In the morning, you will be picked you up at your San Jose city hotel for your Costa Rica guided tour of some of the highlights of Costa Rica. From there you will go straight to Poás Volcano. Here you will have the opportunity to see its 1.3 km wide crater. This is one of the largest craters in the world and it is even possible to eyewitness steam and gas eruptions from a safe distance. You can then go for a walk in the footpaths surrounded by exuberant vegetation and stop by a side crater.

Afterwards, you return to the bus and head off across the central mountain ranges driving northwards through coffee plantations. You will be reaching the Caribbean lowlands and the village of La Fortuna in the afternoon. Later today, you will benefit from a thermal bath and enjoy the abundant plant life.

Important information: While the Poás Volcano National Park is closed due to its lately increased activity, you will visit the private Ecocentro Danaus Nature Reserve.

Today you will enjoy a lot of different activities. You’ll start with a short drive to Arenal Volcano National Park. There you will stroll along the park during a healthy and pleasant 1 ½ hour walk. You will start at an ash trail, and shortly you’ll be stepping on an old lava flow surrounded by a sober rocky path. Until a few years ago, there were frequent small eruptions, but even without them, the volcano is truly impressive. You will also get to enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Arenal and its surrounding gentle hills.

Afterward, you’ll continue your journey by way of Muelle and Aguas Zarcas until reaching an organic coffee plantation close to San Miguel: Here you will learn about the process of coffee production and taste this world-famous drink during the tour “Mi Cafecito”. The plantation is located about 750 meters above sea level in a very pleasant climate.

After the coffee tour, you will continue to your hotel in Sarapiquí where you have the opportunity to plant your own tree.

Today you will visit the Gómez family at their Finca Surá in Chilamate de Sarapiquí. Don Rodolfo will proudly guide you to his citrus and manioc plants, the sugarcane, and the pineapple plantations. Many other kinds of plants, producing fruits in different seasons of the year, are growing here. You can even see some pepper and cinnamon shrubs.

Everything is cultivated in the most natural way possible in order to protect the animals living inside the property, such as colorful butterflies and frogs. You will also put on hands and plant some pineapple seedlings yourselves before enjoying a typical lunch.

In the afternoon, you will continue the journey to Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve, where you’ll first enjoy a short walk through a forest of opulent vegetation. With a bit of luck, expect to catch a glimpse of the lively monkeys, sloths, coatis, and of the numerous species of birds.

After that, you are to learn everything about chocolate. The cacao tree is native to the deeps forests of South and Central America. A local guide will fully explain the process by which the cacao bean becomes delicious chocolate – and of course, you will get to taste it.

Please note: Due to unexpected changes in weather conditions or any other operational reason the order of today´s excursions might change.

Early in the morning, you go on an exciting boat trip through the canals of the Tortuguero National Park. You can watch the awakening of the local fauna and listen to the sounds of nature. If you are lucky, you will be able to see crocodiles, monkeys, turtles, sloths, bats, iguanas, and, of course, many different kinds of birds.

You will then enjoy breakfast at the lodge before taking a relaxing walk along the lodge’s trails during which you will discover frogs, butterflies, and many other species of insects in their natural habitat together with your guide.

Lunch is served at the lodge.

After a short break, you are invited to take part in another boat tour on the canals. The rest of the afternoon until dinner is at your leisure.

This morning, your Costa Rica guided tour continues with a boat ride back to La Pavona/Caño Blanco, during which you will enjoy another chance to observe the diversity of the local flora and fauna. After taking a bus to Guápiles, a delicious lunch will be served.

The next leg of the journey will take you to the harbor town of Limón. With a bit of luck, you will have a view of the large container ships being loaded in the distance.

The town of Bananito is about 40 minutes from Limón, where a 4×4 vehicle from the Selva Bananito Lodge will be waiting to pick you up. You will soon realize that the purpose of today’s voyage is to disconnect completely from civilization in order to dive deeper into the natural surroundings. Electricity, provided by solar panels, is only available in emergencies at the Selva Bananito Lodge. Therefore, your first evening here will be spent by candlelight, accompanied by the sonic panorama of the jungle.

Please note: If inclement weather forces the trip to proceed to Caño Blanco, the lunch in Guápiles will be omitted, as you do not need to go to Guápiles, but can be taken from Siquirres to Bananito by shuttle.

The Selva Bananito Lodge’s protected area is a paradise for outdoor activities. You will begin the day with a birdwatching tour. The variety of birds that can be seen here is simply astounding: toucans, yellowbirds, quetzals, and kingfishers are just some of the over 300 species that call the Selva Bananito protected area their home.

After breakfast, there is a guided nature hike that will take us on a narrow trail through old-growth forests, along small brooks, and through the open landscapes of the Muchila Mountains.

In the afternoon, you will have the choice of another optional activity or to relax and enjoy yourself.

After breakfast, our 4×4 will take us back to Bananito, where the bus will be waiting. We recommend that you bring your swimming gear and picnic supplies, as we will be spending the day in Cahuita National Park.

The park protects about 1´068 hectares of rainforest, some of which extend directly to the sea. But there are also lovely, mostly isolated, beaches. If you are lucky, you will be able to see various wild animals on the trails of this paradise, such as capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, sloths, and raccoons.

In the afternoon, you will travel back inland through the agricultural region of the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes. In the village of La Suiza, we will stay in the beautiful Hotel Casa Turire.

In the immediate vicinity of the hotel is the CATIE Agricultural University, which has an excellent reputation that extends far beyond Costa Rica’s borders. You will go for a walk with your guide through the extensive campus and its exotic botanical garden. You will learn plenty of interesting facts about projects, such as the seed bank.

In the afternoon, you will have the option of a highly recommended excursion through the farms around Casa Turire. Or if you prefer, you can jump into the cool and crystal-clear waters of the Pejibaye River and participate in a category I-II rafting tour, which offers both rapids and peaceful moments during which you can lose yourself in the gorgeous landscape of the riverbanks.

In the evening, you will be treated to more Costa Rican cooking with a cooking workshop in Doña Mónica’s wood-fired kitchen. Allow us to wish you ¡buen provecho!

At the end of your guided Highlights tour of Costa Rica, you will stop at the Guayabo Monument. You will learn about the lives of the thousand settlers who lived in the area from the 1st century BC to 15th century AD (and left for unknown reasons). The Guayabo Monument is the country’s most important archaeological excavation. The settlers left behind stone cisterns, functioning aqueducts, and cobblestones, surrounded by tropical rainforests.

After your tour, you will head through the picturesque towns of Santa Cruz and Pacayas and back to San José Costa Rica, passing through Cartago, the former capital city of Costa Rica and home to the Basilica Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles.