Active Costa Rica

16 days

Indicative cost incl. flights:

A typical 4* holiday costs from

£6,295 per person

(Based on two people travelling. Low season can be a lot cheaper, and peak season or 5* hotels can be substantially more expensive.)

4-5 star & mid-high season

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San Jose & the Central Valley

Turrialba

Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui

Arenal

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Manuel Antonio

Day 1

Fly to San José today. San José is Costa Rica’s capital, an expansive city surrounded by jagged mountains and volcanoes make this a remarkable setting. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the night.

Day 2

Travel to the verdant, off-the-beaten track Turrialba in preparation for a few days of adventure in the regions rivers and valleys. The lush mountainous landscapes, pristine tropical forests, thundering rivers and wildlife ensures that there is plenty to do in Turrialba.

Day 3

Enjoy an adventurous canyoning and zip lining tour in a pristine valley on the edge of Turrialba. You’ll be rappelling down several waterfalls and zipping across a pristine rainforest river canyon in this fun filled adventure. This is a beautiful area to explore and there’s no better way to do it than by scaling the rock faces of the waterfalls, walking in air on the hanging bridge then zipping through the trees like a wild monkey!

Day 4

Today you will be collected from your hotel to try some of the best white water rafting in Costa Rica on the Pacuare River. This world-class river is not only known for its challenging rapids but its stunning natural surroundings. The unique landscapes are comprised of breath taking high faced rock canyons mixed with tropical jungle. At times, there will be moments of calm where you will be able to embrace the scenery around you, while at other times you’ll be so busy being whisked away down the rapids that you won’t have time for scenic viewing!

Day 5

Depart Turrialba today for the lush tropical forests of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, home to some of the best-preserved areas of primary rainforest remaining in the country still accessible to visitors. This makes it an essential stop on any bird watching holiday to Costa Rica, with the renowned biological station at La Selva one of the best places to spot some of staggering 489 species of bird recorded in the region’s forests.

Day 6

This morning you will set out for an exciting multi-activity tour in Sarapiqui which includes horse-riding, zip lining and rappelling. Ride through rolling meadow scenery and tropical forest before your exhilarating journey canopy zip lining across the Sarapiqui river, finally abseiling descent down a 90-foot canyon wall offering a wonderful view of the confluence of the Sarapiqui and Pozo Azul rivers, just magical!

Day 7

Continue on to Costa Rica's central volcanic region and your hotel in Arenal. Your afternoon is free to relax or perhaps arrange a visit to the volcano national park and hot springs. Here, you will find tropical forests set up with hanging bridges, canopy zip lines, hiking trails and horse-riding routes to tumbling waterfalls.

Day 8

Set out today for a scenic kayaking excursion today on Lake Arenal, one of the largest lakes in Latin America. This activity is suitable for complete beginners so take it easy and enjoy the views of the surrounding forests. This activity is perfect for all adventure enthusiasts!

Day 9

Take a full day tour out to the Tenorio Volcano National Park for a challenging hike to the azure waters of Rio Celeste and its waterfall. Take a trip off the normal tourist circuit in Costa Rica to Rio Celeste’s amazingly coloured celestial turquoise blue river, it winds itself around the rainforest of the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the water is coloured due to a chemical reaction of minerals from the Tenorio Volcano, Rio Celeste Waterfall and is perhaps one of Costa Rica's most beautiful waterfalls.

Day 10

You will leave Arenal today and travel to Costa Rica's best-known cloudforest, Monteverde. Perched at an elevation of 1400 metres, Monteverde is Costa Rica’s most famous cloud forest, not only is it home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, but it also offers a wide range of activities to help you experience the cloud forest in different ways.

Day 11

Visit a superb cloud forest adventure centre where you can explore canopy walkways suspended in the tree tops and try some further zip lining (which finishes up with an exhilarating Tarzan swing!) The tour offers staggering views of the cloud forest through the network of suspended canopy walkways and bridges that lead through the tree tops, promising views of the beautiful plants and birds that can be found here.

Day 12

Travel to Manuel Antonio today and your hotel overlooking the central Pacific coastline. With golden-sand beaches fringed by emerald jungle and easy-to-navigate jungle trails where sloths can frequently spotted dozing in the tree tops, capuchin monkeys leaping between the palms, enormous lizards scuttling along the beach and occasionally even a passing troop of squirrel monkeys.

Day 13

Today take a scenic kayaking excursion out to the lush mangroves of Damas Island. Explore the Paquita River with its gentle currents and a verdant forest canopy which attracts plentiful birds and lively capuchin monkeys. Your guide will explain the unique ecosystems in the brackish waters and mangroves here as you glide along by kayak.

Day 14

On the final day of your holiday you may wish to simply recover from all the adventure, relaxing by the pool or on Manuel Antonio's beaches. However further activities can be arranged if you still have some energy left!

Day 15

Travel back to San Jose today for flight back to the UK.

Day 16

Arrive home today.

Where you'll go
What you'll do
Where you'll stay

Similar Holidays

Everything we do is tailor-made; our itineraries are just suggestions to give you an idea of what is possible. Please contact us so we can tailor the perfect holiday exclusively for you.

Costa Rica’s volcanoes, cloud forests and dramatic river valleys lend themselves to outdoor adventure, and this itinerary has been specifically designed for those who like to be as active as possible whilst on holiday. Three nights are first spent in the Turrialba region, which is the perfect base for sampling some of the best white water rafting in the country as well as a superb canyoning tour that sees you abseiling down waterfalls. Continue on to Sarapiqui for horseriding, zip lining and rapelling in the setting of tropical forests before you reach Costa Rica’s activity hub, Arenal. A myriad of activities are on offer here – we have suggested paddle-boarding on the lake, mountain biking and a challenging hike to the beautiful Rio Celeste Waterfall but these can be easily adjusted to suit your individual preferences. In Monteverde you will find some of the best zip lining in the country, before completing your journey in Manuel Antonio. Here you can completely relax on jungle-fringed beaches, but there are also plenty of activities available such as kayaking, fishing, snorkelling and catamaran cruises.

1 night San Jose – 3 nights Turrialba – 2 nights Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui – 3 nights Arenal – 2 nights Monteverde Cloud Forest – 3 nights Manuel Antonio