Small Group Wildlife Tour departs 16 Jan 2027

2 nts San Jose, 3 nts Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 2 nts Tortuguero, 2 nts Sarapiqui, 3 nts Tenorio, 3 nts Osa Peninsula

Overview

In this Small Group Wildlife tour, you will be joined by a naturalist guide. After a day exploring the capital San Jose, this tour will take you to explore some of the best areas of Costa Rica to see a range of different wildlife and bird species, this tour visits the Caribbean coast and the Pacific coast and includes Caribbean lowlands, Arenal volcano region and the jewel of Costa Rica the Osa Peninsula and seeing a range of different ecosystems. We begin this tour on the southern Caribbean coast where we visit the Cahuita National Park, hiking through this stunning park where beautiful beaches are nestled in tropical forest we can see two and three toed sloths, green iguanas, basilisk lizards, howler and capuchin monkeys, eyelash pit vipers, green and black poison dart frogs and many different bird species including the keel billed toucan and the collared aracari. We have time to relax on the Punta Uva beach, kayak on river or cycle bikes to the Manzanilla reserve, or visit the excellent volunteer run Jaguar Rescue Center, no jaguars, but plenty of other rescued animals that are released into back into the wild. The area is renowned for beautiful beaches, protected forests and an abundance of wildlife and birds, particularly sloths.

We then transfer by road and boat along the canals to Tortuguero to explore another unique eco-system. Here we explore the canals by boat to observe capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, great green macaws, toucans, parrots and caimans, our guide will take us into the narrower tributaries so that we are able to get closer to the wildlife. We then head inland to Sarapiqui in the Caribbean lowlands, an area with huge biodiversity, where a night walk is a must and an opportunity to see glass frogs, red eyed tree frogs, snakes and spiders. We also visit the Selva Biological Centre and do a night bat walk at Tirimbina.

You will then head to remote and off the beaten track Tenorio National Park, known for its lush landscape, rich wildlife and turquoise waterfalls. You will explore the National Park, hoping to see white-faced monkeys, anteaters, tapirs, and peccaries as well as exotic bird species like trogons and the three-wattled bellbird. You will also visit Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge in search of great natural scenery full of birds, reptiles and some mammals, among others.

A final stay is on the Osa Peninsula where we will spend time at Sirena Station deep in the Corcovado National Park where we may see tapir, anteaters, squirrel monkeys, scarlet macaws, fiery-billed aracaris, chestnut mandible toucans, howler monkeys and capuchin monkeys among many other wildlife species. Our trip will finish with a boat trip to Cano Island where we snorkel and hope to see stingrays, eagle rays, possibly manta rays, white tipped reef sharks and an array of tropical, brightly coloured reef fish such as sergeant majors and angelfish.

This small group tour is ideal if you are interested in visiting a range of different ecosystems on both the Pacific and Caribbean coast, culminating in Costa Rica's wildlife jewel, the Osa Peninsula. Key species we will be hoping to observe include the Scarlet Macaw and the Great Green Macaw, all five types of monkey, Mantled Howler, White Faced Capuchin, Squirrel and Spider, and Three Toed Sloths, Keel Billed Toucans, Collared Aracaris, Crested Guans, Montezuma Oropendulas, Red Eyed Tree Frogs, Poison Dart Frogs, Glass Frogs, bats, snakes, iguanas, caiman and lizards, plus many more. Accommodation will be comfortable but not luxury, the tour will be accompanied by a guide and with a maximum of 10 people. **Option to extend a few nights to stay in the cloudforest at San Gerardo de Dota famous for Resplendent Quetzal sightings year round.

Price Guide

15 nights from £4,995 per person based on Double occupancy

These prices are excluding international flights. Average flight prices vary depending on time of year and can be considerably more expensive at peak times (Christmas, Easter, Summer). Flight routes vary, please contact us for accurate flight pricing for your timings and place of departure.

Call for specialist advice

020 8274 8510

Day to Day

Below is an example day by day itinerary

Day 1

Met on arrival at the international airport and transferred to your hotel in San Jose. Overnight Hotel Bougainvillea.

Day 2

Today you will visit downtown San Jose, where you can find most of the city’s museums including the excellent Gold Museum, the National Theatre, and several plazas. Enjoy a half day in the city learning about its history and culture. Visit the principal monuments of the capital, parks, the heart of San José, and some of the government buildings. Hotel Bougainvillea (B).

Day 3

Transferred in an air-conditioned vehicle to the southern Caribbean coast and to the beach to stay at Shawandha Lodge. Shawandha is a rustically comfortable lodge (no air-con) and is opposite a lovely stretch of beach, the hotel has a pool and the rooms are surrounded by tropical foliage where you may spot a toucan or a sloth. The area has a large population of sloths and a walk along the beach looking up should reveal a few. Overnight Shawandha Lodge (B).

Day 4

Today you will transfer with your guide to Cahuita National Park, you will take a hike through the forest and your guide will point out the wildlife and birds. You may see Two and Three Toed Sloths, White Faced Capuchin monkeys, Mantled Howlers, eyelash pitvipers, iguanas, blue crabs, basilisk lizards, raccoons, paca and a chance to see a Northern Tamandua. Birds that can be observed include Keel Billed Toucan, Green Ibis, Yellow Crowned Night Herons, Golden Hooded Tanagers, Violaceous Trogons, Blue Gray Tanager, Squirrel Cuckoo and many more. Overnight Shawandha Lodge(B).

Day 5

Day at leisure. *Optional excursions could include kayaking at Punta Uva, this gorgeous tropical beach is backed with palms and mangroves and your kayak trip will take you through the mangroves along the river where the area has an abundance of wildlife and birds. Alternatively you could take bikes and cycle to the beach or into town, take a trip to Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, visit the indigenous Bribri community or visit the Jaguar Rescue Center, although there are no jaguars here, this volunteer rescue and rehabilitation centre will give you a talk on their work and you can see close up the injured monkeys and sloths, plus other species that are at the centre. Many species are able to be released back into the wild after rescue. Overnight Shawandha Lodge (B).

Day 6

Early transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle to Moin, where you will take a private boat to Tortuguero. Travelling along the canals your guide will point out any interesting birds or wildlife on the way to your hotel. Overnight Pachira Lodge (BLD).

Day 7

This morning you will take a guided walk through the trails at the lodge, where you may see red eyed tree frogs and poison dart frogs, iguanas, monkeys and sloths. Keel Billed Toucans may be spotted and look out for the Great Green Macaw, although endangered in Costa Rica, Tortuguero is a place to spot flying over the jungle. After lunch you will take a boat ride into the Tortuguero National Park and along some of the canals where your guide will help you spot caimans, White faced Capuchins and Mantled Howler Monkeys swinging through the dense jungle foliage alongside the canals. Birds such as the Agami Heron, Yellow Crowned Night Heron and the Bare Throated Tiger Heron can be spotted alongside American Pygmy Kingfishers and Green Kingfishers. *Optional excursions can include kayaking on the canals, night walks and self guided trails. Overnight Pachira Lodge (BLD).

Day 8

Transferred by boat and then air-conditioned vehicle to Sarapiqui. The region is a Caribbean tropical lowland forest and is a region of high biodiversity. In the evening you will have a guided night walk where you may have the chance to see a variety of frogs, including the translucent glass frog, plus snakes, bats and sleeping birds (closed shoes definitely required!). Overnight at Hacienda La Isla Boutique (B).

Day 9

Today you will be transferred to the nearby La Selva Research Station for an early morning bird tour. La Selva Research Station offers 1,600 hectares of primary rainforest and lowland tropical forest with boasting a large number of plants, mammals (72 of them bats), numerous birds, amphibians and reptiles. After the tour you will return to the hotel and will have some free time to relax in the gardens of the hotel or explore the local area. In the evening you will have an evening bat tour at neighbouring Tirimbina. The bat tour is one of the centre's ecotourism program and is a highly recommended tour (favourite among previous Naturally Costa Rica guests). There are 113 different species of bats in Costa Rica which represents 50% of the mammals in Costa Rica. During the evening presentation you will learn about the natural history of bats, and see first hand how the researchers capture the bats with snare nets to conduct research. You have the opportunity to observe bats at close hand and at the end of the tour they will be released. Overnight at Hacienda La Isla Boutique (B).

Day 10

Today you will transfer to the remote and off the beaten track Tenorio National Park, known for its lush landscape, incredible and diverse wildlife and turquoise waterfalls. Overnight Celeste Mountain Lodge (B).

Day 11

Today you will visit Tenorio National Park, which is located in the volcanic mountain range in Guanacaste and is home to lowland mountain rain forests, tropical wet forest, and the very wet premontane forest. Its highest point measures 6,289 ft. above sea level. Some of the more prominent plant species include palm trees, ferns, bromeliads, and orchids. White-faced monkeys, anteaters, tapirs, and peccaries, as well as exotic bird species like trogons and the three-wattled bellbird, are sighted here. Overnight Celeste Mountain Lodge (B).

Day 12

Enjoy a guided tour to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge which is close to the border with Nicaragua. A boat tour for 3 hours will enable you to see a variety of species including two and three toed sloths, spider, howler and white faced capuchin monkeys, iguanas and caimans. There are also many resident and migratory species of birds in this area, including the endangered Jabiru, the largest bird in Central America. Overnight Celeste Mountain Lodge (B).

Day 13

Transferred early by air-conditioned vehicle to San Jose domestic airport where you will take a propeller flight to Drake Bay airstrip on the Osa Peninsular where you will be met and will take a boat trip along the coastline to your hotel. Drake Bay Wilderness Lodge is a small lodge surrounded by rainforest, with a beautiful view over the calm waters of Drake Bay. The Osa is one of the most biologically diverse areas of Costa Rica. The lodge is well situated for exploring the Corcovado National Park and Cano Island Marine Park. Overnight Drake Bay Wilderness Lodge (BD)

Day 14

Today you will have a guided trip to Cano Island, a small, picturesque island off the coast from Drake Bay that has fantastic marine life and coral. You will snorkel around the island and will have the opportunity to see tropical reef fish such as sergeant majors, angel fish and parrotfish, as well as reef sharks, rays, turtles and even Manta rays. Dolphins can often be seen on the boat ride to the island and the occasional whale can be seen in January passing along the coastline. *Optional excursions at the lodge could include self guided hiking, mangrove boat trip and guided birdwatching. Overnight Drake Bay Wilderness Lodge (BLD).

Day 15

Today you will venture deep into the Corcovado National Park, firstly by boat trip around the peninsula to the Sirena Research Station. You will then take a guided hike from the station through the forest where your guide will point out the different rainforest flora, and you may have the opportunity to see anteaters, tapir, scarlet macaws, yellow-throated toucans, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys and sloths. If you are lucky, you may capture a glimpse of a puma or a jaguar. Overnight Drake Bay Wilderness Lodge (BLD).

Day 16

Depart on a small propeller flight back to San Jose from Drake Bay in time to check in for your international flight home. Alternatively, you can arrange an extension to the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota or the beach of Uvita or Manuel Antonio.