Costa Rica 'on a Shoestring'

Welcome to Shoestring!
Shoestring is looking forward to welcoming you on one of our unforgettable journeys. Be well prepared, get informed about your destination and make sure you know which vaccinations or other medication you require. During the trip, be flexible and don’t feel obliged to always stay with the group. Your guide will advise and assist you, but remember that he or she will have a lot on their mind to ensure that everything is running smoothly. We hope you have a fantastic time in this beautiful destination.

Before you travel
If your trip is unexpectedly cancelled, we will let you know at least three weeks prior to departure. Cancellations are very rare though, so go ahead and prepare yourself for your trip.

Day 1: San José

Welcome in Costa Rica! Your tour starts in San José, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Most of your travel companions will arrive later this first day, the exact time will be depending on their flight schedule. You will meet your English speaking tour leader at 8.00 hrs A.M. on day 2 in the lobby of your hotel.

San José is set in a beautiful green valley, encircled by volcanoes.

Day 2: San José - Cahuita

We head to the Caribbean reggae town of Cahuita and chill out with the easy-going locals. Enjoy a drink or two at one of the bars, enjoy a spot of reggae music dine in one of the welcoming restaurants. Or why not take a hike in Cahuita National Park and see of if you can spot sloth, racoons and toucans.

Day 3: Cahuita

Cahuita is always a hit with beach lovers. You will appreciate the wonderful bay with white sand and surfing or snorkelling on the coral reef is a must. Diving tours out to the reef can also be arranged.

Day 4: Cahuita - La Fortuna

Today we visit Arenal, until recently, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. With a bit of luck, you will still hear the rumblings deep underground and see ash columns rising up above the 1,633 metres peak. Upon arrival 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, you can the visit the hot water springs around the Arenal, for a relaxing soak. We offer the opportunity to join an optional excursion to the beautiful Caño Negro Reserve, a watery area abundant with birds, caimans, turtles, monkeys and reptiles.

Day 5: La Fortuna

Your second day at La Fortuna.  Whitewater rafting, hanging bridges, a "sky tram," zip-lines and canyoneering are all possiblilites. For nature lovers or for those who fancy something a little more sedate, why not take a visit to the nearby butterfly farm.

Day 6: La Fortuna - Monteverde Cloud Forest

The trip continues to one of the world’s most famous nature reserves, the Monteverde Cloud Forest where you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views. We stay two nights in a good hotel with an excellent restaurant and large garden situated close to the reserve with its butterfly garden and a beautiful hummingbird gallery. As well as walking through the reserve, you can visit the frog garden go horse riding or walk the suspension bridges built high above the cloud forest. 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 and is also home to the beautiful yet shy, red green feathered, quetzal.

Day 7: Monteverde Cloud Forest

Delight in all that Monteverde offers up, for another day here.

Day 8: Monteverde Cloud Forest - Rincón de la Vieja

We take our bus to the northern province of Guanacaste to arrive by the end of the afternoon in Rincón de la Vieja. Rincón de la Vieja National Park is a must for adventurers and nature-lovers as this tropical mountain forest is crowded with exotic birds and animals. You can choose to take wonderful hikes in the nature reserve and can cross the jungle on foot or by horse, along waterfalls. There are also sulphur springs and bubbling mud pools if you know where to look!

Day 9: Rincón de la Vieja

A great 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. This comes highly recommended!

Day 10: Rincón de la Vieja - Playa Samara

On day 10 we arrive in Playa Samara on the coast of the North Pacific. This sublime beach has a beautiful bay that’s perfect for a refreshing dip and you can also go snorkelling, diving and wind surfing.

Day 11: Playa Samara

Another nice way to spend your time here is to visit the nearby Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge to see its many bird species. White-throated Capuchin Monkeys, Raccoons, Spectacled Caimans, and Lineated Basilisk Lizards are among other creatures you may be fortunate enough to spot. The village also has bars and restaurants where you can chill out and have fun

Day 12: Playa Samara - San José

On day 12 we leave by bus for a magnificent drive to San José for the final night of our tour.

Day 13: San José

The last day of your tour. You can use your hotel room in San José until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Costa Rica.

Your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website 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 13) is not included.

This tour is classified as Category A

The difficulty of our travels varies greatly. Added to this is the fact that travel difficulty is a very personal perception. To give an impression of the difficulty of a particular holiday we have developed a classification system.

Category A: Light travel for everyone to do. Short distances, good hotels, travel at a slow pace.
Category B: For everyone to do as well. Sometimes long distances. Good hotels and camping facilities, sometimes an adventurous overnight experience, travel at a normal pace.
Category C: Good to do for anyone who prepares themself well and is flexible. There are tougher parts of the journey, such as longer distances or walking tours. Several nights can be spent in basic accommodation.
Category D: A relatively difficult journey, travelling long distances, often primitive accommodation or tents, and challenging walking tours.

The Costa Rica trip falls under category A. Any healthy person can make this trip; the travel distances are average and most hotels comfortable. We overnight in middle class hotels, but take into account that you travel in a developing country, which means a much lower standard of living, than your are used to at home. A flexible and positive attitude is much more important than physical fitness.

Nature of the trip
This tropical country accommodating an enormous diversity of animal and plant life is also called the garden of Central America. Although large parts of the country are covered by jungle, there are smoking volcanoes and stunning palm beaches to be explored. This trip is a real must for nature-lovers.