Natural Highlights of Costa Rica

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 when we gather as a group for a short briefing. Our main briefing takes place tomorrow afternoon in Tortuguero 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 adventure begins early this morning, leaving San Jose behind as we travel to Tortuguero National Park in the northeast of Costa Rica. Accessible only by boat or light aircraft, Tortuguero has a vast network of waterways, canals and swamps that are remarkably tranquil, unspoilt 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 a short distance from the main lagoon. Please note the transfer from San José to Tortuguero is not private for our groups. This afternoon your tour leader will host the main welcome briefing when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. We also visit Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to enter the Sea Turtle Museum (a donation is 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. Today's travel time will be in the region of five to six hours including a stop for breakfast. Total transfer time today: Five hours (including road and boat transfer)

A morning boat trip enables us to discover the extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero, 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. We return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast by the river. This afternoon, we enjoy a second boat trip along a different canal. Alternatively, stay at the lodge this afternoon if you want to enjoy the facilities or follow a short walking trail through the forest.

We leave Tortuguero the same way we arrived by taking a small boat to the pier. Our bus will be at the pier waiting to drive us to the Arenal region, passing huge banana, pineapple and sugar cane plantations on the way. Arenal was the most active volcano in Costa Rica until 2010, when it entered a resting phase and stopped spitting ash, smoke and lava. However, there is still a lot of geothermal activity here and you'll have the opportunity to visit one of the excellent hot springs this evening. Alternatively, embark on a chocolate and coffee tour or take a walk on the wild side with the Ecoglide zipline . In clear weather, there are great views of the volcano from our overnight base, the nearby town of La Fortuna. Today's travelling time is around 5hr 30min including a lunch stop. Total transfer time today: Four hours (including road and boat transfer)

Today we visit Arenal Observatory Lodge, set in a private reserve at the base of Arenal Volcano. The reserve covers more than 870 acres (352ha), including primary forest, reforested land, gardens, rivers and waterfalls, so our visit helps support the protection of a varied habitat within the wider Arenal ecosystem. With an expert naturalist guide, we follow trails through rainforest and gardens, using a hanging bridge and observation towers to look for birds, monkeys and other wildlife. The guiding gives the walk extra purpose: we learn how species depend on this forest, how biodiversity is monitored here, and why visitor income matters for conservation and local employment. After lunch at the lodge, the afternoon is free to relax or join an optional activity, such as a coffee and chocolate tour.

From Arenal, we travel (approximately three hours) to the Tilarán Mountain Range in the Central Highlands for our first taste of a Costa Rican cloud forest. The journey provides breath-taking views of the Gulf of Nicoya and the islands below as we ascend the hills towards Monteverde, a forest-cloaked region whose name means Green Mountain. The high altitude supports a complex ecosystem where plants thrive, particularly orchids of which there are some 400-plus different varieties here. Today's drive is around four hours – the last 25mi (40km) of road is gravel and can be bumpy, particularly following heavy rain. In the afternoon, it's possible to join an optional coffee tour to learn about the importance of this crop to the socio-economic development of the country. This evening, we set off on a night walk in Monteverde Wildlife Refuge. Situated within primary cloud forest, this reserve is committed to the preservation of native flora and fauna. Taking a nocturnal walk allows for a completely new perspective on the forest, which our guides will bring to life for us. Keep your eyes peeled for sloths, who are often active during the night!

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a favourite destination for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. A walk through the reserve will reveal huge old growth trees covered in moss while the surrounding mist permeates the atmosphere. The geographic, topographic and climatic conditions of the reserve allow a surprising biodiversity to thrive. There are four ecological ‘life zones’ that harbour different ecosystems for hundreds of species – mammals, birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, insects and arachnids. We can also find a variety of mosses, vines, other plants and trees typical of the cloud forest. One of the reserve trails leads to a lookout point right at the top of the continental divide where, on clear days, you see both Costa Rican coasts: the Caribbean and Pacific. These forests are also one of the few remaining habitats of the endangered resplendent quetzal. Following today's activity, we transfer (approximately 3hr 30min) to San José. Tonight we have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, a chance to toast the end of our adventure and look back on the highlights of the trip.