Tailor Made

Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Turtles and Quetzals

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value holiday

9 days: £984

Holiday Itinerary

Day 1: Your hotel in the centre of San José is the efficient Don Carlos, once a presidential residence.

Days 2,3:  By road and boat to Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast, a protected wilderness area of mangrove swamp, lagoons and creeks.  The park is one of the best places on the continent for wildlife spotting, home to spider, howler and white-faced monkeys, three-toed sloths, river otters, caimans, iguanas, poison dart frogs and 320 species of birds. Stay at the excellent Tortuga Lodge, a rustic place with good facilities, from where your naturalist guides will take you on a canoe trip through the rich tropical vegetation to get up close to the birds, mammals and reptiles.  Turtles hatch on the beach here July-September. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Days 4,5:  It is an adventurous trip by road, boat and light aircraft up into the hills to Monteverde Lodge, shrouded in unsullied cloudforest.  It’s a lovely place to relax, with excellent views over the lush gardens. There’s a guided foray into the surrounding woodland, and many other optional activities available from the lodge, such as bird-watching, hikes and horse-riding. You have a good chance of spotting the iconic Resplendent Quetzal showing off its jazzy green and red plumage. Day 4:  Breakfast and dinner included. day 5:  Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 6: In the afternoon, you’ll be driven to Esterillos Beach (3 ½ hrs) on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and your hotel, Xandari by the Pacific, right on the shell-strewn beach which is fringed with stately palms. You’ll stay in a villa at this upmarket resort, which has open-air dining, two pools, Jacuzzi, and a spa.  Breakfast and lunch included

Days 7,8: Relax and enjoy the gardens and the beach  (renowned for surfing, but bathers need to beware strong currents). The hotel offers various excursions including rafting, horse-riding and surfing lessons. Breakfast included.

Day 9:  Drive back to San José airport and your flight home. Breakfast included.

Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park

The Resplendent Quetzal
The Resplendent Quetzal

Sunset at Esterillos Beach
Sunset at Esterillos Beach

View more imagesTortuga Lodge, Tortuguero National ParkMonteverde Lodge

 
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