Our 11 day / 10 night Bi-Coastal Tour offers you the best of all Costa Rica trips, taking you from the majestic Pacific Coast to the awe-inspiring slopes of Arenal Volcano and on to the pristine shores of the Caribbean. We have designed this package with you in mind. The standard hotels offered are either exclusively gay or gay-friendly. Your days are filled with exciting tours as well as time for relaxation.
This package is essentially self-guided but we insist on taking care of your transportation in Costa Rica, hotel reservations and tours. All you need to do is be ready when it’s time to leave for your next adventure!
This package starts at only $1399 based on double-occupancy and is completely customizable to become a perfect fit for you! It includes quality accommodations in highly recommended hotels and is packed with activities and adventure.
Itinerary
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Day 1 & 2: San Jose
Airport pick-up for transportation to your chosen hotel. Enjoy time in the city – shopping, museums, restaurants, bars, discos, and saunas. All of the hotels we work with are more than happy to assist you with information about places to visit in town.
Standard package includes a 2-night stay in a Classic Comfort room at the exclusively gay Colours Oasis Resort (located a short taxi ride from downtown San Jose) or the gay-friendly Studio hotel, located just outside of San Jose in the suburb of Santa Ana (may increase package price). Other hotel options include the exclusively-gay Casa Rainbow Canyon (may increase package priced depending on room selected; this hotel is located in a beautiful natural setting a 15 min cab ride from San Jose downtown).
On day 2, you will get picked up from your hotel and enjoy a day tour. From San Jose to the amazing Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens, this tour includes transportation, entrance fees, lunch, and guide. Not to worry,you will arrive back in time to get cleaned up for another night on the town.
Day 3 - 5: Manuel Antonio
The famous Manuel Antonio National Park and gay beach at Playita await you! We’ll pick you up at your San José hotel and bring you directly to Hotel Villa Roca, in the center of Manuel Antonio’s gay scene. With stunning views overlooking the park and the beautiful Pacific Ocean, stay 3 nights in a room with a King bed. This hotel is exclusively for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and their friends. Other hotel options, all at an additional cost, include the super-luxurious gay-owned Gaia Hotel and Reserve, gay-friendly La Mansion Inn or Costa Verde.
Spend the morning of day 4 on a guided tour exploring Manuel Antonio National Park. Your experienced guide will lead you through this magnificent park. This is recommended as the best way to encounter as much variety of wildlife as possible. Tour includes transportation, entrance fee, and guide. In the afternoon enjoy time at any of Manuel Antonio’s beautiful beaches, relax poolside at your hotel, or explore the area on your own. Be sure to check out Manuel Antonio’s exciting nightlife.
Day 5 offers you another morning to relax on the beach or by the pool. In the late afternoon, experience Manuel Antonio aboard a catamaran for a Sunset Cruise. Snorkel among the fishes in a bay just off beautiful Bizans Beach. Tour includes transportation and a light snack with beverage. Snorkeling equipment is provided.
Day 6 & 7: Arenal
Comfortable minibus shuttle to Arenal. Stay 2 nights at our preferred gay-friendly Hotel Silencio del Campo . Some other gay-friendly hotel options are Arenal Manoa, or the gay-owned B&B La Fortuna Suites located in town (this selection will reduce your cost).
In the evening, you’ll be picked up for a Nighttime Volcano Tour and a visit to the famous Tabacon Hot Springs and Spa. Enjoy the many natural thermal pools followed by a delicious buffet dinner.
Choose either a free day to explore the area, go to Lake Arenal, or add an amazing tour like the Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering or Sky Trek and Sky Tram Arenal.
If your time is limited or you just want more time at the beach, you can choose to eliminate days 6 and 7 from your itinerary, and do them as a day trip from San Jose. This day-trip includes a Nighttime Volcano Tour and a visit to the Tabacon Hot Springs and Spa, including buffet style dinner.
Day 8 & 9: Puerto Viejo
In Arenal we’ll pick you up early to take you to the Caribbean for a spectacular Whitewater Rafting adventure on the Pacuare River, Costa Rica’s premier rafting river. You will be served a hearty breakfast at the rafting center. Your luggage and belongings will safely stored in a locked container. Then it’s a full-day river trip with lunch served along the river shore. At the end of the day, you will be transported to Puerto Viejo.
Stay 2 nights at our preferred gay-friendly option Hotel Banana Azul or at Hotel Namuwoki Lodge, another gay-friendly place in the area.
Enjoy your stay in this funky Caribbean coastal town. We recommend renting a bike to explore on your own as there are many unique jungle-hugging beaches to choose from, a fun shopping area, and a wide variety of international restaurants and cafes. Our favorite, and perhaps the hippest is the gay-owned Koki Beach restaurant, bar and lounge where you can enjoy a happy hour cocktail on their colorful deck overlooking the Caribbean Sea. This is a great spot to watch the sunset too!
Or, choose from one of our optional activities:
• Our 3 in 1 includes the Animal Rescue Center (entrance fee included), a visit to the Chocolate Lady, and a short hike to an amazing Waterfall.
• The Cahuita National Park Hike and Snorkel Tour includes a guided hike with a naturist and a boat ride for snorkeling in the reef.
• Enjoy the rush! Fly through the jungle tree tops on the Canopy/Zipline Tour.
• Let us arrange a massage for you at the Pure Jungle Spa or beachfront at Banana Azul.
Day 10 & 11: San Jose
Transportation to San Jose by minibus shuttle for a 1 night stay at one of our preferred gay owned or gay friendly hotels.
Afternoon/evening on your own to explore.
Standard package includes a 1 night stay in a Classic Comfort room at the exclusively gay Colours Oasis Resort. Or choose Studio Hotel or Casa Rainbow Canyon. All 3 hotels are located about 15 to 20 minutes from the airport in case you have an early flight the next day.
Transportation to the airport for your departure.
Let us know if you’d like to add additional destinations or nights onto your package and we’d be happy to do so!
Optional add-on trips
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Monteverde
Optional add-on to Monteverde from just $61 per person.
Monteverde is famous for its world renowned cloud forest, This high altitude rain forest has plenty of unique flora and fauna lending an almost magical air to those who experience it.
We’ll pick you up in Manuel Antonio, bring you to your Monteverde hotel for a one-night stay. You can explore on your own or do the highly recommended Sky Trek zipline tour or a hiking tour to the refuge.
The next morning you’ll travel by van and boat across Lake Arenal to La Fortuna.
Tortuguero
Optional add-on to Tortuguero starting at $150 per person.
Tortuguero National Park is an isolated area on the north part of the Caribbean coast reachable only by boat or by air. Pure and untouched nature, turtle watching and jungle canals await you.
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 lodge. All your meals are included as are tours of the canals and town. Boat and shuttle transport to San Jose on the following afternoon.
Bocas del Toro
Optional add-on to Bocas del Toro from just $179 per person.
Our Bocas del Toro trips include transportation from Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro via shared van and then on by boat to the islands, accommodation – either luxury on the main island or a bit more simple but with stunning views on Isla Solarte – breakfast, and depending on how many days you stay, an afternoon activity or a full day tour with lunch. The option to return to San Jose by land or air is also available.
For the ones staying for one night, you can either go snorkeling or deepboarding in the afternoon before enjoying a nice dinner in Bocastown or at your lodge. The next morning you have off to discover the islands or relax on a secluded beach. At noon you will start the trip back to Puerto Viejo.
If you stay two nights, you will have the rest of the day free to visit one of the nearby islands or just have a walk in town. On the second day you will go on a tour to Cayo Zapatillo, where you can try out deepboarding, the new way to snorkel. The tour includes lunch and snorkeling equipment. After a day on and in the water, you can enjoy the evening in Bocastown or at your lodge and then return to Puerto Viejo the next day after breakfast. If you like an additional morning to explore the world of Bocas, we can also schedule you for the afternoon shuttle (not possible for San Jose).
Package Information:
| Duration: | 11 days / 10 nights. Additional nights can be added or we could also shorten the trip if you don’t have enough time. Please let us know! |
| Cost per person: | From $1399 USD per person based on double-occupancy depending on dates and hotels chosen. This package can be customized and in so many ways. Please enter your information on our booking form and let us come up with a price quote for you. |
| Includes: | ● Airport transfers (with standard hotel choice; may be extra with different hotel choices) ● Microbus Transportation to/from all destinations ● Three nights of lodging at Colours Oasis Resort in San Jose (two on arrival, one on departure) ● Three nights lodging in a King room at Hotel Villa Roca in Manuel Antonio ● Sail/Snorkel tour in Manuel Antonio ● Two nights lodging at Silencio del Campo in Arenal ● Night tour to the volcano view point ● Entrance to and dinner at Tabacón Hotsprings and Resort ● Whitewater river rafting on the Pacuare River incl breakfast & lunch ● Two nights lodging at Hotel Banana Azul in Puerto Viejo ● Breakfast daily at all standard hotels (other hotels may not include breakfast) ● All taxes ● Gecko Trail service charge |
| Not included: | ● Supplement for single room or discount for triple/quad room ● Optional gratuities ● Modifications from standard base package are done simply on a cost basis – we deduct the cost of any services / hotels / destinations you don’t want and add the costs of those you do. |
Details on add-on trips
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Monteverde
| Duration: | One day/One night. Additional days can be added. |
| Cost per person: | From $95 per person as an add-on to package depending on hotel and dates chosen |
| Accommodations: | Includes accommodations at Arco Iris, Claro de Luna or similar. If you have a particular hotel request, let us know and we’ll advise if we can book that for you and what the price difference would be. |
| Includes: | ● Minibus transport from San Jose to Monteverde ● One night of lodging at a hotel in Monteverde (private bath, hot water, breakfast) ● Van/Boat/Van transportation to your Arenal hotel |
| Tour options: | ● Add guided hike of Monteverde Cloud Forest ● Add Sky Adventures canopy/zipline tour including hotel pickup |
| Not included: | ● Supplement for single room |
Tortuguero
| Duration: | Two days/One night. Additional days can be added. |
| Cost per person: | Standard room with swimming pool and open buffet meals from $175 per person if you choose shuttle transportation for the main package. Otherwise $219 per person Additional nights can be added, select your preferred stay on the reservation form for pricing. There is no single supplement for the Tortuguero add-on. |
| The 2 day/1 night package Includes: | ● Transportation from Puerto Viejo with drop-off in San Jose ● One night of lodging ● Five great meals (2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner) ● Two canal tours in the national park, in search of a close up view of the wildlife. ● One guided hike in the national park ● One trip to the interesting town of Tortuguero with a visit to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation. |
| Not Included: | ● National park entrance fees ● Optional night turtle tour (July-October) ● Alcoholic beverages |
Bocas del Toro
| Duration: | 2 days/1 night or 3 days/2 nights. |
| Important Note: | We cannot confirm your booking until we have received the complete passport info for ALL passengers. Not providing this info in a timely manner will be treated as a no-show |
| Cost per person: | 2 day/1 night package: from $195.00 p/p (economy/midrange) or $235.00 p/p (luxury) 3 day/2 night package: from $285.00 p/p (economy/midrange) or $335.00 p/p (luxury) Note – Rates are not valid for holiday seasons. |
| Includes: | • Return transportation from Puerto Viejo area hotels to Colon Island or Isla Solarte in Bocas del Toro, Panama • One or two nights of lodging in one of our partner hotels • Local activity or one day tour to Cayo Zapatillo • Gecko Trail Costa Rica service charge |
| Not Included: | • Exit and entry fees to be paid on both sides of the border (calculate another $16 for round trip) • Bocas airport departure tax for those choosing the return to San Jose by air option • Single supplement if single room(s) needed • Transportation from and to tour(s) |
| What to Bring: | Bathing suit, sunglasses, sunscreen, towel, Passport and onward ticket leaving Costa Rica (or Panama if you are ending the tour there) for border crossing |