Cloud Forests, Volcanoes and Hotel Hideaways: Explore Costa Rica by Car

This morning you’ll drive to Bajos del Toro. The journey takes about five-and-a-half hours, but it’s worth it: your accommodation for the next two nights is a lodge made up of elegant villas on stilts that blend into their lush forest surroundings. Relax after your journey with a treatment in the spa before a meal made from local produce at the restaurant. On your terrace, relax in a rocking chair or in the hot tub as you watch the sun disappear behind the misty mountain.

Situated in the shadow of the Poás Volcano, Bajos del Toro is the ideal gateway to the surrounding natural wonders: Bosque de Paz Biological Reserve and its cloud forest, and the Poás Volcano National Park. The area boasts a great network of trails that you can explore while mountain biking, riding, zip lining, canoeing or rafting as you rub shoulders with the local plants and wildlife. If you’re an adventurous traveller, you might even want to abseil down the Toro waterfall, which flows into the crater of an extinct volcano.

Today you’ll hike through Costa Rica’s green countryside until you reach the impressive double waterfall of Vuelta del Cañon. Surrounded by lush vegetation, this mossy canyon is an enchanting place to take a dip.

When you return to your hotel, pack up your things and drive to Arenal, which takes about two-and-a-half hours. While you’re here, you’ll stay in one of the region’s most beautiful hotels, a vast property offering breathtaking views of the volcano. When you’re not out exploring Costa Rica’s adventure capital, you can take a dip in the swimming pool, enjoy a treatment at the spa or tuck into a gourmet meal in one of the farm-to-table restaurants.

Today you’ll take to the skies to get a different perspective of Costa Rica’s incredible, dense and humid forests. First, a small open-air cable car will transport you to a platform where you’ll have unbeatable views of Arenal Volcano and the lake of the same name. Then it’s time to get strapped in before you begin your ziplining course above the treetops. As you fly, keep an eye out for monkeys or sloths curled around the tree trunks. Some of the zip lines are several hundred feet high and will whisk you through the air at a speed of nearly 40 miles per hour – sensational views guaranteed.

After all that excitement, you might simply want to relax at your beautiful hotel this evening. But for those who are after a little more adventure, we can arrange a private visit to a frog sanctuary followed by a night walk in the forest.

If you didn’t spot any sloths yesterday, don’t fret. Because of their fur, these endearing animals tend to blend in with their surroundings, but this morning we’ll arrange for an experienced guide to show you where they’re hiding.

Afterwards, you’ll drive for around three-and-a-half hours until you reach the charming town of Monteverde, situated at 4,662ft above sea level. The journey takes you past shimmering Lake Arenal, the country’s largest freshwater reserve, so don’t forget to take some photos. Your hotel for the next two nights clings to the hillside and offers superb views of the tropical forest. Their emphasis is on self-sufficiency: there’s a farm full of animals, vegetables and coffee trees, and they even brew their own beer. One thing is for certain here – calm is absolute.

Today we’ll arrange for you to visit the Monteverde Biological Reserve with a private guide. Perched in the Tilarán mountain range, this cloud forest is its own world, an intense green maze where trees seem to go on forever and the different species of orchids, ferns and moss seem infinite. As you walk, listen out for the calls of the forest’s 425 species of bird, and keep your eyes peeled for rainbow wings flapping through the dense greenery.

Your next stop is the small town of Uvita, about four-and-a-half hours away. You’ll spend two nights here in a hotel perched at an altitude of 1,970ft, where the buildings are scattered between the trees and the views across the ocean are magical. Unwind after your journey with a dip in the pool, or simply lounge on the terrace with a drink in hand.

Today you’ll board a motorboat in Sierpe and sail to Isla del Caño. Look out for dolphins gliding on the waves beside you, and – with a little luck and the right timing – see humpback whales on their annual migration between July and September. The waters near the island attract all sorts of wildlife including turtles, sharks and rays along with flamboyant schools of tropical fish. Equipped with a mask and snorkel, you can spend as much time as you want exploring this underwater world.

You’ll drive along the Pacific coast to the Osa Peninsula today, which is home to one of the largest tropical forests in Central America. Between thick jungle, crystal clear ocean and fishing villages, you can experience a more authentic side of Costa Rica, far from the mass tourism hotspots. When you arrive, you’ll return your car and head to your hotel for the next three nights, located about 40 minutes along the road from Puerto Jiménez, at the extreme tip of the peninsula. You’ll stay in a spacious lodge bathed in lush vegetation, complete with an outdoor bathroom. Outside your room, a path leads you past giant Ficus and mango trees to a superb wild beach surrounded by coconut palms.

You can spend your last few days in Costa Rica however you please: sip local coffee on your terrace at sunrise; discover a wild waterfall in the heart of the virgin forest; hike on the Osa trail, the beach or a ridge overlooking La Selva; take a night walk to discover the endemic fauna and flora; visit Corcovado National Park, a refuge for endangered squirrel monkeys and spider monkeys, along with thousands of birds such as yellow-throated toucans and turquoise cotingas.