Day 1: Arrival in Costa Rica.

Welcome to San José, Costa Rica. Our guide will greet you and explain the general information and some important details of your self drive program. Then you will be transported to your hotel in the capital city.

Day 2 – 3: Tortuguero National Park, impressive tropical rainforest known as the Amazon of Costa Rica.

tortuguero canalsThis is a peaceful area tucked away in the lush rainforest with an impressive natural network of scenic navigable lakes and canals. Tortuguero National Park is an important breeding ground for the green sea turtle.
Tortuguero is the only place in the world where turtles come in large quantities regularly during the year. There are eight species of marine turtles in the whole world, six of them nest in Costa Rica and four of these are found in Tortuguero. This explains why this area has the name of “Tortuguero”, which means “land of many turtles.” The national park has a coastal territory of 19,211 hectares plus 52,000 hectares of marine area. The average temperature is 26ºC (79º F).

The beaches are very beautiful but not suitable for swimming. The surf is very rough due to the strong currents. It has approximately 400 bird species, 400 species of trees and at least 2,200 species of other plants. You also can see lots of animals like monkeys, sloths and many others.

Optional Activities: boat tours, hiking, turtle watching, bird watching, canoeing, kayaking and others.

Important: Tortuguero is worth the visit. However, it’s accessible only by boat or air. The Tortuguero portion of this program does not include a rental car; instead it includes shared transportation from San Jose to Tortuguero. You will not get your rental car until Day 4

Day 4 – 5: Southern Caribbean Coast, Puerto Viejo, Limón. A place to enjoy the Caribbean flavor with delicious food and a laid-back atmosphere.

SurfingThis day you will get your rental car for your driving experience to the Southern Caribbean Coast, an area with exuberant vegetation and ideal for ecological tourism. Some of the species you can find are sloths, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, raccoons, numerous marine turtles, crabs, iguanas, birds, toucans and frogs. It has lush vegetation with hundreds of tree and flower species. The Southern Caribbean has an impressive cultural diversity where the black community, indigenous community and Europeans enjoy a relaxed lifestyle. It has lots of nearby towns and beaches like Cahuita, Puerto Vargas, Pirikikí Beach, Chiquita Beach, Cocles Beach, Uva Beach and Manzanillo Beach.

Optional Activities: diving, surfing, hiking, sport fishing, dolphin tours, tours to Kekoldi Native Reserves, horseback riding and bird watching

Day 6 : Sarapiquí, a place of inspiring natural beauty.

Drive to Sarapiqui, an area rich in flora and fauna with lots of monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles and a great variety of bird species. The harmonious surroundings will allow you to relax and concentrate on the scenery.

Day 7 – 8: Arenal Volcano Area, relax on the hot springs and admire the volcano.

Arenal Volcano AreaContinue with your delightful journey through the country driving to the area of the Arenal Volcano in San Carlos. This volcano has an almost perfect conical shape and it has been active since 1968.

On the nearby forest you may observe different species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
This area is surrounded by natural beauty with landscapes that will leave you breathless.

Suggested activities and places to visit: canopy tours, fishing in the Arenal Lake, hanging bridges, sky tram, hiking, rafting, boat tours, volcano observation and hot springs.

Day 9 – 10: Drive to Monteverde Area, enjoy its wonderful cloud forest and look for the resplendent quetzal.

Monteverde AreaTravel to Monteverde area, one of the major tourist destinations of Costa Rica, known for its rainforest, with sparkling quetzals and quantities of hummingbirds. Monteverde is a small village founded by North American Quakers in 1951, with its adjacent biological reserve. The Biological Rainforest of Monteverde was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1972. Its size is of 17.000 hectares.

Also you may have another option to visit, the Biological Rainforest Reserve of Santa Elena founded in 1989. It has more than 2000 species of plants, 400 birds and 100 different mammals.
Both, Monteverde and Santa Elena are towns where people are very peaceful and quiet.

Suggested activities and places to visit: canopy tours, hanging bridges, hiking, Visit to Cheese Factory, Selvatura Walkways, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Santa Elena Biological Rainforest Reserve.

Day 11, 12 – 13: Drive to Manuel Antonio, visit the national park and sunbathe on its beautiful beaches.

Manuel AntonioThis destination is a mixture of sun, beach and forest, surrounded by lush vegetation. The Manuel Antonio National Park was founded in 1972 and is the smallest park in the country measuring only 683 hectares.
It has incredible sights of the beach and the mountains, besides a vibrant wildlife. The daily temperature in this place goes around 27 degrees Celsius.
Here you will find over 350 species of birds, a variety of lizards, iguanas, monkeys, butterflies and other animals.
Near the beach of Manuel Antonio you will find other towns you can visit.
Suggested activities and places to visit: canopy tours, rafting, fishing, horseback riding and kayaking.

Day 14: Drive back to San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital city.

Return to the capital city to the selected hotel.
Although we ensure that your return trip will be surrounded of spectacular vegetation. The next day you should return your vehicle.
Suggested activities and places to visit: on the way back to San Jose, you can visit Jaco Beach, the Aerial Tram Pacific, Carara National Park or Turubari Nature Park.

Day 15: Transfer to the International Airport.

Your adventure has come to an end, but not for long because our country is waiting for you with open arms. Someone from our staff will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight back home.