ULTIMATE COSTA RICA

Board your 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 luxury hotel set amidst coffee plantations overlooking the San José Valley. Flanked by imposing mountains and volcanoes, Costa Rica’s unassuming capital is the gateway to the lush hillsides, coffee farms and mighty peaks of the Central Valley.

The following day you’ll visit the Doka coffee farm and see how Costa Rica’s most famous export is produced. The farm produces some of the country’s best coffee and you will of course get to try the finished product at the end of the tour. Afterwards you will return to your hotel and have the afternoon to relax by the beautiful outdoor pool, overlooking the surrounding hills.

Stay: Two nights at Xandari Resort & Spa – Bed & breakfast

A short flight will take you from San José to Puerto Jimenez and the wonderful world of the Osa Peninsula. Your lodge is nestled on a 1,000-acre private reserve poised between Golfo Dulce and the mighty Pacific Ocean.

The Osa Peninsula, half of which is encompassed by the Corcovado National Park, is famed for its undisturbed rainforest and wealth of exotic wildlife. This vast expanse of tropical lowland forest is home to thousands of different types of trees and plants, as well as endangered species like jaguars, ocelots and tapirs. Keen birdwatchers can spot over 300 species, whilst photographers will revel in eye-stretching landscapes and cascading crystal waterfalls. When you’re not exploring the reserve’s quiet hiking trails you can also experience sea kayaking and snorkelling, and between August and November you will also have the opportunity to spot travelling humpback whales.

Stay: Three nights at Lapa Rios – full board

Day six of your Costa Rica adventure sees you travelling to Arenal. You will take a short charter flight from the Osa Peninsula to Arenal, where you will be staying in a hotel with stunning views of the iconic volcano and your own private plunge pool.

As well as unforgettable scenery, Arenal presents you with relaxing hot springs and the famous Hanging Bridges. You can go canoeing and kayaking, or take nature walks to view plants and magnificent lava rock formations. The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge offers the opportunity to meet indigenous creatures like three-toed sloths, caiman, lizards and turtles as well as howler, white-faced and spider monkeys.

The next day you will enjoy an exciting and immersive rainforest experience. Accompanied by a naturalist guide you will stroll through the verdant cloud forest and zip line across canyons and in between the canopy, admiring panoramic vistas and discovering beautiful waterfalls along the way. You will also board the Sky Tram to get a superb view of the jungle and its inhabitants from above.

Stay: Three nights at Nayara Springs – Bed & breakfast

Time for some well-deserved relaxation at a plush resort on the Gulf of Papagayo. The North Pacific coast of Costa Rica has some of the country’s finest beaches, swimmable bays and clear, warm waters.

You can spend your days here stretched out on deserted shores, indulging in luxurious spa treatments and trying your hand at a wide variety of water sports such as deep sea fishing, snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boarding and surfing. You can even venture inland in search of Costa Rica’s famous flora and fauna.

Stay: Four nights at the Four Seasons Resort, Papagayo