Northern Classics and Pacific Relaxation

Breakfast with your guide and the group, then immersion in a coffee plantation on the slopes of Poás: cultivation, processing, roasting, and tasting. Typical lunch, a stop in Grecia and Sarchí, the cradle of painted carts, then the road climbs into the Tilarán mountain range towards the mists of Monteverde, where you sleep at the edge of the cloud forest.

Tonight's option: guided nocturnal outing to encounter nighttime wildlife (on-site fees apply).

Guided morning in one of the iconic reserves of Monteverde — Curi-Cancha, Santa Elena, or Monteverde, depending on conditions: mosses, orchids, 400 bird species, and if luck is on your side, the resplendent quetzal. Late in the day, a guaranteed spectacle at the hummingbird garden. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay in an eco-lodge.

Afternoon, optional: canopy suspension bridges or zip lines for the daring (fees payable on site).

Heading east through the bucolic landscapes of the mountain range, along Lake Arenal: coffee break with a view, local crafts, and photo stops whenever monkeys or coatis show their faces. Mid-afternoon, check into a charming hotel facing the volcano. Arenal. Relax by the pool, stroll through the gardens, or go birdwatching with the guide; dinner at the hotel.

Tonight's optional activity: volcano-heated thermal baths (included in some hotels on the tour, otherwise a fee applies on site).

Morning, trails in the national volcano park Arenal : solidified lava flows, secondary forests, and viewpoints on the cone — your guide will tell you the eventful history of the giant, now slumbering. Farm lunch on the other slope, then a visit to plantations and the biomass digester: sustainable Costa Rica, in practice. Free end of the day in the La Fortuna area or at the hotel.

Departure at dawn towards the Caribbean lowlands: hearty breakfast in Guápiles, then boarding at the La Pavona dock. One hour by boat through rivers and canals, and there you are Tortuguero — no roads here; arrival is by water or air only. Buffet lunch at the lodge, afternoon dedicated to the village, situated on its sandbank between canals and the Caribbean Sea, and return on foot along the beach.

From July to October, optional: night observation of sea turtle nesting (fees payable on site).

Day of guided explorations, by boat and on foot, in the national park Tortuguero, The 'Costa Rican Amazon«: caimans, howler monkeys, sloths, and some of the country's richest birdlife. Between excursions, enjoy the lodge – swimming pool, trails, frog garden – before a final late-afternoon canal cruise.

Morning boat to La Pavona, buffet lunch in Guápiles, then a drive to San José, where your guide bids you farewell—­option to leave some of your luggage in storage until the last day. A shuttle then takes you to the Pacific coast, to the Punta Leona area: check into a large beachfront hotel village in the early evening, dinner included, with three nights of all-inclusive relaxation ahead of you.

Day 1: A 100-meter swim between Playa Manta and Playa Blanca, two of the country’s most beautiful beaches, on the edge of Carara National Park. The all-inclusive package covers buffet meals, fruit juices, local wines and beers—as well as kayaking, snorkeling, mini-golf, and volleyball. Monkeys and scarlet macaws regularly visit the gardens: keep your eyes peeled, even from your lounge chair.

Keep up the momentum: swimming, a nap in the shade of the coconut trees, a guided walk in the estate's private reserve, or a visit to the butterfly aviary. As evening arrives, savor one last sunset over the Pacific – it has a reputation for being unforgettable.

Breakfast by the sea, then shuttle back to the international airport San Jose — Count 90 minutes of driving and plan for a flight departing after 3 p.m. End of services, head full of quetzals, volcanoes, and sea spray. Pura vida!