Compare Ultimate Costa Rica Hiking Adventure by Adventures Within Reach vs Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday by Exodus Travels
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 9 days | 15 days |
| Price From | $ 1,695 | $ 4,185 |
| Price Per Day | $ 188 | $ 279 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Basic | Standard |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
8 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches and 6 Dinners |
All breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners are included in the price of the tour, allowing you plenty of flexibility for non-included meals to be taken as a family or with the group. Costa Rican specialities include gallo pinto, a black bean and rice dish and a staple part of the local diet. Soups, stews and fresh fish are also common, and most hotels offer international menus. There is a lot of fresh fruit in the tropics – though the monkeys in the hotel gardens may well want to share your bananas! Vegetarian and vegan options are limited but food is plentiful and tasty – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. |
| Description |
National Geographic once wrote of Corcovado that it is “the most biologically intense place on Earth." This unique site was once an island that years ago drifted to the mainland. It is one of the last best places for Jaguars, Tapirs and White-lipped Peccaries in Central America, as well as a home for hundreds an incredible array of other animals, plants, butterflies, amphibians, and birds. The Ultimate Hiking Adventure includes the very best of Costa Rica in terms of hiking and wildlife opportunities. It features challenging hiking in the cloud forests of Cerro de La Muerte and the lowland rainforest of the exceptional Corcovado National Park, where you'll pass through three of the four Ranger Stations of the park. You'll travel to remote areas that afford truly intimate contact with nature, visiting places few others venture to. |
Costa Rica is a natural paradise, with volcanoes, rainforest, waterfalls, wildlife and beaches. See them all on this Costa Rica family trip, which starts by travelling into the steaming jungle and exploring the Tortuguero waterways by boat, in search of monkeys, toucans and other colourful birds. We visit the Sloth Sanctuary and meet some of the residents, stars of their own Animal Planet TV show, and enjoy a night walk in the rainforest, try white-water rafting (optional) and splash in thermal pools at a waterpark near Arenal Volcano. There’s beach time too as we head to both Cahuita on the Caribbean coast and Manuel Antonio on the Pacific, where jungle cascades to white sand beaches.Explore diverse ecosystems on a tropical adventure for all the family |
Day 1: Arrive San Jose
Accommodation: Standard Lodging: Aurola Holiday Inn
Visiting: San Jose
Arrive in San Jose anytime today. Meet and greet and transfer to your hotel tonight, the Aurola Holiday Inn.
Day 2: Travel to the cloud forest of Cerro de la Muerte
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Paraíso Quetzal Lodge(Standard)
Visiting: Cerro de la Muerte
After crossing the City of San Jose you will continue your journey to the famous Lodge Paraiso del Quetzal, located in Cerro-La Amistad protected zone. Here you will take a hike to look for the Resplendent Quetzal in this lush and renowned cloud forest. Later you can relax, exploring the gardens and the hummingbird feeders (which can offer astoundingly close encounters with these amazing birds) while resting and preparing for your hike early the next morning.
Cerro de la Muerte birding highlights include Resplendent Quetzal, Emerald Toucanet, Band-tailed Pigeon, Sulfur-winged Parakeet, Black Guan, Collared Trogon, Hairy Woodpecker Acorn Woodpecker, Silvery Throated Jay, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Mountain Elaenia, Dark Pewee, Black-capped Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ruddy Treerunner, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Mountain Robin, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Mountain Robin, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, Collared Redstart, Black-cheeked Warbler, Wrenthrush, Timberline Wren, Flame-colored Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-thighed Finch, Slaty Flowerpiercer, and Golden-browed Chlorophonia.
Among the hummingbirds here are Green Violet Ear, Volcano Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird.
Among the animals that may be seen in their natural habitat here are Coyote, Kinkajou, Spider monkeys, Coati, Mountain Rabbits.
Day 3: Cloud forest hiking
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Albergue del Rio Lodge(Budget)
Visiting: Cerro de la Muerte
After breakfast, you will be driven about 10km to the starting point of the trek in the town of Providencia. Challenging hiking, trekking up and down lush forested hills and across creeks. You'll hike La Chaqueta en route to Albergue del Río. You will descend to about 2000 ft (700m) elevation and travel about 10 miles (16 km). Here you will take a rest and have a typical local lunch with Mr. Edwin and his family. After lunch you will continue on to Albergue del Rio traveling 3.6 miles (6 km) more. At this elevation, you are entering lowland forests and may encounter wildlife such as monkeys and toucans. You will spend the night at the rustic Albergue del Rio Lodge (shared bathrooms, no electricity).
Day 4: El Brujo cloud forest hiking, transfer to Puerto Jimenez
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Finca Kobo Rainforest Lodge(Budget )
Visiting: Puerto Jimenez
Today hike about 6 miles (with 5 miles being up and down hills) to the pristine Rio Savegre and Division rivers. You will now have completed your mountain forest and valley hikes and entered into lowlands containing a mixture of rainforests, beef cattle pastures, African oil palm and teak tree plantations. After the hike take a 4 x 4 taxi to Cooperative Silencio and then van transfer to Puerto Jimenez. Overnight at Finca Kobo. Finca Kobo is situated on 50 hectares, including 30 hectares of private primary rain forest and 20 in reforestation. This hybrid tourism/agricultural project is a model for local sustainable development, combining an organic farming operation that includes a wide range of tropical fruits as well as raw chocolate from their cacao acreage.
Birds common to Providencia-El Brujo include Great Tinamou, Great Curassow, King Vulture, White Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Costa Rican Swift, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Green-breasted Mango, Violaceous Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Northern-barred Woodcreeper, Dot-winged Antwren, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Black-hooded Antshrike, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Rufous Piha, Turquoise Cotinga, Red-capped Manakin, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Buff-rumped Warbler, Cherrie´s Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Shinnig Honeycreeper, Orange-billed Sparrow, Thick-billed Euphonia, Yellow-crowned Euphonia.
Wildlife that can be encountered in the Providencia-El Brujo zone include White-nosed Coati, Agouti, Howler, White-faced Capuchin, Two-toed sloth, Collared Peccary, Red Brocket Deer, Tamandua Anteater.
Day 5: Trek Los Patos to Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation:Sirena Ranger Station(Budget)
Visiting: Corcovado National Park
Early in the morning, drive in a 4x4 to the entrance of the Corcovado National Park at Los Patos Ranger Station (short drive, about 45 minutes). The trail begins at Los Patos and goes for about 20 kms all the way to Sirena Ranger Station. At the beginning of the hike, one can see an old secondary forest. At approximately two hours of up and downs, the topography flattens when the trails enter the Corcovado basin. Here the forest changes into an old growth or primary forest. There are several rivers to cross along this trail. The park is famous for the abundance of wildlife. Hikers usually see tracks of wild animals like peccaries, tapirs and even puma or jaguar.
Overnight at the Sirena Station. The Sirena Rangers Station Shelter offers basic facilities, such as shared rooms, shared bathrooms with no hot water and a common dining area for meals.
Day 6: Full day in Corcovado
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation:Sirena Ranger Station(Budget)
Visiting: Corcovado
Corcovado National Park is the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s vast network of protected areas. The Sirena Station is the best example of the park’s famous biodiversity. Described as “the most biologically intense place on earth” by National Geographic this coastal wilderness park is home to shy and elusive jaguars, tapirs, all four of Costa Rica’s monkey species, white-lipped peccaries, stunning scarlet macaws, several species of parrots, toucans and hundreds of other bird and wildlife species. Enjoy the day exploring the many trails in this isolated and pristine rainforest station.
Birds that could be found here include King Vulture, Great Curassow, Scarlet Macaw, Baird´s Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Golden-naped Woodpecker, White Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Orange-collared Manakin, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Streak-chested Antpitta, Black-hooded Antshrike, Dot-winged Antwren, White-whiskered Puffbird, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan, Rufous Piha, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan, Yellow-billed Cotinga, Turquoise Cotinga, Riverside Wren, Golden-crowned Spadebill, and Cherrie´s Tanager.
Animals that may be seen in their natural habitat are all 4 species of Costa Rican monkeys: Spider, Squirrel, White-faced Capuchins and Howlers monkeys, Sloths, Anteaters, Tapirs, Peccaries, Agouties, Coatis.
From January to April and July to October Humpback whales maybe be seen right from shore on occasion.
Among reptiles and amphibians, you may see Granular Poison Dart Frog, Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, Basilisk Lizard, Central American Whip-tailed Lizard, Boa Constrictor, Black Iguana and Green Iguana.
Day 7: Hike Sirena to La Leona Ranger Station
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: La Leona Lodge(Budget)
Visiting: Corcovado
Early morning start the hike to the southern end of the Corcovado National Park (17 km total, about 6 hours of hiking) to La Leona Station. The trail system goes mainly parallel to the beach all the way to La Leona. This is an especially beautiful rainforest area offering excellent wildlife viewing. Overnight at La Leona Lodge, a unique and isolated 'luxury' tented camp on the Pacific ocean.
Day 8: Hike La Leona to Puerto Jimenez, fly back to San Jose
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Aeropuerto(Standard)
Visiting: Corcovado, San Jose
Walk along the beach for 30 minutes to Karate beach, in order to take an approximately one hour transfer on a local truck to Puerto Jimenez. From Puerto Jimenez, take a scenic domestic flight to San Jose. Upon arrival in San Jose, transfer to your hotel in San Jose for your final overnight.
Day 9: Depart San Jose
Meals: Breakfast
Visiting: San Jose
Today, transfer to the airport in time for your flight home.
Day 1 Start San José
The adventure begins in San José, the capital of Costa Rica. Aim to arrive at the hotel by 5pm so that you can meet your fellow travellers and tour leader, who will give you a warm welcome to Costa Rica. If you miss today’s welcome briefing, the tour leader will give you all relevant information on the morning of Day 2. Accommodation: Country Inn & Suites (or similar)
Day 2 Morning visit to La Paz Waterfall Gardens; relax by the hotel pool
After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a short drive to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Located within the transitional forest between the Central Valley and Northern Lowlands, the gardens host a wide variety of plants and bird life among stunning scenery. A short walk along a rainforest trail brings us to a great viewpoint, where we can watch the cascading falls. Entrance to the gardens includes a visit to the petting zoo, frog exhibit, aviary and butterfly observatory. Monkeys, sloths and toucans also inhabit this area, providing a great introduction to the incredible diversity of Costa Rica. The afternoon is free to relax and enjoy the hotel pool. Accommodation: Country Inn & Suites (or similar)
Day 3 To Tortuguero National Park
We depart early this morning, travelling to Tortuguero National Park in the Caribbean Lowlands of northeast Costa Rica. Accessible only by boat or light aircraft, this vast network of waterways, canals and swamps is remarkably tranquil and devoid of noise pollution. On reaching the pier, we board a small motorboat for the journey to our lodge (up to 1hr 30min) which is on a small strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the main lagoon. Please note the transfer from San José to Tortuguero is not private for Exodus clients. Our afternoon is spent in Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to visit the Sea Turtle Museum (a donation will be requested at the entrance). Tortuguero is most famous as a nesting site for the endangered green turtle, which can be seen arriving on the beach to lay eggs from late July to October (as part of an optional excursion). Hawksbill, loggerhead and giant leatherback turtles also nest in this region, and during November to January, baby turtles hatch and head to the ocean. Accommodation: Pachira Lodge or Evergreen Lodge (or similar)
Day 4 Boat tour of waterways in Tortuguero National Park
We discover the extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero on a morning boat trip, passing serenely along the waterways. At this time of day, wildlife is usually at its most active and with the help of our expert guide we are likely to encounter monkeys, caiman, iguanas, butterflies and many of the 300-plus bird species recorded here. We return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast by the river. The lodge is a tranquil spot to relax this afternoon. Alternatively, join a second boat trip, visit the beach or follow a short walking trail through the forest. Accommodation: Pachira Lodge or Evergreen Lodge (or similar)
Day 5 To Cahuita on the Caribbean coast; relax on the beach
We leave Tortuguero the same way we arrived: taking a small boat. Our bus will be at the pier waiting to drive us to the Cahuita region on the Caribbean coast. Upon arrival, we check into our hotel and have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the pool, beach or discover our new surroundings. Caribbean culture thrives in this part of Costa Rica and is reflected in the music, food and laid-back lifestyle. The white sand beach is fringed by tall palms, behind which is the dense, wet tropical forest of Cahuita National Park. Accommodation: Atlantida Lodge (or similar)
Day 6 Visit the Sloth Sanctuary; discover Cahuita National Park
After breakfast, we drive to Aviarios del Caribe, the Sloth Sanctuary, subject of the Animal Planet TV show Meet the Sloths. This rescue and rehabilitation centre conducts sloth research and works tirelessly to return them to their natural habitat. You'll learn all about these fascinating animals on a two-hour tour, where you'll take a boat along the river to see sloths, monkeys, butterflies and birds. This afternoon, we return to Cahuita and visit the national park, following a coastal trail through the rainforest. The park has 2,711 acres (1,097ha) of land and 600 acres (245ha) of coral reef, which forms the largest reef system in Costa Rica. Accommodation: Atlantida Lodge (or similar)
Day 7 To Sarapiqui; night walk in Tirimbina Biological Reserve
We depart for Sarapiqui, one of the main banana producing regions in Costa Rica, although coffee, cardamon, cacao, corn and fruits are also grown here. It’s also gathering a reputation as a great spot for adventure seekers with plenty of optional activities to keep you entertained. In the evening, we take a night walk through Tirimbina Biological Reserve for a different perspective on the many rainforest residents. Accommodation: El Bambu Hotel (or similar)
Day 8 Free day in Sarapiqui
There are various optional excursions to try today: join a chocolate tour in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, take a safari floating trip down the Sarapiqui River, have a go at white-water rafting on Grade II and III rapids, or join a canopy tour and zip-line through the forest. Alternatively, there are several nature walks through beautiful surroundings. Accommodation: El Bambu Hotel (or similar)
Day 9 To La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano; free afternoon for optional activities
We transfer to the area around Arenal Volcano. Following a massive eruption in 1968, Arenal was the most active volcano in Costa Rica until 2010 when it entered a resting phase. Aside from the volcano, there are thermal waters, waterfalls and Lake Arenal to discover. The rest of the day is free to explore, either at your own pace or on one of the optional excursions available. You could take the Sky Walk (canopy walk) or Sky Trek adventure (which has an optional zip-wire through the canopy) or enjoy the hotel pool. Accommodation: Arenal Montechiari (or similar)
Day 10 Guided nature walk in Arenal National Park; visit thermal springs
This morning, we have a guided nature walk through Arenal Volcano National Park. The park has a great system of trails passing through secondary forest and near lava fields created by eruptions. In the late afternoon, we visit Baldi Hot Springs as a group to enjoy a hot thermal bath from the volcanic spring water – a refreshing end to the day. Please note, on weekends or Mondays we visit alternative hot springs called Ecotermales. Accommodation: Arenal Montechiari (or similar)
Day 11 To the Pacific coast
We travel southeast along the coast, following the Pan-Am Highway to Dominical, passing African oil palm and teak plantations on the way. Our hotel is on the coast near Dominical, around 50 minutes south of Manuel Antonio. The hotel is set in lush gardens overlooking the river and just a 20-minute walk to the beach. We spend the next three nights here. Depending on our arrival, we should have time to visit the beach or splash in the hotel pool. Accommodation: Villas Rio Mar in Dominical (or similar)
Day 12 Explore the beautiful trails and beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park
Today we drive to Manuel Antonio National Park, home to a vast marine reserve plus 1,700 acres (690ha) of mangrove swamp, primary and secondary rainforest. The forest vegetation stretches as far as the high-tide line and provides a stunning backdrop to the expansive sandy beaches, forested islands and dramatic rocky headlands. We have a guided nature walk today, which should include some very close wildlife encounters. White-faced capuchin monkeys play and are frequently sighted on the beaches, while noisy howler monkeys are usually heard moving through the trees and calling to each other before they are seen. The endangered titi monkey (squirrel monkey) are fewer in number but can sometimes be spotted in this area. Iguanas, agouti, and two- and three-toed sloths are also commonly sighted here. Better yet, the Manuel Antonio beaches are among the most beautiful in the country. In the afternoon, we return to our hotel. Accommodation: Villas Rio Mar in Dominical (or similar)
Day 13 Free day to relax, enjoy the beach or optional activities
Today has been left free for you to relax – make the most of the hotel pool, visit the beach or explore the area. There are a few optional activities available, such as a whale and dolphin-watching boat trip (from mid-July to October and mid-December to March). Accommodation: Villas Rio Mar in Dominical (or similar)
Day 14 To San José; relax by the hotel swimming pool or explore
Today we return to San José. If you wish to travel into the downtown area by taxi, you will have time to see the modern capital and pick up souvenirs. Alternatively, relax by the hotel pool. Accommodation: Country Inn and Suites (or similar)
Day 15 End San José
The trip comes to an end today after breakfast and it's time to bid Costa Rica and the rest of the group goodbye. Transfers to San José airport are available to all clients today. But if you don’t want the adventure to end, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay and enjoy more time in the capital.
