Highlights of Costa Rica

The most popular highlights of Costa Rica including the country's famous Monteverde cloudforest, the wildlife rich backwaters of Tortuguero and of course, active Arenal volcano are included in this classic 2 week itinerary rounded off with a few days on the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio.

Arriving late in the afternoon you will spend the first night in the Central Valley before rising early to travel through the forested highlands and Caribbean lowland banana plantations to reach your boat to Tortuguero. From your waterside lodge you'll explore the backwaters with a naturalist guide. Howler and capuchin monkeys are often encountered; anhingas rest open winged above the water whilst toucans fly overhead and in amongst the bushes you may find the common basilisk or 'Jesus Christ lizard'. Tortuguero has a wealth of other birdlife and wildlife to be seen.

Remaining on the Caribbean side of the country your next stop is the Sarapiqui area where lowland rainforest is surrounded by coffee plantations. From your lodge you will explore the preserved rainforest and also the story of cacao to chocolate, from source to favourite food. This local initiative aids the conservation of the rainforest here.

Arenal volcano is one of the most active in the Americas and it is here that you too can get active and enjoy zip wires speeding across the forest canopy, each wire progressively longer and faster. After the exhilaration you can enjoy a guided walk in the national park before relaxing in some lovely hot springs in the evening. At night we would recommend staying up to watch the fiery activity from the volcano always assuming the summit is not cloud covered.

A boat will take you across Lake Arenal with the volcanic cone receding into the distance before you climb to the cloudforest of Monteverde. We've arranged a guided night hike to acquaint you with some of the nocturnal wildlife and a walk in the reserve to understand its importance and to find some of the magnificent birds and wildlife here.

Finally, you travel down to the Pacific Coast were turquoise rollers come ashore on the beautiful back-to-back crescent-shaped white beaches of Manuel Antonio. Beyond the beach is luxuriant forest home to sloths, paca, coatis and several species of monkey plus a good variety of birdlife. It makes an ideal place to relax for a few days to reflect on this wonderful country.

These are a good mix of just some of the activities that we can include in this itinerary and we are happy to change any aspect of the trip for the more adventurous, nature enthusiasts or families. The itinerary can be arranged with private transfers, shared transfers for those on a budget or there is the option to self-drive for more independent travellers.

October - April

Highlight species

	Leopard
	Sloth Bear
	Elephant
	Buffalo

Key species

Cost from £

Please contact us for a cost for when you wish to travel.

Our trips are almost always tailored to your requirements, we'll make small changes or alter the itinerary completely for you. For instance we get many requests to slow down the pace of a trip.

Departure Dates

Any day to your requirements.

Difficulty

An easy safari with game drives each day.

Flights

Direct flights on Sri Lankan Airlines, or via Middle Eastern and European hubs on other carriers with some regional departures possible.

Time

GMT +5.5 hours

Take a little longer in this fabulous country and visit the Osa Peninsula, home to Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse locations on the planet.