World Wildlife Fund

The Jewels of Costa Rica

$3,895 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $795.

Trip Overview

Costa Rica may be a small country wedged between two continents, but few locales in the world are bigger on nature and adventure. Flanked by miles of beaches on the Pacific and the Caribbean, Costa Rica’s interior is a lush tangle of rain forest, mist-veiled mountains and active volcanoes.

Within the layers of green upon green, thousands of species thrive: gigantic ferns, magenta orchids, neon-bright parrots, three-toed sloths, monkeys, peccaries, crocodiles, iguanas and frogs, just for starters. In the humid color of the tropical forest, our senses are never so engaged.

Trip Itinerary

Please note that the dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. We suggest consulting our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss the best flight options for your travels.

Saturday, February 19, 2011: San José, Costa Rica
Arrive in San José and transfer to our hotel. This evening, gather for dinner with your fellow travelers and your Expedition Leader. San Jose Marriott (D)

Sunday & Monday, February 20 & 21: Tortuguero National Park
Travel through some of the richest rain forests on Earth at Braulio Carillo National Park on the way to Limón. Board a boat for Tortuguero, considered by many the best place to view wildlife in Costa Rica. Our private boat cruises along canals that wind through the dense rain forest and may reveal spider, howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, tree sloths, caimans and a spectrum of colorful birds. Here in the tropics, steady sunlight, constant rain and warm temperatures create an intense incubator for a profusion of species. Evergreen Lodge (B,L,D daily)

Tuesday & Wednesday, February 22 & 23: Monteverde
Fly back to San José, and drive to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve in the cool high country. Monteverde means “green mountain,” though moisture comes not so much in the form of rain but in the constant mists that swath the mountaintops. More than 400 species of birds flourish here, including the rare and resplendent quetzal. More than 100 mammal species live in the cloud forest, not to mention an estimated 2,500 species of plants (including 300 different orchids). Spot wild relatives of many familiar houseplants, such as philodendrons, bromeliads, ficus trees and ferns. A walk over a network of suspension bridges and platforms lifts us into the lacy forest canopy.

On Wednesday, visit a small sugar mill, where a local family demonstrates the traditional way of extracting cane juice. Return this evening to our lodge, where the picture windows in our rooms look out onto elegant gardens and wild forest. Fonda Vela (B,L,D daily)

Thursday & Friday, February 24 & 25: Arenal Volcano
Rise early to tour Santuario Ecologico, an organic banana plantation that offers excellent wildlife viewing. Journeying by road and crossing Lake Arenal by boat, reach Costa Rica’s most dramatic landmark: Arenal Volcano – among the most active in the world.

Upon arrival, explore a hardened lava flow on foot. Costa Rica lies on the edge of two tectonic plates, one of the most dynamic such junctures on Earth. Molten rock, created by the friction of the plates, is forced up through fissures and emerges as fiery magma. Arenal regularly puts on a spectacular performance, hissing and rumbling and spewing ash into the sky. We have a riveting view from our lodge, where seismologists monitor its activity. On a clear night we may see a flamboyant display of natural fireworks, as red-hot lava pours down the volcano’s side.

On Friday, explore the rain forest on a morning walk over trails and hanging bridges with the volcano looming in the background. Where there is volcanic activity, there is usually geothermal activity, too, which means you can enjoy a soak in natural hot springs after a short hike. Arenal Observatory Lodge (B,L,D daily)

Saturday, February 26: Arenal / San José
After breakfast in the shadow of the volcano, return to San José, stopping en route at the Danaus Eco-Center. Get a close-up look at Costa Rica’s famed red poison dart frogs and other wildlife as you walk among the conservation project’s 300 species of tropical plants.

After stopping en route for a farewell lunch, we’ll continue on to our final destination, Xandari Plantation Hotel. Situated on a coffee plantation overlooking the broad Central Valley, Xandari offers spa treatments, swimming pools, tropical fruit orchards and trails leading to waterfalls, which you will have time to enjoy at your leisure. Xandari Plantation Hotel (B,L,D)

Sunday, February 27: San José / Home
Transfer to the airport this morning for flights home. (B)