Costa Rica Tours, Ltd.
              Specialists in Costa Rica and Panama

 


Costa Rica Southern Pacific Tour

This tour is available throughout the year with part-time private naturalist guide

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Savegre Valley, one of the best locations for birding watching and river fishing;                

  • New luxury resort on Pacific Coast beach;

  • Choice of two day tours:  Mangrove Swamp and Caño Island; Mangrove Swamp & Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula; Ngobe Bugle Indigenous Reserve and Wilson Botanical Gardens

  • City Tour of San Jose and evening entertainment.
     

DAY ONE: Directly from the airport, you are transferred to your lodge three hours south of San Jose in the mountain hamlet, San Geraldo de Dota. It is a true Shangri-la nestled in the Savegre River Valley of the Talamanca Mountain Corridor. The area is an imposing cloud forest filled with massive oaks which serve as a sanctuary for a large number of mammals, exotic plants and some 170 species of colorful birds, which makes this one of the best areas for bird watching in Costa Rica. (D)

DAY TWO:  You rise early for a bird watching tour with your private naturalist guide. You are guaranteed to see the once sacred and mythical Resplendent Quetzal, considered the most beautiful bird in the world because of its striking plumage.  Afterwards, you can take an optional tours on horseback or a guided walk through the rainforest to caves along the Savegre River.  Or, you can fish for rainbow trout in the adjacent river or in your lodge’s private stocked pool.  Your catch can be prepared for your dinner. (B,L,D)

DAY THREE: You have a private-guided transfer about two hours away to a new luxury resort, Cuna del Angel, on the southern Pacific Coast. Your afternoon is free to enjoy the resort. (B)

DAY FOUR and DAY FIVE: You can choose any two of the following day trips, on a seat-on-bus basis. (B,L)

Mangrove Swamp & Caño Island
 
You travel by boat through the Terraba-Sierpe mangrove swamp, the largest in Central America. You continue on to Caño Island.  White-sand beaches and a well-protected inshore coral reef make Caño Island one of the best places along the Pacific American coast for scuba diving and snorkeling. The island is an archeological site and was the origin of the perfect granite spheres which are seen throughout the region. The coastal waters in this area serve as a calving area for humpback whales. In addition, pilot whales, orcas, sperm whales, multiple species of dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles, porpoises have been sighted in this area.

Mangrove Swamp & Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula

You travel through the same mangrove as in the tour above. You continue on to Corcovado National Park, considered by National Geographic Magazine as the park with the most biodiversity on the planet. As you hike through the primary rainforest, your local guide will point out a variety of flora and fauna.

Guaymi (Ngobe Bugle) Indigenous Reserve and Wilson Botanical Gardens

  • You take the coastal road and the Inter-American Highway to San Vito de Coto Brus. During the two-hour drive you will see one of the most scenic areas of the Pacific Southwest. At the Guaymi (Ngobe Bugle) Reserve, the village chief will explain the indigenous culture, and you can purchase hand-made crafts.  Wilson Botanical Gardens is a "must-see." Thousands of tropical and subtropical plant species are combined with protected rainforest with an abundance of wildlife. There are over 10 kilometers of well-maintained trails that meander through the 10 hectares. The gardens have attracted scientists, students and tourists from throughout the world since 1963.

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    DAY SIX: You have a private transfer back to San Jose. Time permitting, you visit the National Museum or the Jade Museum which contains the best collection of pre-Columbian ceramics in Central America. In the evening, you will visit El Pueblo, a popular entertainment center with a variety of restaurants and art and craft shops, or Pueblo Antiguo (if Friday or Saturday) for dinner and a folk dance show. (B,D)

    DAY SEVEN: You are transferred to the airport for your departure. (B)

    Cost: $1595 in double occupancy, includes 6 nights hotel, 11 meals (B6, 3L, 3D), three private-guided ground transfers (San Jose/San Gerardo de Dota, SGD/southern coast resort, resort/San Jose) with guided-rainforest hike and City Tour of San Jose; two day-excursions on seat-on-bus basis, transfer to airport on day of departure.

     

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    Costa Rica Tours, Ltd
    info@costaricatoursltd.com
    704.541.8680