About This Trip
- Join an expert guided, small group Costa Rica eco tour to the best natural areas with a focus on wildlife observation.
- Explore the spectacular rainforest of the Osa Peninsula, called "the most biologically intense place on Earth" by National Geographic.
- See nesting olive ridley sea turtles and hatching baby turtles, with the chance to witness a mass nesting event, or "arribada," on the nesting beach that hosts one of the world's largest concentration of nesting turtles.
- Visit an active volcano and its surrounding hot springs, mud pools, waterfalls, and more.
- Look for the Resplendent Quetzal, a rare and stunning bird, in the cloud forest, and visit a unique high altitude páramo ecosystem.
Oceanic Society invites you on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to explore Costa Rica’s beautiful Pacific coast, with an itinerary tailor-made to bring you face to face with marine and terrestrial wildlife. Known for its world-class biodiversity and strong commitment to environmental protection, Costa Rica is considered by many to be the world’s best ecotourism destination. Our Costa Rica eco tour goes beyond the standard ‘tourist trail’ as we visit sea turtle nesting beaches, explore an active volcano, and spend time amid the rainforest of the remote Osa Peninsula, called “the most biologically intense place on Earth” by National Geographic.
We’ve timed our trip to coincide with the nesting season for the olive ridley sea turtle, and we’ll visit the nesting beach that hosts the world’s largest concentration of nesting turtles. It's one of a mere half-dozen places on Earth at which olive ridley turtles nest en masse during the daytime in phenomena known as “arribadas,” which, if we're lucky, we'll have the opportunity to witness.
Beyond sea turtles, we’ll explore an active volcano and its surrounding waterfalls, mud pools, and geothermal hot springs, and we’ll have options for horseback riding, kayaking, and more. Our trip continues with three nights and two days in the rainforest of the southern Osa Peninsula, where we'll have the chance to see four species of monkeys, colorful birds like toucans and the Scarlet Macaw, poison dart frogs, and much, much more. We finish our adventure with a visit to unique cloud forest and páramo ecosystems that hosts a variety of rare and endemic birds, including the Resplendent Quetzal. If you are looking for an unforgettable Costa Rica eco tour, look no further!
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Notes on Trip Costs
Cost Includes: 8 nights of accommodations, activities as described, meals as described, ground transportation to each destination and domestic air from Liberia to Puerto Jimenez, airport transfers, meeting with conservationists, and a dedicated Oceanic Society naturalist.
Not Included: International airfare to Liberia (LIR) and from San Jose (SJO), tips, alcoholic beverages, meals not listed above, airport taxes, any activities not described, tour leader gratuity.
There is a single supplement fee of $975. A surcharge of $385 / person will apply to groups with less than 8 total participants. Click here for our full expedition terms and conditions. Note: Custom dates are available for groups of 4 or more - please inquire.
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Conservation Impact
Established in 1969, Oceanic Society stands as the oldest nonprofit organization in America committed to ocean conservation. We are trailblazers in the realm of "eco travel," crafting expeditions that not only align with our charitable mission but also actively support marine research and conservation efforts globally. Moreover, with every booking made, we take pride in sponsoring the removal of 200 lbs. of plastic waste from the ocean. Dive deeper into our innovative travel approach here.
Dates & Prices
Itinerary
The following itinerary is provided for informational purposes and is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond our control. Accommodations may be substituted with comparable hotels based on the final group needs or changes to the itinerary. Note: (B, L, D) denotes the meals provided each day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Day 1 | Arrive into Liberia, Costa Rica, transfer to Ostional
Arrive to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR, before 3pm). We will then take an approximately 3 hour drive to our hotel near Ostional National Wildlife Refuge on the Pacific coast. This evening we'll have a welcome dinner and a general orientation. Overnight at Hotel Luna Azul. (D)
Day 2 | Ostional National Wildlife Refuge
We’ll start the day with a leisurely breakfast followed by a short presentation on the olive ridley sea turtle and its unique mass nesting behavior which takes place at the nearby Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. Today, we will visit a turtle conservation program at nearby Playa Guiones to learn about their work and possibly see hatching baby turtles, and we’ll relax on a beautiful isolated beach. At night we’ll visit Playa Ostional to look for sea turtles nesting and baby turtles making their inspiring journeys to the sea. Overnight at Hotel Luna Azul. (B, L, D)
NOTE: If our timing coincides with an arribada mass nesting event, we may visit the nesting beach at around 4:30 am or in the early evening to witness the event.
Day 3 | Ostional - Rincón de la Vieja
After an optional early morning nature walk around our hotel grounds followed by breakfast, we’ll drive inland towards the volcanic mountain range and Rincón de la Vieja volcano where we will stay at a lodge that used to be a large cattle ranch and boasts hot springs and waterfalls on-site. In the afternoon we will have the opportunity to participate in one of the many options for adventure that are offered by our hotel, including horseback riding, hiking, tubing, canyoning, and canopy/zip lines. The hotel is well known for their horseback riding trips. Overnight at Borinquen Resort. (B, L, D)
Day 4 | Rincón de la Vieja Volcano - Osa Peninsula
This morning we will take a beautiful hike on the well-maintained Pailas Trail inside Rincón de la Vieja National Park. On our hike, we will see many volcanic mineral mud pools bubbling away in myriad colors. The tropical dry forest is special here and you will find some of the most spectacular ficus trees and large, healthy groups of howler monkeys. In the afternoon we will have a long transfer to the Osa Peninsula. As we drive to the airport in Liberia we will enjoy many nice vistas, and we will then board a flight to Puerto Jimenez (possibly with a stop in San José) on the south Pacific Coast. We will then transfer to our hotel (~ 1 hour), the award-winning Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge on the Osa Peninsula. (B, L, D)
Days 5-6 | Exploring the Osa Peninsula Rainforest
Two full days will be spent immersing ourselves in the incredible biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula. Here we will hike along the trails with our guide to see the special plants and wildlife that are found here, including four species of monkey, birds including colorful Scarlet Macaws and toucans, tapirs, sloths, peccaries, poison dart frogs, and so much more.
On one day we will join field biologists with the nonprofit organization Osa Conservation on their wildlife monitoring activities. They conduct many research programs throughout the Osa Peninsula, including sea turtle monitoring on Playa Piro, which hosts four sea turtle species: primarily olive ridleys and some green turtles, with rare hawksbills and leatherbacks. Depending on the researchers’ schedule, we may have the opportunity to visit the sea turtle nesting beach in the morning to check for nests and release hatchlings. Overnight at Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge. (B, L, D)
Day 7 | Cloud forest and highlands
Today we will begin to make our way towards Costa Rica’s central valley, taking a route through the mountains that will bring us into a spectacular cloud forest ecosystem and then to Costa Rica's unique páramo, a type of high altitude tropical grass/shrubland. We will take some time along our route to explore before continuing to our hotel in the mountain community of San Gerardo de Dota, nestled amid the mystical cloud forest. Overnight at Hotel Savegre. (B, L, D)
Day 8 | Cloud forest and highlands
In the morning and early afternoon we will enjoy some nature walks in the otherworldly cloud forest, with a particular eye to spot the exotic birds found in this ecosystem, including the iconic Resplendent Quetzal. In the afternoon we will drive towards the central valley and the capital of Costa Rica – San José. Additionally, if there is interest, we will stop by one of the best coffee shops in the country to taste and stock up on some of the highest quality coffee and chocolate that Costa Rica has to offer. This evening we will have a farewell dinner in San Jose. Overnight at Crown Plaza Corobici. (B, L, D)
Day 9 | San José, departure
Transfer to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in time for your flight home. The trip to the airport should take about 45 minutes. (B)
Accommodations
Participants will stay in a variety of hotels that offer a balance of comfort, amenities, and proximity to our planned activities. We'll stay in the following hotels (or similar) during our trip:- Hote Luna Azul near Ostional Wildlife Refuge
- Borinquen Mountain Resort near Rincón de la Vieja volcano
- Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge on the Osa Peninsula
- Hotel Savegre in the cloud forest
- Crown Plaza or similar in San José
Naturalist(s)
Your expedition will be led by one or more of the following expert naturalist guides: