Trek Hidden Costa Rica
Experience Overview
Think you know Costa Rica? Trade in the same old settings for the real deal. Trek into the heart of the jungle to live with three families in a remote village. Discover the emerald core of a diverse land while bunking down behind a massive waterfall in a hidden cave. Learn about the medicinal plants native to these parts and how to make sugarcane candy. This is a spectacular country with opportunities for waterfall rappelling, surfing, and whitewater rafting. This is what adventure is all about.
Highlights
- Trek into a remote community to live with the locals
- Sleep in a cave behind twin waterfalls
- Make your own sugarcane candy
- Rappel down hidden waterfalls
- Whitewater raft on the Savegre River.
Trip Details
Product Code: 1834
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Basic
Transport: Local bus, pickup truck, private vehicle, raft, hiking.
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Budget
Tour Operator:
G Adventures
Supplier Code: CRAC
Starts: San José, Costa Rica
Finishes: San José, Costa Rica
Duration: 12 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Demanding
Includes
Activities
- Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your Foodie Moment: Bread Making, Piedras Blancas Your Foodie Moment: Chocolate Making, Piedras Blancas
- Hiking excursion to Piedras Blancas (4 days)
- Overnight hiking excursion to Diamante Verde Cave
- Waterfall rappelling
- Whitewater rafting on the Savegre River
- Trapiche demonstration
- Ballena Marine National Park visit
- Free time in Dominical and Uvita
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Accommodation
- Hotels (5 nts twin-share, 2 nts triple-share), jungle homestay (3 nts, multi-share), cave camping (1 nt, sleeping bags, no electricity).
- 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
Transport
- Local bus, pickup truck, private vehicle, raft, hiking.
Group Leader
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1,866 ($156 /day)
Itinerary
Day 1: San José
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and explore the city. As it is located in the central highlands, San José enjoys a moderate climate.
Amid the hustle and bustle, San José has beautiful parks, museums and the ornate Costa Rica National Theatre downtown. Enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains from the downtown streets.
The central plaza is a good place to people-watch. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere.
Day 2: San José/San Isidro
Travel by local bus over the highest mountain pass in the country. Arrive in the valley of San Isidro de El General and take a walk in the main plaza.
Spend the day visiting some shops and stock up before the next day's trek into the jungle. Located near three rivers and Costa Rica's highest mountain, Mt Chirripó, this region is well-known but few travelers stay to find out why.
Day 3: San Isidro/Piedras Blancas
Embark on a three-day, three-night excursion with a locally owned and operated adventure company to the community of Piedras Blancas, found in the heart of the Zona de los Santos region.
The journey is always half the fun! Travel in the back of a pickup truck through lush green landscapes and end in the small town of Brujo. Enjoy a 4-hour hike to a jungle homestay while spotting tropical fauna and plenty of wildlife along the way.
Day 4: Piedras Blancas
Experience life in a remote community in and around a local family farm.
Wake up with the sun today and get ready for loads of activities. Enjoy a delicious traditional Costa Rican breakfast to start the day off right. In small groups, make 'dulce' (candy) at the family's traditional 'trapiche' (sugar cane mill). Cool off in the river that flows right by the house while the sugar simmers over the fire and lunch is being prepared.
Hike one hour to another household and stay the night. While there, local guides and members of the family will explain how to make fresh cheese and breads, play card games and enjoy tasty traditional Tico cooking. Once the evening winds down, head to bed for a well-deserved rest.
Day 5: Piedras Blancas
Travel across the Savegre River to the next homestay with an included medicinal plant walk.
Start the day with a delicious home-cooked breakfast and fortify for the two-hour hike through the rainforest to tonight's home stay retreat. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the rushing waterfall directly in front of the dining area. Watch wildlife and hummingbirds up close. Reward yourself homemade chocolate made from cocoa beans collected right from the garden.
Day 6: Piedras Blancas/Dominical
Raft the Savegre River and relax at the end of the day by stretching out on the beach. Try the local seafood at an optional group dinner.
Today is a full, action-packed day. Set your alarm for an early morning start and a two-hour hike back to Brujo where we jump into rafts and head off on the Savegre River.
Paddle toward the Pacific coast, then take a van to Dominical. Spend the rest of the day at the local bungalows, in the swimming pool or walking along the beach.
Day 7: Dominical
Enjoy a free day in beautiful Dominical. Take a surf lesson, hike to a local waterfall for a swim, go on a whale watching cruise, or kick back and relax.
Day 8: Dominical/Diamante Verde
Trek to a unique fully equipped cave with twin 26m (85 ft) waterfalls. Go swimming in three natural pools and explore surrounding trails.
Time to put the boots back on and hike to Catedral de Piedra ('Cathedral of Stone').
A free day for exploring the area, the local guides will plan a number of activities depending on the group's interest and energy levels.
Options include a number of hikes to the surrounding falls, waterfall rappelling, cliff jumping and swimming in the natural pools.
Day 9: Diamante Verde/Uvita
Enjoy a morning of waterfall rappelling before trekking out of the jungle and travelling to beautiful seaside Uvita. Opt to surf, whale-watch, horseback-ride or kick back and relax.
Wake up early and set off on foot back to Las Tumbas. At the trail's end, hop in a private van and enjoy the ride to Uvita, a small beach town on the southwestern Pacific coast.
Take some much deserved time to rest and relax.
Day 10: Uvita
Spend the morning swimming, relaxing, and watching humpback whales off the coast of Ballena Marine National Park, before enjoying free time in Uvita.
This is a perfect day for some quality hammock time. Still need to move? There's lots to do. Take a surf lesson, horseback ride, snorkel, SCUBA dive or take a trip to nearby Caño Island.
Day 11: Uvita/San José
Transfer back to the capital for a final evening with the group.
Day 12: San José
Depart at any time.
Depart from San José at any time.
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
G Adventures
G Adventures is an operator of small-group escorted tours. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with 28 offices worldwide. It offers more than 700 itineraries in more than 100 countries, and carries 200,000 travelers from 160 countries each year.
In Business Since 1990
Reviews
Katarzyna E - Traveled, June 2023
I enjoyed the jungle trek and all the activities.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Jonathan E. - Traveled, June 2023
Overall a very good trip and a variety of things to do. Possibly would have enjoyed more ',difficult', trekking. To qualify this statement, I'm very fit and would describe as having very moderate fitness/difficulty.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Stefanie C - Traveled, June 2023
Fun activities and our tour guide Natalie Vega ensured everything went smoothly.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Angela E. - Traveled, June 2023
Great CEOs. Unique experiences. Planned but also some flexibility.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Gregor J. - Traveled, May 2023
G Adventures is well organised. You can focus on the beauty of the nature and your travelmates insted of planning all the time.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/28/2023
Robert E. - Traveled, June 2023
It was an amazing way to travel. Just show up and let someone else do all the work of planning. Having a local to spend the trip with you is very comforting, especially for certain areas.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/28/2023
Ingeborg Z. - Traveled, June 2023
I like the way that G Adventures travels to slightly different places than the most common ones. If it wasn't for taking this tour, I wouldn't have seen so many great places in nature, the cave, the warterfalls and the homestays.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/26/2023
Meriel A. - Traveled, May 2023
A great way to see and learn lots about a country in a short amount of time
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/28/2023
Franziska H. - Traveled, May 2023
I love the memories i Made and the one in a Lifetime experience. It was Hard but in the end it was amazing!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/28/2023
Sue T. - Traveled, April 2024
Had a great time and the CEO made the trip easy. Everything was setup and questions answered.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/24/2024
Christopher W. - Traveled, April 2024
The trip was great, the guide went out of her way to make sure uor experience the best.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/24/2024
Aravind S. - Traveled, April 2024
Company and staff promote responsible tourism
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/24/2024
Stephanie K. - Traveled, April 2024
I think it was great!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/10/2024
Sarah B. - Traveled, April 2024
The tour itself was well organised, however the website when booking was very slow and difficult to use.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/10/2024
Cassandra M. - Traveled, April 2024
The guide - Adrian - was great! He made the trip! He was super informative about Costa Rica and was just a fun/nice guy. It was a pleasure spending the few weeks with him and the group!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/10/2024
Adri‡n S. - Traveled, April 2024
Was a really nice experience to be able to have some adventures surrounded by nature.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/10/2024
Madeleine S. - Traveled, March 2024
G Adventures provided a great opportunity to travel in such a unique way that I haven't heard of with other tour groups.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/12/2024
Oleksandr O. - Traveled, March 2024
Everything has been professionally organized from Airport pickup to last stay in hotel.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/12/2024
Timothy H. - Traveled, March 2024
I have been on 2 treks and the leader, tour and groups have been great!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/12/2024
Cristina M. - Traveled, March 2024
The service for returning calls and emails before my trip was not good. I called a few times with nobody responding. I emailed with a question for my trip and I got the email many days later and too late, I was already on the plane to Costa Rica when I got the reply.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/12/2024
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