- Costa Rica
- 8 Days
Costa Rica coast to coast: turtles, whales & dolphins
- Multi Destination Journey
- 8 days; 7 nights
- 2 travelers
- Begins & ends in San José
Your Local Expert
Earthtones JourneysAt Earthtones, we believe that tourism — when implemented thoughtfully and intentionally — can be a force for regeneration in the world: regenerative to local economic, social, and ecological systems. Partnering with individuals, guides, and communities rich in natural capital — from farmers to community land trusts and ranches — we're co-creating a network of local-powered, immersive nature experiences.
The Journey
San Jose
Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon your arrival in San Jose airport, our local representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose. Early this evening, join your guide for an orientation briefing where you will have the opportunity to get an overview of the following days' activities, and ask questions to prepare for the trip.
Tortuguero
Early this morning you will be met by your local guide who will take you on shared land transfer to La Pavona Dock in Guapiles. Here you will board a boat to Tortuguero, where your hotel is located, surrounded by the forest and next to the sea. Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica’s “little Amazon”, is located on the Caribbean coast. This remote area is accessible only by plane or by boat. Wildlife-rich Tortuguero will give you a chance to see a large diversity of bird species, monkeys, sloths, crocodiles and iguanas as you tour the navigable rainforest canals by boat. The tropical beaches around Tortuguero are key nesting sites for green sea turtles from July to September. After lunch, join your local guide to explore the picturesque little village of Tortuguero. Its one and only street is comprised of a few stores and small restaurants ("sodas"). During dinner, your guide will brief you on timing and needs for the night walk to look for turtles nesting on the beach. A thrill of an experience!read more
Tortuguero
After a hearty breakfast, set off for another day in paradise. Today you will continue exploring the different beauties of Tortuguero. Start the adventure with your guide to explore the beautiful wildlife in the proximities of the hotel: he will be on the look for beautiful birds like the Collared Aracari, the Common Black Hawk, the Long-tailed Hermit, and Slaty-tailed Trogon. Explore the top of the trees to look for large iguanas or calm sloths sleeping in high canopy branches. Find butterflies of many colours like the blue morpho or the postman butterfly. And if you venture to the beach you may see tracks of the nesting turtles of the last night's event! In the afternoon you will enjoy a two-hour boat tour gliding through the lush canals of the national park - a great opportunity to explore and enjoy different sections of the park (this boat ride is a shared experience). Look for tropical wildlife in these unique wetland and rainforest habitats! You can expect to spot 3 species of monkeys, caimans and crocodiles, Jesus Christ Lizards and large iguanas in the canopy of the rainforest, and many birds such as sungrebes, anhingas, herons and egrets, ibis, spoonbills and kingfishers. Also, you have great chances to see famous and emblematic birds of Tortuguero such as the Black Mandibled Toucan, the Great Green Macaw, the Great Curasow, the American Pygmy Kingfisher and the Laughing Falcon.read more
Cerro Las Vueltas Reserve
Following another fresh and filling tico breakfast, you will board a boat transfer to La Pavona dock, where your driver will meet you and take you to your next destination in the highlands, Cerro de la Muerte. Begin your tour of Costa Rica’s high mountains travelling along the famous Panamerican Highway, well known for its outstanding scenery and for excellent high elevation bird watching. Most notable is that this region is very likely the best place in the world for observing resplendent quetzals-birds (so spectacularly beautiful they were considered divine entities by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans). Today you will go from sea level up to more than 8000 feet!read more
Dominical
Today will start with a world-class birding experience: you will look for a variety of high elevation birds in oak forests and visit private hotspots in search of the legendary Resplendent Quetzal. After a local lunch, you will descend to the tropical rainforests and beaches of Dominical-Uvita region. After dinner, you will learn from your guide about your next day's adventures in the Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica. The rugged coastline in the Dominical-Uvita area is famed among surfers seeking great waves, warm water and long uncrowded beaches. The 100,000 acre wilderness park of Corcovado offers ancient forests, scarlet macaws, all four of the nation’s monkey species (the only park that does so), plenty of other wildlife and the slight possibility of encountering a jaguar - or, more likely, jaguar tracks crossing a trail.read more
Dominical
After breakfast, you will drive 40 minutes to Sierpe town for a half-day tour through the canals, rivers mouths and estuaries that flood the largest untouched mangroves in all of Costa Rica and Central America. You'll have an opportunity to see tropical wildlife and photograph the riparian scenery in primary mangroves. After lunch you will have time to see the famous stone-carved spheres of the Osa Peninsula. These impressive stone spheres were declared by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage.read more
San Jose
Today after breakfast your local captain will take you to explore the sea, looking for humpback whales, as well as different kinds of birds and marine wildlife such as bottle-nose dolphins, sharks, starfish, false orca, sea turtles and more! Ballena National Marine Park protects more than 5000 hectares of ocean and 171 hectares of coastline. After the experience, your host-driver will take you back to San Jose.read more
End of itinerary
Your coast-to-coast adventure comes to an end. We will either organise your transfer to San Jose international airport or help you arrange the rest of your trip in Costa Rica!
Included
Lodging
Based on standard rooms, double occupancy
Meals
7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners
Transportation
As per itinerary
Activities
As per itinerary
National Park fees
Not Included
International flights
Insurance
Gratuities
Anything not included in the itinerary
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Starting from$2535 / person