Katonga is not a canoe and not a boat, either. It is a way to quietly navigate the Tortuguero Lagoon while enjoying a delicious meal on board (Sunset tours are also available). Katonga was carefully built to provide a relaxing way to cruise around the Lagoon.
Day notes
DECEMBER 28TH - FLY TO SAN JOSE AND DRIVE TO MONTEVERDE. PRIVATE NIGHT WALK AT CURICANCHA RESERVE
Today, we fly back to San Jose and meet up again with our guide Gustavo, who will drive us to Monteverde (approx 4 hours drive time)
Monteverde is 3,000 feet above sea level in the Tilaran Mountains of northwestern Costa Rica. This is one of the country’s most famous places and a world-class example of conservation by a local community. Originally a small forest reserve set aside by the Quakers who settled the area more than 50 years ago to protect the watershed for their dairy industry. Monteverde’s protected areas now cover nearly 30,000 hectares of private reserves, including the Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Santa Elena Reserves.
Our hotel is surrounded by the lush greenery and biodiversity that makes Monteverde famous around the world. The sights, sounds and smells under the canopy are unique and awe-inspiring. A local family operates the property with a deep and abiding love for the land on which the hotel rests.
Tonight we have a private walk in the forest. A magical experience to enjoy the nightly symphony of frogs and insects.
Check-out from Mawamba Lodge
Transfer from Mawamba Lodge to Tortuguero Airport [TTQ]
Transfer
Mawamba Lodge
Tortuguero Airport [TTQ]
Scheduled Flight from Tortuguero Airport [TTQ] to Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO]
Scheduled Flight
Tortuguero Airport [TTQ]
Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO]
Transfer from Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO] to Ocotea Boutique Hotel
Transfer
Costa Rica Regional Airport [SJO]
Ocotea Boutique Hotel
Check-in to Ocotea Boutique Hotel
Day notes
29TH DECEMBER MONTEVERDE SKY WALK HANGING BRIDGES
Monteverde Hanging Bridges walk and explore the area with Gustavo.
Sky Walk is a guided tour which combines trails and suspension bridges with heights above the canopy of Monteverde cloud forest. The tour lasts between 2 and 2.5 hours.
Day notes
RETURN TO SAN JOSE
Gustavo will drive us back to San Jose to check-in for our international flights home
Check-out from Ocotea Boutique Hotel
Transfer from Ocotea Boutique Hotel to Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]
Transfer
Ocotea Boutique Hotel
Juan Santamaria International Airport [SJO]
