Meet at group hotel. Your holiday begins with the overnight stay at the group hotel which is close to the airport.

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the La Fortuna, in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano. On the way, we stop off for a visit to the wonderful Finca Sura, a family-run pineapple farm. We will have a tour and learn all about their approach to sustainable production and, whilst walking the farm, we will see much wildlife. They also grow manioc, turmeric, ginger, sugar cane, vanilla, pepper and cinnamon and we will be treated to a delicious lunch with freshest home-grown ingredients. After lunch, we continue to our hotel in La Fortuna

Arenal is Costa Rica's best known volcano, it is a large symmetrical mountain built on layers of ash, rock and lava, almost 2000m high. From 1968 to July 2010 it was an active volcano throwing lava and smoke high into the air. Now we can enjoy the walking trails through the lava strewn slopes in relative peace! Our morning hike takes us on one of these trails through the forest, taking our time to enjoy the beautiful forest scenery. Arenal is very rich in animal life and it is possible that we may see monkeys, sometimes peccaries, and the beautiful toucan and numerous other birds. In the afternoon there is an optional visit to the thermal hot springs. Dinner and overnight in Arenal. Approx. 1 hour transfer.

Leaving Arenal after breakfast we transfer northwards alongside Arenal Lake in the direction of Rincon de la Vieja. We stop at the Las Pumas Rescue Shelter to see several big cats, saved here but close to extinction in the wild, including the jaguar, puma and ocelet. Continuing our journey we pass the town of Liberia before turning off to the dry forest and savannah landscapes of Rincon de la Vieja. Our lodge is close to the park entrance and situated in beautiful grounds. Overnight Rincon de la Vieja. Approx 3-4 hours transfer, there may be time for a short walk into the surrounding forest with your guide.

After breakfast, we start our next hike. In the National Park, we find tropical dry forest with enchanting waterfalls, steaming vents, hot springs and bubbling mud pools. There are many different walks to choose from and this will be dependent on the weather. We may walk the three hour circular Las Pailas Trail (The Caldrons Trail), which offers the best views of the active Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The forests around us contain a host of wildlife and if we are lucky we may see armadillo, coatis, tapir, sloth and kinkajous. After lunch we may take another three hour walk toward the beautiful La Cangreja Waterfall. Overnight Rincon de la Vieja.

Another full day in Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Today we will walk past impressive mud spots and fumarole's spouting hot steam, along the 'hot river' and then through the 'haunted wood' to the Santa Maria ranger station. Throughout our 6hrs walk, we are surrounded by forest full of bird life including toucan, quetzal, parrots and hummingbird. Please note that all walks in the park are subject to weather conditions and may vary.

This morning we transfer to the Central Pacific region. At the Tarcoles River we stop and observe the enormous crocodiles basking under the bridge, an incredible site. Continuing south we pass Quepos on the coast and a little further (at a town called Londres) we stop and continue on foot along an straight-forward track. We take our overnight belongings (our main luggage remaining with the vehicle) with us as we walk through the farmland to the small community of Quebrada Arroyo. The community originally farmed vanilla but due to devastation from pests, weather and poor soil they have now made the reserve into a conservation area and are working on natural regeneration and environmental monitoring to fight illegal hunting and tree felling. The project has progressed very well over the last decade and the forest is now beautiful. We stay in rustic dormitory style rooms. The food is all freshly prepared local dishes which we enjoy in the open sided dining area. Being here gives us a true insight to how sustainable tourism can work with the local community. The accommodation is surrounded by extraordinary forest and waterfalls. Approx 5.5 hours driving.

Breakfast at the open sided dining area is a delight as we can watch the forest with birds, butterflies and iguanas whilst we sip our coffee. This morning we have an interpretive walk through the forest with the local guide. We stop at the lookout points with their fantastic views of the forest, farmland and the Pacific Ocean over to Manuel Antonio. We have time to swim in the natural waterfall pools before returning to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon we pack our belongings and walk out to El Silencio or Londres, along a dirt track (for less than 1hr) where we meet our awaiting vehicle. From here we transfer to Dominical on the Pacific coast with its tropical sandy beaches. Overnight Dominical. Approx 1-2 hour transfer.

Leaving Dominical after breakfast we transfer to Sierpe. Here the next section of our adventure begins. We board the boat, with the personal belongings that we need for the 3 days whilst in Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. We travel down the Rio Sierpe through wildlife rich mangrove forests before coming out into Drake Bay. Here we experience the expanse of the Pacific as we follow the coastline with the tropical forest falling into the beaches and the ocean. It is possible that we will see much wildlife along the shore before we reach our accommodation for the next few days. Our simple lodge accommodation is around 100m from the beach. The only way to get here is either by boat (as we have arrived), walk or by light aircraft to Drake Bay and then in a boat to the camp. Note that as this is a relatively undeveloped area, the boat landing will be a wet landing, meaning you should expect to get wet feet! Here we are truly away from the average tourist and it is a magical experience. The accommodation is simple and remote, and with this comes a feeling of being totally submerged in the wildlife and this pristine environment. We settle into our cabins, which is our home for the next three nights, and have the opportunity to swim and relax as we enjoy the peace of this remote and idyllic spot of paradise. Approx 2 hours transfer, 45 minute boat ride.

On our boat trip today we may see schools of dolphin, and possibly barracuda or manta rays. We have plenty time to stop off and snorkel from the boat before continuing to the beautiful San Josecito beach on the mainland where we have lunch. Here we have further opportunities to snorkel and observe the fantastic underwater life, including sea turtles, a vast array of colourful tropical fish, sea urchins, lobsters and giant conchs. We can also take a short walk on along the coastal path, where we have plenty of opportunity to observe the bird and animal life. We return to our lodge in the late afternoon for a refreshing drink and dinner.

This morning we depart by boat along the untamed 12 mile Corcovado beach on the Osa Peninsula. Inhabited by jaguars and undisturbed by humans, it is considered one of the most intense biological places on earth and we will really feel this today. We disembark on the coast near the Sirena Ranger Station and walk to this research station in the midst of the rainforest. We walk along some of the many trails here with the possible sightings of anteaters, peccary, sea turtles and many birds. In the afternoon, we return to the boat and our lodge. Approx 3 hours boat ride.

Leaving the Osa Peninsula we navigate back along the Rio Sierpe to our vehicle. We are reunited with our main baggage and transfer to canton of San Isidro del General, along the Panamerican Highway. We cross the Cerro de la Muerte, at 3400m the highest road in Costa Rica, and drop into beautiful Savegre Valley. We arrive at the beautiful mountain village of San Gerardo de Dota (2700m), a world famous place for seeing the resplendent quetzal, where we overnight. Approx 45 minute boat ride, approx 5 hours transfer.

We rise early to visit several viewpoints near fruit trees where the Resplendent Quetzals are often spotted. These birds are bright green and red with tufty plumage on their heads, and the breeding males have very long tails. After breakfast back at the hotel we return to the vehicle and transfer to the Orosi Valley. From Purisil we hike alongside the Tapanti National Park and arrive at the remote and beautiful El Copal Reserve. This reserve was set up by an association of farmers who owned an unproductive sugarcane and cattle farming land. In the 1990's they decided to change their ways and conserve the area, now they have a bio diverse reserve with many birds and protect the natural history of their land. The area is also an important corridor between the Tapanti National Park and the Cerro del Muerte Valley. The friendly accommodation is a simple rustic eco-lodge with dormitory rooms, run by the association and serve delicious local, home cooked meals. Overnight El Copal. Approx. 2 hours transfer.

Before breakfast we have a short walk around the reserve lead by one of the association members who explains the area and the wildlife. After breakfast we walk for approx 2hrs through the El Copal Reserve with its tropical birds to the village of El Humo. Here we board our vehicle and transfer to Cartago. Here we visit the splendid basilica - The Lady of the Angels. We then continue onto San Jose. Total transfer time approx 3 hrs. We have the rest of the afternoon at leisurely for some souvenir shopping or relaxing, before we have a celebratory final meal with the group.

Depending on your flight departure there may be time to explore San Jose. There is a single timed transfer to the airport, where your holiday ends.