Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday

Begin your adventure in San José, the culture-rich capital of Costa Rica. A complimentary transfer from the airport to the hotel is available. Check in and take it easy, there’s plenty of excitement on this trip, so today’s all about relaxing and easing ourselves into the adventure. Around 7.30pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers during a short briefing. Our main briefing takes place tomorrow morning due to the late arrival of some flights today. Want to explore San Jose further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Our tour leader hosts the welcome briefing this morning, when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. It's then a short drive to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a private nature park and wildlife refuge in a transitional forest. Along the trails, we visit the waterfalls and wildlife areas, where our guides explain how animals such as monkeys, sloths and toucans arrived at the refuge and the broader impact of human activity. It’s an engaging first look at the country’s biodiversity, but also a useful reminder that protecting it takes work long after the photo has been taken. The afternoon is free at the hotel, with time to enjoy the pool, before our welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

We depart early this morning, travelling to Tortuguero National Park in the Caribbean Lowlands of northeast Costa Rica. Accessible only by boat or light aircraft, this vast network of waterways, canals and swamps is remarkably tranquil and devoid of noise pollution. On reaching the pier, we board a small motorboat for the journey to our lodge (up to 1hr 30min) which is on a small strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the main lagoon. Please note the transfer from San José to Tortuguero is not private for our groups. Our afternoon is spent in Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to visit the Sea Turtle Museum (a donation will be requested at the entrance). Tortuguero is probably most famous as a nesting site for the endangered green turtle, which can be seen coming ashore to lay eggs from late July to October (as part of an optional excursion). Hawksbill, loggerhead, and giant leatherback turtles also nest in this region, and from late August through to November, baby turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean.

After a hearty breakfast, we discover the extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero on a boat trip, passing serenely along the waterways. At this time of day, wildlife is usually at its most active and with the help of our expert guide we are likely to encounter monkeys, caiman, iguanas, butterflies and many of the 300-plus bird species recorded here. The lodge is a tranquil spot to relax this afternoon. Alternatively, join a second boat trip, visit the beach or follow a short walking trail through the forest.

We leave Tortuguero the same way we arrived: taking a small boat. Our bus will be at the pier waiting to drive us to the Cahuita region on the Caribbean coast. Upon arrival, we check into our hotel and have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the pool, beach or discover our new surroundings. Caribbean culture thrives in this part of Costa Rica and is reflected in the music, food and laid-back lifestyle. The sandy beach is fringed by tall palms, behind which is the dense, wet tropical forest of Cahuita National Park.

After breakfast, we drive to Aviarios del Caribe, now known as the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. This rescue and rehabilitation centre cares for injured, orphaned and abandoned sloths, with the aim of releasing them when possible and providing long-term care when it is not. During our visit, we learn why sloths arrive here, the pressures they face in the wild, and how research and environmental education support their protection. Our entrance fees contribute to specialist care, so the experience has a clear purpose beyond meeting Costa Rica’s slowest residents. We then return to Cahuita to walk in the national park, following a coastal rainforest trail beside one of Costa Rica’s most important reef systems.

We depart for Sarapiqui, one of the main banana producing regions in Costa Rica, although coffee, cardamon, cacao, corn and fruits are also grown here. It’s also gathering a reputation as a great spot for adventure seekers with plenty of optional activities to keep you entertained. In the evening, we take a night walk through Tirimbina Biological Reserve for a different perspective on the many rainforest residents.