Costa Rica Tortuguero and Rainforest

You will be picked up early in the morning at your hotel for your guided tour of Tortuguero National Park – shared transfer. Your travel route will pass through the majestic forested mountain wilderness of Braulio Carrillo National Park just outside of San José, and then you will descend to the lowland plains stopping for a typical breakfast en route. In the lowlands, you will pass through banana plantations before boarding a boat for a river journey through farmlands and majestic forests on to Tortuguero.

You will arrive at your hotel and have lunch, and then you will visit the small town, walk around, or visit a little museum. You will then spend the night staying in the area.

The following day, you will have a morning guided walk through the pathways around the hotel, free time for exploring or relaxing, and then after lunch enjoy an afternoon boat tour to Tortuguero National Park. Your keen-eyed boat driver and guide will point out wildlife that includes shorebirds, monkeys, caiman, toucans, parrots, iguanas, sloths and more!

During July to September, sea turtles come ashore to nest on the beach at night, and guided tours to observe this ancient ritual can be arranged.

Again, you will spend one more night in the area.

From Tortuguero, you have a scenic 45 minutes flight to Arenal, where you will continue your journey into lowland plains amid tropical farmlands. A driver will pick you up at the airstrip and transfer you to the hotel. At night, visit Ecotermales, soak into the most beautiful and relaxing natural hot springs in the area. Dinner included.

Arenal Observatory Lodge is the only lodge situated within Arenal National Park. 

Spend the morning walking in one of its private trails through tropical foothill rainforest await. You will explore the trails in search of wildlife, enjoying views of the volcano along the way. This region hosts an amazing 400 bird species, including an incredible diversity of hummingbirds. There are opportunities to encounter spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coati, and peccaries. After lunch, you will be picked up for the lake crossing to Monteverde; shared service.

Monteverde is a breath-taking rainbow –covered valley in the clouds offering spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Arenal Volcano. This deep green spot atop Costa Rica’s continental divide inspired a group of Quakers from Alabama to settle here with their families in the 1950s and give birth to what became the nature conservancy movement that has turned Costa Rica into the eco-conservation paradise it is today. In the afternoon, you will meet Ricardo Guindon, he is part of one of the Quakers families who were inspired by Monteverde to make it their home and hear the amazing story behind this cloud-filled canopy firsthand. From above or below, discover the spellbinding beauty of the tropical cloud forest that inspired an entire country to preserve its nature.

The following day, you will enjoy a Zipline Canopy Tour. Yes, you’ll scream. Yes, you’ll think twice before actually doing it, but once it’s over you’ll want to do it all over again. Gliding from one giant tree to the next is an amazing experience and Monteverde is the absolute perfect spot to do it. There are several zip-lines throughout the country, but this one is definitely our favorite. After lunch, let one of our local experts walk you through the tropical cloud forest of Monteverde as you spot birds, plants and animals in some of the most unbelievable places. Seriously, these guys have developed an almost super-human power to spot mysterious creatures in the trees and clouds.

You will spend one more night in Monteverde.

Shuttle transfer to the capital city of San José where you will have a free day.

This day you will be picked up at your hotel for a transfer to the International Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose. Check in must be at least 3 hours prior to the departure time.