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Enjoy the highlights of Costa Rica on this ten-day itinerary, including wonderful rainforests, volcano, cloud forests and tropical jungles. This is a country of great natural beauty and every destination has something unique to offer. Whether you are watching the Arenal volcano whilst bathing in hot springs, walking in the canopy of Monteverde’s cloud forest or relaxing on the pristine jungle of Tortuguero, Costa Rica really is a nature lover's paradise.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Arenal: Admire one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the country and its mesmerising park, dotted with trails and rich in wildlife. 

Monteverde: Settled by American Quakers in the 1950s, this primary cloud forest is made out of six unique ‘life zones’, hosting many endangered species, as well as a variety of fascinating plants.

Manuel Antonio: Jewel of Costa Rican Coastline, settled in the nature reserve of Manuel Antonio National Park. Its beautiful fauna and flora and the most wonderful beaches in the world impress all nature lovers.

Day 1: ARRIVAL SAN JOSE

Upon arrival at the Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica, one of our representatives will be waiting for you at the exit of the air terminal to welcome you, provide you with the necessary information about your trip, and then transfer you to the hotel in the San Jose area.

Overnight in San Jose. 

Day 2: SAN JOSE – TORTUGUERO

After breakfast early in the morning the expedition begins towards the plains of the North Caribbean, where the main attraction is the Tortuguero National Park, one of the most exuberant national parks in Costa Rica. The tour begins with an ascent through the central volcanic mountain range where you will be able to appreciate beautiful waterfalls and the evergreen forests that adorn the Braulio Carrillo National Park, later upon reaching the Caribbean plains you will enjoy breakfast and continue along a rural road It is characterized by being surrounded by exuberant tropical forests and banana crops. For the last part of the tour, you must board a boat and navigate through the small channels for around two hours in the midst of vast tropical vegetation, allowing you to enjoy a diversity of flora and fauna that is easy for any visitor to observe. Upon arrival at the tourist lodge you will be given a brief talk about the activities included in the area and the recommendations that must be taken into consideration when staying in the middle of the jungle. In the afternoon, you will visit the town of Tortuguero where you will learn about the lifestyle of the local inhabitants of the Caribbean and the important conservation efforts to protect the sea turtles that come to lay their eggs every year throughout the years on 22 kilometers of protected coastline.

Overnight in Tortuguero. 

Day 3: TORTUGUERO

Tortuguero is an excellent place for lovers of ecotourism. During the day and depending on the weather conditions, you can enjoy a guided walk through the jungle where you will learn how the different animals, insects and birds interact with the forest plants, achieving a perfect balance between each species, or you can enjoy a boat tour through the different natural channels of the National Park, there, you can see different species of mammals, birds and reptiles. Tortuguero offers you full contact with mother nature. Much of the National Park extends along its virgin beaches that serve as a refuge for the spawning of sea turtles, this event occurs between the months of July to September.

Overnight in Tortuguero.

Day 4: TORTUGUERO – ARENAL

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and at mid-morning board the boat again and return to the local pier and continue by road to the northern plains of Costa Rica. This route offers you beautiful landscapes accompanied by picturesque rural towns such as Río Cuarto, Aguas Zarcas and La Fortuna de San Carlos, in the latter and if the weather conditions allow it, you will be able to appreciate the greatest natural attraction of the country; the Arenal Volcano that will welcome you with its majestic volcanic cone. Arrive at the hotel for check in. Towards the end of the afternoon, a visit to the relaxing Tabacón hot springs is scheduled, a unique place in the world where you can rest and enjoy the healing properties of its minerals in the different thermal pools heated directly from the volcanoes near the resort.

Overnight in Arenal.

Day 5: ARENAL

During the morning an excursion is scheduled that allows you to explore the surroundings of the Arenal Volcano in a more exciting way, it is a visit to the Arenal Reserve, where you will find the Sky Tram & Sky Trek. This excursion combines the ascent to the top of the mountains by means of a cable car enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Lake Arenal, while the descent is carried out by means of pulleys attached to transversal cables that go from one mountain to another, to give way to adventure and fun. Free afternoon. We recommend visiting one of the hot springs (extra cost), there you can relax your body in the pools with an unbeatable view of the Arenal Volcano.

Overnight in Arenal.

Day 6: ARENAL – MONTEVERDE

At mid-morning the transfer to the high mountains of the Tilaran mountain range is scheduled, specifically to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This transfer includes a boat tour of Lake Arenal where you can admire various birds that visit the lake in search of their food. Later, the ascent through the mountains begins where you will enjoy the beautiful rural countries that adorn the gravel road and as you get closer to the higher parts, you will be able to feel a slight change in temperature because you are more than 1,300 meters above sea level. . Arrive at your hotel in Monteverde for check in. In the late afternoon, a visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is scheduled, this is perhaps the best time to enter the deepest corners of the forest, which is when most of the wild species are active. With the help of a naturalist guide, you will discover the wonders of the tropical jungle, strange sounds, lights and aromas will captivate you. During the walk, you will be able to appreciate various nocturnal species, such as insects, bats, frogs, toads and other mammals that are not seen during the day, providing you with a different perspective of the forest.

Overnight in Monteverde.

Day 7: MONTEVERDE – MANUEL ANTONIO

Today you will continue your trip to the beautiful and paradisiacal beaches of the Costa Rican Pacific, which are well known throughout the world, especially for their impressive combination of tropical forests and white sand beaches. Undoubtedly, some unforgettable days await you where you can relax and enjoy your 3-night stay at the selected hotel.

Overnight in Manuel Antonio.

Day 8: MANUEL ANTONIO

One of the most attractive excursions when visiting Manuel Antonio is sailing on the Ocean King Catamaran around the National Park. The tour offers a combination of nuances including a thousand green tones that make up the terrestrial portion and the light blue and turquoise tones that characterize its marine part. Throughout the tour you will be able to admire various islands that are home to notable species of birds. After touring the coast, we will anchor in a beautiful bay right in front of Bisanz beach where it is possible to sunbathe or take the opportunity to practice a bit of snorkelling and admire the marine beauties, including parrot fish, starfish, Angelfish and with a bit of luck you could see dolphins and even whales!! Return to the hotel and rest of the afternoon free.

Overnight in Manuel Antonio.

Day 9: MANUEL ANTONIO – SAN JOSE

Free morning to take the last pictures of the beautiful Pacific Ocean and in the afternoon the return to San Jose.

Overnight in San Jose.

Day 10: SAN JOSE DEPARTURE

Wake up to a one last breakfast at the hotel. At the agreed time, depart to Juan Santamaria International Airport to take your flight back home.

Comfortable and light clothing is the most suitable for travelling in Costa Rica. Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting temples, religious or official buildings. Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.