Costa Rica Coast to Coast

Flight from Montreal to Costa Rica, welcome at Juan Santamaria airport by your local French-speaking guide and transfer to the hotel.

San José is located in the heart of a vast fertile valley, the Meseta Central (Central Valley). Built in the 18th century, it keeps few testimonies of the colonial period. The capital of Costa Rica has a population of one million people and is now one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in Central America.

Welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic fruit juice).

Dinner.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Discovery of the Irazu Volcano National Park

Drive to the Central Valley by the road overlooking the legendary city of Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica, which will take you through a generous and lush nature to the imposing Irazu Volcano (3432 meters above sea level) and its park with its lunar landscape (easy access on foot). On a clear day, it is possible to see from its summit both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. The Irazu Volcano is an active volcano whose impressive main crater releases sulphurous fumaroles. Its name comes from an indigenous people who live at the base of the volcano “Istazu” (mountain of thunder and earthquakes). Its last major eruption dates back to 1963.

Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels of Cartago

On the way back, stop in Cartago where you visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Los Angeles, which receives more than 2 million pilgrims each year during the celebration of the Virgin of Los Angeles, patron saint of the country.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

Guided and historical walk in the centre of the capital San Jose

You will discover the façade of the magnificent National Theatre which is the pride of the Ticos because it is considered the main national monument by virtue of its architectural beauty, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the many parks that green the city centre and the Avenida Central, a large pedestrian street very popular with the josefinos because it has all kinds of shops. The central market (NB: closed on Sundays) will open the doors of a must in the capital. Lulled by a Latin atmosphere, you will find fruits and vegetables, clothes, souvenirs, typical dishes while strolling along its many alleys. For shopping and some souvenirs, go and discover the small Indigenous Museum and their fair trade shop. This shop allows more than 120 families to improve their living conditions. You will discover the different communities of the country and their cultural and artisanal specialties.

Traditional dinner with typical dances on the heights of San Jose.

Breakfast, lunch (1 natural juice and 1 coffee) and dinner included.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel

Departure for the North Caribbean coast by private transfer. You leave the central valley and cross the green vastness of the Braulio Carrillo National Park. With its passes at 2000m and the Barva (2906m) and Cacho Negro (2150m) mountains, it protects different rainforest and cloud forest ecosystems, which you will be able to observe as you climb. Once past the central cordillera, you are facing the Caribbean plain.

Continue on the road to the pier and take the boat up to Tortuguero, a small isolated village on the North Caribbean coast, wedged between a wide estuary and the Atlantic Ocean and accessible only by plane and boat.

Arrival, welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic fruit juice) and installation at the lodge.

Buffet lunch (drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea)

Visit of the village of Tortuguero
Short walk in the village to discover the school and the church. Free time to walk around, do some shopping, and return to the lodge.Presentation of the guide on marine turtlesThe guide will give you a presentation on marine turtles in Costa Rica, starting with the history of the village of Tortuguero and the initiation of the project for the protection of turtles and the creation of the STC (Sea Turtle Conservation). He will explain the migration of the turtles, their biology and the different methods used to protect them, including the patrols that are organized every year in the country.

Buffet dinner (drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea) and overnight stay at Laguna Lodge 3* or similar

Please note that depending on the water level in the park canals, the pier could be modified, resulting in an increase of approximately 1.5 hours in road travel.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Buffet breakfast at the lodge

Discovery of the Tortuguero National Park by boat safari
Departure by boat to visit the canals of the National Park (approx. 2h). Observation of the flora and fauna of this primary forest of 32.000 ha, which extends as far as the eye can see. It is home to hundreds of species of plants – orchids, ferns, bromeliads – and hundred-year-old trees. In the heart of this splendid tropical setting, the spectacle is everywhere and the incredibly sharp eyes of the captains will allow explorers to discover the barely hidden life unfolding before them. By the shore, the caimans peacefully wait their turn to enter the scene while the spider monkeys cheer up in the fruit-laden branches. Birds are the most active and fish in the canal. The tranquility of the picture is not feigned and the lazy people who live here in large numbers are the first to welcome it.

Back to the lodge. Walk on the trails of the lodge. Crossing the rainforest and lagoons. In the gardens, the guide will introduce you to the incredible diversity of tropical plants and flowers, inhabited by multicoloured frogs.

Buffet lunch (drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea)

In the afternoon, free time to enjoy the optional activities offered by the lodge (kayaking, etc.) or to relax by the pool.

Buffet dinner (drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea) and overnight stay at the 3* Laguna Lodge or similar hotel

*The sea in Tortuguero is dangerous, it is strongly advised against swimming there. T

*The boat safari is an activity organized by the lodges of Tortuguero. Each boat has a capacity of 15 people. If the group exceeds this maximum, the travellers will be spread over several boats. The park rangers decide on the distribution of the routes of each captain. It is possible that the boats may take different routes, however they will be accompanied by a local ang/esp guide.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Buffet breakfast at the lodge.

Departure from a submerged area to reach Tierra del Fuego. Departure by boat before returning to the main Caribbean road.

Continuation to the Sarapiqui region. This is the plains region of northern Costa Rica. We are in the ecosystem of the Caribbean, wet jungles, wild rivers and crops of tropical plants and fruits.

Lunch/meeting with a palm heart farmer.

Meeting with Maria and her daughters who will make you taste their heart of palm, it will also be the opportunity to discover the process of development and harvesting of the palm tree. The owner Maria or one of her daughters will share with you their experience of life between agriculture and sustainable tourism. You will end your visit with a tasting of delicious fresh palm hearts. Dinner of specialties on site: menu: “ceviche” of hearts of palm; hearts of palm lasagna with vegetables and salad; fruit and homemade cake).

Continuation to the northern plain, rich in tropical fruit and citrus plantations with the perfect cone of the rising Arenal volcano in the background. Lush tropical vegetation surrounding the colossus, the warm waters escaping from it and the magnificent lake that spreads out at its feet make it one of the most spectacular sites in the country.

Arrival, welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic fruit juice) and check-in at the hotel. Dinner (no drinks) and overnight stay at the 4* Arenal Paraiso Hotel or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Breakfast at the hotel

Stroll on the suspension bridges of Arenal
On a course of some 3000 meters, you will cross the rainforest by paths linked by 8 fixed bridges and 6 suspension bridges. The trails have been designed to be accessible to everyone. The bridges are high-tech metal structures offering all the necessary safety. They range in length from 8 to 98 metres and the highest bridge is 45 metres high. The succession of paths and bridges allows you to appreciate the flora of this tropical rainforest from a different perspective, from the roots to the canopy.

Visit an ecological farm, trapiche tower and tortilla course. Meeting with the Gonzalez family, a family of committed farmers who have been practicing organic agriculture for over 40 years. In La Troja, a traditional place of life and discussion, you will learn all about sugar cane and the tool formerly used for its transformation: the trapiche, before tasting all the flavors of sugar cane: the fresh fruit, its juice and alcohol, the artisanal guaro, a favorite of the ticos. Continuing the visit, you will cross plantations of plants and vegetables cultivated according to a sustainable organic production method and will discover some emblematic legends of Costa Rica such as the one related to the Virgen de Los Angeles (Virgin of the Angels). All this in an enchanting natural setting and accompanied by the owners of the farm who will make you taste the coffee produced on the farm after having welcomed you for a course of homemade tortillas!

Traditional lunch (drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea) on site during the excursion.

Small guided tour of the village of La Fortuna, the opportunity to learn more about this famous village and its volcano! Free time to do some shopping or enjoy the hotel’s facilities.

Possibility to spend an evening / relax at the hotel’s thermal baths. ($)

Dinner (drink: 1 natural juice) and overnight stay at the 4* Arenal Paraiso Hotel or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Breakfast at the hotel

Meeting with the Maleku indigenous community

Visit to the Maleku community of San Rafael de Guatuso. Welcome by the cultural leader of the community who will give you explanations on the way of life of this indigenous people of which there are only a few individuals left as well as on their fight between modernity and traditions to preserve their culture through their language, their history, their knowledge… Then we will go to a handicraft workshop where we will make engravings on calabash that you will take with you as a souvenir. It will be the occasion to know how this one was used at the time. Then, a short walk on the paths of the community to discover the medicinal plants and the use that the natives make of them (for example, bag making…). To finish, you will try archery, ancestral practice for the hunting of small animals and birds, then the family will expose you the life of their ancestors through a play. Traditional lunch during the excursion (grilled fish served in leaves, accompanied by manioc, rice, vegetables, and fruits for dessert). An experience you will remember! You will also have the opportunity to buy beautiful objects directly from the hands of the artisan. This will not only allow you to acquire authentic indigenous handicrafts, but also to contribute to the preservation of Maleku culture and tradition.

Departure for Monteverde. After the dam that created the largest lake in the country, flooding the villages of Arenal and Tronadora, the jungle retains a vitality and density typical of the Caribbean. It is very possible to meet coatis, monkeys, toucans, and others… On the route, there are splendid views of the volcano bordering the jungle and the lake. We are in an area of high winds where the best specialists come to challenge themselves to wind surfing. On the hills, wind turbines provide some natural energy.

Lunch (no drinks) on the way.

Continuation to the cloud forests, radical change of ecosystem. Arrival in Monteverde in the Tilarán mountain range, between the Central Valley and the Guanacaste. The thick clouds that engulf the gigantic trees, swamps, creepers, mosses and innumerable ferns will make you feel as if you have lost your way in a world of water and greenery.

Arrival and installation at Los Cipreses Lodge 3* or similar. Dinner (no drinks: none) and overnight.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Breakfast at the lodge

Discovery of the Curicancha private reserve
The reserve is home to the famous and very rare Quetzal. With a bit of luck, you may be able to see the shimmering green and red plumage of this “Bird of the Gods” or the hummingbirds chirping throughout the reserve. The fauna present (400 species of birds, more than a hundred mammals and around 120 species of reptiles) live in this unique misty forest. Trees are festooned with orchids and bromeliads, mosses, ferns and all kinds of climbing plants grow everywhere thanks to the high humidity in the air.

Transfer to the Don Juan coffee plantation. Typical dinner on site (no drinks)

Coffee tour at the Don Juan plantation. At 2 km from Santa Elena city centre, the Don Juan farm welcomes you for a visit in time and space on the theme of coffee. After a historical introduction on the history of coffee, its arrival in Costa Rica and its benefits for the development of the country, the tour takes you through the different stages of coffee growing from its plantation to its roasting. The coffee harvest, always done by hand, is a long term tradition that will be presented to you before continuing to the next steps of pulping and drying that lead to the green bean. Roasting is the last stage of the process and the one that reveals the aromas and flavours for which coffee is famous. A tasting of the Finca’s coffee will of course be offered to close this visit to the world of Black Gold!

Free time to stroll around the village, do some shopping or relax at the lodge.

Dinner (drink: 1 natural juice) and overnight stay at Los Cipreses Lodge 3* or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Breakfast at the lodge

Route to the Central Pacific for the pleasures of a seaside and tropical stay. On the road, from the bridge of Tarcoles, crocodiles are frequently seen on the banks of the river. We pass through the Carara National Park covers a wide strip of forest that descends on the slopes of the Central Cordillera to the sea.

Arrival and welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic fruit juice)

Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon free in the seaside resort.

All inclusive dinner and overnight stay at Punta Leona 4* or similar.

*Keys are handed over in your room from 3 pm / 4 pm.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Free day at the seaside resort in an all-inclusive formula. Buffet lunch and dinner (all-inclusive formula) at the 4* Hotel Punta Leona or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Juan Santamaria airport with your guide for your return flight.

Free lunch ($)

Breakfast included.