The Forests & Coasts of Family Friendly Costa Rica
Tour Introduction
Travel to the Caribbean lowlands and coasts on this excellent value, tailor-made family tour. See a plethora of mammal, reptile, amphibian and bird species; learn about rainforest ecology; enjoy raft and boat trips through jungle-clad rivers; then head for the funky southern Caribbean coast to recharge your batteries with large doses of sun, sea and snorkelling before the long trip home. All these experiences await you in this keenly priced itinerary, whose price includes many meals, a wide variety of activities and tours, and good, tried-and-tested accommodation.
Best months for this itinerary vary from February to March and September to October which are the peak dry periods for the southern Caribbean lowlands, however, this trip can be taken at any time of the year.
Full Itinerary
Arrive San Jose, capital of Costa Rica. Met and transfer to your hotel, not far from the airport.
Staying at Bougainvillea Hotel. Includes No Meals.
Morning pickup at your hotel and transfer through Braulio Carillo National Park to the forested Caribbean lowlands and your accommodation situated next to the Sarapiqui River. After dinner enjoy a shared night walk in the Selva Verde Private Reserve to see red-eyed tree frogs and other nocturnal species.
Staying at Selva Verde Lodge. Includes All Meals.
This morning enjoy a visit to La Selva Biological Station for a shared wildlife walk in the famous rainforest reserve. See the wonderful work done to preserve the region’s forests and ecosystems. The afternoon is at leisure.
Staying at Selva Verde Lodge. Includes All Meals.
After breakfast, depart for a half-day gentle (or white-water) rafting trip down the beautiful Sarapiqui River, lined with farms and forest. Relax in the afternoon.
Staying at Selva Verde Lodge. Includes All Meals.
After breakfast transfer to the town of Guapiles to meet the lodge transportation to the embarkation point for a boat transfer to Tortuguero. Arrive at your lodge and settle in. Afternoon visit to Tortuguero Town.
Staying at Laguna Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Morning boat trip through the jungle-fringed waterways and rivers of the Tortuguero region. It is possible to see howler, spider and white faced capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloth, river turtle, caiman, iguana, basilisk and many bird species. After lunch paddle through narrow, boat free channels on a shared kayak tour.
Staying at Laguna Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Morning pickup for your transfer to the Caribbean coast. Return by boat and road to Guapiles, drive to the main town of Limon, then head southwards along the coast past Puerto Viejo to Chiquita beach and your nearby accommodation.
Staying at Namuwoki Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Lunch.
This morning enjoy a private tour of Cahuita National Park which protects the seas, beaches and lowlands of the southern Caribbean coastal region and includes a 600 acre reef. On land the fauna includes white-nosed coati, northern raccoon, three-toed sloth, mantled howlers, white headed capuchins, and yellow eyelash viper, as well as a variety of birdlife. In season, the park’s southern beach is also a nesting site for hawksbill, leatherback and green turtles. Return to your accommodation after lunch.
Staying at Namuwoki Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Lunch.
This morning explore the state and private-owned Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. This protected area, managed together with local community participation comprises pristine Caribbean beaches, lush secondary and primary tropical forests and transition areas, and a large marine territory including a protected reef. Fauna includes over 350 species of birds, monkeys, sloths iguanas and poison dart frogs, three different dolphin species, turtles, manatees, and crocodiles. Return to your accommodation in the late morning and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to relax or explore on your own.
Staying at Namuwoki Lodge. Includes Breakfast.
Last day at leisure in the warm Caribbean coast.
Staying at Namuwoki Lodge. Includes Breakfast.
Pickup for your private transfer to San Jose airport for your flight out.
Includes Breakfast.
Tour Accommodation
Bougainvillea Hotel
Overview
The Bougainvillea Hotel is situated in a quiet location in Santo Domingo de Heredia, about 20 minutes from central San Jose. The hotel has elegant and spacious rooms with private hot water bathrooms, two double beds, flat-screen cable TV, ceiling fan, tea and coffee facilities and a safety deposit box. The rooms have been well designed with wide windows affording pleasant garden views.
There is a good restaurant and bar that serves a la carte international cuisine and caters well for special dietary requirements.
Other facilities include a gift shop, business centre, swimming pool, gym, sauna, tennis court and large, attractive tropical gardens.
The hotel’s location makes it ideal for a stopover before and after your international flights but it is far enough from the city centre to provide a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, hot water, restaurant, bar, lounge, sauna, tennis court, safety deposit box, ceiling fan, cable TV, free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee making facilities, room service, massage service, laundry service, luggage storage and currency exchange.
Local Wildlife
An array of tropical birds and insects.
Optional Activities
Tennis, gym and sauna on site and bird watching excursions can be arranged.
Laguna Lodge
Overview
Founded in 1990, this pleasant wildlife lodge is located on a strip of land facing Tortuguero lagoon and only 200m from the main turtle nesting beach (no swimming allowed). The lodge sits within 14 acres of beautiful gardens and wooded grounds, home to an abundance of fauna and flora.
Laguna Lodge has 80 simple wooden bedrooms in small blocks scattered throughout the grounds and connected by an extensive path system. All are equipped with a private hot water bathroom, ceiling fan, reading light, safety deposit box and small veranda.
Much of the main lodge has been skilfully constructed using wood found on the beach. The open-sided buffet restaurant overlooking the lagoon serves tasty local and international cuisine, and tea, coffee and biscuits are available 24 hours a day. Other facilities include two bars, a swimming pool, small gift shop and communal lounge area.
The main attraction of the area is the fantastic Tortuguero National Park. The park is a heavily forested alluvial plain with many inland waterways. It contains a great abundance and variety of wildlife, especially monkeys, sloths and frogs and 309 bird species have been recorded. The local beach is an internationally important nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles which can be watched after sunset between mid-July and October.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, hot water, ceiling fan, safety deposit box, 24 hour tea and coffee facilities, hammocks, restaurant, two bars, swimming pool, lounge, small gift shop, currency exchange and laundry service.
Local Wildlife
Green and hawksbill turtles nest between mid-July and October. Three- (diurnal) and two-toed (nocturnal) sloths, mantled howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, crab-eating racoons, spectacled caiman, basilisk lizards, iguanas and a huge diversity of birds.
Optional Activities
Guided walks and wildlife watching in Tortuguero National Park, kayaking and boat trips on the waterways.
Selva Verde Lodge
Overview
Just off the main road at Chilamate, the long established and well-run lodge is quite large and attracts birdwatching groups and individuals to its splendid riverside location by the impressive Sarapiqui River. The simple yet comfortable rooms are of wood construction and set in small blocks reached by covered walkways lined with tropical garden plants such as heliconia and wild ginger. Each room has comfortable double or twin beds, ceiling fan, safety deposit box, hair dryer, desk and private bathroom with solar powered hot water. There are also five seclude bungalows and a special suite suitable for large families.
There are trails near the lodge for independent walking, private primary and secondary forest reserves, a swimming pool, a conference room, a butterfly garden and a library of natural history books. Rafting trips on the Sarapiqui, both white-water and gentle, are available and can reveal much of the wildlife interest.
Otters have been seen hunting from the upstairs dining room, where typical Costa Rican meals are served buffet-style: there is also an a la carte restaurant on the ground floor serving pizza and other dishes. Many birds (400 species), mammals, butterflies (700 species) and poison-dart (dendrobates) frogs are found around the lodge and in the 530 acres primary rainforest reserve, reached by a bridge across the river.
The separate La Selva rainforest reserve and research station can be explored on booked visits. This reserve encompasses more than 1500 hectares including a variety of ecosystems characteristic of the wet lowland tropical zone. It forms part of a much larger protected area that includes the Braulio Carrillo National Park and is particularly good for sightings of three- and two-toed sloths, spider monkeys, peccaries, toucans and macaws.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, solar powered hot water, ceiling fan, writing desk, safety deposit box, hair dryer, restaurant, bar, lounge, gift shop, conference room, swimming pool and laundry service.
Local Wildlife
Both three-toed and two-toed sloths are particularly abundant in the forest and all four primates (squirrel, howler, spider and capuchin monkeys), peccaries, iguanas, turtles, macaws, toucans and 400 bird species are also present. Night walks regularly reveal kinkajous, woolly opossums, poison dart frogs (also seen by day), snakes and owls.
Optional Activities
Guided nature and bird walks are the main activities. There are more adventurous ones such as white water rafting, canoeing, gentle river rafting, horse riding and zip lining, and cultural activities such as visits to local communities and a chocolate making factory.
Namuwoki Lodge
Overview
Set on the landward side of the coastal road near tranquil Playa Chiquita, Namuwoki Lodge offers a peaceful retreat immersed in the lush Caribbean rainforest. Its 17 individually designed wooden bungalows and villas are scattered throughout vibrant tropical gardens, each featuring an ensuite bathroom, ceiling fan or air‑conditioning, and a private terrace complete with hammock for relaxed wildlife watching. The lodge’s serene atmosphere is enhanced by the surrounding forest, where guests may spot monkeys, sloths and colourful birdlife, including the impressive great green macaw that often visits the almond trees on the property.
An on‑site restaurant serves breakfast and dinner with a blend of Spanish and Caribbean flavours, while a small outdoor pool provides a refreshing place to unwind after a day exploring the coast. Wi-Fi is available in public areas, and the friendly staff can arrange a variety of local excursions, from visits to the nearby Jaguar Rescue Centre to guided nature walks and cultural experiences.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Swimming pool, spa, restaurant, wooden bungalows, villas, tropical gardens, lounge area, WiFi in public areas, tour assistance, parking.
There are 11 Deluxe Bungalows, one Junior Suite Bungalow, one Suite Bungalow, one Master Suite Bungalow, and two Villas.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
August to October
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
John Melton
Area Specialist
*Green and hawksbill turtles are best seen in Tortuguero from June to September; leatherbacks and loggerheads nest from March to May.
This tour is ideal for an active, adventurous family with older children.
At Selva Verde, look for two colourful species of poison dart frog – one called “blue jeans” because of its red body and blue legs – in the lush borders lining the walkways.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
One of the best holidays we have enjoyed anywhere. Jonathan Morris arranged a superb itinerary for us and overall the service provided in country was very good. This was our fourth trip with Reef and Rainforest and was as well organised as the others. Well done!
