Itinerary Highlights
    • Primary forests and mangroves, misty volcanoes and golden beaches: a Garden of Eden for a honeymoon


    • From chic glamping to an architectural lodge, you'll stay in charming accommodation


    • The itinerary includes a walk on the trails of Manuel Antonio National Park and a cooking class


    • Our service includes late check-out, smartphone app and a local Concierge service

Contact one of our specialists + 44 (0) 20 3958 6120

A marriage of green and blue

Lapped by two oceans, swathed in forests, Costa Rica has incredible biodiversity, exceeding those of North America and Europe combined. In this Noah's ark, rediscover forgotten links with the living world. In the Central Valley, where you'll find small villages with brightly painted wooden houses and churches that resemble Mexican missions, the vegetation is green and lush. Overlooking the rainforest, there are the harmonious silhouettes of volcanoes. On the Pacific Coast, your home will be an island, then a beach. On Isla Jesusita, there's white sandy beaches, clear, warm water and a variety of fluorescent striped and iridescent fish.
A little further away, at Playa Palo Seco, the Pacific is unveiled on a long stretch of beach lined with coconut trees. On this trip, you can enjoy a country where the people you meet along the way respond to the usual greetings with the words 'pura vida' to sum up their state of mind - and soon yours.



Your accommodation

In the central Cordillera, in Bijagua, you'll stay in an intimate lodge in the heart of the forest. The bungalows are dotted among the forests, a beautiful example of an eco-project, and there is no need for air conditioning as the restaurant with its spherical architecture is open-air. The best part of the resort is its spa river, nestled in a canyon. Bathing at dusk is a delight with waters heated by the Miravales volcano ranging in temperature from 32°C to 40°C. Later you'll stay in a tent on little Isla Jesusita - a fabric shelter under the stars. No, it's glamping, the chic and more comfortable version. It's a large and beautiful tent, with luxurious bedding. All this on an island that is deserted apart from the lush vegetation that comes right up to the door, or rather the fabric, of the tent.



Included in your itinerary

We have planned an essential stop at Manuel Antonio Park, with its isolated coves, turquoise water, pristine sand. It's home to sloths, giant iguanas, boas, bats and morpho butterflies as big as your hand. Take to the trails and look out for wildlife, then dive into the warm waters off the Pacific at Espadilla Sur beach. In Isla Jesusita, at dusk, travel by kayak to observe the bio-luminescent plankton, a rare natural phenomenon. In San Jose, a lovely local chef offers a cookery class to teach you how to enhance the flavours of plantain bananas, green papayas or breadfruit, so you can take a little Costa Rican know-how home with you, as a souvenir of this wonderful country. If you need something along the way or experience a setback, you can contact our local Concierge.

Route

Everything is 100% tailored to you
DAY 1

Flight to San Jose - Alajuela

Arrival in San Jose in the late afternoon. Airport reception and private transfer to Alajuela, in the Central Valley. Overnight stay in a hotel set in the rainforest, on the outskirts of the Poas Volcano. This retreat is entirely dedicated to wellness, ideal for relaxing. On site there are 12 rooms with elegant decor built around a spa with four treatment and relaxation areas, as well as a meditation pavilion. As for massages, you can choose between volcanic earth or mango body wraps. The restaurant serves detox foods that are also bio-energetic, prepared with produce grown on the farm.
Things to see and do - Take a short walk through nature to Laguna Botos, a beautiful deep blue lake.

DAYS 2 & 3

Alajuela - San Bernardo de Bagaces

Pick up your rental car and drive to the north-west of the country, travelling due west first to El Roble and then along the sandy shores of the Colorado Gulf through more rural landscapes. Off the beaten track, and barely visited, the misty, leafy landscape is cut through by an intense, blue river. Two-night stay in an intimate eco-lodge in the forest. It sits in the valley of a river, giving it the feel of a charming oasis. The bungalows are dotted among the forests, a beautiful example of an eco-project. The restaurant has a spherical architecture and is open-air, so there is no need for air conditioning. The best part of the resort is its spa river, nestled in a canyon. Bathing at dusk is a delight with waters heated by the Miravales volcano ranging in temperature from 32°C to 40°C.
Things to see and do - Tenorio Volcano National Park, jungle, waterfalls and natural hot springs. The Rio Celeste waterfall sounds like a deafening thunder. The river is renowned for its surreal turquoise blue colour caused by the minerals in the waters contrasting with the intense green of the tropical vegetation - or, according to tradition, the colour is due to the fact that God washed his brushes after painting the sky blue.
Option - A rainforest hike at night.

DAYS 4 & 5

San Bernardo de Bagaces - Isla Jesusita

Leave the forests of the north for the beautiful Pacific coast. Boat transfer from Nicoyana Beach to Isla Jesusita, then set up camp for two nights in your tent. Camping? No, it's glamping, the chic and more comfortable version. Spend two days in the clear water or stretched out on a lounger on the private terrace.
In your itinerary - A kayak ride at dusk to observe a rare natural phenomenon: bio-luminescent plankton. When you get back, it's time for a romantic dinner on the beach.
Option - Tour of the Curu Reserve.

DAY 6

Isla Jesusita - Playa Palo Seco

Arrive at the quay in Paquera. The ferry crossing among pelicans and frigates offers a moment of great serenity, and after an hour in the sun you land in Puntarenas where freshly prepared coconuts await. Head for the Central Valley, then follow the southern Pacific coast to Playa Palo Seco, a hidden treasure of the Central Pacific coast and away from the more touristy beaches. Although close to Manuel Antonio National Park, Palo Seco beach is often deserted. There are long stretches of sand, ideal for romantic walks. The estuary is the ideal place to discover the flora and fauna of the mangrove. The grey sand, contrasting with the blue Pacific Ocean, is a nesting ground for sea turtles from August to November.
Spend the night in a small guesthouse, very close to the ocean and a stone's throw from Palo Seco beach. The building, which has been restored and beautifully furnished, is set on an island between ocean and mangrove. It's the ideal place for visitors looking for tranquillity and nature - the hosts are always on hand to offer good advice. A special mention for the beautiful swimming pool and excellent French cuisine served in the evening.

DAYS 7 to 9

Playa Palo Seco - Ojochal

Already included in your itinerary - Entry tickets to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most beautiful in the country. Walking along the forest trails, you'll find capuchins and squirrel monkeys, sloths and raccoons, who come to the beach to steal a mango or a piece of chocolate from swimmers. The forest is surrounded by beautiful beaches, where you can bathe in warm water before setting off into the forest to look for stick insects and chameleons.
Three-night stay in a hotel overlooking the rainforest. Located 984ft above the Pacific Ocean, the hotel is surrounded by vegetation. From your villa, one of 12 in the hotel, you overlook the tangled rainforest stretching away towards the horizon with, on all sides, an endless sea of misty hills. With its natural walls, huge floor-to-ceiling windows and Indonesian furniture, your villa is open to its surroundings. We love the infinity pool following the curves of the hotel. It's a real luxury retreat.
Option - A relaxing massage for two - a boat trip to Ile del Cano.

DAY 10

Ojochal - Naranjo de Alajuela

Head to Naranjo de Alajuela in the Central Valley and spend the night in a stunning location surrounded by coffee fields and green pastures some 4,090ft above sea level. The luxury is all in the detail, and in being immersed in the heart of local history, local traditions and coffee growing. The spacious and comfortable rooms are furnished with local pieces and numerous references to coffee. And then there's the view - panoramas of volcanoes, of the Central Valley and even of the Pacific Ocean when the weather is clear.
Option - A private yoga class.

DAYS 11 & 12

Naranjo de Alajuela - San Jose - Return flight

Included in your itinerary- A local chef invites foodie you to discover Costa Rican culture by preparing some traditional dishes such as gallo pinto (rice, beans, coconut), cheese tortilla, fried plantain bananas or even chayote picadillo, green plantain banana, green papaya, arracacha, peach palm and breadfruit. You watch, you learn, you have a go... and then you taste it!
Then drive to San Jose and the airport where you return your hire car. International flight back; overnight flight, arriving the next day.

A la carte

San Bernardo de Bagaces - Night walk in the forest

A walk through the forest to Mirador Mesa Norte, from where you can see the silhouettes of the three nearest volcanoes in the distance. Along the way you will see invertebrate species and even some mammals from the region. Return to the hotel by zip line.

Optional



The Curu Reserve

The perfect place for connecting with nature, the Curu Reserve has the protection of animal species as its number one priority. The sanctuary is home to a variety of birds, mammals and reptiles that can be discovered on a private guided walk along the trails.

Optional



Snorkelling at Ile del Cano

Board a motorboat in Sierpe for private trip to Isla del Cano. The water is clear with a huge variety of fish on show: fluorescent-striped fish, manta rays, eagle rays and giant turtles. Dolphins glide on the waves and with a bit of luck, migrating humpback whales can be seen from July to September.

Optional

A Rough Idea of Price

Dependent on season, accommodation and activities
The cost for this trip starts from £3,110 per person. The final cost of the trip depends on the way we tailor it especially for you. The final cost varies according to several factors, which include the level of service, length of trip and advance booking time. The exact price will be provided on your personalised quote. The average starting price for this trip is £4,935 per person.
  • International flights with a scheduled airline


  • Airport taxes and fuel surcharge


  • Access to the lounge at your UK departure airport (where available)


  • Personal airport reception and assistance


  • Private transfer from the airport to the hotel on arrival in San Jose


  • Car hire for ten days


  • Ferry from Paqueras to Puntarenas


  • Overnight stay in Alajuela in a double room with breakfast


  • Two-night stay in San Bernardo de Bagaces in a bungalow with breakfast


  • Two-night stay in Isla Jesusita in a luxury tent, with breakfast


  • Overnight stay in Playa Palo Seco in a double room with breakfast


  • Three-night stay in Ojochal in a double room with breakfast


  • Overnight stay in Naranjo de Alajuela in a suite with breakfast


  • Entry tickets for Manuel Antonio National Park


  • Night kayaking to observe bio-luminescent plankton on Isla Jesusita


  • Private cooking class




  • Our local Concierge service




  • Access to our local Concierge and all of our usual additional services
A few of the benefits of travelling with us
Get in touch
Our experts have the inside track on the destinations they sell and will tailor-make a holiday to your unique requirements.
Contact one of our Costa Rica specialists