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Private Journeys

Value Costa Rica: The essential highlights

12 days from £1,960pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Costa Rica

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Overview & Highlights

An economical holiday including the top experiences: boating through tropical mangroves on the Caribbean, exploring volcanic landscapes and lodging in mountain cloud-forest before lazing on a Pacific coast beach.

This short budget holiday saves you money by using modern, shared minibuses for transport between hotels. Combine outdoor adventures with beach wind-down time on the Pacific coast. Costa Rica is bursting with an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna and its people are among the friendliest in Latin America. The comprehensive network of national parks with their extensive trails is very accessible.


Begin your adventure visiting the Caribbean jungle waterways and mangrove forests of the wildlife-rich Tortuguero reserve. Move on to discover the densely packed canopy in the Monteverde cloud forest, with its rich bird and animal life in view; then walk the hanging bridges in the shadow of the picture-perfect Arenal Volcano. After this, travel to the Pacific coast and stay at a beach resort close to  a coastal national park for a couple of days’ relaxation.

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  • Discover the waterways of Tortugero
  • Explore the jungles and cloud forest of Arenal and Monteverde
  • Relax on the Pacific Coasts beaches

THE UK’S NO. 1 SPECIALIST IN TRAVEL TO LATIN AMERICA

Kathryn

Kathryn Rhodes

Travel Expert

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Outline itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in San José. Transfer to your hotel.

Day 2

By road and boat to Tortuguero Jungle Reserve.

Day 3

Wildlife spotting in Tortuguero National Park.

Day 4

By river and road to San José, overnight.

Day 5

Transfer by shuttle bus to Monteverde.

Day 6

Self-guided exploration to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Day 7

Transfer by shuttle bus to Arenal volcano area.

Day 8

Excursions to the hanging bridges.

Day 9

Transfer by shuttle bus to hotel on the Pacific coast.

Days 10-11

At leisure on the beach.

Day 12

Shuttle bus to San José airport for international flight home.
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Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

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See giant leatherback turtles nesting at Tortuguero
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Spot quetzals in the cloud forest
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Nature trail across Arenal’s hanging bridges
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Tortuguero kayaking and wildlife-spotting trip

Accommodation

Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.

Hotel Presidente

Costa Rica / San Jose, central highlands and central valleys

Presidente

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
Aerial view of Aninga Lodge

Costa Rica / Caribbean coast

Aninga Lodge

Volcano Lodge

Costa Rica / Arenal and the north

Volcano Lodge

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
Villa Bosque

Costa Rica / Pacific coast

Villa Bosque

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
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What our clients say

  • I can't think of anything to improve on the itinerary.  As I had an extra five nights at the beginning and three nights at the end, I was able to…

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  • We have toured the USA, Europe and China before but the experience we had with JLA was the by far and away the best we've ever had!

  • “Having previously travelled to Patagonia on a Classic tour we knew what the standards are and didn't consider anyone else. Our confidence was fully justified.”

  • Jam packed itinerary with so many great places and sights in such a short time! Iguacu Falls, Rio, La Paz, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu- it really had it all.…

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  • The Central American trip was excellent - really interesting to see the contrast in the countries. Could have spent longer in each country, but then that would have made the…

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  • Overall the Tangara trip was well structured, if a little hectic moving on every two nights. It achieved its main objectives and we saw fascinating parts of South America that…

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Our Expert's Opinion

Kathryn
Kathryn Rhodes Travel Expert Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.
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Inspired by this trip

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

Get in touch Meet our experts
  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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