This 8-day Costa Rica tour begins with a trip to Tortuguero National Park and discovery of the rare nesting grounds of the green sea turtle. The journey continues to the Selva Bananito Reserve. The reserve’s 2,100 acres of untouched rainforest is the most rugged and unexplored region in Costa Rica and is just waiting for the adventurous traveler! An exciting whitewater trip down the Pacuare River tops off this wild and wet Costa Rica vacation!
Moderately active but not overly strenuous. This level includes activities like casual cycling, yoga, or excursions/activities that typically last 3-5 hours total each day.
Early in the morning you'll be picked up from your hotel for the drive to the Caribbean coast, traveling through the lush tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, which is one of the largest in the country. Banana plantations line the highway en route to La Pavona, where you will take a scenic boat ride on the La Suerte River, Tortuguero River, and through the Tortuguero Canals. The boat ride offers lovely views of the Costa Rica forest and mangrove swamps, which are teeming with such exotic wildlife as sloths, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, coatimundis, raccoons, crocodiles, egrets, parrots, and jaguars—just to name a few!
Arriving in the island village of Tortuguero, you'll enjoy lunch at Laguna Lodge, and then a free afternoon to relax and explore on your own. You'll be spending the next two nights at the lodge, which offers optional tours, a refreshing pool, and nightly turtle-watching tours.
Today is a free day to spend as you please – tour the town, visit museums or take a walk through the jungle. You can explore the canals winding through the rainforest, which is home to exotic wildlife, from egrets to crocodiles, monkeys, and butterflies. And keep your eyes open for turtles! Tortuguero has many highlights, but it is best known for the four species of sea turtles that nest in the region. Tortuguero's coastline is considered one of the Western Hemisphere's most important nesting sites for green sea turtles, which can be found by the thousands in the summer months. The baby turtles hatch from July through early November, emerging from their nests to scrabble across the sand to the waiting waters of the Caribbean.
Be sure to take advantage of the miles of beach and jungle trails in Tortuguero National Park, along with horseback riding, kayaking to a nearby lagoon, or fishing in the Tortuguero River for tarpon, snook, and mackerel.
After a late breakfast, you will travel to Selva Bananito Reserve for more jungle discovery and adventure. Bordering Costa Rica's largest and most pristine nature reserve, Selva Bananito is part of the same rich ecosystem as the 1.5 million acre La Amistad International Peace Park, and it's alive with hundreds of species of birds, and animals such as toucans, parrots, monkeys, sloths, and elusive jaguars and tapirs.
There's an adventure here for everyone. You'll have the chance to climb a giant kapok tree and enter the fascinating world of the rainforest canopy. With the encouragement of Jurgen or Sofia Stein, the brother and sister team who created the reserve, even land lovers will find themselves lost in a swinging world 100 feet off the ground and buzzing with life. There's also horseback riding through the adjacent family farm to learn about the organic tropical farming techniques that their father, Rudi Stein, developed over the past 25 years. The farm boasts a heliconia garden brimming with enormous tropical flowers, and a half day nature trail through the surrounding primary rainforest where guests can learn about the rainforest ecology. For the adventurous, there's an all day trip deep into the jungle to swim in a pool below a 70 foot waterfall, rewarding your hard effort. You can also add the option to rappel down the falls. Let us know if you want to add this to your adventure. At the end of each day, locally grown food is served by candlelight before you retire to the tranquil retreat of your jungle cabana.
This morning you travel to the Pacuare River to enjoy its famous Class III-IV whitewater. One of Costa Rica's most exciting whitewater trips, the Pacuare plunges through spectacular mountain gorges and passes through virgin rainforest filled with howler monkeys, toucans, sloths, ocelots, and more. After your river adventure, you'll transfer to San Jose to complete your Costa Rica travels before returning home in the morning.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$2,031
Notes
Pricing is estimated and fluctuates by departure date. For the most current pricing and details, please request a quote from a Trip Planner.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Excellent service, great hotels and well organized excursions with expert guides! Highly recommended!
Shadi Dalili
2 months ago
We keep coming back to Adventure-Life for custom tailored, out of the ordinary, non-touristy trips and they deliver the best every time. The trip planners know how to put together just what we are looking for.
Judith P. NYC
3 months ago
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
3 months ago
We had a great experience- they were very helpful in trip planning and making sure we got to do all the activities and see the places we wanted. There were some things we couldn't do/see due to the time of year being the rainy/low season and they steered us away from those. We had never been to Costa Rica before and it gave us a good overview of this lovely country.
Jody Dice
5 months ago
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.