Tortuguero
Day 1
6.20am : Leave San José with your bilingual naturalist guide.
6.30am : Drive through the coffee plantations and towards the mountains of Braulio Carillo National Park. The drive takes you through valleys covered in rainforests and dotted with beautiful waterfalls. Along the way through one of the biggest national parks in Costa Rica you might be lucky enough to see a tapir in addition to monkeys and the 557 species of birds and more than 4000 species of plants that all cohabit there. You guide will help you to identify interesting species of flora and fauna.
8.00am : After the national park you relax while enjoying a typical Costa Rican breakfast with fresh fruit and fruit juices, coffee, eggs and the famous “gallo pinto” (rice and beans).
10.30am : After leaving the bus comes the most exciting part of the tour a boat ride that will take you deep into the jungle and through the canals of the famous Tortuguero national park. Covering an expanse of 1800 hectares, the park is one of the most important areas in the world for the conservation and observation of Green Turtles (Chelonia midas). The waterways of Tortuguero are also home to many species of mammal such as sloths, monkeys raccoons and manaties. There are hundreds of species of birds such as toucans, trogons, herons, egrets and darters as well as crocodiles, turtles and more beautiful and brightly coloured butterflies than you could possibly count!
12.30 : Enjoy a delicious typical lunch to satisfy even the biggest of appetites.
14.30 : Arrive at your chosen hotel and check in.
15.30 : After checking in comes the chance to look around the museum, walk around the village and explore the park with your guide.
17.00 : Return to the hotel and relax for a couple of hours before dinner.
19.00 : Delicious dinner.
20.00 : After dinner your guide will explain the next activity, a nocturnal boat trip to observe the hatching of the Green Turtle (only July- October).
Day Two 7.30am : Breakfast.
8.00am : Accompanied by your guide you will board our boat for another foray into the world famous Tortuguero National Park. As the boat glides slowly through the canals you´ll have the opportunity to see a great variety of wildlife including monkeys, herons and iguanas.
12.00 : Lunch.
Free afternoon to relax and make use of the hotel´s facilities or visit the village.
18.00 : Dinner.
19.00 : Nocturnal hatching tour (only July – October)
Day Three : 7.30am : Breakfast.
8.00am : Tour of secondary and smaller canals.
10.30am : Return to your hotel to check out.
11.30am : Leave Tortuguero to return to San José.
12.30 : Lunch (usually en route).
15.30 : Approximate arrival time in San José.