Costa Rica - Off The Beaten Path Treasures Self Drive - 15 Days

Right after you go through immigration and customs one representative will meet you at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) exit to load the luggage into the vehicle and transfer you to the hotel. The hotel for tonight is close to San Jose city, located 25-15 minutes away from the airport.

Costa Rica’s capital and the largest city in the country, San Jose is considered to be among the most cosmopolitan cities in Latin America. Downtown San Jose is the busiest part of town. A maze of streets and avenues, here you can find most of the city’s museums as well as several hotels and plazas. In the center of the city, several attractions can be found, such as the National Theater, the National Museum, and the Jade Museum. Also, several parks like Plaza de La Cultura and Parque Morazan are interesting places to visit. In San Jose exist a wide variety for gastronomic, each corner of the city has great restaurants or the famous Barrio Escalante, a gastronomic center where high-quality food is offered. But for more local and typical food the central market offers tasty food.

You will pick up your included hire car and drive at your leisure to Bijagua, roughly a 3 hr 45 minutes journey.

If you’re looking for a quiet getaway, you can visit Bijagua de Upala, a little village near the entrance of Tenorio Volcano National Park. As the gateway to Celeste River, an incredible sky-blue river, this little town has become more popular while keeping a very natural and rural feel with stunning mountain scenery, fantastic bird watching, and charismatic locals.

The Celeste River becomes blue at a point where two clear-water tributaries merge, at a point called El Teñidor. El Teñidor translates to “The Dyer” in English. Scientists have come up with numerous theories as to where the Celeste River gets its color. Most recently they have discovered that rocks at the bottom of the river have a mineral coating that includes silicon, oxygen, and aluminum. It is the size of these minerals, as well as the reflection of the sunlight, that gives the water its incredible hue.

The Rio Celeste waterfall is near the Tenorio and Miravalles Volcanoes You will begin a hike through the dense, lush, tropical rainforest that surrounds the Tenorio National Park. You and your nature guide can go at your own pace and you'll learn interesting things about the rainforest along the way.

Once at Los Tenideros, where two rivers come together, you'll be amazed at the celestial turquoise blue water color that comes from the waterfall. The celestial blue color is created when the minerals in the water: aluminum, silicon and oxygen are suspended in the water and refracts light from the sun so that the flow looks blue.

After breakfast continue your journey to Boca Tapada, located in the northern lowlands nearby the mouth of the San Carlos River. This off-the-beaten-path part of Costa Rica is home to hundreds of pineapple and sugar cane plantations as well as a rich biodiversity of plants and animals.

Boca Tapada is one of the few remaining nesting sites of the endangered Great Green Macaw. One of the newest additions to the Boca Tapada area is the Maquenque Eco Preserve which has a mission of preserving the habitat of the Great Green Macaw as well as other species who habitat is dependent on the wetlands around Boca Tapada.

Come and share with an unique experience, from another point of view. In this activity you will visit the gardens and the hotel´s forest, where you can live and enjoy the nightlife of some animals such as alligators, frogs, nocturnal birds, snakes, and spiders also, you will experience the peace and sounds that the nature gives us. The Naturalist Guide will give you information on the flora and fauna in the area.

Today you will have a safari boat tour. Enjoy the tranquility of the rainforest traveling to Tres Amigos River by raft. Here you can see the richness of flora and fauna, and you can discover exotic animals like a crocodiles, tortoise, iguanas, monkeys, waterfowl and more.

During this tour, the naturalist guides will explain how to paddle and some safety regulations, in addition, he will give you interesting information about the region and the species that you have seen.

After breakfast, drive to your next destination, the rainforest of Sarapiqui, a wonderful natural gem.

Sarapiqui is located in the Heredia province and it has gain popularity because of the rich biodiversity as well for the adventure activities that can be done here. Surrounded by lush green forests and banana and cacao plantations, Sarapiqui was once just a small port town. Located at the junction of the Puerto Viejo River and Sarapiqui River. In Sarapiqui, several private reserves can be found such as La Tirimbina, La Selva and many others making a great place to admire nature and wildlife. As one of Costa Rica’s last remaining areas of primary rainforest, Sarapiquí is home to over half of the country’s total species of birds. The species diversity is astounding, with more than 1,850 plants, 448 birds, 70 species of bat and five of Costa Rica’s six felines.

Probably at this point, you have tried many Costa Rican dishes but now you will learn how to prepare a delicious traditional dish. This tour is an ideal activity to share with family or friends since it is 100% experiential. The local chef would provide the list of ingredients that you will need to prepare the menu of the day so that you can harvest them directly from the plant, then prepare and cook in a traditional firewood kitchen to later proceed to taste them.

In the morning, you have a chocolate tour! A guide will reveal the secrets of transforming cacao fruit into chocolate. The cacao tree was originated in Mesoamerica and has a rich and extraordinary history. The tour includes a guided walk across the Tirimbina hanging bridge to an old cacao plantation, as well as through a forested section where you will observe how the product originally developed there. A guide will reveal the secrets of transforming cacao fruit into chocolate. You’ll see the chocolate-making process first-hand and even have the opportunity to treat your taste buds to real organic rainforest chocolate!

In the afternoon, get ready to ride a gentle horse through the rainforest of Sarapiqui. The tour begins at the stalls, where you are given the necessary equipment: a helmet, leggings, and rain poncho. You’ll be assigned a horse that matches your experience and ability, and you'll learn the basics of horse handling and safety. When you’re ready, you’ll mount the horse and practice handling it in the coral. Head out with your horse onto trails that run through pastureland, jungle, and rivers. You’ll have a unique opportunity to see some of Costa Rica’s beautiful countryside and may even spot birds and other wildlife. Along the way, you’ll be given fresh fruit and water.

A bilingual guide and wrangler accompany every ride. This ensures that your tour will not only be informative but also safe. There are both 2-hour and 4-hour tours available.

You’ll have a unique opportunity to see some of Costa Rica’s beautiful countryside and may even spot birds and other wildlife.

Let’s go to your next destination, Turrialba. On the way, you will visit a butterfly garden to learn everything about the different species and the complete metamorphosis. After learning about the butterflies, you will keep walking in the trails where your host is going to show you other animals such as sloth, frogs, and insects. Delicious lunch included after this tour.

Continue your travel to Turrialba.

Located in the rural part of the Cartago Province, Turrialba combines a charming little town with amazing nature sites such as the Turrialba Volcano, which is currently active and regularly throwing ashes. The Pacuare and Reventazon river, perfect for whitewater rafting. The Pacuare river is considered a top river for this sport. Also, the most important pre-colonial archeological site, Guayabo, is located in Turrialba, Costa Rica’s only pre-Columbian site that is open to public access, these ruins provide a fantastic insight into what life circa 1000 BC to 1400AD must have been like. Turrialba is a farming town. Because they have a very interesting climate being near the Caribbean side in the Central Valley, you will see fields of lettuce, cilantro, sugar cane, coffee, and others. But one of the most famous products from Turrialba is their cheese.

Veiled in the shadow of the Turrialba Volcano, like a mythical “lost city” from a storybook, mysterious ancient city that was home to over 10,000 people who seemed to have mysteriously vanished just before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. This region, known as Guayabo National Monument, it’s Costa Rica’s most important archaeological site and it’s only named National Monument.

A guide will walk you through the park while explaining the findings of the excavations and the history of the people that once lived there. Your guide will show you around this ancient area, that is geographically the perfect center-point of all of the Americas. Experience these ancient ruins in Costa Rica that hold a world of mysteries and unanswered questions!

Today you will travel to Los Santos. Los Santos area sits in the Talamanca Mountain Range in highlands of south-central Costa Rica. Los Santos area is very special for several reasons, one of the most important is the wildlife that live here specially the birds. The high elevation of the area attracts woodpeckers, warblers, falcons, owls and quetzal. The other reason is the high-quality coffee produce in this land. Consider one of best coffee in the world you can delight with it when you visit a coffee plantation and a local coffee shop. Los Santos area is home of Los Quetzales National Park, a perfect place for hiking and admiring the nature, avid hikers will get reward with stunning views.

In San Gerardo de Dota, Savegre, you have the best chance of findingand observing this spectacular Quetzal. The Aztecs believed the Resplendent Quetzal was the representation of Quetzalcóatl, their supreme god. One of the naturalist guides will take you to the places where the quetzal feeds on aguacatillos, their favorite fruit. It only needs a few seconds of watching the quetzal to appreciate why it is considered to be the most beautiful species in the American continent.

In the afternoon, you have free time.

Located in the south Pacific of Costa Rica. Uvita is a small town, here are small shops, and souvenirs place. Nightlife is not big here in Uvita but there is still several bar and restaurant options. The town itself is spread out and stretches from the beach area and back into the mountains.

It is also the primary entrance to the incredibly beautiful Marino Ballena National Park which protects both coastline and sea. The park is most well-known for the Humpback Whales that migrate here annually to rear their young. The backdrop for the area is just as spectacular with towering lush green mountains shrouded in clouds that quickly descend to sea level. Marino Ballena National Park is mostly a marine park. It was created to protect the dolphins and whales, which can be observed most of the year, with the exception of May and June. The best months are August, September, and October, followed by January and February.

The Sea Kayaking adventure begins at low tide as the waves go to one side of the Whale's Tail where you will do the kayaking. Paddling to this point will take between 30 to 45 minutes. The Snorkeling portion of the tour will take between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours and allows you to see a variety of fish and coral species. Many marine species can be seen during the snorkeling. You will continue with kayak, to enter a small mangrove forest in Marino Ballena National Park where it is possible to spot sea birds, toucans, and some small reptiles.

You will have the rest of the day to relax at Uvita

This morning is at your own pace, enjoy the last morning at this natural paradise. Afternoon, drive back to San Jose where you will enjoy the last night in Costa Rica, eat at a local restaurant, or just relax at your hotel.

Today you will return the car at the rent a car company office near the airport. It is not a “good-bye” but a “see you again” as you take your transfer from the rent a car company to the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) to travel back home and reunite with family and friends.