To experience the very best rainforest and wildlife that make Costa Rica so famous you’ll head to two opposite corners of Costa Rica: The Northeast Caribbean Coast and the Southwest Pacific Coast. These two exotic locations are home to two of Costa Rica’s most prized national parks and an incredible amount of biodiversity. In this package you will stay at our favorite eco-boutique and eco-luxury hotels located right on Mother Nature’s doorstep. Enjoy once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see sea turtles, manatee, crocodile, caiman, dolphins, whales, four monkey species, two sloth species, large and small cats, over 400 bird species, lizards, frogs, insects, and much more. Explore Costa Rica’s most exotic and untouched regions on this 8-day package that not only takes you from coast to coast but from end to end!
San Jose International Airport (SJO)
Trip may include activities like jungle walks, boat rides, and snorkeling (optional).
Fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) where one of our local airport representatives will meet you before immigration holding a sign with your name on it. They will guide you through an expedited immigration process and to baggage claim. Outside the airport you will find your private transfer that will be waiting to help you with your luggage. You will be transferred downtown to your hotel where you can enjoy a delicious dinner and the twinkling lights of surrounding Central Valley at night.
You will have an early start today as you will enjoy an eye-opening journey to Costa Rica’s northeast Caribbean Coast. You will start off by van as you leave the Central Valley and head to the Caribbean lowlands, stopping to eat breakfast along the way. A short drive after breakfast brings you literally to the end of the road, so you’ll hop off the van and hop into a covered boat for the remaining 1.5 hr ride through the freshwater canals of the Tortuguero National Park. As you wind through the canals keep a watchful eye for manatee, crocodile, and caiman. After checking into the charming eco-boutique lodge, enjoy a buffet lunch overlooking the waterway (all meals are included in your stay). Make sure to sign-up for a turtle watching tour at night to witness seasonal sea turtles’ nest or hatch along 20 miles of protected coastline. After dinner this evening, you will set out on the night quest in search of this magical spectacle of sea turtles nesting/hatching along the Caribbean beach.
You will start the day with a guided boat cruise through the Tortuguero National Park. Your expert naturalist guide will help you spot the three-toed sloth, four species of monkey, lizards, frogs and over 375 species of birds. Return to the lodge for lunch and head to the small town of Tortuguero for a village tour. Stop by the Turtle Museum to learn more about the various turtle species that have called this stretch of beach home for literally centuries. Head out again this evening on another turtle tour in search of nesting and/or hatching sea turtles (unfortunately no photography allowed as to not disturb the natural process).
Take the first morning flight out of Tortuguero back to San Jose for a connecting flight down to the most biodiverse region in Costa Rica (and possibly the planet), the famed Osa Peninsula. You will be met at the airstrip and will be taken to Drake Bay in an air-conditioned van then you’ll board your boat from the beach as you can only reach your exotic hotel by water. You’ll spend your final four nights in Costa Rica at one of our top rated eco-luxury lodges where, despite being surrounded by Costa Rica’s most pristine rainforest, you’ll have creature comforts like a refreshing pool, private bathrooms with hot water showers, comfortable beds, and yes even air conditioning. Due to the remote location all meals are included in your stay.
After waking up to the sounds of the jungle you will eat breakfast and then jump back in the boat as today, you will explore Costa Rica’s most prized national park – Corcovado. Formed in 1975 and covering more than 42,000 hectares of land, the Corcovado National Park is said to be home to up to 3% of the biodiversity in the entire world. Your trained naturalist guide will take you into the park as you look for sloths, four types of monkeys, birds, frogs, snakes, crocodiles, tapir, and if you are truly lucky big cats. Take a rest between trails to eat lunch and refresh, then head back to the lodge by late afternoon for a refreshing swim in the pool.
The spectacular biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula does not end where the ocean meets the sand, just a few miles off the coast you will find the picturesque Caño Island. This small island is the main attraction to the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve, which is home to some of Costa Rica’s best aquatic life. As you may have guessed, the main event here is snorkeling as you will have the chance to swim with sea turtles, rays, sharks, dolphins, and hundreds of smaller reef fish. For PADI certified divers two tank dives are also available. In season, this is also one of the best spots for whale watching in Costa Rica.
This is your final day in Costa Rica so make the most of it! You can customize your experience by choosing to visit a new section of the Corcovado National Park, horseback riding on the beach, kayaking on your own from the hotel, dolphin & whale watching, or even sport fishing.
Take a domestic flight back to San Jose for your international flight home.
