Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Costa Rica - San Jose - Turrialba - Cano Negro - Playa Naranjo - Dominical - Pluriscal
100% customisable for you
Your trip starts today – head to the airport to catch your 11-hour-and-40-minute flight to Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose.
Upon arrival, a private transfer will take you to your hotel for the night in the heart of the capital. Sample your first taste of Costa Rican cuisine this evening, before hitting the hay after a long day’s travel.
This morning, pay a visit to San Jose’s Gold Museum (your tickets are already arranged for you). The permanent collections of this archaeological museum feature nearly 1,600 pre-Columbian artefacts – some in excellent condition – making it one of the three most important museums in Latin America dedicated to objects from the period. A true gem for history buffs.
After your museum visit, it’s time to pick up your rental car and drive for around two hours to reach the Turrialba Valley. Along the way, you have the option to meet the founder of a sustainable farm project.
Located between San Jose and the Caribbean coast, the Turrialba Valley is a spectacular landscape filled with coffee, sugarcane and tobacco plantations, crisscrossed by the lively Pacuare and Reventazon rivers.
Today’s itinerary is all about immersing yourself in nature and local coffee culture. Begin the day on horseback, admiring the local flora and fauna. as you ride along towards a waterfall for a refreshing swim – the perfect way to experience the valley’s nature.
Stop for lunch at a traditional restaurant serving authentic local cuisine. Then, the afternoon is dedicated to Costa Rica's black gold: coffee. Visit a hacienda to learn about the various stages of coffee production, from cultivation to roasting. During the harvest, you can even observe the pickers at work (and sample the finished product, of course).
Today, make the four to five hour drive to Cano Negro via Sarapiqui, where you’ll stop for a rendezvous in nature.
In Sarapiqui, stretch your legs on a guided walk through the heart of the lush rainforest, teeming with numerous species of multicoloured birds, mammals and amphibians. You’ll also explore a cacao plantation before heading to a ranch where cacao beans become chocolate thanks to time-honoured methods. This is an opportunity to taste authentic Amerindian chocolate, just as it was prepared more than 2,000 years ago.
Sights seen, continue on to Cano Negro and settle in for two nights at a glamping campsite.
Cano Negro is a national wildlife refuge created to preserve the Rio Frio river and its marsh ecosystem. Far from the well-trodden tourist trail, the region is a true sanctuary for flora and fauna and a stopover for many migratory birds.
Nature itself dictates today’s activities: birdwatching walks, boat trips on the Rio Frio, horse riding and cooking classes are all options you could dive into.
Say goodbye to Cano Negro and make the two-hour drive to Playa Naranjo on the wild Pacific coast.
This evening, you’ll be exploring more of Costa Rica’s wildlife on a nighttime kayaking excursion. Marvel at the beautiful bioluminescent plankton, a natural phenomenon occurring particularly in the Gulf of Nicoya, where phytoplankton microorganisms react with oxygen from the ocean’s currents to produce an incredible light. It’s a truly magical experience watching the ocean light up under the night sky.
Another day, another destination. Today, make your way to Dominical, a laidback beach town which takes around three hours to reach by car and ferry. Take the ferry first to Puntarenas and then end with a drive to Dominical, where you'll settle in for two nights.
Dominical is a true paradise for surf and nature lovers, home to inland mountains abundant with flora and fauna and a jagged coastline dotted with numerous bays.
Today, take a boat trip through the Terraba-Sierpe mangrove forest, which forms the largest biological and natural reserve in Central America. It's home to a rich array of wildlife, including three species of monkeys, sloths, caimans, crocodiles, snakes, the famous Jesus Christ lizard, and, among the birds, macaws, herons, egrets, birds of prey and kingfishers. Along the way, your local guide – who knows the river like the back of their hand – will share their extensive knowledge of the animals and plants.
It’s time to head to the final destination on your itinerary, located in the picturesque Puriscal region. Drive for around two hours north, where you’ll settle in for two nights in the heart of the rainforest. Spend the rest of the day enjoying the sights and sounds of the jungle, keeping your eyes peeled for colourful toucans, macaws and myriad other wildlife.
Nestled amid verdant mountains, the Puriscal region is a true ode to Costa Rica's abundant and breathtakingly beautiful nature. Everything here encourages a return to basics and a lasting relationship with the natural world. Lulled by the sounds of the forest, enjoy a peaceful day far from the tourists, instead close to rural communities, farms producing cacao and vanilla, magnificent waterfalls – especially Las Gemelas – and fascinating wildlife.
Today, we’ve organised a private visit to a vanilla plantation. Accompanied by a local guide, explore several plantations deep in the forest, where you’ll learn about the cultivation and transplantation of young plants into the forest, as well as the different varieties grown – planifolia, pompona and tahitiensis. Between February and May, you can even witness the pollination of the plants, which have the unique characteristic of flowering for only one day.
Sadly, your Costa Rican journey has come to an end. It’s time to drive back to San Jose airport, around a two hour drive away. Return your trusty hire car at the airport and relax before boarding your 11-hour-and-40-minute overnight flight back to the UK, touching down the following day.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
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