Costa Rica Discovery in Full Board Small Group with English-Speaking Guide

Enjoy a private briefing in English with your local guide. Together, you review the logistical details of your trip and can ask any questions before your tour begins.

Discover Tortuguero, commonly nicknamed the "Little Amazon" due to the abundant vegetation that borders its network of canals and lagoons. This small village is also the primary nesting site in the northern hemisphere for the green sea turtle. In season, from July to October, you will have the opportunity to observe this phenomenon.

At the end of the day, you depart to visit the village of Tortuguero. Visits are led by local guides and your English-speaking private guide serves as interpreter. If you wish, your guide can also organize free hiking just for you on the hotel's trails to observe wildlife.

Early in the morning or during the day, depending on the weather, set off to discover the canals of Tortuguero National Park. During the excursion, you may encounter caimans, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, sloths, toucans, iguanas, basilisks and birds of all colors.

The visits are led by local guides, while your private English-speaking guide acts as an interpreter.

The morning or afternoon is free. You can relax at the hotel's swimming pool, take a walk on its trails or participate in one of the activities offered by the establishment.

If you wish, your guide can also organize a hike free of charge just for you on the hotel's trails to observe the wildlife.

An old stronghold of the Huetar tribe on trade routes between the Maya and Inca empires, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí is today a destination focused on nature. The humid tropical rainforests of the Caribbean zone border agricultural lands dedicated to banana, pineapple and cacao production.

Upon your arrival, check-in at the hotel.

Accompanied by the naturalist guides of Selva Verde, set out to explore the tropical forest at nightfall. Bring your flashlight and walk through the surrounding terrain and trails in search of nocturnal animals.

You may notably try to observe tree frogs, insects imitating leaves, kinkajous and bats.

Meet Doña Maria, owner of a small heart of palm plantation. By her side, discover the entire process of origin and handling of this product before tasting different palm-based preparations.

A tasting and lunch are included.

In the evening, head to Ecotermales hot springs. Accessible only by reservation, the complex limits access to its facilities in 5 or 6-hour time slots to preserve a calm atmosphere conducive to relaxation.

The stone and wood buildings, the natural circulation system in the pools and the soft lighting blend into the natural setting. The various pools are lined with pebbles and volcanic stones.

Hours: 5 PM to 9 PM.

After breakfast, set off on a guided hike of approximately 2 h 30 in a primary rainforest, during which you cross the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, with its 16 hanging bridges.

With the expert eye of your guide, observe the different forest layers: the tree canopy, the intermediate space and the forest floor. This approach allows you to better appreciate the different species present in this environment.

In early afternoon, set off for approximately two hours of hiking on various trails in the reserve in search of sloths. This guided tour takes you to several observation sites.

Along the way, you may also spot monkeys, toucans, iguanas, colorful frogs and dozens of species of birds.

After breakfast, head to the Rio Fortuna waterfall, located in a biological reserve of 210 hectares of humid premontane tropical forest.

To reach this 70-meter-high waterfall, you will take a path of approximately 530 steps through a forest composed of native trees from the region. The route is safe and has rest areas and hydration zones.

Once you arrive at the waterfall, enjoy the viewpoint to take a few photos before refreshing yourself in the crystal-clear waters of Rio Fortuna.

Lunch included at a local restaurant.

Then head out for a hike of approximately one hour on the private Arenal 1968 trail, whose name refers to the eruption of the Arenal volcano.

The route offers panoramic views of the lake and Arenal volcano. You will also have the opportunity to walk a kilometer on volcanic stones dating from the eruption of July 29, 1968.

During your walk, you may catch a glimpse of howler monkeys and toucans.

After breakfast, join the Finca de Don Huber, where Huber and his family welcome you to their family farm.

Discover Costa Rican agricultural processes as well as their conservation efforts. Your guide will tell you the story of the family and its farm before accompanying you along a trail lined with fruit trees, pineapples and medicinal plants.

You will discover indigenous medicinal plants from Costa Rica, such as lemon balm, used as a natural sleeping aid, and Juanilama, known for relieving stomach problems.

Then join the mill to discover a traditional method of making sugar cane juice, requiring no electrical energy.

This juice can also be fermented and transformed into a sugar cane alcohol called "guaro" or "contrabando".

Discover Costa Rican gastronomy during a cooking class taught by locals.

You'll be able to try several typical dishes:

• Gallo pinto, made with rice and beans, to which eggs or meat can be added, accompanied by tortillas;

• casado, composed of raw vegetables, rice and beans accompanied by beef or chicken, fish or seafood;

• tamales, small corn breads filled with meat and often cooked in banana leaves.

Upon arrival, discover Samara Beach, a small cosmopolitan seaside resort that remains underdeveloped. The welcome of the "Ticos" and its calm beach lined with coconut trees contribute to its atmosphere.

Wildlife is very present around the property: coatis, raccoons, armadillos, howler monkeys, squirrels, iguanas and large lizards. You can also observe different bird species, including trogons, green parrots, woodpeckers and wrens.

Sámara beach extends for 5 kilometers, has a coral barrier and offers an ideal setting for swimming or resting under palm trees.

After breakfast, set off for a half-day boat excursion. You will sail between 2 and 10 miles off Sámara, in the waters of the North Pacific.

Head out in search of marine mammals present in this part of the Pacific. You may notably try to observe spotted dolphins and Central American Spinner dolphins.

On the way back, the boat anchors near the shores of Isla Chora and its white sand beach.

Take advantage of this stop to swim in the sea and continue your discovery of underwater life with snorkeling.

Back in Samara, enjoy some free time on the beach.

After breakfast, enjoy a free day in Samara. The village has retained its character thanks to building regulations: no construction is located directly on the beach. Local residents, restaurateurs and hoteliers participate in preserving this authenticity.

Fishing remains one of the major activities of the local population. It is also possible to encounter horses and cows roaming freely on the beach.

Several beaches with different characteristics surround Sámara :

• Buenavista, a wild black sand beach where you can witness the hatching of baby sea turtles thanks to the hatchery that protects the species.

• Carrillo, located 7 km away, is a long crescent-shaped beach bordered by palm trees and white sand. Without amenities around it, it is ideal for walking and swimming.

• Barrigona, located 10 km from Sámara, is a beach that is difficult to find.