All of Costa Rica on adrenaline for adventure seekers

Arrival at San Jose International Airport (Liberia Airport also possible), then head to your selected hotel (budget, midrange or luxury), where you can relax before exploring downtown San Jose with the very special afternoon city tour from Barrio Bird or get to know everything about the Art of Craft Beer. If you want to add extra days in San Jose, there are many activities in San Jose and the Central Valley we can add to your Costa Rica itinerary. San Jose is central to many sights, so it is the perfect place to use as an exploration base.

On the second day, you have two choices for transportation. You can take a comfortable shared shuttle ride that picks you up at your hotel in San José and drops you off at your Puerto Viejo accommodation.

Or you can start your adventure with a Whitewater Rafting trip on Rio Pacuare that includes transportation between San Jose and Puerto Viejo. We’ll pick you up early in San Jose for an all-day adventure on Costa Rica’s most popular river. A hearty breakfast is provided at the rafting center where your luggage is stored in a locked container. Then it’s a full day river trip with lunch on the river banks. At the end of the day, you are transported to Puerto Viejo for a 2-night stay at your choice of hotels in Puerto Viejo (or add more nights; we recommend this place!).

On our Animal Rescue Center/Chocolate Lady and Waterfall combination tour on day 3, you can get up close and personal to wild cats, monkeys and snakes at the Jaguar Rescue Center. On the Chocolate Lady and Waterfall tour you will learn the process of traditional chocolate making and visit one of the most impressive waterfalls of the area. In the afternoon you’ll have some time to explore the vibrant village of Puerto Viejo with its laid-back atmosphere. There are plenty of funky shops and hip restaurants and cafes to choose from.

Day 4 can either be used to explore the exotic jungle-lined beaches around Puerto Viejo or to go for a snorkel and hike tour. See the interesting and colorful underwater world along Cahuita’s coastline followed by a hike in Cahuita National Park, where an abundance of wildlife is available for viewing.

Another option is the Full-day Jungle Adventure, where you can explore the mountain region surrounding Puerto Viejo, go rappelling, zip lining, tree climbing or swimming in the river.

A third option is a hike through the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge with our knowledgeable, entertaining local guide who is famous for spotting animals and rare birds.

We’ll pick you up at your Puerto Viejo hotel, bring you to Tortuguero by mini-bus and boat for a 1-night stay at a local lodge. All your meals are included as are tours of the canals and town.

Tortuguero National Park is an isolated area on the northern part of the Caribbean coast reachable only by boat or airplane. Pure and untouched nature, turtle watching and jungle canals await you.

On the following day after lunch, you will be brought to Arenal Volcano by shuttle and boat for a 3-night stay in the town of La Fortuna. The evening is yours to explore the town.

For day 7, there are several options. If you chose not to start your trip with whitewater rafting, you get another chance here. With over 45-continuous class III-IV rapids along more than 16 kilometers of deep-canyon gorges and waterfalls, you can often see sloths, monkeys and tropical birds, such as toucans and the Montezuma Oropendula.

Or you can get acquainted with one of Costa Rica’s secret beauties – breathtaking Rio Celeste! This tour begins in the early morning with a scenic drive through rural Costa Rica to Tenorio Volcano National Park. From there you will take a 4-hour intermediate hike (approximately 7km) through the surrounding tropical rain forest. You’ll arrive at “Los Teñíderos” where two rivers come together to form the celestial turquoise blue water color that gives the river its name.

On your walk back through the national park, you’ll pass the “ollas” mud baths and take a moment to relax in the natural hot springs. Then you arrive at the spectacular Río Celeste waterfall – the perfect place to take photos. The tour finishes off with a delicious local lunch as you head back to La Fortuna.

In the morning of day 8, you can either enjoy your free time or choose between any of the following half-day activities: canyoning, mountain bike tour along the volcano, a horseback ride to the La Fortuna waterfall, or a guided walk on the Arenal Hanging Bridges.

In the afternoon, take a 2.5 hour-long Liquid Lava Volcano hike, followed by a visit to Tabacon Hotsprings. In this hot springs resort, you can enjoy a series of natural hot spring pools.There are lots of hot and cold free form pools with naturally-heated waters that have an ideal mineral content high in bicarbonate and chlorides, but low sulfur content. There are wet bars throughout the facilities that serve all types of refreshing drinks. When you’re ready to eat, proceed to the dinner buffet for a delicious meal. The meal is automatically included with your entrance fee.

This is an adventure on the way to your next destination! Mountain biking as a means of transport between La Fortuna and Monteverde! The moderate ride is about 1.5 to 2-hours long or about 13 kilometers. From Arenal, we’ll start at the Lake Arenal Dam where you drop off your luggage with our boat driver. From there we ride to the rural community of El Castillo. You can explore Costa Rica’s diverse natural environment with chances to see wildlife such as monkeys, birds, coatimundis, and sometimes even sloths and toucans!

Upon arrival to El Castillo, you will be reunited with your luggage and our boat driver will bring you across lake Arenal to Rio Chiquito. From there our driver will drive you in his mini-van the remaining 1.5-hours up the steep, gravel roads to your hotel in Monteverde.

This is a truly adventurous ride – the terrain is rugged, the scenery is incredible but this is the perfect way to travel between La Fortuna and the small community of Monteverde.

After taking a little rest in your hotel, you will have the chance to stroll around the cozy mountain village.

On day 10, enjoy a combination canopy and cable car tour through the Monteverde Cloud Forest in the morning and spot some nightly wildlife during an easy 2-hour twilight hike through the ecological sanctuary in Monteverde.

In the morning, you will travel by minibus to Samara, where another adventure awaits you. Try the newest and easiest paddle sport! Stand-up paddling (SUP) has its roots in ancient Polynesia and looks exactly as it sounds: you stand up on a large, wide, super buoyant surfboard and use a long paddle. Feel like you’re walking on water!

On day 12, discover the large variety of colorful fish, starfish, snails and other forms of life within the coral reefs as you snorkel near the coast. We like the call these reefs the “rain forests of the sea.” For additional fun, you will explore these snorkeling spots by kayak!

On the last day of your Costa Rica Full-On Adventure, you will be brought back to San Jose in a comfortable shared shuttle minivan in order to spend your final night in a hotel of your choosing.