Day 1 : San José
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and explore the city. As it is located in the central highlands, San José enjoys a moderate climate.
Amid the hustle and bustle, San José has beautiful parks, museums and the ornate Costa Rica National Theatre downtown. Enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains from the downtown streets.
The central plaza is a good place to people-watch. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere.
Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
1h
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.
Acommodation
Boutique Hotel Casa Las Orquideas
Acommodation
Boutique Hotel Casa Las Orquideas
Day 2 : San José/San Isidro
Travel by local bus over the highest mountain pass in the country. Arrive in the valley of San Isidro de El General and take a walk in the main plaza.
Spend the day visiting some shops and stock up before the next day's trek into the jungle. Located near three rivers and Costa Rica's highest mountain, Mt Chirripó, this region is well-known but few travelers stay to find out why.
Please note it will be necessary to repack your bags according to the packing list provided for our excursion to Piedras Blancas as it is an early departure on the morning of Day 3.
Local Bus
San José - San Isidro 3h - 4h
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Free time:
San Isidro Afternoon
A free afternoon allows you the chance to explore the main square, located around three kilometres from the hotel, and get geared up for tomorrow’s hiking adventure.
Acommodation
San Isidro Hotel
Acommodation
San Isidro Hotel
Day 3 : San Isidro/Piedras Blancas
Embark on a three-day, three-night excursion with a locally owned and operated adventure company to the community of Piedras Blancas, found in the heart of the Zona de los Santos region.
The journey is always half the fun! Travel in the back of a pickup truck through lush green landscapes and end in the small town of Brujo. Enjoy a 4-hour hike to a jungle homestay while spotting tropical fauna and plenty of wildlife along the way.
We will be welcomed with open arms and a much needed home-cooked meal at a local family home. The night will be spent eating, sharing stories of the day’s trek, and playing cards with the family members around the stove.
Pickup Truck
San Isidro - Brujo 2h
Hop into the back and ride along to the next destination.
Jungle Trekking to Piedras Blancas
Brujo - Piedras Blancas 6h
Ready for a challenge? Gear up and head off for a six-hour trek through the jungle. Local English-speaking guides will point out flora and fauna and spot birds and wildlife in the thick forest canopy. Trek up, down, and around rocks and roots. During rainy season (May-Nov), bring walking sticks to support you in the slippery mud.
Save your energy for 'la cuesta roja' (the red hill) -- 20-30 minutes of an uphill slog. The payoff? Howler monkeys and toucans as travel companions.
Acommodation
Lopez Homestay
Acommodation
Lopez Homestay
Meals Included:
Lunch | Dinner
Day 4 : Piedras Blancas
Experience life in a remote community in and around a local family farm.
Wake up with the sun today and get ready for loads of activities. Enjoy a delicious traditional Costa Rican breakfast to start the day off right. In small groups, make 'dulce' (candy) at the family's traditional 'trapiche' (sugar cane mill). Cool off in the river that flows right by the house while the sugar simmers over the fire and lunch is being prepared.
Hike one hour to another household and stay the night. While there, local guides and members of the family will explain how to make fresh cheese and breads, play card games and enjoy tasty traditional Tico cooking. Once the evening winds down, head to bed for a well-deserved rest.
Sugarcane Candy Making
Piedras Blancas
Roll up your sleeves and get ready for a nice arm workout! Using the traditional 'trapiche', a mill made of wooden rollers that helps draw out juices from the sugarcane, work those muscles to feed through the homegrown sugarcane and extract the sweet sugar. Let the sugar simmer over the fire and take a much-deserved break to cool down in the river and explore a 100-foot waterfall nearby. Towel off and get ready for lunch and try some of the sweet candy your hard work went into for a tasty treat afterwards.
Bread Making
Piedras Blancas
Enter a traditional community kitchen and get to know the techniques and practises involved in making local style bread as well as getting to sample the results of the the hard work at the stove.
Acommodation
Granados Homestay
Optional Activities - Day 4
Harness your inner Tarzan and Jane and plunge into the river with lush forest all around.
Acommodation
Granados Homestay
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 5 : Piedras Blancas
Travel across the Savegre River to the next homestay with an included medicinal plant walk.
Start the day with a delicious home-cooked breakfast and fortify for the two-hour hike through the rainforest to tonight's home stay retreat. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the rushing waterfall directly in front of the dining area. Watch wildlife and hummingbirds up close. Reward yourself homemade chocolate made from cocoa beans collected right from the garden.
Hike to a local family home stay
Piedras Blancas 2h
Hike through the rainforest for two hours to reach the home of tonight's host family. Stop along the watch to bird-watch, learn about unique plants and breathe in the pure jungle air.
Chocolate Making
Piedras Blancas
There are few things more delicious in the world than chocolate. See this coveted treat produced from bean to bar. From the nearby cacao plant to your mouth, enjoy the tasty benefits of 'eating local'.
Acommodation
Fonseca Homestay
Acommodation
Fonseca Homestay
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 6 : Piedras Blancas/Dominical
Raft the Savegre River and relax at the end of the day by stretching out on the beach. Try the local seafood at an optional group dinner.
Today is a full, action-packed day. Set your alarm for an early morning start and a two-hour hike back to Brujo where we jump into rafts and head off on the Savegre River.
Paddle toward the Pacific coast, then take a van to Dominical. Spend the rest of the day at the local bungalows, in the swimming pool or walking along the beach.
Bags are taken to our overnight stop in Dominical, while the activities continue with a rafting excursion. While in Dominical, accommodation is triple-share.
Hiking
Piedras Blancas - Brujo 2h
Wave 'adios' to your home stay host family and trek for two hours back through the jungle to the town of Brujo.
Savegre River Whitewater Rafting
Brujo 4h
What better way to get from A to B then taking the natural route along a scenic and exciting river? Buckle up your life jacket, grab a paddle and head off to raft the Class II - IV rapids of the Savegre River. Its water is considered some of cleanest in all of the Americas. Enjoy a natural high!
Private Vehicle
Savegre - Dominical 0h45m
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Acommodation
Hotel Villas Rio Mar
Acommodation
Hotel Villas Rio Mar
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Lunch
Day 7 : Dominical
Enjoy a free day in beautiful Dominical. Take a surf lesson, hike to a local waterfall for a swim, go on a whale watching cruise, or kick back and relax.
Get out there and get exploring!
Acommodation
Hotel Villas Rio Mar
Optional Activities - Day 7
Whale and Dolphin Watching
Uvita 3h - 4h
Humpback whales visit every year from mid-December to February and again mid-July to October and are magnificent creatures to spot. In addition, both bottlenose and Pacific-spotted dolphins are spotted year-round in the waters of Ballena Marine Park. Head out on a cruise to try to capture these beautiful animals, with your camera, of course.
Grab your swimsuit and get ready to hang ten! Learn how to find and ride the waves with surfing lessons from local experts. Enjoy the fresh sea air, and try to spot local marine life while enjoying the waters.
Acommodation
Hotel Villas Rio Mar
Day 8 : Dominical/Diamante Verde
Trek to a unique fully equipped cave with twin 26m (85 ft) waterfalls. Go swimming in three natural pools and explore surrounding trails.
Time to put the boots back on and hike to Catedral de Piedra ('Cathedral of Stone').
A free day for exploring the area, the local guides will plan a number of activities depending on the group’s interest and energy levels.
Options include a number of hikes to the surrounding falls, waterfall rappelling, cliff jumping and swimming in the natural pools.
Twin 85-foot waterfalls cascade over the cave accommodation. Don’t think tight spaces – this is what we call an open cave and you will have no trouble enjoying the surroundings. There are hand-crafted stone beds to sleep on, composting toilets and a fully working kitchen inside the cave itself.
Hike to La Catedral de Piedra
Diamante Verde 1h - 1h30m
Put on your hiking shoes, fill up your water bottles and set off on a two hour hike through ancient growth jungle. Feel the positive energy of the nearby Baru River which plummets 457m (1,500 ft) down a steep canyon to the Catedral de Piedra. This giant ledge carved into the cliff sits above the Diamante Falls -- Costa Rica's tallest waterfall at 183m (600 ft). No wonder this place is a sanctuary for shamans and those in need of healing vibrations.
Acommodation
Diamante Verde stay in Casa de Piedra
Optional Activities - Day 8
Grab your bathing suit and go for an invigorating swim at the base of this revitalizing waterfalls. This is nature at its most natural!
Acommodation
Diamante Verde stay in Casa de Piedra
Meals Included:
Lunch | Dinner
Day 9 : Diamante Verde/Uvita
Enjoy a morning of waterfall rappelling before trekking out of the jungle and travelling to beautiful seaside Uvita. Opt to surf, whale-watch, horseback-ride or kick back and relax.
Wake up early and set off on foot back to Las Tumbas. At the trail's end, hop in a private van and enjoy the ride to Uvita, a small beach town on the southwestern Pacific coast.
Take some much deserved time to rest and relax.
Rappelling near Diamante Falls
Diamante Verde
Use ropes and scramble down through pools and waterfalls. Keep an eye out for wildlife as you descend down through the waterfalls strapped securely in your harness.
Hike from La Catedral de Piedra
Diamante Verde
Return rejuvenated from La Catedral de Piedra and hike through jungles, over rock, in rivers and around waterfalls to Las Tumbas.
Private Vehicle
Diamante Verde - Uvita 1h
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Acommodation
Hotel Luz De Luna
Acommodation
Hotel Luz De Luna
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Day 10 : Uvita
Spend the morning swimming, relaxing, and watching humpback whales off the coast of Ballena Marine National Park, before enjoying free time in Uvita.
This is a perfect day for some quality hammock time. Still need to move? There's lots to do. Take a surf lesson, horseback ride, snorkel, SCUBA dive or take a trip to nearby Caño Island.
Ballena Marine National Park Visit
Uvita
Ballena Marine National Park is set along a 15km stretch of coastline on the Pacific, with incredible water for snorkelling and swimming. With the largest coral reef on the Pacific Coast in Central America, this is the perfect spot to grab some fins or enjoy time to relax on the beach. This park also has prime humpback whale viewing as they migrate through the region between Dec and April.
Unwind on the beach or try one of the many activities available in Uvita.
Acommodation
Hotel Luz De Luna
Optional Activities - Day 10
Rent a mask and fins and head underwater to check out the marine life under thriving in the warm waters off this southern Pacific coast. Take a half-day trip to Marino Ballena National Park, watch for whales, dolphins and sea turtles, then jump overboard and see a spectacular variety of fish.
Set off by boat, admire the rugged coastline, and in 15 minutes, arrive at Marino Ballena National Park. Suit up in scuba gear and explore the diverse underwater world. See a large variety of reef fish as well as underwater pinnacles and coral covered in sea fans.
Throw on some long pants, grab the reins and hop up on a well-trained horse. Trail ride through the tropical forest and across the area’s most beautiful landscape. Look for toucans in the trees and admire the ocean views. Visit waterfalls and end your journey jogging your horse along the beach.
Caño Island Visit
Isla del Caño
Book a full day-trip to the protected marine reserve of Caño Island – popular with snorkellers, divers and anyone who appreciates beautiful beaches and trails that wind through mountainous untamed forests. Located 16km (10 mi) offshore from the Osa Peninsula, spend time hiking, beachcombing or just enjoying nature. Snorkel or scuba the clear waters, and see more than 100 species of fish, including barracuda, eels, white tip reef sharks, bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, and rays.
Acommodation
Hotel Luz De Luna
Day 11 : Uvita/San José
Transfer back to the capital for a final evening with the group.
Local Bus
Uvita - San José 5h
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Acommodation
Boutique Hotel Casa Las Orquideas
Acommodation
Boutique Hotel Casa Las Orquideas
Day 12 : San José
Depart at any time.
Depart from San José at any time.
