Hiking between waterfalls and volcanoes in Costa Rica
From the thermal waters of Arenal volcano to the Nauyaca waterfalls, an unusual night in Diamante cave.
Duration
14 days
From
US$1,985/pers.
Ideal seasons
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec
Style
Self-drive tour
Comfort
Charm & Character
Travelers
Couple, Solo, With friends
The spirit of travel
Discover an authentic Costa Rica where nature, adventure and authentic encounters blend together harmoniously. From the spectacular landscapes of Arenal volcano to the wild beaches of the South Pacific, this circuit takes you to the heart of the country's finest treasures. Participate in a traditional cooking class, relax in the thermal springs of Tabacón. Experience an unusual night in a cave amid the Diamante waterfalls, before heading to the preserved beaches of Uvita. The journey concludes with an immersion with the indigenous communities of Térraba and Boruca, guardians of ancestral traditions. An original itinerary that reveals all the cultural and natural diversity of Costa Rica.
The stages of your journey
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport
Aéroport Juan Santamaria-San Jose → San José
At the airport exit, an agent will welcome you and take care of your transfer to your hotel.
A private English-language briefing is reserved for you.
Together, you will go over the logistical details of your trip. This will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.
Route to La Fortuna
San José → La Fortuna
Breakfast and car rental pickup, then drive to La Fortuna, a village located at the foot of Arenal Volcano.
Arenal Volcano experienced one of the most eventful volcanic histories of the last century in Central America. A perfect cone standing at 1,648 meters in altitude, located next to the lake of the same name, it offers spectacular landscapes that make it one of the must-see destinations in Central America.
Local Cooking Course and Thermal Waters at Tabacon
In the morning, you will head to a local family farm where you can spend time learning about Costa Rican agricultural processes and their conservation efforts. Your guide will welcome you and tell you the story of this family and their farm.
Make your way along a winding trail full of fruit trees, pineapples and medicinal plants. You will see indigenous medicinal plants from Costa Rica, lemon balm, a natural sleep aid, to Juanilama, a plant well known for relieving stomach problems.
You will then head to the mill where you will be shown a traditional method of making sugarcane juice that requires no electrical energy. Sugarcane juice is delicious but it can also be fermented and turned into a strong and delicious sugarcane alcohol called "guaro" or "contrabando".
Then discover all the secrets of Costa Rican gastronomy during a class taught by local residents! Try your hand at one of the many typical dishes of the country such as gallo pinto (made with rice and beans, to which you can add eggs or meat) accompanied by tortillas, and casado (a hearty mix of vegetables, rice, beans mixed with beef or chicken, fish or seafood). You can also make ''tamales'', a type of small corn bread filled with meat and often cooked in banana leaves… Enough to become a true Costa Rican-style master chef!
You will then head near the base of the active Arenal Volcano, in northern Costa Rica, the internationally renowned 5-star hotel, Tabacón, offers you an unparalleled relaxing experience with its hot springs and thermal mineral water pools, its lush tropical environment and its famous Iskandria Spa. About ten thermal water pools from the Río Tabacón, waterfalls, two restaurants and two bars (one in the water of one of the pools) invite you to relax. Each pool also offers a specific temperature, ranging from 23ºC to 40ºC, all in a luxury setting and surrounded by lush forest with a beautiful view of the volcano! This extraordinary setting, combined with exceptional service, welcoming smiles, and its convenient facilities, ensures guests unforgettable vacations in Costa Rica. Admire the wonderful nature of Costa Rica and the soothing atmosphere of the mineral water basins as well as naturally heated waterfalls. For dinner, you will enjoy traditional buffet dishes.
Volcan Arenal
In the Arenal Volcano National Park, you would have the opportunity to access the famous lava flow from 1992 and thus be able to get as close as possible to the volcano while enjoying superb views of Lake Arenal and the Tilarán mountain range. You could also enjoy the exceptional panorama offered to you from the observation tower on the peninsula trail.
Free day.
Your choice: visit to La Fortuna waterfall, zip-lining, hanging bridges, visit to a biological garden, among others…
Recommended activities:
Hot springs
Hanging bridges
National park
La Fortuna waterfall
Visit to local farmers
Carara National Park
La Fortuna → Tárcoles
Heading to Tárcoles and the Carara National Park.
You will arrive in the morning near Carara National Park and check in to your hotel.
Stop near Carara National Park and the Tárcoles River to spot the large American crocodiles basking in the sun.
In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the Carara National Park.
This park has the peculiarity of being located in a transition zone between the dry tropical forests of the north and the humid tropical forests of the south. It is also one of the best places in the country to observe the Scarlet Macaw. On the Laguna Meandrica trail, you are also likely to encounter more than 400 different bird species: boat-billed herons, herons and night herons, red macaws, tanagers, warblers, etc…
Route to Manuel Antonio & Dominical
Tárcoles → Parc national Manuel Antonio
You will head towards the famous Manuel Antonio beach resort which was recently featured in the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.
There is more to Manuel Antonio than just the beach! The Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most popular stops in the country for the richness of its fauna and flora.
Capuchin monkeys, the famous squirrel monkey and sloths have made their home there for a long time and delight tourists who come to photograph them up close. The national park also contains several beaches, all equally beautiful.
Relaxation and swimming on the agenda
Please note, Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays!Parc national Manuel Antonio → Dominical
Free visit of Manuel Antonio then you will continue your journey to the Dominical region.
Night in Diamante Cave
You will be expected at 8:30 am at the operations center in the mountains overlooking Dominical.
Around 9:00 am you will begin your hike to the base camp. Along the way you will visit a botanical garden and taste sugar cane and cocoa.
You will arrive before noon at the cave where you will have lunch before discovering the Diamante waterfalls!
You will be able to swim in the natural pools.
You will then return to the cave where you will have some free time.
Day with a local English-speaking/Spanish-speaking guide
Heading towards Uvita
Uvita
From Manuel Antonio, you are only 45 minutes drive from the Marino Ballena National Park, known for its wild beaches and its famous tombolo shaped like a whale's tail. You have the opportunity to go on a boat trip to observe dolphins and humpback whales in season.
Not far from there, there are the Nauyaca Falls but also the Baru Refuge which is of great biological importance as it is home to several different tropical habitats (mangroves, primary and secondary forests, beaches, rivers).
Route to Terraba
Uvita → Térraba
In Terraba a local guide will await you at 2 PM. This is a local English-speaking guide belonging to the Terraba culture. The Terrabas are a native people with a very rich culture. They live around the Rio Grande de Terraba river. Their community has survived for hundreds of years thanks to their particular land cultivation method.
Terraba is located approximately 20 minutes from Boruca. Terraba and Boruca share the same culture.
You will stay in a guesthouse and have a rustic room with a private bathroom.
Your guide will provide you with historical information about the community, details about their culture as well as advice on what gestures to adopt or avoid during your stay within the community.
In the evening, after dinner, you will have the opportunity to spend time with community members. This is not an "organized evening" but a genuine time of sharing with community members without disrupting their daily life.
Note: by proposing this program to you (staying in Terraba rather than in Boruca) I wanted to allow you to connect with locals as close as possible to their customs and traditions without disrupting their daily life, as if you were just another resident. All accompanied by a local guide. The village of Boruca is much more touristy with very organized visits and very "standardized" exchanges with residents. The inhabitants of Boruca being more "wary".
Terraba
Breakfast included at Albergue Rural El Descanso. Then with your vehicle you will travel to the Boruca village located approximately 20 minutes away. Your guide will accompany you and travel with you in your vehicle.
The village of Boruca is located approximately 20 minutes drive from the village of Terraba.
Here you will participate in workshops organized by the inhabitants of Boruca to create your own Boruca mask as well as weave using their looms.
Men sometimes travel several kilometers into the forest to search for natural products to color the fabrics!
After lunch included, you will have free time in the village.
Possibility to visit the Boruca museum with your guide.
Then return to Terraba where dinner will be served to you.
Day with Spanish-speaking local guide
Return to San José
Térraba → San José
In the morning, after breakfast, your guide will accompany you for a presentation of the cacao preparation process. You will see its cooking and the way it is ground by the locals. You will take a short hike to observe the ancestral petroglyphs of the region which have a very important part in Terraba and Boruca culture.
Then departure towards San José where you will return your vehicle around 5pm at your hotel reception
Price per person
Indicative price per person, based on double room. Each trip is customized according to your preferences.
This trip can be tailored to your preferences
This itinerary provides an excellent foundation for discovery, but it can be fully customized. Our local advisors build each trip tailored to your budget, dates and preferences.
Not included
- International flights
- Travel Insurance
- Personal Purchases
- Beverages and meals not mentioned in the "included" category
- Discretionary Tips
- Entrance fees to national parks not indicated as included
- Vehicle Deductible Buyback Insurance
Included
- 13 nights, all hotel taxes included
- Car rental with basic insurance (from D2 to D13), WIFI and unlimited mileage
- All breakfasts + certain additional meals
- Morpho Evasions on-site assistance 24/7
- Entry and dinner at Tabacon hot springs
- Visit to a local farm, local cooking class
- French-language welcome at the airport and delivery of the travel guide
- Nights in a cave with botanical garden visit, tour of 6 different waterfalls, 3 natural pools, waterfall and natural pool jumping, local English-speaking/Spanish-speaking guide
- 3 days/2 nights stay within the Terraba community with Boruca mask-making workshops, weaving, discovery of Cacao and petroglyphs and sharing with residents
Practical Information
Registration is considered firm and final after payment of a deposit of 30% of the total price and acceptance of the specific terms of sale.
The balance must be paid no later than 45 days before the departure date.
See our specific terms of sale for full details.
In the event of cancellation by the traveller, the following fees apply:
- Plus de 60 jours avant le départ : 40 % du prix total (acompte retenu)
- Entre 60 et 30 jours avant le départ : 50 % du prix total
- Moins de 30 jours avant le départ : 100 % du prix total
We strongly recommend taking out cancellation insurance. See our specific terms of sale for full details.
The information below concerns travelers from the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and Canada traveling to Costa Rica for a tourist stay. Entry rules may change, and we recommend that you verify this information with the official authorities before your departure.
Passport
To enter Costa Rica, your passport must be valid for at least one day after your planned departure date from the country (i.e., for the entire duration of your stay), but it is strongly recommended that it be valid for at least six months after your date of entry to avoid any refusal of boarding or admission.
The passport must have at least one blank page for immigration stamps and be in good condition (no damaged, torn or altered pages).
Tourist stay without visa
Nationals of the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Canada benefit from a visa exemption for tourist stays in Costa Rica.
Currently, this exemption allows a stay of up to 90 days upon entry to the territory. No automatic extension is granted: any stay exceeding this duration is considered irregular.
The authorities may also request:
an exit ticket from the territory (return flight or onward travel to a third country),
proof of sufficient financial resources for the duration of the stay (generally estimated at approximately 100 USD per day or 300 USD minimum).
Digital Entry Form (Pase de Salud / eTicket)
Before your arrival, you may need to complete an online entry form implemented by the Costa Rican authorities. This form contains personal and health information required for immigration purposes.
It allows you to submit to the immigration services certain information necessary for entry into the territory:
passport information
flight and itinerary details
address of your first accommodation in Costa Rica
The form must generally be completed online in the days prior to your arrival. A digital confirmation or QR code may be requested when passing through immigration. We recommend that you verify whether this form is still in effect at the time of your travel.
Health and vaccines
No vaccine is mandatory to enter Costa Rica for travelers from Europe or Canada. However, certain vaccinations are recommended depending on the areas visited:
typhoid fever and hepatitis A are recommended for all travelers,
yellow fever is recommended for travelers visiting certain forest or border areas.
Risks associated with dengue and malaria exist in certain regions, particularly in rural and forest areas. It is advisable to consult a doctor or international vaccination center before departure.
Traveling with children
Minors must hold their own valid passport covering the duration of the stay.
Costa Rica applies strict rules regarding travel by minors: when a child travels without one or both parents, a notarized parental authorization may be required by the Costa Rican authorities upon entry and exit from the territory. It is strongly recommended that you check with the Costa Rican embassy before departure.
Other nationalities
Entry conditions may vary depending on nationality. Travelers concerned should inquire with the embassy or consulate of Costa Rica in their country of residence.
To participate in our trips, it is strongly recommended that you have assistance-repatriation and foreign medical expenses coverage.
Your local agency encourages you to review the specific policy developed with our partners CHAPKA ASSURANCES and AXA ASSISTANCE.
To subscribe to insurance, learn about coverage and rates, follow the link below.
CAP EXPLORER: The complete insurance solution designed for worry-free travel!
Choose the plan that best suits your needs:
Explorer'Multirisque
Explorer'Annulation
Explorer'Assistance
Explorer'Complementary Credit Card Coverage
Specific to our trips, we strongly recommend taking out one of these plans.
If you choose to subscribe to one of these formulas, the policy detailing all coverage and claims procedures are available on the insurer's website.
Your local agency will be aware of it, but only the participant is responsible for complying with the procedures for declaring any claim. The participant must therefore keep this policy with them throughout the duration of their trip.
Chapka — Cap Explorer
Our insurance partnerTravel with peace of mind with our partner Chapka. Cancellation, repatriation, medical expenses, baggage… All the coverage for a worry-free trip.
Travel with peace of mind — I'll handle the insuranceFrequently asked questions
Visitors can stay in Costa Rica visa-free, provided they have a valid passport for at least 1 day after their stay and present a return ticket. The exact visa-free stay periods vary depending on nationality. Before booking your trip, verify the conditions applicable to your nationality with the Costa Rican consular authorities.
Go to the My Trips section to find all your projects.
You can send a message to your host directly from the Tea Lounge.
For a tailor-made quality trip, budget between 200 and 330 euros per day per person, including accommodation, meals, internal transfers and activities. International flights (800-1200 euros return) are additional. Costa Rica is more expensive than its Central American neighbours, as befits its quality.
Your documents are accessible in the Documents tab of your trip.
Absolutely. We tailor each itinerary to travellers' profiles. For families, we prioritise relaxed paces, family-friendly accommodations, engaging and educational activities, and comfortable private transfers. Our English-speaking local guides know how to capture children's attention with age-appropriate anecdotes.
It's simple. You exchange with our local team to define your wishes, budget and dates. You receive a detailed itinerary proposal within 48 hours. You adjust every detail together until it's perfect. You confirm and travel with peace of mind. Your local agency remains available 7 days a week throughout your trip.
In case of emergency, contact your local agency immediately.
Payment is generally made in two installments.
Our agency is part of the Nomadays network, registered in France. You benefit from APST (Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme) coverage that protects 100% of your funds. Secure payment, repatriation insurance included, and English-speaking assistance 24/7 on the ground throughout your stay.
Let's talk about your adventure — Central Volcanic Valley
Nature travel craftsman in Costa Rica, based in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a country that reminds us how much nature can still be omnipresent. My role is to help travelers discover it without altering it.
— Mathieu
