Costa Rica’s Wild Pacific: Sea Turtles, Rainforest, and Volcanoes

The following itinerary is provided for informational purposes and is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond our control. Accommodations may be substituted with comparable hotels based on the final group needs or changes to the itinerary. Note: (B, L, D) denotes the meals provided each day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

Day 1 | Arrive into Liberia, Costa Rica, transfer to Ostional

Arrive to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR, before 3pm). We will then take an approximately 3 hour drive to our hotel, the Hotel Luna Azul, near Ostional Wildlife Refuge on the Pacific coast. Once everyone is settled into our hotel, we will have a welcome dinner and a general orientation. (D)

Day 2 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge

We’ll start the day with a leisurely breakfast followed by a short presentation on the olive ridley sea turtle and its unique mass nesting behavior which takes place at the nearby Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. Today, we will visit a turtle conservation program at nearby Playa Guiones to learn about their work and possibly see hatching baby turtles, and we’ll relax on a beautiful isolated beach. At night we’ll visit Playa Ostional to look for sea turtles nesting and baby turtles making their inspiring journeys to the sea. Overnight at Hotel Luna Azul. (B, L, D)

NOTE: If Arribadas are on its peak season we may do excursions around 4:30 am or before it gets
dark late afternoon to Playa Ostional.

Day 3 | Ostional - Rincón de la Vieja

After an optional early morning nature walk around our hotel grounds followed by breakfast, we’ll drive inland towards the volcanic mountain range and Rincón de la Vieja volcano where we will stay at a lodge that used to be a large cattle ranch and boasts hot springs and waterfalls on-site. In the afternoon we will have the opportunity to participate in one of the many options for adventure that are offered by our hotel, including horseback riding, hiking, tubing, canyoning, and canopy/zip lines. The hotel is well known for their horseback riding trips. Overnight at Borinquen Resort. (B, L, D)

Day 4 | Rincón de la Vieja Volcano - Osa Peninsula

This morning we will take a beautiful hike on the well-maintained Pailas Trail inside Rincón de la Vieja National Park. On our hike, we will see many volcanic mineral mud pools bubbling away in myriad colors. The tropical dry forest is special here and you will find some of the most spectacular ficus trees and large, healthy groups of howler monkeys. In the afternoon we will have a long transfer to the Osa Peninsula. As we drive to the airport in Liberia we will enjoy many nice vistas, and we will then board a flight to Puerto Jimenez (possibly with a stop in San José) on the south Pacific Coast. We will then transfer to our hotel (~ 1 hour), the award-winning Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge on the Osa Peninsula. (B, L, D)

Days 5-6 | Exploring the Osa Peninsula Rainforest

Two full days will be spent immersing ourselves in the incredible biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula. Here we will hike along the trails with our guide to see the special plants and wildlife that are found here, including four species of monkey, birds including colorful Scarlet Macaws and toucans, tapirs, sloths, peccaries, poison dart frogs, and so much more.

On one day we will join field biologists with the nonprofit organization Osa Conservation on their wildlife monitoring activities. They conduct many research programs throughout the Osa Peninsula, including sea turtle monitoring on Playa Piro, which hosts four sea turtle species: primarily olive ridleys and some green turtles, with rare hawksbills and leatherbacks. Depending on the researchers’ schedule, we may have the opportunity to visit the sea turtle nesting beach in the morning to check for nests and release hatchlings. Overnight at Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge. (B, L, D)

Day 7 | Cloud forest and highlands

Today we will begin to make our way towards Costa Rica’s central valley, taking a route through the mountains that will bring us into a spectacular cloud forest ecosystem and then to Costa Rica's unique páramo, a type of high altitude tropical grass/shrubland. We will take some time along our route to explore before continuing to our hotel in the mountain community of San Gerardo de Dota, nestled amid the mystical cloud forest. Overnight at Hotel Savegre. (B, L, D)

Day 8 | Cloud forest and highlands

In the morning and early afternoon we will enjoy some nature walks in the otherworldly cloud forest, with a particular eye to spot the exotic birds found in this ecosystem, including the iconic Resplendent Quetzal. In the afternoon we will drive towards the central valley and the capital of Costa Rica – San José. Additionally, if there is interest, we will stop by one of the best coffee shops in the country to taste and stock up on some of the highest quality coffee and chocolate that Costa Rica has to offer. This evening we will have a farewell dinner in San Jose. Overnight at Crown Plaza Corobici. (B, L, D)

Day 9 | San José, departure

Transfer to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in time for your flight home. The trip to the airport should take about 45 minutes. (B)