Experience all that the pacific region has to offer. Explore corcovado national park, one of the most extensive tropical rain forests on the pacific coasts of the americas, the sierpe mangrove, the cloud forested banks of the savegre river, and playa grande, the nesting ground for the giant leather back turtles.
Day 1: Arrive in San Jose where you will be warmly welcomed by your guide and chauffer and escorted back to your hotel. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the poolside or taking a walk in the lovely gardens to recuperate from your long day of travel. If you feel like getting some exercise, there are lighted tennis courts available to you at the hotel. Depending on arrival time, you may also be able to visit the nearby town of Santo Domingo and take a tour of the surrounding area. Here you will experience the charm of a typical Costa Rican town.
Day 2: After a delicious breakfast, we will head out to visit Poás Volcano National Park at 2708 meters above sea level. Poás Volcano is one of the 7 active volcanoes in Costa Rica. It lies in the highlands of the central mountain range overlooking coffee and strawberry plantations. Poás is one of the very few volcanoes in the world that allows you to walk all the way to the rim and overlook the gurgling sulfuric pools 320-m. below. We will be admiring one of the world's largest active craters (1.5 km wide), then hike up to a beautiful crater lake surrounded by misty cloud forest.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Waterfall Gardens, where we will enjoy the extensive butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Up to 12 different species of jeweled hummingbirds visit the garden. Then, we will walk along the river, experiencing close-up views of 5 spectacular waterfalls.
Day 3: Travel by road and by boat to Drake Bay, bordering Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. This is one of the richest areas in the country in terms of biodiversity. It is the largest nesting grounds for Scarlet Macaws in the country. We will explore one of the most extensive patches of primary rain forest in the South Pacific region of the Americas. This is the most likely place along the trip to see a Tapir or Jaguar or other types of wild cats. Among the great number of colorful birds that inhabit this region, we will enjoy seeing toucans, blue-crowned Manakins dancing in their lek, a variety of Trogons and many others. Snakes may also be a part of the adventure. Our hotel is situated on the beach, allowing for breathtaking views of the ocean from the open-air restaurant. Hump-back whales are often seen here during the dry season.
Day 4: Rising early, we will take a boat to the Corcovado National Park, spending the whole day in the field. All four species of monkeys in Costa Rica, sloth, peccaries (wild pigs), large cats, tapirs, and a great number of birds (including the Black-cheeked Ant Tanager which is endemic to Costa Rica, the Harpy Eagle and the Blue Crowned Manakins) are some of the inhabitants of this beautiful forest. While seeing the Harpy Eagle is an extremely rare experience in Costa Rica, this is the most likely place to see them. It is quite an experience to walk through the towering trees in this area, which are larger than in any other area of Costa Rica.
Day 5: We will hike through primary rainforest reaching our beach destination, San Josecito. Here we will spend the day on the white sand beach with a picnic lunch. We will enjoy seeing colorful fish and coral while snorkeling just off the shore.
Day 6: Travel to the cloud forest high lands of Cerro de la Muerte. En route we will explore the vast web of mangroves just west of Sierpe where the Terraba and Sierpe Rivers meet. From the boat we will navigate through intricate waterways which are home to great variety of wildlife, including crocodiles, caiman, turtles, iguanas, sloths, and a myriad of water birds. Climbing up from sea level to over 3000m and then dropping down to 1,900 meters, we will arrive in the quaint highland valley of San Gerardo de Dota just in time for a tasty home-cooked dinner at the family-owned Hotel Montaña Savegre.
Day 7: We will spend the day exploring the bird rich habitat in the Savergre River Valley, home to the awe-inspiring Resplendent Quetzal. Walking through the gardens and along the Savegre River, we will marvel at the astounding cloud forest habitat with its moss-covered trees. We will be delighted by a variety of orchids, bromeliads and other epiphytes, colorful tanagers and highland hummingbirds. In the evening after a delicious diner, we will go over the birds, reptiles, mammals, and any other wildlife seen that day.
Day 8: Travel to our hotel, situated at the edge of the Carara Biological Reserve on the banks of the Tarcoles River near the Pacific coast. We will have a few hours in the afternoon to relax by the pool, take a dip in the Jacuzi or play a round of miniature golf.
At dusk we will visit the nearby bridge overlooking the Tarcoles River where pairs of Scarlet Macaws fly over en route to their roosting grounds. Here, giant crocodiles basking along the riverbanks will impress us. In the evening, Gloriana Sanchez, a reptile expert will come to talk to us about the giant crocodiles and other fascinating reptiles inhabiting the area.
Day 9: Spend the morning hiking through the Carara Biological Reserve, a unique climatological zone where the ecosystem of the humid southern coastal region joins the dry climate of the northern Pacific area, becoming a rich meeting ground for species from both regions. This is truly one of the highlights of the tour. In the afternoon we will enjoy a two-hour crocodile tour by boat along the Tarcoles River with a local guide.
Day 10: After breakfast we will travel to Playa Grande, a well known nesting ground for the giant Leatherback Turtles, among other marine turtle species. After lunch we will visit the turtle museum. In the afternoon there will be time for a leisurely walk on the beach. In the evening and into the night we will venture out looking for nesting turtles.
Day 11: After spending the early morning on the beach, we will travel back to San Jose for a farewell dinner with time to look back upon our rich experiences and share in a final evening together.
Day 12: Flight back home.
Tour includes all lodging and meals starting with dinner on day 1 and ending with breakfast on day 12; all transportation in Costa Rica in a modern and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with clear glass windows ideal for wildlife viewing; full time private bi-lingual professional naturalist guide specializing in birds and natural history; entrance fees to parks, reserves, boat tours and transportation; and taxes (airport taxes and tips to local staff not included). Price based on double occupancy.
