Tortuguero in Costa Rica from San José, with rental car

DAY 1

San José

Welcome to Costa Rica!

As you arrive to the country our driver will be waiting you to take to the hotel, take this opportunity to ask anything you need to know or if you need to get in contact with our offices.

The Juan Santamaria International Airport is in the Great Metropolitan Area, where the main cities of Costa Rica and the most populated part of the country are located.

In San José, you will be able to visit city highlights as the museums of pre-Columbian art, the Plaza de la Cultura, and the Central Market, where you can find products as exotic fruits and delicious typical foods.

Airport assistance

Upon arrival in Costa Rica, and after passing the migration zone -within the facilities-, our representative of CANATUR (Costa Rican Chamber of Tourism) will be waiting for you with a sign with your name to indicate you how to locate your transportation and driver in charge to take you to the hotel.

Park Inn Hotel (or similar) - 1 night

Breakfast

Transfer Airport - San José

DAY 2

Tortuguero

Tortuguero National Park is in one of the most notorious regions of Costa Rica. Being remote and full of rainforest and wildlife, it is only accessible by air (additional cost) or water. However, the trip through its stunning canals, its exuberant vegetation and abundance of birds and animals, is well worth the boat trip and a highlight of its appeal.

Also between July and October is the nesting season for the turtles.

On this day you will depart in the morning (time previously indicated) with your transportation and certified guide and drive through the breathtaking Braulio Carrillo National Park all the way to the region of Guápiles where you will enjoy a typical Costa Rican breakfast.

Then, you will travel through roads between banana plantations and picturesque small towns until you arrive in the small dock where your boat will be waiting for you.

As your boat departs the pier, you will start witnessing the amazing forests that make this area one of the most visited by nature lovers from all over the World.

As you arrive to the lodge, a fresh fruit cocktail awaits you with the guidelines of your stay in the region.

After your included lunch buffet, your tour guide and captain will take you to the small village of Tortuguero, unique town for having no cars, roads, or traffic signs.

You will visit the Turtle Museum, see the beach where the turtles arrive every year and have your opportunity to go to the groceries to get whatever you may need.

It is important to acknowledge that Tortuguero is a very small village and you may not find specific items as medicines.

Pachira Lodge (or similar) - 2 nights

Full Board (alcoholic drinks or bottled water not included)

Land and boat transfer (San José - Tortuguero - Guápiles)

Visit to Tortuguero National Park and Tortuguero village

Bilingual guide

DAY 3

Tortuguero

Every day starts to the sounds of howler monkeys, toucans and other wonders of the area. Your tour guide and skipper will take you by boat into the Tortuguero National Park where you will be delighted with the breathtaking nature of the area.

You may see three different species of monkeys (howlers, spider monkeys and capuchin white faced monkeys), several types of herons and egrets, several species of toucans, and if you are lucky you may even see sloths, anteaters, and neotropical otters.

Later in the day you will have more time to take it easy and enjoy the splendor of the rainforest right by the swimming pool. Or, if you like you can take an optional trip in kayak, or a walk through the jungle.

Between Jualy and October, in the evenings you may join a tour to watch the amazing green sea turtles nesting on the Tortuguero National Park beach. This excursion has an additional cost and can be booked once you are in the area.

Tour of the canals

DAY 4

Tortuguero

On this day you will enjoy your breakfast and leave the fascinating region of Tortuguero the same way you came in. At mid-morning, your boat will depart to go on the same route to the Guápiles area, make a stop for lunch and your rental car will be given to you.

A route through the Caribbean plains will drive you up to Puerto Viejo, situated in the same province of Limón.

The schedules and the order of the activities in Tortuguero are defined by the guide the first day depending on the conditions of the climate and the behavior of the animals.

Two hours from the town of Limón, on the way to Costa Rica’s south caribbean (the time to get from Guápiles to the south caribbean is of three and a half hours) is Puerto Viejo. A region where you can see extensive banana and pineapple plantations.

Located near the border with Panamá, in the Caribbean south coast. Puerto Viejo is an area with a rich afro-caribbean culture, where its gastronomy and music will bring out an additional charm.

Puerto Viejo is an ideal place to enjoy from multicolored sand beaches, this area is surrounded by the Cahuita National Park on the south and the Gandoca Manzanillo Reserve to the north. It offers great variety of activities hiking, diving, ciclying and horseback riding.

Rental car for 6 days (Unlimited Mileage, authorization for 2 drivers, GPS, full coverage insurance)

DAYS 5 - 9

Costa Rica

You will these days to continue your trip as you consider best and to know the most striking places in the country.

For recommendations for activities and places to go, you can explore our website www.asuaire.com.

DAY 10

San José

Rental car drop off at the offices near the airport.

It is important to remember that after the drop off, the Rent a Car gives a free transfer from their offices to the Juan Santamaría International Airport terminal.

Rental car delivery