The ultimate biodiverse adventure in Costa Rica

27 May 2024

Beaches, rainforests, wildlife, and adventures await you on this once-in-a-lifetime holiday to one of the world’s most biodiverse and sustainable destinations. Our partner in Costa Rica supports a sea turtle conservation project led by COPROT and your holiday will contribute to equipping their two conservation camps on the Osa Peninsula with new batteries and solar panels.

The ultimate biodiverse adventure in Costa Rica

Your Costa Rica adventure

9 nights in December, from £2,785 per person for 2 people sharing

You’ll arrive in San Jose, where one of our local specialists will share insider tips and answer all your questions about this charming city, nestled in a high valley between green volcanic mountains. Our self-guided walking tour will take you to explore 19th-century architecture, museums, parks, and independent coffee shops brewing local beans, as well as the colourful Mercado Central. In the evening, you can visit a salsa bar to practice your steps with the locals or indulge in beers and bocas (similar to tapas).

Next, you’ll continue to La Fortuna, offering spectacular views of the majestic Arenal Volcano. Here, you can enjoy optional activities, including a night tour of beautiful gardens and rainforests at a local home. Spot frogs and other nocturnal wildlife with an expert nature guide before sitting down to a typical home-cooked meal prepared on a wood-burning stove.

The next morning, you’ll embark on a Sky Hike, ascending into the lush forest surrounding the Arenal Volcano where you'll enjoy breathtaking views of the rainforest canopy, Arenal Lake, and the mountains. Additionally, you can traverse the Sky Walk's hanging metal bridges, bringing you eye-to-eye with the canopy of tall rainforest trees, where you can spot birds and howler monkeys. Don’t miss the hot springs at the foot of the volcano, where you can blissfully soak in the warm, mineral-rich waters while listening to the calls of the rainforest.

You’ll then cross Lake Arenal and journey into the lush, green cloud forest of Monteverde and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the most remarkable wildlife refuges in the New World tropics. Here, you’ll combine a Coffee Tour with a Twilight Nature Walk. As over 60% of cloud forest life awakens in the evening, your guide will take you to the best spots to observe mammals, insects, amphibians, and reptiles, including dart frogs. At the on-site coffee farm, you’ll learn the secrets of planting, harvesting, washing, and drying the world-renowned Monteverde coffee beans. Discover how the authentic, age-old production process has contributed to Costa Rica’s reputation for peace, stability, and progress.

In the following days, you’ll further explore the cloud forest via its famous canopy ziplines, where you can spot incredible wildlife, including hummingbirds and the renowned quetzal bird as you ascend by gondola. Additionally, you’ll boat through the Tamarindo Mangrove and Estuary, keeping an eye out for brown pelicans, frigate birds, ibis, ospreys, iguanas, and American crocodiles.

Next, you’ll head to Tamarindo for cocktails on the beach. Exciting activities around Tamarindo include a gentle ride through the dry-tropical forest of the Guanacaste lowlands, surfing with a professional instructor, and snorkelling.

To book your Costa Rica tour, call your Travel Counsellor today. You can also make a donation here [https://createmeaning.ela.travel/], and it will be matched by our partner.

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