Pacific and Caribbean wetlands, mountain habitats and volcanoes

Day 1

Departure from UK

Depart from the UK on a direct flight to San Jose arriving later the same day. On arrival, transfer to your hotel for a 2 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. You will be met by a Veloso Tours guide who will give you a short introduction to San Jose and the area surrounding your hotel.

Day 2

Full day tour to Poas Volcano

Today enjoy a full day guided tour to the Poas Volcano, stopping the way at the Doka coffee plantation, owned by Costa Rican Vargas Ruiz family, pioneers in coffee production since 1931. We continue past coffee plantations, fern, flower and strawberry farms to Poas, one of the most spectacular volcanoes in Costa Rica. We hike to the enormous crater for some amazing photo opportunities. Continue to La Paz Waterfall Gardens and explore the walking trails that lead to the beautiful white magic waterfall.

Day 3

Travel to Tortuguero National Park

Up early today to travel to Tortuguero National Park. Admire the biodiversity of an astonishing protected area in Costa Rica as the bus drives through Braulio Carrillo National Park. Stop on route to have a delicious typical breakfast. Along the road, you can observe many different kinds of products grown in this area such as pineapples and bananas. Board a comfortable boat upon arrival to Caño Blanco pier and let this extraordinary exotic paradise enchant you, as you travel through the Tortuguero canals. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail and a delicious lunch as you arrive to the lodge. After lunch, visit to the picturesque town, the green turtle information centre and the beach area.

Tortuguero beach is the most important nesting site of the endangered green turtle in the Western Hemisphere. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here. The green turtle population is believed to have come perilously close to extinction in the 1960s when nearly every female turtle arriving to nest in Tortuguero was taken for the export market for turtle soup.

Working closely with the Costa Rican government, the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) helped establish Tortuguero National Park in 1970, a move that offered protection to the turtles and strictly limited the number of turtles that could be taken. STC researchers and volunteers, who are based at STC's John H. Phipps Biological Field Station, continue to monitor nesting trends, growth rates and reproductive success begun by Dr. Archie Carr in the 1950s. We visit the field station in the afternoon.

We stay at the Manatus Lodge on a full board basis for 3-nights.

From July to September you can take an optional night tour to observe turtles nesting.

Day 4

Exploring on foot and by boat

After breakfast, enjoy a guided walking tour through the trails. In the afternoon, we visit Tortuguero National Park, exploring the canals in small, open boats to allow a better visibility. Tortuguero is a network of navigable lakes, rivers and canals (both natural and man-made) that are used for transportation and are a great place for observing local wildlife such as macaws, monkeys, two and three-toed sloths, American crocodiles and caimans. The canals also provide shelter to endangered animals such as the Oriental Indian Manatee, crocodiles, a large variety of crustaceous and about 30 species of sweet water fish, including the Gaspar, considered as a living fossil.

Day 5

Drive to Arenal National Park

Today take a scenic drive around Lake Arenal to your hotel in Arenal National Park for a 2-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. Here, discover a great diversity of birds, mammals and lizards, as well as a large variety of plants. There is much on offer in this area, the most exciting observing the active Arenal Volcano at night where streams of red hot lava cascade down the mountainside.

Day 6

Arenal volcano trek and hot springs

Today we take a full day guided tour to explore the active Arenal Volcano. At 5437 feet, its tall and conical shape stands imposing over the pastured green hillsides. You will see extraordinary views during a gentle hike along the lower slopes of the colossus.

After the hike, enjoy a relaxing soak into the natural mineral waters of the Tabacon Hot Springs, the finish to a perfect day. Thanks to geothermal activity beneath Arenal, the area surrounding the volcano is home to a number of natural hot springs.

Day 7

Frio River Tour

Today take a full day guided tour including a boat ride on the Frío River, starting at Los Chiles, a small town only 4 km from the Nicaraguan border. This river is part of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, a Ramsar site, where you will find one of the most diverse flora and fauna habitats in Costa Rica. Here, observe snake-birds, herons, cormorants and animals such as howlers, spiders or even white face monkeys, and three-toed sloth's. You can also see reptiles like caimans, Jesus Christ lizards and turtles.

Day 8

Drive to your rural estancia

Today head north to Guanacaste National Park and check into Rancho Humo Estancia for a 2-night stay on a full board basis including a tour of the wetlands Located at the riverside of the Tempisque River, amidst mangroves, wetlands and dry forest converge, enjoy the facilities of the estancia as well as self-guided walks, horseback riding and yoga.

Day 9

Wetlands Tour

Today, enjoy a jeep tour exploring the wetlands, with its extraordinary wildlife. Hundreds of aquatic birds can be observed including Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, White and Tiger Herons, Anhingas, Neotropical Cormorants, Northern Jacanas and the Jabiru (the largest aquatic bird in America on the verge of extinction).

Day 10

Travel to Nicoya Peninsula

Today, travel to Lagarta Lodge, located in an enviable position overlooking sandy beaches, coastal forest and two rivers entering the Pacific from the Nicoya Peninsula. We stay here for 3-nights on a bed and breakfast basis. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the fine facilities of the lodge including the two infinity pools and lush gardens. 

Day 11

Exploring the nature reserve

As well as being a wonderful place to relax, Lagarta Lodge has a great selection of activities that can be arranged through the hotel, at extra cost. Take a guided tour of the nature reserve with a naturalist guide, or a wildlife spotting boat trip through the Mangrove forest to see the many wetlands bird species of the area. Nearby Ostional Beach is the world's 2nd largest nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles. Their mass arrivals, called 'arribadas', mainly happen between July and December, and it is possible to see thousands of turtles arriving within 3 or 4 days to lay their eggs on the beach.

Day 12

Hikes and protected beaches

At leisure. Relax on the beach, or enjoy one of the many available optional activities.

Day 13

Return flight to the UK

Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.

Day 14

Arrive in the UK

Arrive in the UK in the morning.