Exploring Costa Rica: Cloud Forest to the Caribbean

Fly to the airport in San José, Costa Rica, transfer to your hotel. Meet your naturalist guide and enjoy a welcome dinner. (D)

Search for American crocodiles on the Tárcoles River before venturing to the nearby Bat Jungle exhibit. We’ll check into a family-owned retreat with expansive grounds and picturesque views of the cloud forest. (B,L,D)

Begin the day at a butterfly farm where we’ll have the opportunity to see dozens of local species. After lunch, we’ll tour the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and search for monkeys, hummingbirds and possibly the rare resplendent quetzal. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, drive to Lake Arenal and cross in small boats for a fresh perspective on the volcano. On the lake’s far side, check into an elegant hotel surrounded by gardens and pastures with grazing animals and views of the smoldering Arenal Volcano. (B,L,D)

Walk the Arenal Hanging Bridges strung more than two miles through the rain forest canopy. Later, relax in the naturally heated thermal pools at your hotel. (B,L,D)

A charter flight will bring us to Tortuguero, a spectacular lowland forest on Costa Rica’s northeast coast. Tour the wildlife-rich canals of Tortuguero National Park in small, guided boats. Later, check into a rustic lodge at the water’s edge for dinner. (B,L,D)