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Costa Rica Wildlife & Rainforest Experience

I had been wanting to travel to Costa Rica for a long time and this trip lived up to and even exceeded my expectations. The country boasts a diverse geography and the tour showcased this very well in a relatively short time, while nevertheless enabling us to have opportunities to relax away from the group.The tour guide was cheerful and competent and provided useful background information as well as ensuring that arrangements went smoothly. The first couple of days in San Jose were quite packed but interesting and provided a chance to start to get to know the rest of the group and to acclimatise. The next 8 days of travelling from the Caribbean to the Pacific coast produced a series of really memorable experiences. Personal highlights included the hour and a half boat journey along the river and canal to Evergreen Lodge near Tortuguero with the boat pilot slowing down to show us countless birds and animals before arriving at our hotel in the forest, with the capuchin monkeys darting about! The various naturalist-led guided walks that we went on, first, at La Selva Biological Station Reserve near Sarapiqui and, later, in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the Bosque Eterno de los Ninos were all memorable. I won't forget seeing a resplendent quetzal in the wild or hearing the howler monkeys, not to mention all the hummingbirds, macaws and toucans and the tiny poison dart frog! Walking along the bridges and walkways in the tree canopy was great.The afternoon at the Ecotermales hot springs near the Arenal volcano was wonderful, too. Even there you were surrounded by trees and plants and birdsong. Each hotel was different and in keeping with its location but my favourites were La Quinta de Sarapiqui, for its quirky charm and beautiful natural grounds teeming with birds and animals (sloths/howler monkeys) and its two lovely swimming pools, and Macaw Lodge which, despite not having a pool, was very special due to its isolation and its beautiful unique building of native woods and stone, and the stunning view across the ponds from the dining area. I'll not forget sipping a cocktail as we watched the water birds and the bats in the setting sun and hearing the crescendo of the bullfrogs and cane toads. The next morning, we walked on the wonderful trail within the property and spotted a blue morphus butterfly by the waterfall. A second night at this hotel would have been welcome!The tour ended there - half of the group returned to San Jose and the airport while the rest of us journeyed to Quepos on the Pacific coast and the Hotel Parador Manuel Antonio. This hotel was in another league and the location was incredible and it was a fabulous way to end the holiday - but even here, wildlife surrounded you. We saw a mother sloth and her baby, up very close, and beautiful unreal-looking scarlet macaws in the area of the hotel, while on the beach there were capuchin monkeys and iguanas and in the distance howler monkeys.All in all, a great holiday that I would recommend.

Date of experience: Feb 14, 2026