Costa Rica Adventure

Beauty is all around us in the tropics of Costa Rica, from jungle-draped volcanoes to sweeping expanses of wilderness beaches along the azure Pacific. With a delightful mix of adventures that includes hiking, sea kayaking, and wildlife viewing, we explore from the mountains to the sea on this naturalist-led journey. We start with hikes near Arenal Volcano, an active tropical volcano rising from jungled highlands, then explore treetop canopies by way of spectacular hanging bridges and thrilling zip lines. Our grand finale is on the idyllic Pacific Coast, where we sea kayak, snorkel, hike on beaches where monkeys howl and toucans flock, and, at sunset, dolphin watch by catamaran as the tropical sky turns vivid shades of pink and orange.

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-3
San Jose / Arenal Volcano National Park

From the Costa Rican capital, we head to the biological preserve of Nectandra Cloud Forest for walks on nature trails through primary and secondary forest interspersed with tropical gardens—a great introduction to Costa Rica’s natural wonders. In the highlands of Arenal Volcano National Park, the perfect cone of Arenal (5,300') is a dramatic sight. From our lovely lodge overlooking Arenal, we hike to a thundering waterfall, soak in hot springs, and explore the rainforest amid the playful sounds of toucans and howler monkeys. Highlights include a walk across an elaborate network of spectacular hanging bridges that grant us access to the canopy of the park’s primary rainforest, where more than 350 species of birds and a colorful array of butterflies reside. Views of Arenal are striking from these bridges, and with luck, we may see the volcano’s red lava flows at night from our lodge.

Day 4
Zip Line

We visit a private forest reserve to experience Costa Rica’s popular adventure sport—the zip line! Clipping into steel cables rigged among the trees, we “fly” through the canopy for an exhilarating experience of the treetop world. As we zip from one platform to the next, we get a bird’s-eye view of the canopy environment, where 90 percent of the rainforest wildlife lives.

Days 5-7
Manuel Antonio National Park

The Pacific Ocean setting of Manuel Antonio National Park offers gorgeous tropical forests edged by white-sand beaches. We hike trails to the beach through the forests of the park, with its canopy full of monkeys and iguanas. We also explore by sit-on-top kayaks along the coast, the perfect way to view wildlife up close. Sea turtles, flying fish, and birdlife including boobies and frigatebirds share this beautiful environment with the many dolphins that frolic in these tropical waters. At sunset one evening, we head out by private catamaran for a snorkeling excursion and dolphin watching at a magical time of the day. Depart on Day 7 via San Jose, or join our Whitewater Rafting Extension.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Optional Extensions

If you would like to continue your adventure, we offer the following extension:

• One-Day Pacuare River Rafting Extension (1 days)

What the Trip is Like

The trip is rated 2, or easy to moderate, according to our trip grading system. It is designed for people in reasonably good shape who have a fair amount of physical stamina. No previous experience is necessary for our sea kayaking day tour at Manuel Antonio National Park. In general, we strongly recommend you begin a program of regular physical exercise so you can get the most out of the trip. Please note that on this trip we have a full schedule of activity each day. If you are interested in more leisure time, we recommend that you add a day or two at the beginning or end of the trip. We are happy to assist you in booking extra hotel nights.

Explanation of Trip Levels