DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: London – Poas
On arrival into San Jose, you’ll be met and transferred approx. 1 hour to Poas Volcano Lodge where you will spend 2 nights. Nestled amongst 20-acres of rolling pastures and lush sub-tropical cloud forest, with spectacular views of Poas Volcano, Braulio Carillo National Park and the northern Caribbean Plains, enjoy the view and recharge your batteries after your long flight. This is a great start to your holiday! Welcome to Costa Rica!

Day 2: Poas Volcano Lodge
A full day to recover from your travel and explore a little if you feel like it. This is a lovely quiet part of Costa Rica with stunning views, so you could just find the best view and sit and soak everything up. Alternatively, you could head out for a walk on the property’s own cloud forest trails, or arrange to visit Poas Volcano, one of the widest active craters of any volcano in the world. Your car will be delivered today. Want to start with a stay in Tortuguero – ask us to design this holiday to your preferences. Call us on 01273 923100.

Day 3: Poas to the Cloud Forest
Today you will drive approx. 1½ hours to the Naranjo Area where you will spend 2 nights at El Silencio Lodge, a stylish ecological spa retreat in the cloud forest. Intentionally remote and secluded, the lodge blends style and service with soft-adventure experiences, where you can hike to cascading waterfalls or count hummingbirds in the garden, while enjoying your seriously impressive suite and savouring Costa Rican fusion cuisine prepared with imagination and flair.

Day 4: Cloud Forest
You have a full day to explore this area. There are various onsite trails as well as a Mystic Hike which is an inspired walk through the Hummingbird Garden and cloud forest trails. A magical garden, hidden paths that embrace nature’s elements and mesmerising hummingbirds provide a relaxing hiking experience. There is also a Plant Your Tree program – you can plant a living legacy in Costa Rica’s carbon-offsetting forests and help bring back beautiful Quetzal birds to the region. What a way to be part of this culture! Want more time in the Cloud Forest? Ask Us to tailor this itinerary to you – call 01273 923100.

Day 5: Cloud Forest to Maquenque Eco Lodge
Today you’ll drive approx. 2.5 hours to Maquenque Eco Lodge to stay in a Treehouse for 3 nights. Maquenque Eco Lodge is a hidden gem located inside the 60 hectare Maquenque Eco Reserve, set in tropical rainforest bordering the majestic San Carlos River. Family run, this lodge has a unique location set on the migration route and is home to the great green macaw. There are 8 kilometres of trails in the private reserve and a swimming pool. This is the perfect spot to explore the wildlife of Costa Rica at your own pace.

Days 6-7: Maquenque
There are plenty activties on offer from guided hikes to bird-watching to school visits to horse-riding. On one morning you will join a group Safari Float by Kayak. Enjoy the tranquillity of the rainforest travelling by kayak soaking up the birdlife and wildlife as you drift along. Naturalist guides will help you lead the way and help you spot crocodiles, tortoise, iguanas, monkeys, waterfowl and more.

Day 8: Maquenque to Tenorio 
Today you will drive approx. 3½ hours to the Tenorio National Park area where you will spend 3 nights at Rio Celeste Hideaway with breakfast included. Totally remote and surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, Rio Celeste Hideaway’s 26 individual casitas are beautifully furnished and provide privacy and comfort in natural surroundings.

Days 9-10: Tenorio 
Two days to explore. Head to the hanging bridges of Las Heliconias and also to Tenorio National Park. The canopy level bridges at Las Heliconias will bring you closer to the wonderful biodiversity of the rainforest and allow you to enjoy the forest from a different perspective. At Tenorio National Park you will have a chance to see the stunning colours of the Rio Celeste as well as hike to the waterfall. On one of the evenings you will head on a guided night tour allowing you a chance to see the wildlife at its most active and also spot and hear very different animals to those in the daytime including coatis, agoutis, porcupines, tarantulas and frogs.

Day 11: Tenorio to Nosara 
Today you will drive approx. 3½ hours towards the coast where you will end your holiday with 4 nights at Lagarta Lodge in a Double Jungle Suite with breakfast included. Lagarta Lodge is an elegant boutique hotel beautifully situated on a hilltop overlooking the coast, mountains and two rivers. The open air restaurant, Chirriboca, provides the perfect place to enjoy the vivid sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. With its own private 90 acre biological reserve with marked forest trails, this is a real oasis with truly breathtaking views. Want to be in amongst a buzzy town rather than in a private reserve?  Ask us for more beach options! Call 01273 923100.

Day 12: Nosara 
Today you will head on a Group Kayak and Snorkelling Tour to Isla Chora. Isla Chora is a small island about a 25-45 minute paddle off the beach of Playa Samara. Once on the island you will discover a secluded beach with amazing views back to Samara and the mountains behind it. Walking into the shallow and warm waters you will discover reefs teaming with tropical fish.

Day 12-14: Nosara 
You have two full days to enjoy the hotel, beaches and local area. You will find 4 different beaches in this area, all offering that something special and different – pick your favourite! And from July-December, you will find huge numbers of turtles nesting at Playa Ostional. There are also lots of activties on offer including nature tours, horse-riding and a mangrove kayak tour.  Ask us what we would recommend based on what you like.

Day 15: Nosara to the UK 
Today you will drive approx. 4.5 hours back to San Jose airport where you’ll drop your hire car and fly back to the UK. Or alternatively you could drop your car and fly back to San Jose – let us know if you would like to make any changes to the itinerary – this is just a starting point.

Day 16: Home
Welcome home…