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More than 27% of Costa Rica’s area is protected so it is no wonder that there is such a large abundance of flora and fauna to be found. Couple that with the mixture of volcanoes, rainforests and beaches and you have the perfect trip for anyone interested in nature.

Typical itinerary

  1. Day 1: Depart the UK

    Today you will depart the UK on your overnight flight to San Jose in Costa Rica.

  2. Day 2: Arrive San Jose

    On arrival at the Juan Santamaria International Airport you will be met at the airport by our in-country agents and will be taken to your hotel in San Jose. Here you will be able to relax and freshen up before being taken on a tour of this vibrant and bustling city.

  3. Day 3: San Jose to Tortuguero

    You will depart early in the morning to travel to Lim. As you cross the Braulio Carrillo Cloud Forest National Park, you will experience the weather, temperature and landscape variations that are characteristic of Costa Rica. After passing the town of Siquirres, you will see many of the largest banana plantations in the country. Then, you board the boat to Tortuguero and during the cruise you will have the chance to admire the great diversity of flora and fauna: sloths, monkeys, crocodiles and green turtles. On your way, you visit a small town and also the tiny Green Turtle Information Centre.

  4. Day 4: Tortuguero National Park

    Very early this morning, you will enjoy a sunrise boat tour through the small canals of Tortuguero National Park, a marvellous rainforest with 309 different bird species, swamp forest and floating aquatic plants. Monkeys are especially numerous. In the mid-morning, you will be taken on a guided hiking tour through the Rain Forest. You may also see the fishing bulldog bat, keel billed toucans, anurans, seven species of tortoise, West Indies manatees, crocodiles and the gar, considered a living fossil. You have the afternoon at leisure for optional activities.

  5. Day 5: Tortuguero to Tirimbina

    After breakfast you will board the boat back to the embarking point at Cano Blanco/Freeman. On the way to Arenal you will stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Guapiles. After lunch, you will continue by road to arrive at Tirimbina Rain Forest Reserve located in the Sarapiqui area.

  6. Day 6: Tirimbina to La Fortuna

    Today you will take part in some guided activities at the reserve. The first looks at the bird life of Costa Rica – and aims to identify the different adaptations of bird morphology (beaks, feet, colours) and their relation to different habitats use, also pointing out about the high ecological importance that this group present in the dynamic of the rainforest. A second activity aims to show you how to measure the diversity of plants in the rainforest, its relation to forest age and structure as well as to the diversity-area equation and its applications to conservation and preserve design. In the afternoon, you will transfer from the Sarapiqui area to your hotel in La Fortuna de San Carlos, a town close to the marvellous Arenal Volcano.

  7. Day 7: La Fortuna

    Today you will enjoy a Cultural Tour in La Casona village. During the tour you will learn about the relationship and interaction of the inhabitants with the Arenal Volcano, its effects on land prices, the traditional way of living, agriculture, cattle breeding and its history, the living fences, and much more. Once at La Casona you will make a visit to the Trapiche, then take a ‘tractor’ trip to Sonafluca town, where at the local rural grocery store you can buy soft drinks or snacks, if they wish so, and interact with the owner and local clients. At Sonafluca’s Primary School, you will be able to interact with the local children as they present a number of folk dances and songs. Finally, you will drive back to La Casona Rio Fortuna, where you will be told about some aspects of its 100 years history, the surroundings, and its inhabitants. Here, surrounded by the majestic view of La Fortuna River and the Arenal Volcano, you will enjoy a traditional lunch prepared at the house, before the ride back to the hotels.

  8. Day 8: La Fortuna to Monteverde

    This morning, you will ransfer from the Arenal Volcano Area to your hotel in Monteverde Cloud Forest. En route in the afternoon, you have the opportunity to visit Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Santa Elena Reserve comprises an area of 310 hectare or 765 acres, and together with the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, the Arenal Conservation Area and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve constitutes a contiguous conservation area of approximately 28,000 hectares or 69,000 acres. Plans are underway to raise funds to buy and restore adjacent farmlands for future inclusion into the Santa Elena Reserve. Conservation efforts in the area are concentrating on establishing forest corridors radiating from the central conservation area down to lower altitudes as many of the forest fauna, such as the Resplendent Quetzal, American Pumas, Jaguars, Ocelots, and Red Brocket Deer require large territories in which to forage and breed.

  9. Day 9: Monteverde cloud Forest

    Today, you can leave your mark on Costa Rica by planting a Tree in the Monteverde Cloud Forest! You will visit a local ranch to choose your tree, which will be an endemic species cultivated specially for reforestation purposes of those areas that have been destroyed by human act over the last 50 years. Once you have chosen your tree, you will plant it yourself, learning with our experienced guides about reforestation and the methods used. Later on you will jot down your name and e-mail address along with the scientific name of the tree planted by each on our logbook, leaving us the legacy and the task to look after the tree.

  10. Day 10: Monteverde to Manuel Antonio

    En route today from Monteverde to your hotel in Manuel Antonio you stop to visit Carara National Park. Despite its small territory of only 4709 ha, Carara National Park is one of the richest biological areas in the country. Carara lies in a transition zone between a dry region to the north and wet region to the south; consequently, it has an incredible variety of plant life, especially evergreen species. Carara houses several ecosystems, such as marshlands, a lagoon, and gallery, secondary and primary forest. Rainfall is abundant, but a lot of the species are leafless during the dry season.

  11. Day 11: Manuel Antonio National Park

    In the morning, you will take part in a guided visit to Manuel Antonio National Park, which is a perfect location for nature lovers. Discover the rain forest of this unique National Park and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio. There are four especially interesting features of the park, which can be visited. The first is the ‘tombolo’ on Cathedral Point, which joins the ancient Cathedral Island to the mainland and where Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio Beaches are located. The second is the blow-hole at Escondido Port, which is best viewed when the tide comes in. The third is Serrucho Point, an awesome, deeply eroded cliff that looks like a saw and that is honeycombed with sea caves. The fourth is the pre-Columbian under water turtle trap on the western tip of Manuel Antonio Beach, which is also the best place to observe innumerable tiny fish at low tide. The main habitats of this park are primary forest, also found Secondary forest areas, mangrove swamps, marshes, and littoral woodland, lagoons and herbaceous swamps. To date, 350 species of vascular plants have been identified in the park. The mammals identified come to 109 species and an variety of 184 species of birds. Some of the resident avian species are the brown pelican, laughing falcon, black-collared hawk, white ibis, white-bellied chachalaca, white-collared cuejo, fiery-billed aracari, green kingfisher and northern jacana.

  12. Day 12: Manuel Antonio to San Jose

    This morning you have the opportunity to relax on the beach before heading back to San Jose in the afternoon.

  13. Day 13: Depart San Jose

    You have some time this morning for souvenir shopping before being taken back to the airport for your flight home.

  14. Day 14: Arrive UK

    You will land back in the UK early in the morning after an overnight flight – Welcome home!

Key info

This suggested itinerary is based on personal recommendation and can be tailored to suit your requirements.
  • Destination: Costa Rica
  • When to go: Mar to Oct
  • Duration: 14 days
  • Trip type: Fieldtrek
  • Subject: Biology
  • Itinerary highlights:
    • Tortuguero National Park
    • Tirimbina Rainforest Reserve
    • Santa Elena Cloud Forest
    • Monteverde Cloud Forest
    • Manuel Antonio National Park
  • Activities:
    • Boat trip
    • Nature walk
    • Safari
    • Snorkelling
  • Accommodation: Hotels, camping and jungle lodge
  • Ideal for: Ages 16 to 18
  • Travellers will need:
    • Strong interest in the chosen subject
    • A desire to learn more in its natural environment

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