Your holiday starts at the group hotel in San Jose. A single timed transfer from San Jose Airport is provided. On arrival we will meet the group and the guide.

We leave San Jose this morning on our journey east to the Caribbean coast and the renowned Tortuguero National Park. The exciting, intrepid journey takes us first by road and then by boat through rivers, natural canals and rainforest, all teaming with wildlife into the heart of the park. Tortuguero is surrounded by nature and is only accessible by boat or airplane. Tortuguero is named after its golden beaches, key nesting grounds for endangered sea turtles such as hawksbill, leatherback, green and loggerheads. The park has incredible bio-diversity with several different habitats and eco-systems, including rainforest, swamps, beaches and lagoons. After arriving settling into our lodge accommodation, we have a walking tour of Tortuguero Village and visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy Museum.

After breakfast at our lodge, we set off in canoes into the mosaic of canals and deltas that make up the wetlands of the National Park. This is a superbly stealthy way of observing wildlife without disturbing it. We gently drift along and can expect to see monkeys, caimans, iguanas and hopefully a sloth or two. The bird life is incredible and with 300 different species we are bound to come across some of the more colourful and striking varieties. After lunch, we are taken in a motor boat to explore the Cano Palma; a narrow, palm-filled canal that is separate from the Caribbean Sea by just 200-300 metres of land. If we are lucky, we may be able to spot some of the endangered turtle species on these beaches. We return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. Leatherback turtles lay their eggs between March and May, and Green turtles between July and October. If you travel in the summer months you might be able to witness the green turtles laying their eggs on the beach at night-time, an incredible great experience. Their eggs incubate in the sand for approximately 2 months, so at Christmas you might see baby turtles hatching and scurrying to the sea - an unforgettable experience.

We leave Tortuguero by boat again, navigating along the Rio La Suerte to the town of La Pavona (1hr 30mins). Here we meet our awaiting vehicle and transfer to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, passing many banana and pineapple plantations. On arrival we visit La Tirimbina Natural Reserve and learn all about the production of one of our favourite foods. The guided tour takes us to a small cacao plantation and we witness the transformation of the cacao pod from harvest, fermentation and drying to today's chocolate. We get to taste different kinds and will learn the story of pre- and post-colonial chocolate. A delicious learning experience! We then explore the many paths of the reserve with our guide to see who can spot the greatest variety of tropical frogs and birds. In the evening there are optional experiences available, including night-walks and bat watching tours.

This morning we visit the Sarapiqui River, a perfect venue for family friendly aquatic adventures. There are sections of river to suit all ages and abilities, from the gentlest of floating safaris to more exciting whitewater of Grade 2 or 3, but always surrounded by spectacular rainforest and wildlife. Our guide will keep us as a group and decide where best to put us in. Full training and safety equipment is supplied, and we will be accompanied by a great group of experienced and super friendly river guides. After drying off and some lunch we transfer to La Fortuna, the village at the base of the magnificent Arenal Volcano. Costa Rica's best known volcano is a perfectly symmetrical mountain, built on layers of ash, rock and lava almost 2000m high. We have an optional visit to bathe in the thermal hot springs and have dinner. We check into our accommodation in La Fortuna.

This morning we explore the many paths, hiking trails and viewpoints that wind their way through the Arenal National Park. We may be rewarded with sightings of deer, coati, hummingbirds, tree frogs and sloth. Birds, insects and howler monkeys will provide the sound track to our morning. The afternoon is free for us to relax and explore the area in our own time, but there are also many optional activities to choose from, including La Fortuna Waterfall or Spider Monkey Canyon trips.

This morning we will enjoy a treetop walk in the Arenal National Park, via a network of suspended bridges, rewarding us with a bird's eye perspective over the cloud forest. The canopy is rich and dense in biodiversity and the bridges allow us to unlock its secrets. We will explore the canopy layer accessed by 15 bridges. After this amazing tour, we set off on our way to Monteverde, circumnavigating the scenic Lake Arenal. This is a long and winding road, and we may break up the journey with a lunch stop at one of the many amazing roadside cafes or bakeries. The main town in Monteverde is Santa Elena, and it is here we stay. Monteverde was founded in 1951 by a group of exiled American Quakers from Alabama, escaping persecution as conscientious objectors. On their arrival, they settled in an area that had once been cleared for dairy farming. Through hard work and dedication to a replanting programme, the commune they founded subsequently led to the creation of a biological preserve that hosts one of the richest ecological systems in the country. The reserve is home to over 100 species of mammals, more than 400 species of birds, including the resplendent quetzal, and 30 local hummingbird species. There are also 120 species of amphibians and reptiles. This is an excellent place for bird spotting and there are several miles of forest trail to explore. The afternoon is free to explore the local area. There are optional activities available, including a visit to the frog garden to see over 25 different species of frog or, for those seeking the ultimate adrenaline rush, the Extremo Park canopy tour; a collection of 14 zipwires up to 1km in length. We overnight at our hotel here in Monteverde.

This morning, we will head to a small, family-owned and highly eco-conscious wildlife sanctuary where we will receive a warm welcome and a cookery lesson from the owners. The teaching space is a bright and beautiful room with a traditional wood fired stove at its centre, and all manner of plants and flowers dotted about the room, bringing the gardens of this sanctuary into the cooking space. After the last few days of adrenaline and big drives, this laid back morning provides a calming antidote to the prior few days. There is surely no better way to learn of a new country and its culture than by learning about its cuisine and traditions. Our hosts will instruct us collectively through the process of creating a Costa Rican staple dish that will eventually become our own lunch. As evening falls, we will drive to the renowned Kinkajou Private Reserve to explore the amazing sights and sounds of the forest at night. On a recent visit we saw sloth, olingos, kinkajou, bark scorpions, fireflies, tiny tree frogs, vipers and glass winged butterflies. An intense and exciting torchlit experience not to be missed. We will dine out tonight in one of the many great restaurants in Monteverde, before retiring to our hotel.

We embark on another undulating drive this morning out into the Nicoya Peninsula, a large prominatory into the Pacific Ocean full of beach resorts, and inland many lower lying, drier forests. The heat builds, the landscape transforms but still, it teems with wildlife to explore and discover. Just remember to drink plenty of water in the days before, and take plenty on the walk in too. Packing in a rucksack, what we need for the next two nights (we will need to carry these), we walk for around an hour and a half on a single track path alongside a riverbed through the forest. One section is a stepped ascent up through the trees alongside a waterfall, which we may get chance to visit if the water level allows us easy access. The pools and falls of this river provide space to play and cool off if time allows, whilst also offering the perfect nutrient stores for butterflies to feed on, and there are plenty of varied and beautiful species to spot here. Also keep your eyes peeled for basilisk lizards basking in the dappled sunlight at the waters edge, and tanagers and flycatchers fliting through the trees, catching their next insect meal on the wing. Eventually we will emerge from the forest to find the remote and idyllic Cerro Escondido Eco Lodge. This eco-lodge was founded by a local environmental NGO and is totally off-grid. Staying here is a very special experience, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the rainforest. The cabins all feature terraces with stunning views across the forest, and hammocks to relax and watch the golden light of dusk shining across the tops of the trees. All meals, with locally produced ingredients, will be served in the communal area of the eco lodge.

This morning we will be woken by a dawn chorus of tropical birds and howler monkeys. Whilst staying at Cerro Escondido, our friendly hosts will guide us on a network of paths and trails in this protected region, where we will track and observe the flora and fauna of the region. Our guides will take us to various viewpoints with stunning views across the Gulf of Nicoya and we'll be able to cool off underneath the Velo de Novia waterfall, said to be one of the most beautiful of all waterfalls in Costa Rica. We will return to our eco-lodge for lunch and dinner.

This morning we say a farewell to our hosts and walk back through the forest to meet with our bus. We transfer to Tamarindo. This small resort at the northern end of the Nicoya Peninsula is still relatively off the beaten track, and we will be rewarded with beautiful, white sandy beaches, shaded by towering palm trees. The beach gently shelves into the ocean and is a great spot for paddling and swimming. There are a range of optional activities also available, including surf lessons, horse-trekking and there are small artisan markets on the beach front most days.

Today will be spent doing exactly as we wish. We can rest and enjoy the beach or take part in any of the optional activities if we still have energy to spare! We mustn't forget to catch the stunning sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Today will be spent doing exactly as we wish. We can rest and enjoy the beach or take part in any of the optional activities if we still have energy to spare! We mustn't forget to catch the stunning sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

After a last swim in the Pacific we set off on the transfer back to San Jose, passing the head of the guld of Nicoya and the mountain road back into the heart of the country. The journey will take around 3-4 hours. We should arrive back at the hotel in San Jose with enough time for one final pool swim before our final farewell evening meal.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. A single timed airport transfer is provided.