Live the experience of a tour through the majestic natural landscapes of Costa Rica and choose your best pictures of all the Biodiversity, amazing magic animals and reptiles, and indescribable sunsets.
12 Days and 11 Nights
Day 1: Arriving to San José
Welcome and briefing transfer into the hotel in the capital Palma Real San José, optional dinner in a typical restaurant with amazing San José city view.
Day 2: San José - Tortuguero
We will depart early from your San Jose hotel for a beautiful drive to the Caribbean Coast. On the way, you will have the opportunity to see the beautiful primary forest of the Braulio Carrillo National Park. We will stop en route for a delicious Costa Rican breakfast at Selva Tropical Restaurant.
After breakfast, we continue driving through banana plantations to the Caño Blanco boat dock where we will board a boat for Tortuguero on the Caribbean Coast.
You will have an eleven-in-a-lifetime experience in this unique place surrounded by a great variety of flora and fauna of breathtaking beauty. This part of the country is a maze of canals through dense lowland rainforest, best accessed by boat.
The trip has been compared with cruising down the Amazon River, though on a much smaller scale. You may see gaudy toucans, mischievous monkeys, three-toed sloths, crocodiles, and alligators, and much more. The boat trip ends at Tortuguero and Laguna Lodge, your home for the next two nights.
This lovely lodge has 106 rooms, comfortable, spacious rooms with cozy beds, private bathrooms, hot water, and ceiling fans. The rooms at Laguna Lodge give the feeling of being in the jungle because of its location in the middle of the Tortuguero tropical rainforest.
After lunch, we will visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy Turtle Museum, the beach area, and the small and picturesque village of Tortuguero.
Laguna Lodge is strategically located only 5 minutes away from the extraordinary Tortuguero National Park, and right across the main channel facing the village of Tortuguero. The property is surrounded by a network of very scenic canals and is considered one of the most exotic regions for its rich flora and fauna the jaguar home. Enjoy buffet-style meals that are all-inclusive. The hotel also offers a swimming pool.
Day 3: Tortuguero
After breakfast at the lodge, we have the full day to explore Tortuguero National Park, via boat tour and hike with our guide.
The name Tortuguero comes from the Spanish word “Turtles”, for the sea turtles that nest on the beaches in this region. The area was known for turtle hunting as far back as the 16th century. Turtles were killed for their meat, shells, and eggs. By the 1950s, the turtle population was severely endangered and facing possible extinction. In 1970, they were finally protected when the Tortuguero National Park was established.
The prime nesting months for Green Sea Turtles are July to mid-October. Weighing up to 200 lbs., the females climb up on the beach at night to lay their eggs – up to 100 in a nest – then bury the eggs in the sand before returning to the sea. An optional night tour to see nesting sea turtles is offered from July to September.
Day 4: Tortuguero to Arenal
We will have breakfast at the lodge, and then depart to Guapiles, where lunch will be served at a local restaurant.
After lunch we will continue to your next destination transfer to La Fortuna spending closed 2 hours driving to get there we going to enjoy the Sarapiquí and San Carlos lowlands on the road to the magical Arenal Volcano area place that with stay two nights in Arenal Spring Resort and Spa or similar.
Day 5: Arenal
Breakfast in the hotel 6:30 am, after breakfast transfer to Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, this place is considered one of the richest places in the country for bird and animal watching.
Apart from an abundance of bird species, Caño Negro is also a refuge for many other animals, such as sloths, three types of monkeys, alligators, iguanas, bats, and a variety of typical wetland flora.
The Caño Negro wildlife refuge is a set of lowlands, formed by some lagoons, swamps and wetlands that provide refuge for a diverse fauna, especially birds. Life revolves around the Caño Negro lagoon, fed by the Frio River.
With the arrival of the dry season, at the beginning of February and until April, it is reduced to small lagoons, pipes, and furrows.
Them of this adventure we comeback to La Fortuna town, at night we will visit the most magical healthy natural hot spring water from Tabacón river in Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa (dinner is included in this wonderful place).
Day 6: Arenal - Tárcoles
Breakfast in the hotel, after breakfast check out and transfer to the central pacific area we going to drive around 4 hours crossing the continental mountain range from de Caribbean influence on the pacific influence, lunch in route (by own). Arriving to Tárcoles area at Villa Lapas hotel, check in and dinner.
Day 7: Tárcoles - Manuel Antonio
Breakfast in the hotel, departure to Safari Tour in Tárcoles River at 8:30 am.
On this tour you can see the great American crocodile on safari on the famous Tárcoles River. Our captain will show you the biggest crocodiles in the river to enjoy a great close encounter with these magnificent reptiles.
You will be surprised we find in this area types of mammals, birds, and reptiles flourishing in this mangrove system.
Depending on the season you will be able to detect different migratory avian species; you can see ospreys, seagulls, cormorants, pelicans and frigates. The Tárcoles River is a refuge for approximately 56 types of birds and is a refuge for the famous scarlet macaws as well. In this place we can see the best of two worlds the transitional forest.
Then we will come back to the hotel and make the check out and transfer to Manuel Antonio national park area. Check in Parador hotel or similar.
Day 8: Manuel Antonio
Breakfast in the hotel 7:45 am, departure to Manuel Antonio National Park to take a hiking tour and beach time. The hiking is approximately 1 hour.
Manuel Antonio Park has 683 hectares, it has the most varied and beautiful landscapes. Surrounded by a lush tropical very wet forest and in their paths can be observed capuchin monkeys, sloths, coatis, raccoons, iguanas and many species of birds, as well as the squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus), endemic to Manuel Antonio, i.e. that is only in that part of the world, increasingly threatened, left only 1,500 individuals according to the most recent census.
The Park also protects 12 Islands that represent excellent shelter for several species of marine birds. It also has excellent beaches: Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Escondido. There is also a 14-hectare lagoon and mangroves.
Cathedral point connecting Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur beaches is a place of great natural beauty. In terms of the services the visitor is: information, home of Rangers, trails, health services, potable water, signage and several natural viewpoints. This national park is considered one of the most 10 beautiful national parks around the world.
Day 9: Manuel Antonio
Breakfast in the hotel. Leisure day at Manuel Antonio area.
Day 10: Manuel Antonio - Uvita
After breakfast, you will take a transfer to Uvita. We are going to driving around 2 hours get there. Check in Cristal Ballena Boutique hotel.
In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Uvita waterfall,
We left for the South Pacific early, grabbed some lunch, and then we headed to the center of Uvita to deviate towards our first destination. The Green Waterfall is about 10 minutes from Uvita town.
We parked under the shade and walked down the path, which is surrounded by the humid tropical forest typical of the area. In the short trail, the sound of the river and its waterfalls got us hyped, until after 5 minutes of walking we arrived.
This waterfall is super cool, surrounded by nature, fresh water that compensates for the heat and a splash of water that generates a super strong current in this place we visit a butterfly garden. Dinner in Uvita town.
Day 11: Uvita
Isla del Caño tour, departure at 6:30 am.
The boat trip from Marino Ballena National Park to Caño Island, Caño Island is an amazing marine biological reserve in Costa Rica.
Caño Island is often used as a migratory passage of birds who fly to warmer climes from the northern hemisphere during the winter. Aside from the evergreen forest found on the island, the only other trees growing out here include the rubber tree, the wild cocoa tree and some shrubs and bushes.
Besides birds like the osprey, black hawk, cattle egret and phalarope, some common animals and reptiles on the island are bats, boa constrictors, possums, tree frogs, moths, beetles, bats, mosquitoes, rats, and lizards.
The Caño Island’s virgin waters are some of the bluest in the country and are home to a spectacular variety of stunning marine flora and fauna as well as some gorgeous coral reefs. Rated as being the best underwater adventure diving and snorkeling spots in the world, the Cano Island Biological Reserve is also home to a huge variety of fish, whales and sharks and you can see all these in this snorkeling tour.
With fantastic underwater visibility, one can see on any given day, sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays, manta rays, moray eels, barracudas, tuna, snapper and grouper swimming alongside a variety sharks and humpback or pilot whales.
Since the island is a reserve scuba diving and snorkel numbers are regulated, and visitors are not allowed to remove any marine life, dead or alive we spend all day there
We will take a delicious lunch in Marino Ballena National Park when we come back from Caño Island. The afternoon will be a free time to enjoy the area.
Last dinner in Costa Rica will be in the restaurant of Cristal Ballena hotel.
Day 12: Uvita to San José
Transfer to Juan Santamaria International Airport.
Say bye!! Good luck.
Price Rate Starts at $3,505 USD p.p.
- Net rates per person in USD $. Based on double occupancy. Minimum 2 pax.
- Rates for triple room and children are based in two adults sharing the room with an additional adult or child. (triple rooms have two double beds) *
- Children under 2 years are free, sharing with your parents
- Rates valid from January 06, 2021 to December 15, 2021. Rates not apply for Holiday season (March 28, 2021 to April 04, 2021 and December 16, 20201 to January 05, 2022)
- Cancellation Policy: We accept cancellations up to 30 days before arrival in Green Season, 60 days in High Season and 90 days in Holiday Season without any penalty;
- No Shows apply 100% penalty.
- Costa Rica Family Trip reserve the right to apply an USD 75 administration fee.
Program Included:
- VIP Assistance at the Airport
- Private transportation to the hotel in San Jose
- Private transportation during the itinerary
- English speaking guide, expert in group management during your entire program
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary: B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner
- Hotel taxes
Activities included in the program:
- Entrance to Tortuguero National Park
- Caño Negro Boat Tour
- Entrance fee to Tabacón Hot Springs
- Cocodrile Safari
- Entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park
- Entrance fee to Green Waterfall
- Isla del Caño Tour
Not Included:
- Airport taxes $29 per person
- Tips
- Airport portage
- Local and International phone calls
- Meals and beverages that are not specified at the itinerary
- International or local flights
- Extras at the hotels
