Natural Wonders of Costa Rica Holiday

On arrival in San Jose, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel in the green highlands of the Central Valley for one night. 

Begin with a scenic drive to the Arenal Volcano’s base. From there, a 1-kilometer walk over volcanic rock leads to the closest viewpoint permitted, offering spectacular views of the Green Lagoon and Lake Arenal. Here, learn about Arenal’s formation, history, and its explosive 1968 eruption. A forest trail winds through regenerating and primary rainforest, with chances to spot toucans, monkeys and more. Later, relax at Ecotermales Hot Springs before enjoying dinner. On day two, explore Arenal’s Venado caves filled with prehistoric formations, stalagmites, stalactites, and diverse cave wildlife, including a huge colony of bats. 

Tenorio National Park was formed in 1995 to help protect the Tenorio Volcano. As well as the volcano, which is still active, the park also boasts a variety of ecosystems from the Rio Celeste, an aqua-hued river with waterfalls, to rainforest and cloud forest. It makes for some fantastic hiking trails and wildlife spotting.

Pumas, Jaguars, howler monkeys, toucans and bare-necked umbrella birds are just a small selection of the different animal and bird species that can be found in this wildlife paradise.

Enjoy a morning hike through the National Park to the famous waterfalls of the Celeste River. The fast-flowing stream runs through the hill before it falls 65 feet into a stunning sky-blue pool.

Boca Tapada, best known as a bird-watching destination, is part of the Maquenque Wildlife refuge, offering hope to the endangered Great green macaws that nest in the area. Take a boat trip along the San Carlos River with opportunities to spot wildlife such as crocodiles, turtles, bats, herons, kingfishers and king vultures.

A reserve in the central highlands of Costa Rica, Bajos del Toro is still somewhat of an off-the-beaten-track paradise, full of lush primary forest, volcanic mountain ranges, highland grasslands and numerous waterfalls that create a plethora of habitats for a wide range of species.

Enjoy a gentle hike to Fatima waterfall, the longest trail in the Bosque de Paz Biological Reserve, which provides around 5km of stunning natural habitats to explore with a range of flora and fauna.

Tucked along the Savegre River Valley, San Gerardo de Dota is a small mountain village surrounded by lush green forested hills. This tropical cloud forest environment is a pristine paradise for nature lovers, birdwatchers, hikers and trout fishers alike. Enjoy a guided walk through the Los Quetzales National Park which has one of the largest populations of quetzal birds in Costa Rica as well as over 200 other bird species including tangers, trogons and a dazzling array of hummingbirds.

This Natural Wonders holiday concludes in Uvita, the Whale Watching capital of Costa Rica. There are countless activities available here, we highly recommend whale and dolphin watching tours, depending on the season or perhaps you will decide on a day trip to the biologically diverse Corcovado National Park to see sloths, monkeys, coatis and so much more. 

You will be transferred to the airport in San Jose for your onward flight. On day 15 you will land back in the UK from Costa Rica.