7-Day Costa Rica Eco Adventure

Day 1 You'll See:

Day 2 You'll See:

Day 3 You'll See:

Day 4 You'll See:

  • Pierella Ecological Garden 

Day 5 You’ll See:

Day 6 You’ll See:

Day 7 You’ll See:

High-flying eco-adventures, amazing Costa Rican views, and wildlife encounters you won't soon forget! This is the tour for adventure-seeking students!  

Day
1

San Jose -  San Jose, the bustling capital city of Costa Rica, is a densely populated Spanish Colonial city located within the Central Valley. The Spanish Colonial buildings lining the roads make the city both scenic and full of learning opportunities, several residences being WWII era or colonial mansions. The local businesses and people will provide you with the best insight to local traditions and culture as possible, with several traditional eateries, activities, and events allowing you to immerse yourself into the community. The city is also full of various parks, art galleries, and museums, some of which include the highly popular National Theatre of Costa Rica, Plaza de la Cultura, Precolumbian Gold Museum, Morazan Park, Central Park, and the Jade Museum.

Day
2

Braulio Carrillo National Park - Located within both the Heredia and San Jose Provinces, the gorgeous and expansive Braulio Carrillo National Park will provide your group with unforgettable views, activities, and ecological knowledge.nOver 500 species of birds such as quetzals, antpittas, snowcaps, trogons, and hummingbirds call Braulio home, the variations of birds changing with the elevation throughout (36 meters to 2900 meters). The same can be said about the 150 mammal species within, some of the most widely spotted being the howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, and pacas. To get a better view of the flora and fauna world within taking an aerial tram ride in an open gondola or perhaps take any of the many hiking trails, each of varying length and difficulty. 

Guapiles - Known as the ‘country’s gateway to the Caribbean Coast and Central Highlands’, the village of Guapiles will warmly welcome your group with several different shopping, eating, and lodging opportunities. This spot is close to many different national parks and ecological reserves, so it is typically always busy with ecotourists looking for a place to rest their heads for the night. Shopping and dining are popular activities here for both tourists and locals, especially on Saturdays during the Agriculture Market. Within the area of Guapiles itself be sure to try the Rainforest Aerial Trams or head to El Zota Biological Field Station, both excellent eco-adventures your group will love!

Day
3

Tortuguero - Both a popular national park and Village, Tortuguero is an area on the Northern Caribbean coast within the Limon province. The village is the namesake of the park, both named after one main aspect of this coastline area: turtles! Guests from around the world make it here each year for the turtle nesting and hatching season, the peak time to come view during July and August. Your group can spot Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, or even river turtles nesting here, or hatching if it is past their 10 week incubation period.The national park provides guests with a bevy of eco-adventure delights, from boat tours to views from the top of Tortuguero Hill. Within the confines of the park and village, you can also take a Turtle Tour, Sports Fishing Journey, Night walk, Birdwatching walk, or even Village Tour.

Sea Turtle Conservancy Museum - A trip to Tortuguero would be remiss without a stop at one of the most notable conservation attractions along the coast, the Sea Turtle Conservancy Museum (Caribbean Conservation Corporation). This small museum and conservation center allows guests to learn all about different species of sea turtles that nest and lay eggs on surrounding beaches, this area being one of the most populated during peak spawning season. Your group will learn all about the lifespans, habitats, and behaviors of these turtles through exhibits, films, and personal observation if you are lucky you will be visiting during peak season, which is typically July through August.

Day
4

Pierella Ecological Garden - Located in the Heredia province, more specifically in Horquetas, the Pierella Ecological Garden will provide your group with some of the best examples of Costa Rican diversity in both plant and animal life. Pierella allows groups to explore the biological diversity of the environment through wildlife observation and lessons, the site holding such regular residents as white bats, tropical parrots, three-toed sloths, orange woodpeckers, wild pigs, and poisonous frogs. There are bird watching tours, wildlife spotting treks, forays into the local butterfly farming project, and so much more here, Pierella being one of the most beloved refuges for local Costa Rican species.

Day
5

Arenal Volcano National Park - Arenal Volcano National Park is a northern Costa Rican must see, a massive expanse of land (29,692-acre) that holds iconic hot springs, an active volcano, and extremely diverse wildlife populations. The geographical and biological complexity within these areas is simply astounding.Arenal Volcano itself stands at 5,357 feet tall, considered to be the most active volcano in the country today. Arenal has seen a steady lava flow since 1968, whereas the volcanos neighbor, Chato Volcano, has been inactive for 3,500 years, today a serene lagoon area.While here your group can explore the Las Coladas Trail, taking you through the winding forest and through the cooled lava fields. Pass the aforementioned crater of the dormant Cerro Chato Volcano or head to gorgeous Lake Arenal to see the spot where 12% of Costa Rica’s hydroelectric energy comes from. 

Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort - Whether your group wants to spend the night or just visit for a day, Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort will be your number one Arenal hot springs destination. Tabacon is known as 'Arenal's largest and most beautiful private rainforest reserve', the resort sitting right in between Arenal Volcano and Arenal Volcano National Park. Even the ride into the resort will be an exciting experience, taking your group further and further into the lush jungle and immersing you into the sights, smells, and sounds of the rainforest along the way.Here at Tabacon Resort, you will find 5 main springs, each with highly mineralized water heated underground by magma. Thousands of gallons of this water flow each minute here, feeding the Tabacon River and dozens of waterfalls along the way.

Day
6

Monteverde Cloud Forest - Monteverde Cloud Forest is a reserve right along the Cordillera de Tilaran, a natural reserve sitting within both the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces of Costa Rica. This reserve is ‘one of the most developed and well-maintained natural attractions in Costa Rica’, a sprawling tropical forest filled with diverse plant and animal life.  Here there is always a thick layer of fog within the upper canopy, the moisture condensing onto the jungle below, allowing for some of the most impressive biodiversity in the country.Explore the 8 different life zones within the 35,089-acre area, Monteverde holding an overall total of over 100 mammal species, 400 bird species, 1200 amphibians and reptile species, and countless plants species. There are over 8 miles of trails to explore on your own or with a naturalist, as well as various other nearby attractions like the Butterfly Farms, Insect Museums, hanging bridges, aerial tram tours, and zip lines.

Day
7

Selvatura Adventure Park - This park is dedicated to giving guests the chance to experience the cloud forest through fun and adventurous activities such as zip lining and aerial path walking.Located within the northwest Puntarenas province, Selvatura Adventure Park, or sometimes also referred to as the Monteverde Nature Center, provides you with ‘one of the finest canopy tour in the country’, presenting your group with a web of connecting cables and platforms up in the treetops. The canopy tours and walkways take up a total of about 1200 aerial acres, with 15 cables and 18 viewing platforms total. That’s over 2 miles of aerial adventure to be had! The best part? You will be doing this all within the cloud forest itself, not above it, so you will be immersed, in all senses of the word, into Monteverde’s Cloud Forest. 

Santa Elena -A popular stopover for tourists along the way, the village of Santa Elena will serve as your dining and lodging one stop shop for the day. Santa Elena is located within northern Puntarenas in the Tilaran Cordillera, just a few kilometers from Monteverde reserve. Within this small village, you will find a humble downtown area holding a variety of luxury and budget hotels and lodges, basic township services (police office, post office, bank), and local eating options. Some popular eatery options here include Taco Taco, Sabor Tico, and Beso Espresso.  Supermarkets, general stores, and tour offices allow you to stock up for all your next adventures, the latter of which offers horseback riding tours, hiking and canopy tours, and the very popular Santa Elena Skywalk tour.