Treks and Hikes in Costa Rica
Natural Sites and Exploration

Welcome to Costa Rica!

Your driver will be waiting for you at Juan Santamaria International Airport, near San José, at an elevation of 1,150 meters in the heart of the Central Valley, to take you to your hotel. Overnight stay at the Aranjuez Hotel.

Standard Room.

Route from San Jose to Sarapiqui. Pick up your rental car

Note: You’ll find all the information about your vehicle in the “Other Services” section of your quote. Once behind the wheel, you’ll set off to explore the country while staying connected thanks to our in-car Wi-Fi hotspot.

– Mandatory insurance included

– Rental of a Wi-Fi hotspot in your vehicle to enjoy an internet connection during your trips. Connect up to 5 devices; data usage included. This activity gives you the opportunity to learn how to cook traditional Costa Rican dishes.

Guided by members of the local community, you’ll have the chance to interact with them, sample their local cuisine, and help prepare fresh fruit juices, empanadas, tortillas, picadillos (sautéed mixed vegetables), patacones (fried green plantains)…. and more!

After all that hard work, it’s time to relax: you’ll, of course, get to taste what you’ve just cooked!

Note: Approximately 1.5 hours. Overnight stay with a local family.

Dinner included.

For two hours, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the life of a farmer in Sarapiqui.

Between milking cows, planting local vegetables (yucca, corn, plantains, peppers), and other daily chores, you’ll have the chance to interact with the local community.

There’s no better way to fully immerse yourself in Costa Rican life! Visit Don Alvaro’s farm, located in Ángeles de Río Cuarto, where he has been taking in local animals—including many macaws—for the past 25 years to care for them.

This visit will also give you a better understanding of the daily life of a local farmer. Overnight stay with a local family.

Dinner included.

Make your own souvenirs!

With the help of a local expert, learn how to make jewelry using seeds from the rainforest and other traditional items, all made from local materials…. Then take your creation home with you!

Note: All materials are provided. Departure for the Costa Rican Caribbean coast.

Along the way, you’ll stop in Limón, the capital of the province of the same name. The bustling port of Moín frequently welcomes cruise ships; it’s also where bananas are packed for shipment to Europe.

Check in at the hotel near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a colorful village nestled between the sea and the mountains, which owes its charm to its residents who live in brightly painted wooden houses, some of which are perched on stilts.

Note: Approximately a 4-hour drive. Overnight stay at the Posada Rural Casa Calateas.

Basic accommodations

A day dedicated to meeting the Bribri people in the heart of the Talamanca Range.

You’ll meet your Bribri guide in the village of Bambu, who will accompany you through his lands. The adventure begins with a canoe trip down the Yorkin River along the border between Costa Rica and Panama, as you discover the surrounding flora and fauna and learn about the river’s importance to the local community.

Upon arrival at the Yorkin landing, you’ll set off on foot to the village, where you’ll be welcomed with refreshments prepared by the Bribri people. Your guide will introduce you to the community’s activities and cultural norms. You’ll be invited to explore the surrounding trails through organic cacao and banana plantations.

A meal will be served, and then, during the afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the surrounding jungle, learn about their knowledge of medicinal plants, and discover the ancestral use of bows and arrows.

Finally, you’ll visit the “cacao house,” where you’ll see a demonstration of how chocolate is traditionally made!

Note: This tour is not available on Saturdays.

Duration: Approximately 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Don’t forget: comfortable walking shoes, sandals, a swimsuit and towel, an extra change of clothes if needed, sunscreen, a hat or cap, a bottle of water, insect repellent, a camera, binoculars, and a waterproof bag to protect your belongings during boat excursions. Other suggested activities—please contact us:

– Gandoca Manzanillo Reserve (hiking, wildlife, flora, swimming, dolphins)

– Wildlife viewing (leatherback turtles, dolphins, birds, sloths, iguanas)

– Visits to animal sanctuaries (sloths, jaguars)

– Sport fishing or traditional fishing

– Agricultural plantations (cacao, bananas, etc.) and botanical gardens

– Surfing, biking, kayaking, horseback riding

– Scuba diving (Punta Uva, Manzanillo) Overnight stay at Posada Rural Casa Calateas.

Basic accommodations

Cahuita National Park

You’ll alternate between hiking through lush tropical vegetation and relaxing and swimming in the Caribbean Sea.

In addition to seeing medicinal plants and orchids, you’re sure to encounter snakes, sloths, various types of monkeys, agoutis, coatis, and toucans along the way.

Note: Admission to the park is by voluntary donation, which you can pay on site. Overnight stay at Posada Rural Casa Calateas.

Basic accommodations

Departure for the Turrialba Valley, whose surroundings are renowned for their fresh air and whitewater rafting.

Along the way, there is an opportunity to visit the Guayabo National Monument, one of the few archaeological sites unearthed in Costa Rica. This still-mysterious 218-hectare site, located on the southern slope of the Turrialba Volcano, is of great cultural and religious significance. Inhabited from 1,500 B.C. to 1,400 A.D., Guayabo is believed to have been home to as many as 10,000 people before being abandoned for unknown reasons.

Turrialba National Park, meanwhile, has been closed for several years due to volcanic activity. However, for hiking enthusiasts, numerous trails remain accessible, so the region’s appeal remains undiminished.

Note: Approximately 3 to 4 hours by car; approximately 165 km. Dinner on site.

Overnight stay in a guest room at Finca Integral Dikla.

Set out on a hike through the heart of the Balalaica Biological Corridor, which is protected by local residents. There is also a project to reintroduce endangered species.

After a brief explanation from your guide about the history and objectives of this project, you’ll set off on foot through the Costa Rican countryside.

Duration: Approximately 2 hours of walking. Lunch on site.

Overnight stay in a bed-and-breakfast at Finca Integral Dikla.

Guided tour of CATIE, a research and learning center for tropical agriculture.

Agronomists from around the world consider it one of the most important agricultural research stations in the tropics.

Visitors can explore various agricultural projects, including laboratories, greenhouses, seed banks, and experimental plots.

You’ll discover the variety of cultivated plants, as well as their respective uses (medicinal, stimulant, insecticide, ornamental, etc.). Departure for Providencia de Dota (1,500 meters above sea level), the land of the quetzal.

Along the way, you’ll cross Cerro de la Muerte (3,400 meters above sea level), named in memory of the farmers who froze to death while transporting their harvest to San José before the Pan-American Highway was built.

Free afternoon near Los Quetzales National Park (Los Santos Reserve), where you can enjoy the many off-the-beaten-path hiking opportunities at your leisure.

This mountainous region will delight birdwatchers as well as nature lovers and those seeking tranquility. You’ll discover lush vegetation and numerous bird species, including the iconic and mystical quetzal, as well as hummingbirds, trogons, and woodpeckers.

The region is also home to tapirs, which are currently being reintroduced.

Note: The drive from Turrialba to Providencia is 107 km; approximately a 3-hour drive. Arrival at 10:30 a.m. in the community of Los Santos.

You’ll be welcomed by Arellys, who will show you around the main house and your rooms (shared bathroom).

Around 11:00 a.m., you’ll set out with a member of the tour group for a hike along the ridges to explore the remote farm of Alejandro, a fish farmer.

After lunch there, take another walk to reach your transportation and explore the dam on the Pirris River.

Note: 3.5-hour walk during the day.

Overnight stay with a local family in the community of Los Santos

After breakfast, you’ll meet Bernie, who will reveal all the secrets of coffee to you.

You’ll then continue on foot to explore Eli’s small organic farm, where you’ll see both coffee plants and vegetables typical of the region.

Lunch on site.

In the afternoon, take a walk through the heart of the community.

Very early in the morning, departure for the Osa Peninsula via the Pan-American Highway through the towns of San Isidro de El General and Palmar Norte.

Welcome in Sierpe.

Note: Approximately 3.5-hour drive; approximately 1-hour boat ride

Important: You must arrive in Sierpe by 10:45 a.m. at the latest. Departure from Sierpe early in the morning for a 20-kilometer boat ride on the Sierpe River.

Your guide will then immerse you in the nature and culture of the Osa Peninsula, among crocodiles, monkeys, mangroves, and legends about the region’s gold deposits.

We’ll arrive around midday at Estero Guerra, where we’ll disembark and have lunch. Yency will then treat us to the traditional dishes she’s prepared: tequisque, arazá, corn tortillas, black bean purée, and more.

Then she’ll take us to see a small waterfall where we can swim. Return to the community, dinner, and overnight stay with a local family.

Note: Minimum of 4 people

Note: Rustic accommodations with single beds. Towels and soap provided. After breakfast, depart by minibus to reach the starting point of your hike.

Get ready for a 1,500-meter descent with views of the Pacific Ocean on the horizon.

You’ll stop near a river for lunch and to cool off or enjoy the hot springs.

The hike ends in the vicinity of Quepos.

Note: 3 to 4 hours of downhill hiking.

After a traditional breakfast, accompanied by Costa Rican coffee, we’ll set out on a 2-hour horseback ride, guided by Don Felipe.

Along the way, he’ll tell us about the region’s flora and fauna. We’ll also enjoy a beautiful view of the mouth of a small tributary and its mangroves.

Once we arrive in Progreso, where Don Felipe lives (ask him why the village is named that!), we’ll set out on a short hike through a primary forest. Then we’ll have lunch at Doña Marielos’s place.

After lunch, we’ll head to Los Planes de Drake, where we’ll spend the night.

Note: Please bring backpacks, not suitcases, for this part of the trip. Otherwise, the horses won’t be able to carry them.

Note 2: Overnight stay in a small, rustic but comfortable wooden hotel. Private bathroom. Towels and soap provided.

A half-day tour dedicated to exploring the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve, a site once considered sacred by the pre-Columbian Diquis people.

The seabed is perfect for snorkeling. In the warm offshore waters, dolphins, whales, and manta rays swim side by side.

Depending on the time of year, there may be an opportunity to take a short walk on the island.

In the afternoon, return to Drake by boat, followed by a transfer from Drake to Los Planes de Drake.

Afternoon at leisure.

Overnight in Los Planes de Drake.

Note: Overnight stay in a small, rustic but comfortable wooden hotel. Private bathroom. Towels and soap provided.

Then, continue the journey by car back to the Costa Rican capital via the Rio Grande de Terraba highway.

At the end of the day, check in at the hotel in San José.

Meals not included.

Note: approximately a 4- to 5-hour drive. This morning, depart for Drake Airport to catch the flight to San José. Overnight stay at the Aranjuez Hotel.

Standard Room.

A free day to enjoy the many attractions of Costa Rica’s capital—affectionately nicknamed “Chepe” by its residents—at your leisure.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore the famous Teatro Nacional, with its Baroque and Neoclassical architecture, renowned for the fresco on its ceiling depicting the coffee harvest; then you can stroll among the colorful stalls of the Central Market.

We also recommend visiting the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold (which houses a superb collection of ancient ornaments dating back to the year 500) and the Fidel Tristan Castro Jade Museum, founded in 1977 and showcasing the largest collection of pre-Columbian jade in the Americas. Transfer to the international airport three hours before your departure.

Meals not included.