Costa Rica’s Central & North Pacific Coast

Highlights

  • Get off the beaten track and see the local side to Costa Rica most tourists miss
  • Discover incredible wild spaces like dense jungles and pristine beaches
  • Thrill at adventures like ziplining, surfing and quad-biking in stunning settings
  • Meet the locals, try their food, and see how life really is in Costa Rica
From £2679 pp*
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  2. Choose the size of your group under 'Type' FIRST
  3. Select the number of adults and children in your group
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What you'll do

Overview

Explore the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica, uncovering pristine coastline, lush, tangled jungle with amazing wildlife, characterful towns and rural villages where you can really immerse yourself in the Costa Rican way of life.

Summary:

Day 1          Alajuela

Day 2 – 4 Monteverde

Day 5 – 6  Albangaritos

Day 7 – 10   Santa Teresa

Day 11 & 12  Central Pacific Coast

Day 13 & 15  Jaco

Day 13 Departure

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Arrive in Costa Rica

Arrive in San Jose airport, where you will be picked up and driven to your first accommodation. Recover from your long journey and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

 

 

 

 

Accommodation

Villa San Ignacio (or similar)

The Hotel Villa San Ignacio has been renovated to rescue its original rustic charm. The decoration is simple but polished, with furniture designed with antiques to evoke the simple grace of the country...Read All

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Today your shuttle will pick you up early in the morning to drive you to the cloud forest of Monteverde, with a stop over  at the Poás Volcano, an active 2,708-metre (8,885 ft) stratovolcano. The crater of the volcano is over a mile across and 1050 feet deep.  It has erupted 40 times since 1828, including April, 2017. At the Volcano we will have time to enjoy the impressive main crater with its sulfur fumaroles.

Finally, your shuttle will  drive you to the cloud forest ...Read All

Monteverde - Hanging bridges

In the morning you will go on the canopy tour where you’ll have an adrenaline rush swinging from platform to platform attached to a harness as you slide on the longest and highest cables to be found in the area, and at the same time you can enjoy the panoramic views, that can only to be seen from high above.  Or you can also walk over the hanging bridges for a calmer experience on top of the canopy of the forest.

You will have the entire afternoon to enjoy the area, including the sm...Read All

Experience Authentic Monteverde

Established in 1972, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has largely been considered as one of Costa Rica’s most treasured places. Originally with 4,000 hectares, this private reserve protects a very delicate and sadly diminishing ecosystem: the tropical cloud forests. Following the preserve’s creation, the Tropical Science Center continued to secure the financial and human resources necessary to expand, consolidate, and properly protect the preserve’s current 10,500 hectares.

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Local farm visit and cooking class

Transfer to the Pacific coast, with a stop over in Zapotal of Miramar in Puntarenas province, is a small rural community of 100 inhabitants. The dairy products are the main economic activity but a few families made a bet on authentic rural tourism: you will visit an ecological farm where everything is produced organically. You will learn about wastewater purification process,about how to feed a biodigester with pigs, how to grow chicken organically and how to maintain an organic garden with m...Read All

Explore the mangrove forests

Mangroves are an important part of marine ecosystems and serve as nurseries for marine species and as water purifiers. The wildlife present in this ecosystem is unique and interesting.  You will board your boat that will carry you on a two-hour island and mangrove tour to see roseate spoonbills, hawks, black-bellied whistling ducks, and egrets, along with crocodiles and howler monkeys.

 

 

 

Accommodation

Hacienda La Ensenada (or similar)

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Transfer to the coast

Transfer to Nicoya Península via Ferry Boat!

Santa Teresa is a nice beach town on the western side of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is a beach, surf, and nature lover’s paradise.  There is definitely a laid back, surfer, backpacker, hippie kind of vibe, but there are also luxury accommodations, amazing restaurants, happening nightlife, and modern day amenities packed into this small town. Santa Teresa is the whole package.

 

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Waterfall and canopy tour

Today you are going on an adventure. Soar through the treetops on 9 thrilling cables and glide across 13 platforms, suspended high above the lush forest floor. Keep your eyes open for a variety of exotic Costa Rican flora and fauna, including majestic howler and white-faced monkeys, colorful parrots, iguanas, and more. You will also make a stop at the breathtaking Montezuma Waterfalls, and take a refreshing dip in the natural swimming pools.

 

 

 

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Surfing in the Pacific

Try out surfing and learn the basics of the sport to experience the thrill of riding a wave. Local experts will coach you safely, in one of the best surfing spots in Costa Rica.

Located on Playa Hermosa’s beach, your instructors provide group and private lessons for all skill levels. Whether visitors are a beginner or experienced surfers, they can be sure to find the perfect class for their style and level of expertise. The instructors are experienced and knowledgeable, providing...Read All

Relaxation day

Lazy day at the beach!  Take some rest to help recharge your batteries.

Enjoy a free day in the sun and the warm, calm water of the Pacific Ocean. Try some local food and the delicious fruits of Costa Rica, work on your tan, relax and have fun!

 

 

 

 

Accommodation

Manala Hotel (or similar)

Tropical island glamping

You start heading back to the Central Pacific, but there is an amazing island in the Nicoya Gulf…so why not spend a night there?

Camping with Glamour in Jesusita Island allows you to experience nature at its maximum, listening to the sounds of the forest, feeling the ocean breeze, watching the ocean from your terrace. But also, get to know how people live in the islands of the Nicoya Gulf: the small scale fishermen and the farmers, living from what mother earth can give us.

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Authentic fishing trip

Artisanal Fishing is a critical component of the region’s culture and economy. Traditions passed from generation to generation are essential to the lifestyles of many of the local communities. A guide will take you on a small boat in a charming expedition to the area’s best spots. The thrills of fishing, closely tied to Jesusita Island. For many years, this tiny island nook was a favourite resting spot for sport fishing enthusiasts. It is only natural to offer guided expeditions to let vi...Read All

Transfer from Jaco

Take the ferry boat again and continue on to the Central Pacific, and Jacó, a picturesque beach town with stunning beaches. Jaco offers a unique blend of natural beauty and lively entertainment.

 

 

 

 

Accommodation

Villa Caletas (or similar)

Villa Caletas is set upon a hilltop in the Central Pacific coast of Puntarenas, Costa Rica with views of coastline and the tropical rain forests.

The rooms are equipped with a ...Read All

ATV adventures

Today you will have fun riding your ATV through the jungle! After all the safety instructions are given by your bilingual guide, you will have the opportunity to drive a few laps on the practice track. After that you are ready to depart on this amazing adventure along jungle trails, following rivers and fun muddy dirt paths. Time and trail conditions allowing, you can take a quick swim in a natural swimming pool!

 

 

Accommodation

Villa Calet (or similar)...Read All

Departure day

Today, you’ll wave goodbye to Costa Rica after a final breakfast. We hope you’ve had an incredible time with us and are leaving feeling as though you have truly gotten to know Costa Rica like a local, as you have got off the beaten track and created long-lasting memories thanks to the local people.

What's included

Included

  • All transfers from to San Jose airport, between hotels and activities
  • 1 night in Villa San Ignacio
  • 3 Nights Koora Hotel, Monteverde B&B
  • 2 nights Hacienda La Ensenada, Abangaritos B&B
  • 4 nights Manala Hotel, Santa Teresa B&B
  • 2 Nights Isla Chiquita Glamping B&B
  • 2 nights Villa Caletas, Jaco B&B
  • Poas Volcano
  • Zip Line Tour
  • Night Tour
  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hiking
  • Coffee & chocolate tour
  • Cooking lesson
  • Mangrove Tour
  • Waterfall Canopy Tour
  • Surf School
  • Bioluminescence tour
  • Artisanal Fishing tour
  • ATV Tour
Your local host

Roberto

I was born and raised in Costa Rica and have lived here my entire life. And ever since I could, I’ve been travelling the world. Soon after I left school, I travelled around Costa Rica and discovered every single part of it! Although, we do have a fairly small country, there’s an insane amount to explore, and I’m still exploring it today, seeking out new hiking trails, new lagoons, different viewpoints, that take you to places you hadn’t even knew existed before, it really is fascinating.

My deep knowledge of countries extends far beyond just Costa Rica as well, I’ve been lucky enough to have a broad knowledge of most of the other Central American countries, as well as, a lot of the South American coun... Read All

I was born and raised in Costa Rica and have lived here my entire life. And ever since I could, I’ve been travelling the world. Soon after I left school, I travelled around Costa Rica and discovered every single part of it! Although, we do have a fairly small country, there’s an insane amount to explore, and I’m still exploring it today, seeking out new hiking trails, new lagoons, different viewpoints, that take you to places you hadn’t even knew existed before, it really is fascinating.

My deep knowledge of countries extends far beyond just Costa Rica as well, I’ve been lucky enough to have a broad knowledge of most of the other Central American countries, as well as, a lot of the South American countries, allowing me to extend tours over there as well.

You might be surprised to know that I started out in a completely different field altogether, I studied engineering at university and worked in this industry for a little while. But, a little while later, due that passion for discovery and exploring new places eating away at me, I started my immersive travel company with a friend (14 years ago to be exact) and began having way too much fun helping people discover my wonderful country and the countries around it, so as soon as the possibility came around I just grabbed it, decided to leave engineering behind and have worked in the industry ever since.

What inspired you to work in travel?

As I’ve mentioned, I do have a bit of an obsession when it comes to showing people the beauty of Costa Rica. But apart from this, I’ve always been very much pro environment and have a keen interest in conservation. One of the best things about travel is that it can have a large component of conservation, at some point before I started working in travel, I thought I would work within conservation. So travel is a great bridge between my passions of discovery and conservation. Because if tourism is done right can help change both people’s lives and the world, and that’s really powerful.

What makes your experiences special?

Firstly, supplier and destination selection is key for us when choosing our experiences. If you get these right, you have a pretty good shot of having a truly authentic experience. So, we choose destinations that are not the same as all the other tour companies out there, those that are emerging or have something special about them, that most people don’t know about. An example would be, Drake Bay in Costa Rica, there’s a few things that everybody does e.g. the Corcovado National Park, a must visit for this area. But the difference between us and the other companies is that we use the local companies, that employ real locals, so this gives smaller companies a chance to compete with the large companies. When we choose hotels, we choose those that are sustainable, away from the normal ones.

And we always ensure the places/people we work with are committed to sustainability, it’s our mission to spread the wealth of toursim, to make sure money just doesn’t go to all the large companies, we think it should be shared equally to everyone in the country. So our suppliers are always real local people, that truly love their country and are trying to make an honest living out of it.

 

Location

The tour begins in Alajuela, heading south through Abangaritos, Santa Teresa, the Central Pacific Coast and then down to Jaco.

All transport is provided, including all ferries and transfers from accommodation to accommodation, so you can simply relax and watch the stunning scenery unfold before you.

On your final day, you will be driven back to the airport in San Jose.

Your Stays on this Holiday
San Jose
Nicoya, Puntarenas
Santa Teresa
Jaco
San Jose

FAQs

What clothes do I need to bring?

Lightweight cotton and linen clothing is recommended for most of the year, with warmer clothes for cooler evenings. Waterproofing is necessary during the rainy season. Loose-fitting clothing is best. Wear neutral browns and greens for bird and wildlife viewing. Always bring mosquito repellent for both day and night.

Please let us know the following in "Free text" for each participant when booking:

Weight*
Height*

*To prepare your surf equipment

What ages are considered children for this holiday?

Children's ages are 12 and under.

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