Start off with an enthralling drive along the Inter-American Highway, traversing the Cerro de la Muerte, a mountain that overlooks the highest point on this scenic highway. Upon reaching miles of pristine beaches, bordering the southern Pacific coast, you will end up in Punta Uvita, where you can appreciate natural treasures through coastal rainforest hikes, with stunning waterfalls and excellent bird watching, as well as other outdoor adventures such as deep-sea fishing, horseback riding and the thrill of ultra-light flights.

Your adventure's final destination is Corcovado National Park, where some of the wildest yet most accessible rainforests in Costa Rica are found. While you're here, enjoy the famed Caño Island Biological Reserve, off the coast of Drake Bay, offering some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the country! If this sounds like your idea of adventure, follow your dream to an experience you help us design!

After being greeted at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, a comfortable minibus will transport you to San José for an overnight stay at your preferred hotel in the heart of the capital city's cultural district. Accommodation choices include the warm and charming Hotel Don Carlos, the exclusive Hotel Grano de Oro or the Fleur de Lys Hotel, located in an elegantly restored Victorian house.

After an early morning breakfast, you will be supplied with a rental car. The adventure begins as you head southeast of San José, via the Inter-American Highway, which will take you almost to your final destination. The journey continues through the Cerro de la Muerte, a densely forested mountain and the highest point on the highway. This area is the northernmost region of the páramo - a highland shrub habitat that is home to highland bird species such as the sooty robin, volcano junco and the silky flycatcher. On its western slopes, in the town of San Gerardo de Dota, the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal is regularly seen between March and May, but you can also see this species during the rest of the year as well.

The journey continues through San Isidro and to the coast, where you reach Dominical, followed by an endless expanse of beaches to the south. Once you reach the pristine paradise at Punta Uvita, you will have reached your second home base! Here, your own cozy "casita" awaits you at Hotel Villas Gaia, perched on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific and nestled in a lush tropical garden. It is the perfect setting to relax and unwind after your spectacular ride! The rest of the afternoon may be spent cooling off in the soothing waters of the hilltop swimming pool as you wait for the sunset with poolside cocktails; you may explore the surrounding beaches or plan your next day's adventure-filled activities.

Fill up your third day with one of the many tour options the Uvita area has to offer:

Hiking: You may sign up for guided mountain and rainforest hikes down the beautiful Guabo River to breathtaking waterfalls, or hike along the sandy beaches of Uvita and Ballena National Marine Park, one of the country's newest offshore reserves, created in 1990 to protect the coastline's coral and rock reefs. The park is a nesting ground for brown boobies, ibises and frigate birds, and you may spot humpback whales as they migrate along the coast with their offspring from December to April.

Price per person: US$17

Horseback Riding: You may alternately explore the nearby village of Ojochal on horseback, approaching the rainforest, waterfalls, beaches and a mountain ridge overlooking the magical Pacific coastline.

Price per person: US$37

Ultra-Light Flights: If sitting back is more your style, this is the perfect chance to enjoy the Southern Pacific coastline and all its beauty - from above! You can feel absolutely at ease aboard ultra-lights, due to their excellent flying performance and safe operation, as they take you over the Central and South Pacific coastline. Beautiful beaches, mountains, waterfalls, primary forests, rivers and other sights stretch magnificently below on this trip - and all you need to do is relax and enjoy the view!

Price per person: from US$70 to US$160

At the end of the day, you can enjoy a peaceful sunset happy hour and dinner at the restaurant of your choice in the area.

After a rejuvenating early-morning breakfast, you will continue your adventurous journey driving down the coastline to the small village of Sierpe. This banana town is on the river of the same name, 30 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. At this point, you will drop off your rental car and climb aboard a speedboat that will take you down the river through mangrove forests to the ocean and south to Drake Bay, on the Osa Peninsula, adjacent to Corcovado National Park and home base for exploring the unique Caño Island Biological Reserve.

The Osa Peninsula is of great natural importance in Costa Rica, due to its biological diversity, isolation and extensive primary forests. Eight different habitats of flora and fauna have been identified inside Corcovado National Park, which boasts the country's greatest wealth in wildlife. Two hundred eighty-five species of birds, 139 species of mammals, 16 species of freshwater fish and 116 reptiles and amphibians inhabit this renowned park.

An hour or so later, you arrive at Aguila de Osa Inn, where you'll be warmly greeted by the hotel staff. Nestled on a bluff overlooking Drake Bay, this lodge offers an extensive fleet of sportfishing vessels and operates a top-notch deep-sea experience.

After settling in, you may go on any of the various trails leading into the rainforest in your lodge's surrounding area, which provide excellent opportunities to view the tropical flora and fauna that is so plentiful here. Several beautiful deserted beaches and waterfalls are also just a few hours hike from your hotel. For a slower pace, a leisurely stroll along the beach and through the village of Drake Bay is also an option. This peaceful hike will be followed by a tropical dining experience and a totally relaxing evening...

Guests wake up to an early start here, where the sun rises around 5 a.m. and sets about 5:30 p.m., year round. The cool comfortable mornings are the best time for outdoor activities, including horseback riding, beach combing, hiking, fishing, swimming and scuba diving.

A guided hike into the famed Corcovado National Park is an absolute must for today! Crowned "one of the most biologically intense places on earth" by National Geographic Magazine, Corcovado's trails through the virgin jungle allow you to search for the countless plant and animal species found in this rain forest, as you come across fairytale orchid-draped streams. Much of the peninsula's biological diversity is contained in this national park, which has Costa Rica's greatest wealth of wildlife, and is inhabited by 13 major ecosystems.

After your Corcovado excursion, you may relax in the premises of your hotel, enjoying a refreshing cocktail... At nighttime, lay back and take in the beauty of this secluded paradise, as you prepare to say good-bye to this dreamlike adventure!

Day 6 - Drake Bay - San José

After an early breakfast, you will be transported by speedboat back to the town of Sierpe, then onto Palmar Sur where you will board a light airplane and fly back to San José. Stay overnight at the hotel of your choice and enjoy your last night in Costa Rica as you wish.

Day 7 - After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back home

Above itinerary includes: Transportation to and from International Airport, two-night lodging at Hotel Don Carlos or similar, breakfast included, 2-day Rental Car (Rav 4 manual), 2 night stay at Villas Gaia Hotel in Punta Uvita, breakfast included; boat & taxi transportation to hotel, 2 night stay at Aguila de Osa Hotel in Sierpe, meals included and choice of tour: Corcovado National Park or Isla del Caño; Sansa return flight to San José.

Enjoy a full day of activities filled with whatever your own idea of fun is! At night, lay back and take in the beauty of this secluded paradise and admire the spectacular might sky as you prepare to say good-bye to this dreamlike adventure!

Snorkeling / Scuba Diving at Caño Island: Caño Island is located 12 miles west of Drake Bay, where some of the most exciting diving in the world is found. Divers commonly see porpoises; schools of manta rays and white-tip reef sharks, as well as large schools of colorful fish on most dives. Although not as common, the fearless whale shark and giant bull shark are often spotted in the area. Water visibility ranges from 45 to 90 feet, depending on weather conditions. Temperatures hover in the upper 70s to low 80s throughout the year, providing a comfortable diving experience. During your Caño Island trip, you can also visit pre-Colombian burial grounds and hike through the island's lush vegetation.

Price per person:
Snorkeling : US $81
Scuba Diving: US $118 (Two Tanks)

Sportfishing: More than 40 inshore and offshore world records have been registered in this area, where the sportfishing is simply spectacular. Species include sailfish, black marlin, blue marlin, occasionally striped marlin, yellowfin tuna and wahoo; roosterfish and cubera snapper are found inshore.

Price per boat: US $550 - half-day
US $800 - full day

Sea-Kayaking: Sea Kayaking Rio Agujitas and Drake Bay is another great way to spend the afternoon. At full tide, this paddle-up river is sure to captivate your senses. In the solitude of the river, you will hear only your kayak sluicing through the water and the jungle's living sounds. Peaceful Drake Bay is also a great place for fun in the sun. Kayak along the coast or surf in Drake Bay's gentle waves.

Price per person: To be advised by Aguila de Osa Lodge upon arrival.

Horseback Riding: Horseback riding tours are not for the equestrian alone. Anyone with an interest in exploring primary rainforest outside of Corcovado can tour the area with a local guide and his string of native horses; this is a great way to get in touch with the Drake Bay lifestyle.

Price per person: US $55

Two-Night Stay in Manuel Antonio, Quepos: Start your trip driving southwest of San José to Quepos, on the central Pacific coast, for a two-night stay at the El Parador Hotel. The Manuel Antonio area, visited by tourists year-round, is famous for its white-sand beaches and the highly acclaimed Manuel Antonio National Park. This hilly tropical paradise is filled with gourmet restaurants, interesting shops and some of the best sportfishing in the country. After your two-night stay, drive down the southern Pacific coastline to Punta Uvita for the rest of your explorer's package, turning your trip into an 8-night / 9-day adventure.

Includes: Two-night stay at El Parador Hotel with breakfast and entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park (closed Mondays), 3 days of Car, with mandatory insurance included.

Price per person: US $302

One-night stay at San Gerardo de Dota, Cerro de la Muerte: Spend a night in the verdant mountain cloud forests at Trogón Lodge and search for the brilliant Resplendent Quetzal (holy bird of the Mayas), along the extensive nature trails of the lodge. The family-run hotel is perched in the forest 7,000 feet above sea level. A crystal-clear river runs through the beautiful mountain property, located approximately 85 km. southeast of San José, near the top of Cerro de la Muerte. To get there, take the Inter-American Highway to the turn-off to San Gerardo de Dota. The following day, continue on to the southern Pacific coastline and Punta Uvita for the rest of your explorer's package, turning your trip into an 7-night / 8-day adventure.

Includes: One-night stay at Trogón Lodge, all meals and bird-watching tour on the lodge's nature trails. Note: Quetzals are most likely seen between March and May, but often seen during the rest of the year, 1 more day Car, with mandatory insurance included.

Price per person: US $189

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