Costa Rica: Wildlife, National Parks & Hidden Gems of the Northwest

Arrive at any time.

There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Drive to Sarapiquí to visit the G Adventures-supported Mi Cafecito Community Coffee Plantation. Learn about the impact this project has had on the community and sample some of the products they sell. Continue on to the Arenal region and take advantage of a free afternoon and a full free day tomorrow to experience the adventure activities and natural wonders of the area.

La Fortuna is an excellent base for adventure. Opt to hike the area’s nature trails, swim in chilly La Fortuna waterfall or go canyoning.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: MORNING Find out where your cup of java comes from. Visit the Mi Cafecito coffee cooperative in San Miguel de Sarapiqui, see shade-grown coffee plants, learn about everything from harvesting, to husking, drying, and roasting the beans before enjoying the best part – a fresh cup! Enjoy a typical lunch of plantains, beans, and freshly caught tilapia fish. Feel good about all this eating and drinking knowing that you are supporting a G Adventures for Good project that helps 200 farmers and their families.

Free day in La Fortuna. Experience the outdoor adventures, amazing wildlife and natural wonders in this area. There are enough activities here to keep you busy all day long. In the evening opt to soak in one of the many hot springs in the area to cap off an adventurous day.

Spend the day getting your adrenaline pumping, viewing local wildlife, marvelling at the Arenal Volcano and getting to know more about Costa Rica in La Fortuna. There are enough activities here to keep you busy all day long.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Experience the outdoor adventures, amazing wildlife and natural wonders in this area.

Travel by van and boat through the stunning Costa Rican scenery up into the cloud forest. Take an included guided night walk to learn about nocturnal life in the jungle firsthand.

Travel across Lake Arenal into the mountains and on to Monteverde Cloud Forest.



Arrive to spend time enjoying this nature-lover's paradise.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard and get your float on.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.

ACTIVITY: Join a naturalist guide for a 1.5-2 hour tour in the cloud forest after dark. Learn more about the habits of the area's nocturnal wildlife including mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians, and keep your eyes and ears open on this slow-paced walk. You never know what you might see – it depends on the day and your luck!

Enjoy a free day to explore the cloud forest region of Costa Rica. Opt to fly across canopy ziplines, walk across suspended bridges through the forest canopy, or go horseback riding in the hills.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Spend free time in Monteverde exploring the cloud forest or visiting nearby attractions.

Travel to Quepos, just outside Manuel Antonio National Park. Opt to visit the park or relax on the beach in this fun surf town. Enjoy a night out and perhaps learn how to dance salsa.

Travel to the Pacific Coast. Enjoy Quepos. Opt to swim, fish, kayak, surf or take a sailing trip.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

FREE TIME: Enjoy free time to play in the waves, explore Quepos, or dance the night away.

Enjoy an included entrance into Manuel Antonio National Park. Then, take advantage of free time to explore. Opt to sail or swim in the Pacific. Or choose to kayak through mangroves and relax on the beach.

Pre-book the Manuel Antonio Catamaran Tour on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Spend a free day of exploring Quepos, or head to Manuel Antonio to enjoy a full-day of wildlife spotting or kayaking.

ACTIVITY: Pack your sunscreen, beach shoes, and prepare for a great day in Costa Rica’s smallest yet no less stunning national park. Manual Antonio offers four white-sand beaches, separated by jagged rock outcrops and tidal pools. Swim, sunbathe, and when you’re all beached out, head to the shade of the nearby hiking trails to search for sloths, monkeys, and armadillos. Climb to the lookout to capture views of the pristine Pacific Ocean and the area’s off-shore islands.

Opt to chill at the beach in the morning before the journey by private vehicle back to the capital.

FREE TIME: Enjoy a final morning at the beach. Do as much or as little as you'd like.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

After an early departure from San Jose, the group will travel to the famed ethereal blue waters of Rio Celeste. Set off on a CEO-led walk through the area with views of the river along the route before an included lunch. Continue onwards to the Rincon de la Vieja area where you will have dinner at the lodge restaurant before a night walk on the nearby trails.

TRANSPORT: Sit back and scan the scenery from a private vehicle between San José and Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio, where Rio Celeste is located.

ACTIVITY: North of Lake Arenal lies another spectacular protected area called Volcán Tenorio National Park. We'll set off on foot from the main entrance and hike along jungle trails and down a series of stairways to the brilliantly blue Rio Celeste Waterfall. Take in the scenery and watch for wildlife like monkeys and birds in the canopy above before hiking out on the same trail.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a walk on the trails of the lodge's property. Experience the richness of the tropical rainforest's nocturnal noises and wildlife. Walk along as your CEO points out flora and fauna, and you search for mother nature's nightly secrets. Listen to birds still singing and insects buzzing. Surrounded by the thick darkness of trees towering above you, this will be an entirely different experience than the daylight hours.

TRANSPORT: Sit back and scan the scenery from the comfort of a private vehicle from the area where Rio Celeste is to the lodge in the Rincon de la Vieja area.

Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before transferring to Rincón de la Vieja National Park where you will embark on a hike in the area to gain a full sense of the tropical and volcanic landscape, while searching for resident wildlife. Travel back to the hotel in the afternoon for free time on the property. Activity options range from ziplining, hiking in the area, and various cultural experiences.

ACTIVITY: Set off on a 3.2km (2 mile) hike on the Las Pailas trail that cuts through tropical rainforest and weaves through various volcanic activity. The trail begins in an open area with few trees, where you will hear about the legend of the nearby volcano. Be on the lookout for volcanic bubbling mud, small craters, and see if you can smell sulfuric fumes. The rest of the trail is surrounded by dense vegetation and will provide possible opportunities to see wildlife.

Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: Between 2-3hrs
Distance: 3.5km (2.5 miles) total. It is a loop trail.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Take advantage of a free afternoon back at the lodge to partake in outdoor activities. Opt to zipline or hike on the trails round the property. It's the perfect way to gain a real sense of this volcanic and tropical rainforest area.

Enjoy a full free day in the Rincon de la Vieja area with an abundance of optional activities to choose from. Between hiking, bird watching, or spa treatments and a soak in the hot springs, your day can be as leisurely or busy as you’d like.

Additional Information: Choose to pre-book the Jungle Waterslide for a fun adventure through the jungle.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY The area is an outdoor lover's paradise! Enjoy access to the lodge's amenities. Opt to swim in the pool, walk along the nearby trails, or partake in other activities on offer like, learning about the growing and artisanal process of sugarcane, or attending a Chorotega workshop, a ceramics unique to Central America—and representative of the region's Indigenous history. Other possibilities are, hiking to the nearby Salitral Waterfall, trying the onsite waterslide through the jungle, or focus on wellness with optional spa and thermal bath experiences. You have all day!

After breakfast at the lodge the group will travel to Playa Flamingo on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. Enjoy a CEO-led orientation walk upon arrival to get to know this uniquely set up town, whose central area has remained a pristine beach protected by a large mangrove forest. Then, spend a free evening exploring on your own.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a CEO-led orientation walk through the small beach town of Playa Flamingo. This popular local destination boasts fine white sand, clear blue waters, lagoons, and a variety of more secluded beaches with rocks reaching into the sea. Become acquainted with the layout as you walk through main area.

FREE TIME: EVENING Spend a free late afternoon and evening in Playa Flamingo. Go to the beach, visit some of the local shops, or find a nearby restaurant to try out for dinner.

Spend a full free day in paradise. Opt to prebook a Catamaran excursion to get out onto the water for a whole new view of the Playa Flamingo area. Or choose to enjoy the beach on your own with swimming and sunbathing.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY The whole day is yours in Playa Flamingo. Choose to spend it out on the water by pre-booking a catamaran experience, or choose to lie on a fluffy white-sand beach with mangroves gently rustling in the distance. From beach town vibes to secluded lagoons this place is a true taste of Costa Rica's northwestern coastline.

Depart at any time.

Please note that while your tour ends in Playa Flamingo, there are taxis/shuttle services available to the Liberia airport. These services depart from the town of Potrero which is 10 minutes from your Finish Point Hotel. It takes one hour to get to the airport in Liberia from Potrero.

ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.