SIMPLY COSTA RICA

Board a direct flight to San José.

Note: British Airways currently operate the only direct flight between the UK and Costa Rica. It departs from London Gatwick and is a day flight on the outbound flight and overnight on the way home. It operates three times each week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flights to Costa Rica are also operated by KLM (via Amsterdam) and Iberia (via Madrid). There are also connections via the US.

On arrival you will be met and driven 15 minutes from the airport to your downtown hotel, perfectly situated to explore the country’s capital and close to a number of restaurants.

Stay: One night at the Grano de Oro hotel – Bed & breakfast

Early this morning you will set off for the next destination on your adventure – Tortuguero National Park. You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to La Pavona dock where a boat will be waiting to take you to your lodge, fabulously located on a sandbar between the Tortuguero Canals and the pristine Caribbean Coast.

You will be perfectly situated to immerse yourself in the wonders of this unspoilt wilderness with its lush rainforest and immense network of canals. The park provides sanctuary to a wide variety of wildlife including over 300 species of bird, 60 mammals, 57 amphibians, 30 species of freshwater fish and over 100 types of reptile. During your stay you will enjoy boat excursions along the park’s winding canals whilst an expert guide will reveal the secrets of this epic rainforest ecosystem.

Stay: Two nights at Tortuga Lodge – Full board

Leaving Tortuguero behind, you will board a flight to Arenal, home to the impressive Arenal Volcano.

Your home for the next three nights is the Amor Arenal, lodged in the foothills of the volcano and surrounded by tropical vegetation, it is the ideal base for exploring the Arenal National Park.

The area is host to a whole variety of activities, including zip-lining, white-water rafting, specialist wildlife activities and horse-riding. In a small group you will enjoy a beautiful hike in the national park, in hope of seeing sloths, which are often found in the area, as well as other interesting flora and fauna. You will also visit the nearby Tabacon hot springs, which is the perfect spot for resting any aching muscles.

Stay: Three nights at the Amor Arenal – Bed & breakfast

Your journey through Costa Rica ends at one of the country’s most famous national parks, Manuel Antonio. A small but stunning wilderness defined by its rich forest, white-sand beaches, coral reefs and rocky coves. The forest itself has massive fig trees, two- and three-toed sloths, green and black iguanas, agoutis and nearly 200 species of birds. And because many of the creatures are used to encountering humans along the nature trails, you can see and photograph them at close quarters.

A guided tour into the national park is included, as well as some time to relax by the hotel’s picturesque outdoor swimming pool before retuning back to civilisation.

Stay: Three nights at Si Como No – Bed & breakfast