Travelpack

San Jose • Tortuguero • Pacuare • South Caribbean Coast

Embark on a vibrant Costa Rican adventure that blends lush rainforest exploration, serene waterways, and rich Caribbean culture. Journey from the wildlife-packed canals of Tortuguero to the pristine Pacuare region, where deep green forests and rivers create the perfect setting for nature and relaxation. Continue to the South Caribbean coast to enjoy golden beaches, coral reefs, snorkeling, wildlife encounters, and immersive cultural experiences like an Afro-Caribbean cooking class. Conclude your trip in the lively capital, surrounded by museums, local cuisine, and the charm of San José.

Day 1: Costa rica Expedition
Flights from London Heathrow Airport to San Jose Juan Santamaria Intl via Miami International Airport
Total distance from Juan Santamaria International Airport to San Jose: 17 km / 10.5 miles.Approximate driving time: 40 minutes.
San Jose
The main entryway to the country is the capital city of San Jose in the Central Valley. Founded in1738, its a modern city with bustling commerce and updated services for foreign visitors offering avariety of tourist, cultural and natural attractions, like the Costa Rican Art, Gold, Jade, National andChildrens Contemporary Art and Design Museums. The architectural jewel of the country, itsNational Theatre, plus examples of historical architecture in buildings and churches close to parksand monuments, worth visiting. Restaurants for fine dining as well as casual cafeterias known assodas offer international and local dishes. It is not a big city, traffic may be challenging though. There are many boulevards that make it easy to walk to different attractions or there are manyoptions to travel by cab or public transportation. The nightlife is active and there are options forevery taste.
Private Transfer (IN) San Jose Airport - San Jose Hotel
Gran Hotel Costa Rica Curio By Hilton - Colonial Room - 1-Night

Day 2: San Jose to Tortuguero
Total distance from San Jose to Tortuguero: 130 km / 81 miles. Approximate driving time: 4:00hours.
Tortuguero
Located in the extreme northeast of Costa Rica, Tortuguero is accessible only by small plane orboat, along the famous Tortuguero Canals. This system of rivers and man-made channels parallelsthe coast and cuts through beautiful primary forest. The area was turned into a national park in1975. It is one of the areas with the greatest biological diversity of the country. The nameTortuguero relates to the Spanish word for turtle as this is the most important nesting site in theentire western half of the Caribbean for the green turtle. Other species of sea turtles like theleatherback and hawksbill also nest on the wide beaches of the park and refuge where mostexploring is done by small boat, although some hiking trails are available. There is a small villageand a good offer of hotels and tours to fully enjoy this wondrous place.
Private Transfer San Jose - Cao Blanco (Tortuguero)
Mawamba Lodge - Standard Room - 2-Nights

Day 3: Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park is a wilderness area with extraordinary biological variety. Diversemammals, birds and fish live in eleven different defined habitats. Strong Caribbean currents haveprovided a straight 22 mile expanse of beach which is a favored nesting ground for sea turtles likethe Hawksbill and loggerheads that nest from July through October. The Leatherback, the largestsea turtle of the world, nests from February to July. Most exploring of the park is done by boat. Guides with an amazingly trained eye astound visitors finding wildlife in veiled corners, pointing atmischievous monkeys and sharing fascinating facts about nature.
Pacuare
This area is formed by the forests of the Atlantic and it protects the rich biodiversity on the sides ofthe Pacuare River which begins at about two thousand meters in the Talamanca Mountain Rangeand empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The reserve is home to the indigenous cabecar community,as well as for abundant flora and fauna. The powerful waters and topography of the river make thisarea a fantastic tourist attraction providing a dream scenario for adventure sports surrounded by the beauty of deep green forests, waterfalls and natural pools.
Pacuare Lodge - Garden Suite - 2-Nights

Day 5: Free Day
Day at leisure for optional activities to explore the area or just to relax and enjoy hotel`s premises.
South Caribe
The south Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, from Cahuita to Manzanillo is a constant pleasing sightof golden sand, palm tree lined beaches, turquoise water and gorgeous coral reefs. Enjoy the SouthCaribbean with its culture rich colors, music and gastronomy, and its local people including Kekoldi,Yorkin or Bribr indigenous and Afro Caribbean descents. Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Playa Cocles,Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo with the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge, are beach townswith great attractions to explore, enjoy snorkeling and experience its wildlife. Cahuita is best knownfor its beautiful National Park, white sand beaches, vibrant wildlife and the largest coral reef in CostaRica! It is located about 4 hours from San Jos. 40 minutes south from the port city of Limn or 20minutes north of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a laid-back beach townwith welcoming bars and restaurants to enjoy fresh seafood and tropical cocktails. It is a populardestination with stunning beaches like Playa Negra, ideal for swimming and surfing. Nearby, PlayaCocles is another favorite surfing spot and Punta Uva is ideal to relax on the beach, surrounded bylush vegetation that touches the waves.

Day 6
Private Transfer Siquirres - South Caribbean
Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel - Deluxe Room - 4-Nights

Day 7
Shared Cahuita Snorkeling & Hike & Sloth Sanctuary
This great family adventure tour includes visiting the Cahuita National Park which has the largestsystem of Coral Reefs in Costa Rica, including 6 species of coral, a wide range of colorful tropicalfishes and the occasional encounter of a harmless reef shark or sting ray. This beach has a horseshoe shape, with the entrance of the park at one end and beautiful Punta Cahuita at the other end. We start with a scenic 20-minutes boat ride to have two snorkeling sessions. Then we get drop offat the Punta to enjoy a nicely presented fruit and snacks break at the beach followed by a 1.5hour/3.5 kms guided hike in this wonderful coastal forest: monkeys, sloths, birds, iguanas and otherinteresting encounters are common and complemented with great info from your guide. After thisincredible education hike, we will proceed to have a delicious Caribbean style lunch follow by a visitto the Sloth Sanctuary where you ll meet the famous Buttercop, visit the nursery, take a guidedcanoe ride and learn about the sloth s natural habitat.
Private Cooking Class Afro Caribbean
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of the Caribbean by visiting a local family home. This uniqueexperience offers the opportunity to learn about the different types of coconuts, their uses, and thetraditional methods for making coconut milk. Under the guidance of your hosts, you'll prepare atraditional Caribbean meal, choosing from options such as fish, chicken, or vegetarian curry, servedwith rice and beans. Enjoy the meal together with the family, savoring both the delicious food andthe rich cultural exchange.

Day 8 - 9: Free Day
Day at leisure for optional activities to explore the area or just to relax and enjoy hotel`s premises.

Day 10: South Caribbean to San Jose
Total distance from Puerto Viejo to San Jose: 218 Km/135 miles. Approximate driving time: 4hours 30 minutes
San Jose
The main entryway to the country is the capital city of San Jose in the Central Valley. Founded in1738, its a modern city with bustling commerce and updated services for foreign visitors offering avariety of tourist, cultural and natural attractions, like the Costa Rican Art, Gold, Jade, National andChildrens Contemporary Art and Design Museums. The architectural jewel of the country, itsNational Theatre, plus examples of historical architecture in buildings and churches close to parksand monuments, worth visiting. Restaurants for fine dining as well as casual cafeterias known assodas offer international and local dishes. It is not a big city, traffic may be challenging though.
There are many boulevards that make it easy to walk to different attractions or there are manyoptions to travel by cab or public transportation. The nightlife is active and there are options forevery taste.
Private Transfer South Caribbean - San Jose Hotel
Courtyard Marriott Alajuela Airport - Standard Room - 1-Night

Day 11 - Departure
Private Transfer San Jose Hotel - San Jose Airport

Prices & Departures
Deposit £600pp
a85443/92 Heathrow or Manchester from £4079pp

Terms & Conditions
Based on 2 adults

Offer Includes

Meal Plans