Costa Rica Pura Vida!

Cloud Forest, Coastal Rainforest, and the Osa Peninsula

Request a brochure Start Planning My Trip

Overview

This custom trip is a standout for its incredible diversity of habitats and natural beauty. Explore the “Whale Tail” spit of Playa Uvita, Golfo Dulce’s tropical fjord and rainforest, the Osa Peninsula’s world-renowned biodiversity, and the lush coffee-growing region of the Central Valley. Connect directly with nature and culture on this immersive personalized journey to the essence of what makes Costa Rica so special. Pura Vida!

Costa Rica is a haven for wild things, from red orchid bees to resplendent quetzals and leafcutter ants to leatherback turtles. Traveling in the company of a professional naturalist guide and driver will keep you nicely removed from the usual tourist trail and deepen your exposure to, understanding of, and connection with the country’s diverse wildlife and environments.

Your luxurious eco lodges are gracious, harmonious, and exquisitely integrated into the surrounding nature. Most are set within large private reserves with miles of trails and close access to notable national parks including Los Quetzales, Marino Ballena, Piedras Blancas, and Corcovado.

Wake to the sounds of howler monkeys, sip your coffee on the verandah as a pair of scarlet macaws fly by, and take a dip under a jungle waterfall. This is genuine pura vida – the good life – with room to breathe and time to count your lucky stars.

Price From*

$9,850 USD
Trip Type

Custom-Made Travel
Best Months for Travel

January, February, March, April, December
Duration

14 days / 13 nights
Trip begins/ends
San Jose, Costa Rica / San Jose, Costa Rica

*Price per person based on sample itinerary detailed. Pricing will vary depending upon number of travelers, rooming configuration, and other planning details specific to your trip.

Call Toll-Free 800-445-2995

How Can We Customize This Sample Itinerary For You?

If this sample itinerary looks intriguing, let us know and we can begin the process of tailoring it for you and yours! Call or email us today: [email protected].

Trip Details

Trip Highlights

Cute and curious squirrel monkey in Costa Rica

What’s Included? Everything you need, plus everything you want.

Get Out There: Travel by boat across Golfo Dulce – a rare tropical fjord – to the biodiverse Osa Peninsula, covered almost entirely in untouched rain forest.
Quetzal Quest: Go birdwatching for the dazzling resplendent quetzal in Los Quetzales National Park’s pristine cloud forest, a top spot for seeing Costa Rica’s most iconic bird.
Waterfalls: Take a guided horseback ride through the rainforest to Nauyaca Waterfalls, and swim in the pool at the base of the falls.
Corcovado’s Wildlife: Search for some of Costa Rica’s shyest species in Corcovado, like Baird’s tapirs, red-backed squirrel monkeys, white-lipped peccaries, and scarlet macaws.

The Essentials

Costa Rica Pura Vida!

Trip Type: Custom-Made Travel

Territory:

Region: Costa Rica

Trip Price: $9,850

Duration: 14 days/13 nights

Trip Begins/Ends: San Jose, Costa Rica / San Jose, Costa Rica

National Parklands:

Select Terms & Conditions

All custom travel is tailored to the desires and interests of our traveling clients (see How Custom Travel Works tab). Trip pricing detailed is an estimate of the per person pricing for the sample itinerary detailed and includes all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences described. Actual pricing for the trip designed expressly for you and others traveling with you will depend on the features and elements developed during the trip planning process. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.

Energy Index

No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities

Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration

High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun

Costa Rica Pura Vida!

The Energy Index detailed above relates to the level of exertion associated with the sample trip detailed. This would be modified to fit the style and ability of your group as a part of the custom trip planning process

Make It Private

How custom-made travel works at Off the Beaten Path

We’ve been tailoring custom journeys for clients since our very inception in the mid-1980s! The process is all about connecting the interests of the travelers with the best that a given destination has to offer. To achieve this, we rely upon good ol’ fashioned conversation! Our geographically focused travel designer love to meet new people and learn about their interests for travel. Understanding your goals informs the process immensely and serves as the foundation for the development of a bespoke travel experience for you and yours.

The trip detailed on this web page is a sample of something we’ve done for other clients over the years. In order to start the process of designing your own custom travel experience, just call us at (800) 445-2995 and ask to speak with one of our Travel Advisors. After a bit of time on the phone, you will then have the opportunity to connect with one of our travel designers.

The entire planning process is very personalized and works in an iterative fashion until a final, perfect trip has been created. We then secure all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences associated with your trip and send along abundant trip materials capturing these details – and much more about your travels!

Trip Highlights
The Essentials
Energy Index
How Custom Travel Works

What’s Included? Everything you need, plus everything you want.

Get Out There: Travel by boat across Golfo Dulce – a rare tropical fjord – to the biodiverse Osa Peninsula, covered almost entirely in untouched rain forest.
Quetzal Quest: Go birdwatching for the dazzling resplendent quetzal in Los Quetzales National Park’s pristine cloud forest, a top spot for seeing Costa Rica’s most iconic bird.
Waterfalls: Take a guided horseback ride through the rainforest to Nauyaca Waterfalls, and swim in the pool at the base of the falls.
Corcovado’s Wildlife: Search for some of Costa Rica’s shyest species in Corcovado, like Baird’s tapirs, red-backed squirrel monkeys, white-lipped peccaries, and scarlet macaws.

Costa Rica Pura Vida!

Trip Type: Custom-Made Travel

Territory:

Region: Costa Rica

Trip Price: $9,850

Duration: 14 days/13 nights

Trip Begins/Ends: San Jose, Costa Rica / San Jose, Costa Rica

National Parklands:

Select Terms & Conditions

All custom travel is tailored to the desires and interests of our traveling clients (see How Custom Travel Works tab). Trip pricing detailed is an estimate of the per person pricing for the sample itinerary detailed and includes all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences described. Actual pricing for the trip designed expressly for you and others traveling with you will depend on the features and elements developed during the trip planning process. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.

Energy Index

No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities

Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration

High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun

Costa Rica Pura Vida!

The Energy Index detailed above relates to the level of exertion associated with the sample trip detailed. This would be modified to fit the style and ability of your group as a part of the custom trip planning process

How custom-made travel works at Off the Beaten Path

We’ve been tailoring custom journeys for clients since our very inception in the mid-1980s! The process is all about connecting the interests of the travelers with the best that a given destination has to offer. To achieve this, we rely upon good ol’ fashioned conversation! Our geographically focused travel designer love to meet new people and learn about their interests for travel. Understanding your goals informs the process immensely and serves as the foundation for the development of a bespoke travel experience for you and yours.

The trip detailed on this web page is a sample of something we’ve done for other clients over the years. In order to start the process of designing your own custom travel experience, just call us at (800) 445-2995 and ask to speak with one of our Travel Advisors. After a bit of time on the phone, you will then have the opportunity to connect with one of our travel designers.

The entire planning process is very personalized and works in an iterative fashion until a final, perfect trip has been created. We then secure all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences associated with your trip and send along abundant trip materials capturing these details – and much more about your travels!

Itinerary

Day 1: San José

Upon arrival at the airport, a driver will be waiting to take you to your accommodations – a beautifully restored Victorian mansion in the heart of historic San José.

Days 2-4: Cloud Forest in Talamanca Mountains

Today, depart the city with your guide and journey into the high elevation cloud forest to your home for the next two nights in the middle of a nature reserve. Join a naturalist guide for a day exploring Los Quetzales National Park. Then, explore the lodge's nature reserve with a knowledgeable guide to get a deeper understanding of the cloud forest ecosystem, including elusive wildlife.

Days 5-6: Pacific Coast - Marino Ballena National Park

With your guide at the wheel, drive from the jungle to the beach today, stopping along the way to ride on horseback to a typical Costa Rican finca (a rural farm estate), then on to the stunning Nauyaca Waterfalls. The next morning, explore the untouched shores of Marino Ballena National Park. On your guided hike, you’ll have a chance to see lots of Costa Rica's wildlife species, including monkeys, sloths, and macaws. Back at your lodging, relax by the pool while looking for exotic birds in the surrounding jungle.

Days 7-9: Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula

Bid farewell to your guide and transfer down the coast to the Osa Peninsula to catch a boat across the stunning Golfo Dulce (watch for dolphins!) and land at your boutique lodge. Join an adventurous guided hiking exploration across Piedras Blancas National Park ending at Golfo Dulce. Head out from the lodge with a guide during the first two hours of darkness to smell intoxicating nocturnal plants and learn about dark-loving wildlife. Take to the water on a mangrove kayaking tour through one of the largest and most pristine river systems in Costa Rica.

Days 10-12: Corcovado National Park and the Osa Peninsula

Spend two nights on the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula with the rainforest at your doorstep and hiking trails leading to deserted beaches, a suspension bridge over a rainforest gorge, and to refreshing natural pools under jungle waterfalls. A guide will meet you for a quick boat ride to a beach gateway in Corcovado for a day devoted to walking and wildlife watching in this spectacular, pristine park. Fill the rest of your time with Osa Peninsula adventures like riding a horse through the rainforest to an unspoiled beach, a relaxing kayak tour of Golfo Dulce, or joining a local guide to help you spot beautiful and elusive bird species.

Day 13: San José

Fly to San José for one last evening of birding and fine dining at your boutique hotel nestled in the hills of the Central Valley.

Day 14: Departures Home from San José

In the morning, transfer the 30 minutes to the San José International Airport for flights home.

Start Planning My Trip

Lodging

Hotel Grano de Oro

Hotel Grano de Oro is a converted Victorian mansion on a quiet street close to downtown San Jose, known for outstanding service and featuring a pleasant pastel and tropical décor, and a lovely rooftop atrium with Jacuzzi. The restaurant serves innovative international cuisine and is well-known as one of the best in the city, with all proceeds funding a halfway house for young women called Casa Luz. All rooms are furnished in Tropical Victorian styles with wrought-iron beds and rich damask fabrics. The art and furnishings are handcrafted by Costa Rican artists and no two rooms are alike.

Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve and Spa

Escape to the cloud forest on a 1,000-acre private reserve adjacent to Los Quetzales National Park, just 55 miles south of San Jose. The 41-room lodge features a restaurant and day spa, and over 18 miles of hiking trails on the private reserve, with plenty more on the outskirts and in the national park. A perfect base camp for hikers!

Cuna del Angel

Cuna del Angel (Angel's cradle) hotel is an exclusive and cozy boutique hotel amidst incredible tropical forest, in the heart of the Earth's most ecologically diverse area. Great views along the South Pacific Coast abound from every angle in this intimate and warmly constructed hotel. Built in a lovely combination of Colonial and Native Costa Rican style, we're quite sure you'll love this unique and authentic property!

Playa Cativo Lodge

Experience the pure, natural beauty of the Golfo Dulce and the private rain forest reserve right from this harmonious lodge. Uniquely decorated rooms feature ocean or rain forest views, and the lodge hosts an abundance of wildlife at any given time, including toucans, monkeys, frogs, sloths, and more. At the end of a full day, settle into a luxurious bed as you fall asleep listening to the gentle sounds of the gulf and the forest.

Bosque del Cabo

Situated on the Osa Peninsula, this distinctive lodge rests on 700 acres of undisturbed rain forest. The lodge is surrounded by primary rain forest, streams and waterfalls, and open gardens—all of which are frequented by the peninsula’s incredible wildlife, including agouti, coati, monkeys, toucans, and even the occasional puma. What you won’t find here are crowds of people! Though the coastline at the lodge is rugged and cliffed, several lightly visited beaches are accessible by trail.

Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn

The Finca Rosa Blanca Hotel is nestled in the hills of the Central Valley, on a beautiful coffee plantation just 30 minutes from the international airport. This luxury boutique hotel is one of only two hotels in the entire country to have achieved the coveted 'five leaves' of sustaintable tourism, awarded by the Costa Rican government. It is set on 10 acres of some of the world's best coffee-growing soil, surrounded by hundreds of fruit trees, coffee bushes and dramatic tropical flora.