Itinerary - Costa Rica 360° Coast to Coast

International flights are not included in the package, so you can decide from where and when you want to leave. This gives you complete freedom of choice to adjust your travel itinerary to your needs. Check in to your hotel in San Jose before we warm up the engines immediately and head out to discover the lively neighbourhood of Escalante and its many bars and restaurants. It will be the right occasion to taste our first casado, a dish composed of rice, beans, salad, fried plantain and meat or fish. Here they eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so we can have seconds in the morning!

And just like this, our adventure gets off to a flying start. Our first stop takes us to the Caribbean side of the country - welcome to the vibrant town of Puerto Viejo! After a few hours in the van crossing the scenic and pristine Braulio Carrillo National park, we can rent bicycles to hop from white sand beach to white sand beach while being cheered by the families of howler monkeys that love to hang out during the sunset hours. This evening, we will enjoy a traditional caribbean-style welcome dinner - bring your appetite!

On day three we'll have the chance to experience our first encounter with the local wildlife in the beautiful Cahuita National Park. We can explore the different trails that cross the jungle and grab our snorkels to take a peak at the amazing underwater world filled with coral and tropical fish. But it's not just wildlife that we can observe, we can also get in close contact with the indigenous people of the area, the Bribri, and their centuries-old way of preparing chocolate!

It takes a little patience to reach Tortuguero National Park, but it is completely worth it! The Park is a pulsating green lung of life: nature reigns supreme here, with lagoons, rivers, rainforest and animals of all species. The name Tortuguero is derived from the turtles that come to the park's beaches every year to lay their eggs. If you are lucky, maybe you will witness newborn turtles on their journey to reach the sea. If the season is right, this is a sight we cannot miss! In the afternoon, we can stretch our legs with a hike up to Cerro Tortuguero, an extinct volcano with the best views of the area. We'll be on the look out for monkeys, geckos, lizards, frogs and brightly-coloured birds that inhabit the forest and keep us company during our adventure.

The best time to spot animals around here is early in the morning, so we'll wake up before dawn for a kayaking tour of the park's mangrove channels. No one likes to have their alarm clock set so early, but this time it will be worth it. The magic of the early-morning silence, broken only by the sounds of the animals and accompanied by the colours of the rising sun, will take us into a world far removed from our daily routine. Let's enjoy these moments of peace and quiet in nature before... a nice breakfast!

After breakfast, it is time to completely change landscape as we move inland towards the central valley region. In the afternoon we reach our lodge in the middle of the rain forest that surrounds the Sarapiqui river. After an early morning, we have the afternoon at our leisure. We can take it easy and soak up the chilled out vibes of this riverside town or if we're still in the mood to explore, we can do hike out of town for a glimpse of the rapids and waterfalls awaiting for us tomorrow. But wait, there's more! We'll get to learn how to prepare an authentic Costa Rican empanada with our local cook.

Today is another early morning but this time, adrenaline will be our caffeine! This morning we raft down the Rio Sarapiqui! There will be times when the river is calm and we can enjoy the scenery, and others when we will have to paddle hard to conquer the rapids! Is there a risk of getting wet? Absolutely, and we can't wait! After lunch, the waterways of Costa Rica will remain our focus as we to explore what's considered the waterfall capital of Costa Rica, Bajos del Toro in Juan Castro Blanco National Park. We have more than 30 to choose from but believe us, all of them are equally impressive. After a full day full of experiences we'll get back to our lodge to enjoy a well deserved dinner!

Fun fact, Costa Rica contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. We're on a mission to see as much of it as possible, so it's another day and another national park! Perhaps one of the most famous in Costa Rica: the Arenal Volcano has a symmetrical conical shape which dominates the park's landscape. Until recently it was one of the country's most active volcanoes, with an average of 41 eruptions a day, but luckily for us it is currently in its dormant phase! It's time to take advantage of the numerous thermal pools and enjoy a soak surrounded by lush jungle and perhaps with a cool pipa fria, a drink served directly in a coconut. What more could you want? Well, add one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country and the opportunity to feel on top of the jungle walking across several hanging bridges observing the tree top wildlife up close. Sounds like a pretty cool day doesn't it?

After driving all around Lake Arenal saying goodbye to the iconic volcano, we start gaining altitude immersing ourselves in one of the most distinctive landscapes of Costa Rica, the mystic cloud forest of Monteverde. Home of a unique flora and fauna we'll get to explore the area late in the evening when the sun goes down and the nocturnal wildlife comes out... sloths, armadillos, racoons, red eyed tree frogs and why not, scorpions and tarantulas! They'll be our walking companions for the night.

Keep some adrenaline in you as the next day, before heading into paradise by the Pacific coast, we'll get the chance to fly through the clouds on one of the longest ziplines in all Latin America. Or if that's not our thing, we can find out more about where our morning cappuccino comes from with a visit to a sustainable coffee farm. We'll discover the importance of the coffee industry in Costa Rica, and of course you'll get to try it!

The last few days of our adventure are spent in paradise (although we can't complain about all the wonderful places we've been so far!). Uvita, here we come! We can take surfing lessons, go snorkelling, hike... there are plenty of options to choose from!

This also home of Marino Ballena National Park, where every year humpback whales come to carry out their reproductive cycle so keep an eye out! Funnily enough, the whole bay has the shape of a whale tail. We're also close enough to pay a visit to the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. In the evenings we can find our favourite place for sunset and enjoy a drink or two - ticos know how to party!

We're back in the capital for our last day in Costa Rica, and can take advantage of the time to stroll down the main street to buy souvenirs and enjoy the musicians and dancers sharing their art with passers-by. It will be a chance to experience some more of the local life and culture. We end our adventure with a farewell dinner, where there will be more typical dishes, such as ceviche, chicharrones or chifrijo. We raise a toast to ourselves and to the memories we have made together through this trip, and end on a high note by celebrating in a bar in the centre. It's our last night here and we have to make the most of it!

Pura vida and see you on our next adventure!