Costa Rica Wildlife Tour

Our tour starts today in San Jose, Costa Rica's cosmopolitan capital. Lying in a fertile valley, at an altitude of 1,150 metres, coffee and sugar are big industries here - coffee is even planted between buildings and along the roadsides on the outskirts of the city? For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for a welcome meeting, and for those that wish there'll be the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in San Jose at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), which is around a 30-minute drive from our hotel. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to head out and explore the city - the barrios are easy to navigate, laid out in a grid pattern of avenues and streets. The National Museum (Museo Nacional De Costa Rica) is also well worth a visit.

This morning, we'll head to Poas Volcano National Park (a one-hour drive away), where you can spot the smoke from one of Costa Rica's most active volcanos rising majestically from the tropical rainforest. At almost a mile in diameter and 314 metres deep, the main crater is one of the largest in the world. It's erupted 40 times since 1828, most recently in April 2017. Due to recent volcanic activity, time at the crater viewpoint is restricted to 20 minutes. If activity increases again, the authorities may choose to close the park - in that case, we'll visit the Doka coffee estate instead for a tasting session of Costa Rica's finest export. After our visit to Poas, we'll return to San Jose, calling first at a Toucan Rescue Ranch located just outside the city. Here, we'll get our first insight into Costa Rica's varied wildlife, learning about rescued species including parrots, macaws, sloths, spider monkeys and toucans. The centre does not permit visitors to handle wildlife, and they concentrate on rescue and rehabilitation as a priority. On returning to the city, we'll spend some time exploring San Jose, stopping by some of its main architectural highlights and ending at the large Central Market, frequented by locals and tourists alike. This evening, you might like to take a taxi out to the gastronomic area around the Barrio Escalante, where craft beer pubs and quirky restaurants are a growing trend.

This morning, we'll drive south out of San Jose for around three hours, down to the wild cloud forest of Savegre, famously one of the best places in Costa Rica for sightings of the elusive Resplendent Quetzal. The peaceful region gives us the perfect introduction to Costa Rica's nature. Hikers will enjoy the forest trails and the journey through the alpine-like hills, while nature lovers visit for its biodiversity - the area around San Gerardo de Dota contains around 200 species of bird and countless plant types including various orchid species. This afternoon, we'll explore the trails around our lodge, perhaps crossing the path of the river, as we delve into the surrounding cloud forest. It's worth noting that our lodge for the next two nights is at high altitude and can get chilly. we'd recommend packing a couple of warm layers.

We'll have an early start today, as we set out to explore the trails surrounding our lodge in the search for the quetzal. The males of the species are vivid, with a red breast, green crest and the iconic long green tail that dangles from the branches. Despite the bright colours, they're effective at camouflage and are surprisingly difficult to pick out among the green trees. Binoculars are a useful addition to your kit here, as our tour leader will be diligently attempting to find us one of these famous birds. After returning to the lodge for breakfast, we'll have the rest of the day free. There are enough walks and trails around the lodge to easily spend a day here. The forest is rich in flora and fauna, and the mountainous cloud forest landscapes are the perfect canvas for keen photographers.

Today, we'll head to Turrialba, an important agricultural region thanks to its fertile land and the origin of much of Costa Rica's coffee, sugar and Macadamia nuts, not to mention dairy. The journey will take around three hours. We'll arrive in the afternoon and take some time to explore the small town before dinner. This evening, we'll be visiting a typical 'finca' (farm), for a traditional meal, giving us a chance to try the local cheeses and more.

One of Costa Rica's most scenic rivers, the Pacuare is great for both rafting aficionados and enthusiastic newcomers. Calm stretches between the class III-IV rapids give you time to appreciate the passage through rainforest-topped canyons and tumbling waterfalls. Macaws and blue morpho butterflies wheel past as we raft through the steep, green walls of the canyon. Our adventure will be led by experienced rafting guides, who'll teach us the basics, so don't worry if you haven't tried rafting before. The first section of the canyon is mainly II-III rapids, giving us a chance to practice our skills. We'll then move into the III-IV rapids. The river has a good mix of rapids along the way, giving us the perfect mix of adventure and fun. It's worth noting that, while it's possible to raft year-round, it does depend on weather conditions. If the water levels on the Pacuare are low, there's another section of the river called 'Finca San Martin' that we'll raft instead - this is a four-mile stretch of class III rapids interspersed with calmer sections, creeks and waterfalls. After our rafting adventure, we'll have lunch on the river before returning to our hotel in the early afternoon. This evening is free to relax and recoup from the day. If you're not a confident swimmer, or the thought of rafting isn't for you, we can organise an alternative activity for you. You could choose to take a trip to CATIE and its huge botanical garden, or alternatively a visit to the community-led Aquiares coffee plantation, where you'll learn about the coffee-making process as well as some of the culture and traditions of the area. The Tour Leader will ask your group on the first day or two of the tour to confirm whether you want to raft or not so that they can make the reservations.

This morning, we'll take a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Costa Rica's luscious Caribbean coast, driving through extensive banana plantations. From either Cano Blanco or Pavona, a boat will take us to our spectacular lodge in the Tortuguero National Park, where we'll spend the next two nights. Its complex canal system and narrow lagoons link small, isolated settlements and are rich in fish, including rainbow bass and grouper. They also support an abundance of birds, such as herons, storks and kingfishers as well as 60 species of mammal with howler and spider monkeys in the treetops. Upon arrival at our lodge, we'll take a short walking tour of the car-less village of Tortuguero.

Today we'll begin to explore the Tortuguero National Park. To kick off our day, there's the optional activity of a bird-watching trip by boat at dawn, where we'll have the opportunity to spot some of Costa Rica's spectacular birdlife. Water birds such as herons, egrets and kingfishers are among the birds that may be spotted, although other species of birds such as toucans may be found in the area. Later this morning, we'll go on a nature walk to understand more about the area's unique ecosystem. Then, this afternoon, we'll take to the waterways for further exploration. On our travels, we may come across the howler monkey, aptly named by the way it noisily protects its territory. Much shyer animals in this area include ocelots, tapir and the incredibly elusive jaguar. Please note some departures may do the waterways tour in the morning and the nature walk in the afternoon. Your tour leader will confirm. Throughout the year, you might be lucky enough to see different species of turtle nesting close to our lodge. The best time to see this spectacle is between June and September when over five thousand green turtles come ashore to nest on Tortuguero's beaches. At this time of year, there's the option of an evening turtle walk in the company of experienced guides.

Leaving our lodge this morning, we'll travel by boat back to either Cano Blanco or Pavona, before heading on to Puerto Viejo Sarapiqui. The journey will take approximately four hours. After lunch, we'll visit La Tirimbina for a chocolate tour. During the two-and-a-half-hour tour, we'll learn the secrets and wonders of one of mankind's favourite foods: chocolate. Originally from Central America, the cacao plant has an extraordinary history; it was one of the most important products for the Mayan and Aztec cultures. The discovery of America led to the introduction of chocolate in Europe, transforming it into the product we all know today. We'll start by taking a short hike through a forest to a former cacao-growing plot, learning about the cacao tree along the way. Upon arrival at the plot, we'll see a demonstration of the artisanal process chocolate-making process. There'll be plenty of opportunities to taste different kinds of chocolate, prepared on the spot in the traditional way. This evening, we'll take a night walk in the Selva Verde Rainforest, in search of nocturnal species such as snakes and tarantulas.

Our lodge has many onsite trails in the secondary rainforest, leading right into the Selva Verde Reserve. This morning, we'll take a short walk on some of the trails, through a tropical paradise of towering almendro trees and keel-billed toucans. Later on, we'll drive just over an hour to Arenal, skirting around the great central volcanic massif, passing through fertile farmlands that are rich with tropical crops. Arenal is a classic conical volcano which was famous for its nightly eruptions until it went quiet in 2010. We'll be exploring the national park on foot, taking a walk on the flanks of the volcano, which are covered by a tangled mass of vegetation on one side and starkly barren on the other. Our tour leader will point out interesting flora and fauna and provide more information about the science and history of the volcano, before taking us to a viewpoint for a closer look. The town was renamed after an eruption in 1968 that decimated the towns around the volcano's western flanks. Translated as 'fortune', La Fortuna refers to the town's luck in being located on the volcano's eastern side, and so, fortunately, escaping destruction.

Today is free for you to explore the Arenal area as you choose. There are local treks to waterfalls and along lava trails, if you'd like to head out into the surrounding nature. For wildlife lovers there's the option to join a wildlife spotting tour, seeking the famous sloth, the poisonous blue jeans dart frog and the multi-coloured toucan among other species. There are also hanging bridges and zip-wire adventures, which allow you to discover the rainforest at canopy height, either by flying through it or taking a walk across suspension bridges, with a birds-eye view. Your tour leader will be able to provide information on all the options.

Leaving the volcano behind us this morning, we'll depart early to descend to the Pacific Coast, enjoying staggering views over the Gulf and Peninsula of Nicoya. Heading south, we'll pause at Carara Biological Reserve, famed for the scarlet macaws and abundant birdlife which populate this transitional forest. Finally, we'll continue along the Pacific Coast to Manuel Antonio National Park, where we'll spend the next three nights. It's worth noting that while Manuel Antonio is a haven for nature lovers, it has grown in popularity in recent years and so is often busier than you might expect. Our journey time today will be between five and six hours.

This morning, we'll explore the Manuel Antonio National Park, famous for its beautiful beaches and rich wildlife. During our time in the park, we're likely to see white-faced capuchin monkeys, coatimundi (part of the raccoon family) and tiny squirrel monkeys. This is also one of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths. The sloth's diet is mainly made up of buds and leaves. As leaves provide little energy, sloths move only when necessary and even then, very slowly so they're quite easy to spot! The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing on the white sandy beaches, enjoying a swim in the warm, azure waters. The sunsets from this coast are spectacular and must be seen to be believed. Please note that Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays. If Day 13 of your departure falls on a Tuesday, our included park visit will take place on Day 14 instead.

Today is free to relax in Manuel Antonio. You could choose to revisit the park or relax on the beaches around the town. If beach time isn't for you, there are also lots of other activities on offer, including boat trips, horseback riding or surf lessons.

We'll leave Manuel Antonio this morning and drive 160 kilometres, approximately four hours, back to San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), where we'll arrive at around 11am. This is where our tour ends and the earliest time your flight can depart is 1pm.