Costa Rica Holidays
Pacific and Caribbean wetlands, mountain habitats and volcanoes
12 Night Itinerary from £3,798
Macute Tour
Explore unique wetlands on the Pacific coast and Tortuguero National Park, mountain landscapes and eco-systems by Arenal Volcano and continue to the mangroves and beaches of Nicoya Peninsula.
Select your preferred departure date
Tour Route
- San Jose - 2 Nights
- Tortuguero National Park - 2 Nights
- Arenal Volcano - 3 Nights
- Guanacaste estancia experience - 2 Nights
- Nicoya Peninsula - 3 Nights
- Return to San Jose & Fly Home - 0 Nights
Travel Highlights
- Stay in luxury lodges, boutique hotels and a Costa Rican estancia
- Visit San Jose and Poas Volcano with its enormous crater
- Trek and hike in diverse ecosystems with expert naturalist guides
- Explore the wildlife of Tortuguero National Park by boat
- Admire awe-inspiring Arenal volcano and relax at Tabacon thermal springs
- Take a boat trip on the Frio River, part of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
- Enjoy a wetlands tour in the Tempisque River region
- Travel between July and December and observe nesting Olive Ridley Turtles
- Relax on remote golden Pacific beaches at the Nicoya Peninsula
This itinerary can be tailored to your preferences by our specialist advisors, who can provide a guaranteed price based on your choice of route, duration, flights, hotels, transport and excursions.
Tour Itinerary
San Jose - 2 Nights
Day 1 - Departure from UK
Day 2 - Full day tour to Poas Volcano
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Meet your Guide
Our hand-picked guides offer you an exclusive insight into the best excustions and activites on offer.
Wednesday, 21 April 2021
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.
Thursday, 22 April 2021
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.
Finca Rosa Blanca
San Jose - First Resort
Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn is situated above the beautiful Central Valley of Costa Rica, offering amazing views of volcanoes, cloud forests and coffee plantations and nestled amongst 10 acres amid hundreds of fruit trees and tropical flora. It offers luxurious rooms including mini bar, Jacuzzi bath and private verandas overlooking the Valley. Each room has its own decoration allowing its unique atmosphere.
The hotel provides lots of amenities such as games room, large swimming pool, TV and reading area and 2 large dinner tables for group dining. The restaurant offers a spectacular view of the coffee plantation and serves delicious local cuisine with fresh products.
Hotel Presidente
San Jose - First Hotel
The Presidente Hotel is located in the heart of San José in the pedestrian zone of Central Avenue, 2 blocks from the National Theatre and the Cultural Square. The hotel has over 100 comfortable and spacious rooms, which all include cable TV, air conditioning, safety box and en-suite bathroom. The hotel offers amenities such as a restaurant-bar, a casino, and a spa with beauty treatments.
Tortuguero National Park - 2 Nights
Day 3 - Transfer to Tortuguero National Park
Day 4 - Exploring on foot and by boat
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Friday, 23 April 2021
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.
Saturday, 24 April 2021
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.
Manatus hotel
Tortuguero - Deluxe Hotel
The Manatus Hotel is a new 4 star hotel, which reunites the ideal conditions to enjoy the nature. A room at Manatus Hotel begins with an extraordinary sense of peace and comfort: They are all designed to inspire the beauty of the surrounding, the wildlife sanctuary and the water canals, while ensuring your comfort and convenience. The hotel provides a gym with a Spa service, Internet and an art gallery. It also offers a variety of activities such as fishing tour, canopy tour, aquatic bicycle, kayak, birds and frogs observatory, and turtle tour.
Arenal Volcano - 3 Nights
Day 5 - Drive to Arenal National Park
Day 6 - Arenal volcano trek and hot springs
Day 7 - Frio River tour
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Meet your Guide
Our hand-picked guides offer you an exclusive insight into the best excustions and activites on offer.
Sunday, 25 April 2021
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.
Monday, 26 April 2021
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.
Tuesday, 27 April 2021
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.
Arenal Lodge
Arenal National Park - Tourist Lodge
The Arenal Lodge provides wonderful panoramic views of the Arenal Volcano and Arenal Lake and is a perfect spot for watching unforgettable eruptions and lava flows which can be seen glowing at night. The lodge has a rustic ambiance and has been deliberately constructed to bring the outdoors inside; landscaped gardens full of ferns, flowers and orchids surround the rooms, bar and restaurant. Hiking and bird-watching are some of the activities you can enjoy at Arenal Lodge. Accommodations include room and breakfast.
Arenal Nayara Resort
Arenal National Park - Deluxe Resort
Located in the outskirts of the Arenal Volcano, Arenal Nayara Hotel & Gardens provides a uniquely natural experience. Surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, each one of its 24 spacious casitas provides an exclusive retreat in which you can relax amidst the breathtaking view of the volcano. Interwoven with rich gardens its tropical grounds create the perfect setting to rest and enjoy nature. A large Jacuzzi and wet bar provide a place to rest after enjoying the various guided activities, including white water rafting, hiking, mountain biking, volcano treks, and hot springs. Arenal Nayara Hotel & Gardens offers a full service restaurant, where local ingredients blend with a world-class cuisine to provide an incomparable dining experience. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and boasts a direct view of the active volcano.
Every (room) casita at the Arenal Nayara Hotel & Gardens has been designed to provide the utmost in comfort and style while maintaining a close connection with the natural surroundings. With the guests' experience in mind, Arenal Nayara offers a unique concept of individual casitas separated by lush tropical gardens. Each one of its large suite-size casitas provides independent space and privacy that includes a private backyard with an outdoor shower and a front balcony overlooking the volcano. For a full pampering experience select the Nayara Suites featuring in-room breakfast, bathrobe, and the best panoramic volcano view. Each of the casitas is equipped with a King or two full size beds, Plasma 27" Cable TV, DVD / CD Player, IPod Stand, Internet Access, Safe Box (Laptop capacity), Air Conditioning, private bathroom with hot water and rain shower, backyard with outside shower, in room "mini" bar service, coffee maker, front balcony overlooking the volcano with jacuzzi for two, high speed internet connection. Accommodation includes room and breakfast.
Arenal Springs
Arenal National Park - First Resort
Arenal Springs Resort is the ideal combination of modern comfort and exuberant tropical surrounding. The rooms are all in semi-detached bungalows spread over a wide area directly facing Arenal Volcano. Each room has a patio with seating, as well as air conditioning. The hotel also has its own hot springs, which feed into a number of hot tubs and pool of different temperatures, all of which guests can enjoy at their leisure. There is also a spa, a yoga studio, and two restaurants.
Guanacaste estancia experience - 2 Nights
Day 8 - Drive to your rural estancia
Day 9 - Wetlands Tour
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Wednesday, 28 April 2021
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.
Thursday, 29 April 2021
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).
Rancho Humo Estancia
Guanacaste - Luxury Estancia
Located in a private reserve in Guanacaste and spread over 2642 acres of protected nature conserved lands,, the Rancho Humo Estancia is a place wildlife and birdwatching enthusiasts will find captivating.
The Estancia was transformed from a cattle farm into a wetland conservation sanctuary where numnerous ecosystems, from mangroves to wetlands, dry tropical rainforest to pastures attract many birds such as herons, hawks, ducks spoonbills and the most exotic bird in Costa Rica - the Jabiru.
The Estancia offers a wide range of tours and excursions exploring the natural surroundings. An on your return enjoy top class meals in the restaurant (using local ingredients) and relax by the elegant swimming pool. The whole approach is underpinned with a sustainable philosophy.
The air-conditioned standard rooms, family rooms or junior suites all have TV, FREE Wi-Fi, coffee maker and safe.
The rooms are on a bed and breakfast basis.
Nicoya Peninsula - 3 Nights
Day 10 - Travel to Nicoya Peninsula
Day 11 - Exploring the nature reserve
Day 12 - Hikes and beaches
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Friday, 30 April 2021
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.
Saturday, 01 May 2021
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.
Sunday, 02 May 2021
Hikes and protected beaches
At leisure. Relax on the beach, or enjoy one of the many available optional activities.
Lagarta Lodge
Nicoya Peninsula - First Boutique
Lagarta Lodge Hotel sits between two rivers on the Nicoya peninsula, with sandy beaches and woods to explore along the pacific shores of Costa Rica. With sustainability and social responsibility in mind Lagarta Lodge has its own private nature reserve of mangrove trees.
Public areas include the observation tower with panoramic vistas, a sun deck, restaurant and sunset bar with breathtaking views of the ocean to enjoy. The lodge also has two infinity pools, a spa and jacuzzi.
The 26 air-conditioned guest rooms include 11 Jungle suites, 8 Panorama suites and 7 Flor Blanca suites. Each has FREE WI-FI, safe, ceiling fan, king or queen size beds with luxurious bedding, terrace or balcony, small fridge and coffee machine.
The lodge can arrange many excursions and experiences, including guided hiking, nature tours, surfing, kayaks, boat tours, snorkelling, language courses and beach sports.
Rooms are on a bed and breakfast basis.
Return to San Jose & Fly Home - 0 Nights
Day 13 - Return flight to the UK
Day 14 - Arrive in the UK
- Full Description
Monday, 03 May 2021
Return flight to the UK
Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.
Tuesday, 04 May 2021
Arrive in the UK
Arrive in the UK in the morning.
Price Guidelines
| Season | Low Season | High Season |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Dates | 31 Dec -19 Jul, 22 Aug-13 Dec | 20 July - 21 Aug, 14 Dec- 30 Dec |
| Room Arrangement | First | First |
| Multiple Travellers - Twin Room | £3,798 | £4,764 |
Prices are a guideline and per person. Please request a quote for Special Events, Christmas, New Year's Eve & Easter.
What's Included
- 14 Days / 12 Nights
- International flights (1 overnight)
- Accommodation as shown on the itinerary
- Breakfast everyday and meals as described on the itinerary
- Transfers to and from airports
- Transport throughout the itinerary
- Excursions listed, all with expert, English-speaking guides
- Prices are per person
- Prices for Special Events, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter on request
Client Testimonials
Speak with a Specialist
Travel Enquiries
Contact an Advisor
Stay in touch
Infuse your travels, with inspiration from our monthly newsletter.
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE - 16 APR
WEBINARS with Experts - India 29 April at 16.00. Please email travel@veloso.com to register (Zoom)
CURRENT TRAVEL STATUS - COUNTRIES OPEN
NEW HOLIDAYS - BOOK NOW - 2021 offers a window of opportunity for travel at promotional prices. Now is the time to plan your next trip in 2021/22/23.
TRAVEL INSURANCE with COVID-19 cover: AllClear, CedarTree, StaySure, CampbellIrvine, BattleFace