Highlights
- Enjoy a cultural tour of San José
- Travel down an exotic river to a traditional indigenous village
- Tour the beaches and waterways of Tortuguero National Park
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Costa Rica – Experience San José's Culture | San Jose |
| Day 2 | San José to Turrialba Volcano | Turrialba |
| Day 3 | Local Farm Experience & Coffee Tour | Turrialba |
| Day 4 | Turrialba to the Caribbean Coast | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Bambú - Boat Ride to Bribri Village | Yorkin |
| Day 6 | Waterfall Hike - Transfer to Puerto Viejo | Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
| Day 7 | Transfer from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero | Tortuguero |
| Day 8 | Boat Tour of Tortuguero National Park | Tortuguero |
| Day 9 | Tortuguero to San José | San Jose |
| Day 10 | Depart San José |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Costa Rica – Experience San José's Culture
Welcome to Costa Rica, the land of pura vida! After arriving at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, a local representative will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day you'll have free to explore the city at your leisure.
Perhaps stroll through Mercado Central (Central Market), which features over 200 shops and food stalls. Then visit the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Church), whose interior combines Greek Orthodox, neoclassical, and Baroque styles. There's also the neo-classical National Theater and the Museo del Jade, which houses the world's largest collection of pre-Columbian jade artifacts.
Be sure to explore Barrio Amón, a bohemian neighborhood home to historic cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For dinner, opt for a restaurant in the hills of Escazú. This elevated region on the western edge of the city offers panoramic views of the valley below. That said, San José is filled with great restaurants serving everything from traditional Costa Rican fare to forward-thinking fusion cuisine.
Day 2: San José to Turrialba Volcano
After breakfast, a car service will pick you up and you'll begin the almost two-hour drive east to Turrialba, which is located in Cartago Province. This volcanic region abounds with nutrient-rich soil, which facilitates the growth of local crops including one of Costa Rica's most famous exports: coffee. Also here is Turrialba Volcano National Park, home of the active Turrialba Volcano. Not to worry, because while the volcano occasionally erupts in a spectacle of light and fire, it doesn't threaten nearby populations.
Day 3: Local Farm Experience & Coffee Tour
After a leisurely breakfast, a car service will pick you up for a drive to a local farm located amid the rolling green hills of the Turrialba region. This is a full-day cultural exchange in which you'll immerse yourself in the daily routine at the farm. It begins with a walk through sugarcane and coffee plantations, where you'll witness first-hand the local production methods as well as learn about environmental conditions that affect the crops.
Then you will visit the stables and animal pens, where you can feed the pigs and sheep, gather eggs from hens, and brush and saddle horses. After all of this work you'll certainly be hungry, which is the perfect excuse to enjoy a traditional, home-cooked Costa Rican lunch.
After eating and with newly fortified energy, you'll walk a short way to a beautiful waterfall located right on the property. The day ends with a visit to the coffee processing facilities where you'll be able to see the life cycle of a coffee plant starting with the seed itself and continuing through the harvest, drying, roasting, and grinding of the bean. There's, of course, a shop here where you can pick up some local coffee to take home.
Day 4: Turrialba to the Caribbean Coast
After breakfast, your driver will pick you up for the drive east four hours to the Caribbean coast and the surf village of Puerto Viejo. This small community is known for its epic surf breaks, palm-fringed beaches fronting crystalline waters, and laidback attitude. The town's cultural influences are an interesting mix of Afro-Caribbean, Bribri Indian, Tico (local Costa Rican), and with a dash of hippy counterculture.
Upon arrival in town, you'll check into your hotel and then you can spend the remainder of the day relaxing. Perhaps head out for some snorkeling, surfing, or just sunbathing on the beach. You can find some great nearby beach options at Playa Cocles, Punta Uva and Playa Chiquita.
In addition to the amazing beaches, Puerto Viejo has two national parks, Cahuita and Manzanillo. These protected areas are the natural habitat of a wide variety of wildlife, including sloths, howler monkeys, and many species of exotic birds. If you have the energy you can visit these parks, or you can opt for a tour of the Jaguar Rescue Center to see recently rescued and rehabilitated animals before they're reintroduced back into the wild.
In the evening enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants this melting pot has to offer. Here you'll find Caribbean cuisine, fresh seafood, traditional Tico fare, and even Asian fusion and some vegan options. For a fun night out, visit some of Puerto Viejo's raucous bars and enjoy the rollicking Caribbean culture. Or maybe just sip a tropical cocktail or two on the beach while staring up at the stars.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 5: Transfer to Bambú - Boat Ride to Bribri Village
It's time for a rich cultural experience deep in the Costa Rican jungle. In the morning a car service will pick you up from your hotel in Puerto Viejo and drive you one hour to the small village of Bambú, located in the Talamanca Mountains. Once there, you'll meet a local guide and embark down the Yorkín River on a 1.5-hour journey in a dugout canoe. Your destination is the village of Yorkín, which is home to the native Bribri people.
Once in Yorkin, you'll enjoy a guided tour of the small village as well as the organic cocoa and banana plantations that surround it. After a snack, you'll hike on a suspension bridge over the river Skui to some natural pools where you can take a refreshing dip. Then it will be time to enjoy a traditional Bribri lunch before meeting with members of Stibrawpa, the local women's association, who will talk about the work they do in the community and about sustainable tourism.
Then it's time for delicious fun as you take part in a chocolate-making demonstration. Of course, at the end of the epxerience, you can sample the fruits of your labor. The Bribri will also show you the art of making palm-thatched roofs or perhaps introduce you to the ancient tradition of archery. You'll also receive a crash course on the Bribri language in order to learn more about their culture.
In the evening you'll spend some time with an indigenous family and maybe even taste homemade chicha, a fermented corn drink the Bribris offer to special guests. To cap the day, you'll enjoy a delicious dinner prepared with local products grown on the property and cooked over a wood-fired stove. All in all, it's a rewarding trip that offers a lot of fun while supporting the preservation of a fascinating culture and community.
Day 6: Waterfall Hike - Transfer to Puerto Viejo
Take the morning to enjoy a delicious local breakfast amid the peace and tranquility of this Bribri village. You can then embark on an optional 2.5-hour hike along the river to a stunning waterfall, weather permitting. On this route, you'll enjoy the surrounding nature, observe different species of exotic birds, and appreciate the unique flora and fauna of the rainforest. If you wish, you can even take a dip in the Yorkin River.
From the waterfall, you'll head back down the river in a cayuco, a traditional indigenous canoe. This 1.5-hour trip leads back to the community of Bambú, where a car service will meet you for the one-hour drive to your hotel in Puerto Viejo. Upon arrival, you'll have the rest of the day free to relax and laze on the beach.
Day 7: Transfer from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
You'll leave early from Puerto Viejo on a nearly three-hour drive to the village of Guápiles, where you'll stop for a delicious Costa Rican breakfast. Try the gallo pinto (rice and beans), the country's unofficial national dish, which is often served with eggs or cheese. After eating you'll arrive at the river dock outside of town. Here you'll board a boat that will travel just over an hour through a system of jungle waterways and rivers until you reach your eco-lodge located in the heart of Tortuguero National Park.
Tortuguero encompasses some 47,000 acres of mostly wetlands on the northern Caribbean coast. Networks of freshwater canals and rivers meander through the park and are thus the preferred mode of transport here. Some animals you'll likely spot in the area include howler and capuchin monkeys as well as exotic water birds like tiger herons. The park is actually home to over 300 species of birds, not to mention an abundance of exotic flora and fauna.
After a leisurely lunch, you'll head out on a guided tour of the main beach and colorful town of Tortuguero. Your guide will explain the culture and way of life here on the Caribbean coast, as well, as well as the annual occurrence from which Tortuguero derives its name: each year from June through December thousands of marine turtles arrive on the beach to lay their eggs. If you're here at the right time, you might be able to see the hatchlings make their wild dash from the beach to the sea.
After this tour, you'll have the rest of the day is free to enjoy at your hotel.
Day 8: Boat Tour of Tortuguero National Park
Today you'll get to experience the beauty of this region on a canoe ride through the canals and waterways of Tortuguero National Park with an English-speaking guide. Be sure to keep your camera at the ready because you'll likely spot various denizens of the reserve, including manatees, spectacled caimans, river otters, and rare birds. Common species here include macaws, toucans, and kingfishers.
After a break around noon, you'll visit the fishing village of Tortuguero with your English speaking guide and then return to your lodge. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the amenities of your hotel, be it the swimming pool or tropical garden on site. From July to September you can book a turtle-nesting tour to observe the sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach. It's an evening viewing that begins at around 8 pm, where you'll depart from your hotel to the beach with a private guide.
Day 9: Tortuguero to San José
In the morning, you'll transfer by boat back to the dock and continue by bus to Guápiles where you will enjoy lunch. After eating, a transportation service will pick you up and drive you through the mountains of the Braulio Carrillo National Park back to San José, where you'll overnight.
Day 10: Depart San José
It's time to say adiós to Costa Rica. Depending on your departure time, you'll have the morning to explore more of San José, relax in a café, and/or browse some shops before boarding your flight home.
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