Day-to-day schedule
Day 1: San José
Our holiday commences in San José in Costa Rica. The city is in a beautiful green valley, encircled by volcanoes. We will stay in an attractive, classic hotel, just a few hundred meters from the central plaza.
Day 2: San José
Today is scheduled as a free day. The small pleasant capital offers shopping streets and markets. Those who are interested may embark on a city tour, accompanied by our guide. Visit the Gold Museum or National Museum, or treat yourself to a coffee in a coffeehouse, a favourite pastime of the friendly locals. Book a day-tour to the nearby Poas or Irazu volcanoes; their summits are usually hidden above the clouds.
Day 3 -
4: Monteverde Cloud Forest
Today we travel with our own bus to the world-famous nature reserve, the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Just the trip to 'the green mountain' is an adventure and you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views. We shall stay two nights in a good hotel with an excellent restaurant and large garden. The entrance to the reserve is close by, just as the butterfly garden and a beautiful hummingbird gallery. Besides walking through the reserve, you can enjoy other activities: visiting the frog garden, horse riding or walking the suspension bridges built high above the cloud forest. This is an amazing opportunity to explore the roof of the forest in a very special manner. A hike in the cloud forest is also an enchanting experience you will never forget. The variety of dramatic microclimates, an extremely short distance from each other is extraordinary. Usually, a one-day hike provides alternating fog, sunshine and rain with an average temperature of 18 degrees. Another special feature of the cloud forest is the kaleidoscope of greens. Due to the high atmospheric humidity, the giant trees are covered with an abundance of bromelia's, orchids, ferns, hart’s horns and mosses. It is also the home of the beautiful yet shy, red green feathered, quetzal
Day 5 -
7: Granada
Today we travel by bus and cross over the border to Nicaragua we will travel along the bank of the Lake of Nicaragua overlooking two impressive volcanoes, before reaching the beautiful colonial city of Granada . We will stay three nights in an atmospheric colonial hotel with pool. The rooms have is air conditioning which will come in handy as Granada is warmer than Costa Rica, with noon temperatures nearly always above thirty degrees. Granada is one of the most beautiful and old cities of Central-America, with an impressive story. It lies on the banks of Lake Nicaragua. In the center, scores of beautiful buildings stand in colonial style around the central square with its imposing cathedral. The cities market is lively and colorful and definitely warrants a visit. You can take an optional excursion city of Masaya and the Masaya National Park, where you can pay a visit to an active volcano. You can opt to see Catarina from which you will have a brilliant view over the Laguna, the Apoyo and the city of Granada. You can also visit the nearby capital Managua, where you can visit the historical and the new cathedral, the National Museum and the colossal statue of Sandino. It is also nice option to take a boat trip on Lake Nicaragua.
Day 8 -
9: Rincon de la Vieja
Today we head back to Costa Rica driving along an impressive landscape to Guanacaste province, where we arrive by the end of the afternoon. We shall stay two nights here in a pleasant lodge. The jungle around the lodge contains beautiful waterfalls. Rincón de la Vieja National Park is a must for adventurers and nature-lovers. This tropical mountain forest is crowded with exotic birds and animals. You can take wonderful (optional) hikes in the nature reserve. You can cross the jungle on foot or by horse, along waterfalls while looking for sulphur springs and bubbling mud pools. An extremely special way to traverse the forest is by taking the Canopy Tour, in which you swing from platform to platform like Tarzan! Real go-getters can hike to the crater of Rincón volcano; weather permitting, accompanied by a local guide.
Day 10 -
11: La Fortuna
We proceed to one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Arenal. In the evening, when the sky is clear and with a little bit of luck, the red glowing lava descending from the 1633 metre high summit, provides an awesome spectacle. You will stay the night in La Fortuna village, in an lovely hotel with swimming pool and views of the Arenal. We spend two nights here. Upon arrival on day 10, weather permitting; we can take a walk to a nearby waterfall for a refreshing swim. Or you can hire a horse to explore the surroundings. In the evening, it is possible to visit the hot water springs around the Arenal.
We offer the opportunity on day 11 to join an (optional) excursion to the beautiful Caño Negro Reserve, a watery area abundant with birds, caimans, turtles, monkeys and reptiles. A special local is the Jesus Christ Lizard, which is able to run over water.
Day 12 -
13: Quepos
Today we drive along the coast to one of the most beautiful beaches of Costa Rica , where you two nights sleep in a small hotel in the neighborhood of the pleasant city Quepos. Your will discoveran array of different of restaurants here and there is the possibility to go snorkelling. Quepos is a great base to discover the Manuel Antonio National Park. Manuel Antonio National Park is a 682-hectare national park with beaches, offshore islands, lush rainforest with good trails, as well as close-up encounters with monkeys, sloths and lots of birds. Between sleeping on the beach, you can explore the park’s network of wide trails, which lead into a maze of humid tropical forest. Manuel Antonio National Park with its tropical jungle , white sandy beaches and blue-green waters offers a splendid combination of nature and beach fun.
Day 14 -
15: Manuel Antonio - Playa Dominical
We will stay two nights in a wonderful hotel in the surfing town of Dominical where you can meet relaxed 'surf dudes' on the beach, carrying a board under one arm. We will stay in comfortable small bungalows in tropical surroundings with many native plants. Watching the waves at Dominical’s coast, you may occasionally spot dolphins or whales. The coast is still unspoiled and has superb palm beaches, tropical rainforests and mangrove forests. A short distance away is the National Park of Marino Ballena, an educative centre and breeding ground for turtles.
You can sign up for an optional excursion to Corcovado on the Osa peninsula, a national park with an area of 54.500 ha. For rugged nature-lovers and adventurers, Corcovado is the best choice in Costa Rica. It is one of the world’s most complex tropical rainforests. In the park, you may, with some luck, encounter a tapir or jaguar. The red blue macaws are very impressive. In the seventies, scientists realized that the reserve was one the world’s most diverse and complex tropical rainforests. Nowadays, its main purpose is to help develop new medicines. In the park about 500 tree species exist, over 140 different mammals, including the tapir and 5 big cats, 367 birds, and an incredible variety of insects.
A fun day-excursion brings us from Dominical to Isla del Caño. This small deserted island is a nature reserve. The island is scarcely visited and those who do are mainly interested in snorkelling and diving over the coral reefs around the island.
Day 16: Playa Dominical - Boquete
Today we will cross the border into Panama and travel to the small village of Boquete, set in the highlands of the province Chiriqui 1060 m above sea level. The climate is alot cooler here allowing flowers, vegetables, coffee and citrus fruit to grown. On the steep slopes, the "Gnobe-Bugle" Indians live, better known as the Guyami that work on the coffee plantations. In the mountains of Boquete, you can take beautiful unforgettable walks.
Day 17: Boquete - Bocas del Toro
Today we will drive to Chiriqí Grandee where we will board a boat to take us over to the resort of Bocas Toro on the island Isla Colón. We will spend two days enjoying magnificent snorkelling, boat tours, scuba diving, swimming, waterskiing or kayaking. There is also the option of hiring bicycles to enjoy this magnificent island. Bocas del Toro is the most important village of the island. It is a typical Caribibean island with wooden huts on stilts. Bocas has kept its original Caribbean atmosphere and has changed very little over the years. The local food have definite Jamaican influences and many meals are prepared with coconut milk! The local population are friendly and speak English and are always ready to help and answer questions.
Day 18: Boquete - Bocas del Toro
same
Day 19 -
20: Cahuita
We head back today to Costa Rica to the Caribbean reggae town, Cahuita, where we stay in a nice jungle lodge, close to the beach. Cahuita is completely different to the rest of the country. It is a very relaxed environment and the locals are easy-going. There is a choice of fun bars featuring reggae music and restaurants. I f you take a hike in Cahuita National Park, you should spot many species such as sloths pacas, racoons and toucans. Beach-lovers will appreciate the wonderful bay with white sand. When the weather is clear, surfing or snorkelling on the coral reef is a must. Diving tours out to the reef can also be arranged.
Day 21: San Jose
Today we travel back to San José for one final night.
It is the last day of your tour but rather than being about ‘Goodbye’ your thought should be ‘Go further’!
Visit your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website. ‘my.shoestring’ is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 22) is not included.
Day 22: San Jose
The tour can be lengthened with a four day tour to Parque Nacional Tortuguero, one of the most important breeding spots for sea turtles in the world.
You will say goodbye to your travel companions in Cahuita on day 21, who will travel back to San José. Then you will have an overnight in a little place called Guapiles, in a hotel with a beautiful tropical garden where you can stretch your legs and relax. The next day, after breakfast (included), you’ll be picked up by the local English speaking guide. The bus will bring you to a small harbour from which your journey continues to one of the most impressive national parks of Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast: Tortuguero. Besides turtles (tortugas), which will enter the beach to lay their eggs between June and October, you can spot monkeys, alligators, parrots, toucans, and many other tropical birds while sailing the pretty small jungle canals in little boats. The specialised English speaking tour guides, all meals, transport by air-conditioned bus, boat, and the tour through the canals of Tortuguero are all included in the price of the tour. The three overnights are in a fancy lodge. Spacious rooms with a fan, private bathroom with hot water, a swimming pool, bar and restaurant are available. Optional evening excursions are possible to observe the sea turtles; these tours are not included in the price. On the last day (day 25) the journey will go back through the Braulio Carillo rainforest to San José for a last overnight before you travel back home.
If you want to book this tour to Tortuguero as a lengthening to your normal tour, please do so while making your booking. The additional costs are 389 pounds per person. If you book by yourself, a single room supplement will be charged if no one is available from the group to share a room with. Of course you can choose for a single room yourself. The additional cost will be 89 pounds per person.