Our trip to Costa Rica was a compact yet richly varied experience, blending adventure, wildlife, and cultural insight across some of the country’s most iconic regions.
After flying from London via Paris, we arrived in San José in the evening, meeting with our tour guide Jorge for the week, with time to rest before the journey began. The next morning, we had a guided tour around San José, before travelling to the Arenal Volcano region. En route, visits to a coffee plantation, sugar cane mill, and butterfly garden offered an engaging introduction to Costa Rica’s agricultural traditions and biodiversity.
The following day brought a deeper immersion into the rainforest. A sky tram lifted us into the canopy, followed by an exhilarating zip-lining experience with sweeping views over the jungle and Lake Arenal. Shortly after, we explored the rainforest more deliberately, walking across hanging bridges that revealed its layered ecosystem, spotting howler monkeys, leaf cutter ants, a tarantula and a snake along the way.
Midweek, we travelled to Tortuguero National Park, reaching this remote network of waterways by road and boat. At Pachira Lodge, the pace slowed. Kayaking through narrow channels brought us close to wildlife, while a boat safari revealed monkeys, birds, and reptiles, such as basilisks, iguanas and caimans in their natural habitat. A forest walk and village visit added cultural depth, where we all played football on a local pitch by the beach.
We then continued to the Sarapiquí region with a visit to a local heart of palm producer reinforcing the region’s local economy. That evening after dark we visited the Tirimbina Biological Reserve. A night walk through the rainforest introduced nocturnal species, offering a completely different perspective on the environment as we sighted spiders, frogs, bullet ants and vipers aplenty.
The next day featured my favourite activity, white water rafting on the Sarapiquí River, an exhilarating highlight for all! That evening, Mr Jennings, Mr Hardy and Ms Knowles organised a quiz night, which was collectively enjoyed and filled with laughter.
On our final day, we returned towards San José, stopping at Braulio Carrillo National Park for an aerial tram ride above untouched rainforest, a calm and reflective end to the trip.
On reflection, the journey provided a comprehensive view of Costa Rica’s landscapes and wildlife. From volcanoes to waterways and dense rainforest, it was an immersive introduction to a country defined by biodiversity and the philosophy of “pura vida”.
