Itinerary

Day 1  Arrive in Costa Rica

We meet you and take you to your hotel (20 mins) in Alajuela, just outside of San José.

Day 2  Coffee Plantations of Alajuela  7km/4mi/3hr

Descending through meadows bordered with pink hydrangeas, the Central Valley and San José are below us as we wind down to a coffee plantation. We visit the benificio (mill) and savour the aroma of fresh beans drying on the sun baked patio, returning to the hotel in time for a swim before dinner .

Day 3  Monteverde Cloud Forest  12km/7.5mi/3hr

On to Monteverde, where we follow a forest trail through soaring ridge oak decked with bright orange clusia, in search of the resplendent quetzal. Onwards through the emerald forest canopy to the Continental Divide where the Caribbean and Pacific meet. Our next 2 nights are spent in Monteverde.

Hotel Fonda Vela  ****   Monteverde, Day 3+4

The Hotel Fonda Vela is one of the nicest hotels in Monteverde. Set back from the town, it is one of the nearest hotels to the entrance to the nature reserve that has made Monteverde famous. The park entrance is no more than a 5 minutes drive from here. The hotel is made up of nine different buildings that house different rooms. The majority of the rooms are standard, but Headwater guests normally stay in junior suites. The junior suites are larger and also have telephones, mini bars and satellite televisions. They also have ensuite shower and bathrooms with hairdryers. (Standard rooms are smaller without television and telephone and have an en-suite shower).

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 4  Canitas & Cebadillas  8km/5mi/3.5hr

Walking through lush pastures with balcony views over curving Nicoya peninsula we soon reach the hamlet of Canitas. A gradual climb through forest brings us to Cebadillas mountain village. Before dinner, we take a fascinating evening stroll through the rain forest spotting tree frogs and hummingbirds.


Day 5  To Volcano Arenal  17km/11mi/5hr


We wind through farmsteads bright with blue flowered St Lucia trees overlooking the western shore of Lake Arenal. We’ll pass cattle ranches, stud farms and dairies before continuing along the shore, spotting scarlet tanagers flitting through the reeds, before taking a boat to the western side of the lake for superb views over Arenal Volcano.

Arenal Observatory Lodge ***   Arenal, Days 5+6+7

The Arenal Observatory Lodge is one of the most historical hotels in Arenal in that it was originally the observatory lodge for the scientists that first came to study the volcano in 1987. The lodge is surrounded by hectares of parkland and it is the only hotel in Arenal that is within the Arenal National Park. The best thing about the lodge is the balcony views of Arenal that you get from pretty much every bedroom window, the pool and the restaurant. The volcano is just 1.7 miles from the lodge but the hotel is perfectly safe as the gorge of the Agua Caliente River separates it. Nowadays however, its strategic position makes the hotel a great place to experience the volcano. The view is ever present when you are in the pool, strolling through the gardens or having breakfast in the restaurant. The lodge is made up of a number of different rows of rooms that all have their individual entrances. The standard rooms are the original rooms that the scientists used. These are pretty basic and are the rooms nearest reception. The majority of the rooms that were added on after the lodge became a hotel are in the Smithsonian style. Breakaway guests stay in these. They each have 2 queen size double beds and many also have a chair, table and decking with patio furniture. Others have large floor to ceiling windows from where there are great views over Volcano Arenal when you draw the curtains in the morning. They are all en-suite with shower only. The restaurant is located opposite reception and this is where both breakfast and evening meals are taken. The hotel also has a large swimming pool as well as an outdoor Jacuzzi. There are a number of way-marked trails through the gardens that you can follow if you fancy a stroll.

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 6  Caño Negro Boat Tour

Today’s tour takes us first by road then by boat through the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge close to the Nicaraguan border . It’s a bird watchers paradise as well as home to a number of endangered mammals and reptile species, including crocodiles, turtles and tapirs.

Day 7  Exploring Arenal & La Fortuna Waterfall  8km/5mi/5hr

Today we visit the Arenal butterfly and frog gardens and stop off at an indigenous Cabécares villages. On to the famous La Fortuna Waterfall - swimming possible - then back to the hotel mid-afternoon.

Day 8  Rincón de la Vieja National Park  6km/4mi/3hr

Onwards to Rincón de la Vieja, beginning our walk through rainwood and Spanish cedar . Continuing through forest, maybe spotting turkey vultures flitting above us, we reach Victoria Falls, a 35m high torrent thundering through a verdant gorge. Time for a paddle before going on to our hotel for dinner . We spend 3 nights here.

Canyon de la Vieja Lodge ** Rincón de la Vieja, Days 8+9+10

The Cañon de la Vieja Lodge is located 30 minutes from the Rincon de la Vieja National Park. The Lodge is surrounded by beatiful gardens. There are 48 cabins in the extensive grounds, each with with air-conditioning and terrace. The restaurant and bar is in a separate building. There is also a swimming pool and jacuzzi and the hotel are also able to offer additional services such as horse riding tours.

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 9  Rincón de la Vieja Crater  14km/9mi/6.5hr

Spider monkeys swing through the trees and dappled sunlight is replaced by swirling mist as we reach the feathery tree ferns of the cloud forest, alive to the chatter of tree frogs.

Day 10  Blue Lagoon & Thermal Springs  10km/6mi/5hr

Look out for toucans and white-fronted amazons, as we descend to La Cangreja waterfall. Its blue lagoon is so inviting we have to take a dip before our picnic. Then through woodland, where violet guaria morada (Costa Rica’s national flower) grows, to Las Pailas – an eerie landscape of bubbling mud and geysers.

Day 11  Santa Rosa National Park  4km/1.5mi/2hr

Today we walk through Central America’s largest protected dry forest. We may spot coatis, tapirs and iguanas as we descend to continue along the Indio Desnudo Trail - superb photo opportunities. Then to Playa Ocotal where our final 2 nights are spent overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Ocotal Resort ****
Playa Ocotal, Days 11+12

The Ocotal resort is beautifully situated on a cliff top commanding views over its own private bay. The hotel’s rooms all have sea views and the hotel is divided into different small buildings that climb up the hill from its private beach to the cliff top where you will find its panoramic bar and restaurant. Headwater guests normally stay in the standard rooms, which are spacious and are made up of two queen size beds. They have patio doors that open onto either a terrace or balcony with patio furniture (the majority have a terrace as very few are on the 1st floor). The décor is light and bright. All rooms have satellite television, direct dial telephone, hairdryers, tea and coffee making facilities, air conditioning and ceiling fans. The hotel has three pools, the largest of which is down by the beach.

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 12  Free Day

Ocotal with its romantic cliff top setting, private beach, swimming pool, diving centre and spa is the perfect end to our tour - and there’s the option to stay on here for extra nights.

Day 13   Leave Costa Rica

We take you to Liberia aiport (20 min) for flights home.

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