As you arrive at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, you will be met and greeted by a Caracara Travel Representative that will give you a briefing about your itinerary and take you to your hotel in San José.

Your tour guide and driver will pick you up early in the morning to take you to the North Caribbean region of Costa Rica and into what’s called the Costa Rican Amazonia, the Tortuguero National Park.
Your journey will take you through the Braulio Carrillo National Park and into the Caribbean Plains, an area where plantations of tropical fruits merge with livestock and luscious rainforests.
You will arrive at the pier, where after a biobreak your group will board a comfortable boat that will take you for your one-hour ride to Tortuguero and your lodge (times may vary depending on river water level).
During the first part of the trip, you will be cruising on the "La Suerte" River, and as you get closer to the Tortuguero River.
As you arrive at your lodge you will be greeted and checked into your room. Lunch is served around mid-day and afterward, you will walk along with your guide through Tortuguero Village.
During this visit, you will learn about the way of life of the people who live in Tortuguero, a small town of about 2000 people. Following our visit to the hotel, we will return to the lodge.
If you prefer not to walk, please notify your tour guide, who will arrange for boat transportation back to your hotel.

After a delicious breakfast, you will have the opportunity to take a guided walk through the hotel gardens, or at the National Park (Depending on hotel choice) or take one of the several optional tours offered by the hotels, including an early morning tour before breakfast.

In the afternoon there will be a boat tour along the Tortuguero Canals. Tortuguero is one of the most important nesting sites in the western half of the Caribbean for the green turtle from June to September each year.
The park is formed by a navigable network of lakes and canals with a large variety of wildlife, including monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, sloths, turtles, and more than 300 species of birds.

On this day you will have breakfast at the lodge in Tortuguero and travel back to the pier where you will take your chosen transportation and drive all the way to the Caribbean coast through luscious landscapes, banana and pineapple plantations, and rainforest patches.
On the way you may want to stop at some of the many fresh fruit stands en route and have a taste of some of these amazing flavors.
As you arrive in the South Caribbean of Costa Rica you can have the rest of the day at your leisure.

You will get to a meeting point where you will find your local guide, who will take you on a fantastic nature hike through the Cahuita National Park. (If you chose to have your own Tour Guide and Driver, they will take you through the National Park)
In its land portion, this National Park combines beautiful beaches and a tropical rainforest where you can see a variety of wildlife roaming around in the trees close to the white-sanded beach. You’ll easily see two and three-toed sloths, howler and white-faced monkeys, agoutis, coatimundis, iguanas, and more.
After that, you'll go to the beach to relax and eat some tropical fruit.
You can also choose to go on an extra optional snorkeling tour to see the coral reef where you will find around 35 different coral species, including fire coral and red and black coral, which are unique to this area.

As you travel out of the South Caribbean and into the country you will see the landscape changing until you arrive in Turrialba.

Turrialba is a city located at the far end of the Central Valley and quite close to the East Coast of Costa Rica.
Its weather is thus warmer and more humid, holding some of the most breathtaking rainforests in the country. As it is an off-the-beaten-track destination, you won't find the usual "touristy" development that you see in the rest of Costa Rica.
Although its social and economic peak happened when the railroad that connected the cities to the coast stopped at its center, Turrialba had already developed as a route since the Precolumbian days. In the region, you will visit the ancient Guayabo National Monument. It is the most important archeological site in Costa Rica, a reminder of a thriving city and a route to get to the Caribbean.
In the recent decade, it has turned into an adventure hub recognized for its amazing rafting possibilities in the Pacuare River and some of the most strenuous adventures in the country, from canyoning to mountain biking. The Turrialba Volcano, which has been very active in recent years and whose presence is always felt throughout the valley, especially during the sunny season, is another major attraction in the area.
Last but not least, this region is where the popular fresh Turriabla cheese is made.
On this day you may find some experiences to enjoy along the way until you arrive at your hotel.

On this day after breakfast, you will depart to meet a local guide at the Guayabo National Monument for you to have a most comprehensive tour through the archeological site.
Guayabo National Monument is located northwest of the Turrialba Valley. The archaeological site encompasses approximately 20 hectares of protected land and consists of a collection of ancient architectural structures made of river stones.
Archaeologists believe the site was inhabited from 1000 BC to AD 1400 when it peaked as a thriving city around AD 800. For unknown reasons, the city that was once considered a regional epicenter for politics, culture, and religion was abandoned and left to die.
This wilderness preserve protects 233 hectares of a pre-mountain rainforest that is probably covering a huge part of the old city remnants.

You will depart the beautiful Valley of Turrialba to go up the mountains and into the area of El Cerro de la Muerte (Translated to “the mountain of death”).
The route to get from Turrialba to San Gerardo will take you through some very traditional areas of Costa Rica, the Orosi Valley with its old colonial church, its hydroelectrical dam, a local artists’ workshop and sculptures gallery and their “chayote” (A sort of squash) plantations; Once you go out from the valley you will get into the Panamerican Highway where you will see some breathtaking views of forests and plains around the mighty Talamanca Mountain Range.

During this hike, you may run into the Resplendent Quetzal, which is easier to find in the early morning, and during April and May, which is their nesting season.
However, they can be seen mostly all year round and your local tour guide will know where to find them if they are visible at the time of year you come to Costa Rica.
Many of the endemic species of Talamanca can be found on the Cerro de la Muerte (Death Mountain), which rises to an altitude of over 11,000 feet and is located well above the treeline. It is possible to hike through a wide variety of habitats in a single morning. Because of this variety, there is a rich assortment of bird life and fascinating plant life.
You will walk with your guide for about two hours and come back to your lodge for a lofty breakfast and depart to the Pacific Coast through the Talamanca Mountain range.

As we are on a beautiful off-the-beaten-track route, our time on the beach will be enjoyed in a stunning area where the ocean is warm, the people are very relaxed and there are a variety of activities to choose from.
You will enjoy lunch en route and arrive at your hotel by the afternoon when you will have the rest of the day at your leisure.

This is a Full-day tour from approximately 07:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Leaving from Uvita to Caño Island, the boat trip is around an hour and a half.
Caño Island has warm and usually clear waters and has a spectacular variety of marine life as well as some stunning coral reefs spots.
The underwater wealth of the surroundings of this island is impressive, with a fantastic variety of fish and coral reefs this tour is a must for water lovers.
Usually, you will find some sharks, sting rays, and schools of mackerel that surround the island, making it one of the favorite places in Costa Rica for recreational and deep diving.
On the way in and out you may also expect to see schools of dolphins and humpback whales.
On the island, there are two snorkeling sessions. After snorkeling, we will go for a picnic lunch at a secluded beach if the weather permits; otherwise, we will return to Punta Uvita and have lunch on board.

Since it has been quite a busy trip, it is time to kick off the hiking shoes, and just relax, either at the hotel pool or at the beach. If you want, you can also visit Nauyaca Waterfalls, and Uvita Waterfall, or even take an optional tour of Corcovado National Park.

Parque Marino Ballena Walking Tour with your local tour guide. Tidal depending this walk will take you to visit a beautiful rainforest and the well-known Tombolo or Whale’s Tail that has made this area quite known.
If we are in whale season, you can also opt to do a whale-watching tour.
Another great option for this day is the Sunset Catamaran Tour from Quepos. Especially if you are traveling in the sunny season when sunsets are breathtaking.
If you don’t feel like taking the optional tour you can just relax by the swimming pool of your hotel.

Transfer to the SJO International Airport or your hotel in San Jose (Depending on your flight time)

The drive from Uvita to the Airport is about 4 hours non-stop, so if your flight has an early departure we recommend spending one extra night in San José.

This day applies only if you decided to spend an extra night in San José.