My first trip to Costa Rica with Exodus Adventure Travels

Most tours start in the capital, San Jose. We only had time for a quick overnight stop though before moving on to the remote, Tortuguero National Park. On the Caribbean coast, this area is most well known for it’s nesting turtles. The main season is July – November so I did wonder if there would be enough to experience outside turtle season. I needn’t have been concerned! With lodges here only accessible by boat, our transfer to Evergreen Lodge was an adventure in itself. Cruising through the waterways spotting crocodile, spider monkeys, blue jean frogs and sloth high up in the trees – what a fabulous introduction to Costa Rica.

Our Exodus guide, Glenda is worthy of a blog just to herself - a real life Dora the Explorer! She was incredible with so much passion for nature, always on alert and making sure we had the best chance to spot the diverse wildlife. Even when stopping for morning coffee, she spotted a toucan we’d all walked past!

It’s not called a rainforest for nothing and torrential rain put paid to a 5:30am start (not such a bad thing!) That being said, activities here will generally continue whatever the weather so be prepared – more on that to come.

Heading out later in the morning for a boat tour, ponchoed up, we braved a downpour but so glad we did. Glenda’s well trained eyes spotted our first sloth low in the branches just above the water. Calls of ‘Jesus Christ’ a bit later, we were on high alert – it was actually a lizard called Jesus Christ, named after its ability to literally walk on water.

The highlight of the day was our second sloth. On a forest walk in the grounds of Pachira Lodge another guide called us over to see a female slowly make her way to the forest floor to relieve herself – something they only do twice a week. Coming to Costa Rica, a sloth is high on anyone’s wish list so to see one so close was an absolute dream.

Back to Evergreen Lodge, we were greeted by a resident troop of white faced capuchin’s in the gardens – almost like they knew we were coming and wanted to put on a show!

Our time in tranquil Tortuguero was soon over and onto our next stop – La Fortuna, a town nestled beneath Arenal Volcano, the adventurous heart of Costa Rica.

Roads are pretty good here and there’s always a place to stop for good coffee and home baked goodies. La Fortuna is definitely a place to linger,  there’s so much to do from here and plenty of bars and restaurants to experience local life. We headed to Arenal Observatory Lodge hoping for a glimpse of the volcano at it’s finest but it was not to be. It’s still a pretty epic landscape with far reaching vista’s across Arenal Lake and the lush rainforest.

Glenda delighted us with her flora & fauna knowledge as we took a 10km walk in the surrounding area, enjoying hanging bridges and waterfalls, the highlight being ‘The Nest’ – a 28m high observation tower, not for the faint hearted but totally worth the climb.

The perfect end to a busy day was relaxing in Eco Termales Hot Springs – a magical experience under the night stars.

A change of climate in Monteverde, about 4 hours away. This town is in the heart of the cloud forest which I now know is a rainforest at a higher elevation. This brings cooler air, low cloud, mist and a unique eco system. Hummingbirds and tree frogs thrive in this area and it’s also the best place to spot the rare resplendent quetzal bird – elusive to us sadly.

During a night forest walk with Kinkajou we did spot coati and kinkajou high in the trees, a tarantula in it’s tree nest and day glow scorpions.

We’d all been looking forward to our final day’s activities. Selvatura Park is set among 850 acres of protected forest, combining adventure with nature in the most thrilling way possible. Zip lines and hanging bridges traverse the forest – I opted for the zip lines and challenged myself to the Tarzan swing. The highlight was the final zip line, 1km over breathtaking scenery flying like Superman – what an end to the trip!

If you’ve followed me for even a little while, you’ll know food is a big part of travel for me. I’ll admit, I’d braced myself for a week of nothing but chicken, rice and beans but I couldn’t have been more wrong! From delicious local dishes to hearty home-cooked meals, the food was a wonderful surprise. Plantain, pancakes and delicious coffee became my go-to breakfast, and I’m convinced I tasted the juiciest pineapples on the planet!

My first foray into Central America has given me the bug for more. I’d love to revisit Costa Rica as there were areas we didn’t have time for – particularly Manuel Antonia National Park combining nature and the ocean and remote Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula for whale watching and snorkelling.

Thank you Exodus and Glenda for a truly memorable trip.

Costa Rica tips

Who should visit – those who love nature, wildlife, birdlife, adventure activities and off the beaten track destinations. Perfect family destination – I’d say from around age 8.

When to go – peak (dry) season is December – April

We travelled in green season and yes, we had a lot of rain but there’s fewer visitors, better prices and you’ll not miss any activities as these operate year round.

What to take – pack light for hot, humid and rainy weather!

Quick drying clothes, lightweight jumper/jacket for cooler areas, waterproofs, hiking shoes (preferably waterproof), trainers for dry days, flip flops, swimwear

Mosquito repellent (Incognito is an excellent, natural brand)

Sunscreen and hat (a good brim also keeps the rain off your face)

Refillable water bottle – Costa Rica is very eco conscious

Day pack

Dry bag for electronics (optional but a good idea as it can get humid as well as wet)

This Exodus tour is currently priced from £1699 per person plus flights. Beach extensions can be added and I can also create a bespoke, private itineraries planned to perfectly suit your requirements.